Jackie's Journey "I AM WOMAN!"

Do you know how you were designed?

A woman…empowered with destiny and purpose.

What did God have in mind where it is written in I Peter 3: 7, 

“…SOMEONE WEAKER, SINCE SHE IS A WOMAN”!

 I have no doubt at this point I have your full attention…

 God’s design for Women is to use sensitivity, instruction and the truest sense of loyalty to her husband:

(1)To equip and give her tools to fulfill her role on earth, as a giver, not a taker

(2)   To give her direction and purpose in her life

(3) To give her a sense of success and an opportunity to reflect glory back to God

(4) To know fulfillment in her calling and service

(5) To sense acceptance and appreciation for her distinction from man and to man. 

(6)   To allow her to be the completer and helpmate to her husband 

(7)   To be able to perceive the true attitudes and emotions of those around her.

Satan’s evil design for Women is to use sensitivity, instruction and disloyalty to cause in man:

(1)   Suspicion in place of trust

(2)   Competition in place of unity and oneness

(3)   Insecurity in place of giving refuge and comfort

(4)   Self-protection in place of exercising protectiveness

(5)   Pride of self (man’s ideas and concepts are the same as God’s!) instead of servanthood

(6)   Defensiveness and blaming wife in place of brokenness and genuine love.

 Our Goal  to fulfill God’s design is:  To learn to use Satan for God’s Glory!

 Interested??

 HOW DO WE DO THIS?

 The purpose and goal being to continually reflect glory back to God by using Satan and his co-horts and their evil, divisive thought patterns as springboards to remind us to step outside our little world of sensitiveness and offenses and pick a needy unsaved person to pray for. 

 In doing this, we reflect glory back to God, as we pour out our heart for a lost person and resist our self-life!  Of course, Satan runs when he realizes God’s power to answer that prayer!  The more we are reminded to pray by our needless offenses…the more God is glorified and our loyalty to Him is developed.  It’s a win…win!

 Our attitudes must reflect HIS grace in life’s situations

and not reflect our self-love…Psa. 119: 1-6

We make the choice…

OK MOM’S, HOW ARE WE USING OUR GOD-GIVEN SENSITIVITY?

 “The greatest waste in the world is the difference between

 what we are and what we could be.”  John Grimes

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Still Content?"

We are adjusting to a new way of life here in the good ‘ole USA and our expectations are on overdrive as we face all the unknowns.  It is reminiscent of days of preparation, instruction, and the eventual beginning of our lives on the Colombian border, tucked into the dense rainforest of the Darien Gap in Panama.  Visiting empty market shelves and being asked to stay homebound are new American adventures.  Will I have enough of what I think I need to endure the next few weeks and possibly months?  

 We would buy for 3-6 months at a time in Panama because we only came out of the jungle that often.  I was not accustomed to planning meals months in advance, but I LEARNED!  I learned very early what it took when I did not have enough oil, flour, rice, beans or…??  Meat was scarce, if at all…it was seasonal.  We lived on a river and we had fish…good fish!  

 It was a daily exercise of mine to learn to be and remain content…realizing that God had already provided everything I needed for my present and future happiness!  Contentment required my distinguishing between my needs and my wants!  I look back and again realize there are few things in life that are really necessary.  In fact, God identified just two:  food and clothing!  I owned two Kuna dresses (I wore one and washed one) and one pair of flip-flops! Could I be content with the basics of food and clothing? 

In the jungle there were lots of little mice.  Those little varmints were content to live anywhere!  A boot, under my porch, in my cupboards…They made themselves comfortable with whatever was available!  Could I learn to do the same?  Mud-packed floors, bark walls, tin roof, no electricity or running water, creepy crawlies everywhere, an outhouse, chiggers, mosquitos, vampire bats, monkeys on the porch, a river for a washing machine and a clothes line (instead of a dryer)…

 “If I am not satisfied with what I have, I will never be satisfied with what I want.”

Ralph Guthrie

 The more I released earthly possessions, the more I could grasp eternal treasures.  Martin Luther said, “Next to faith, this is the highest art; to be content in the calling in which God has placed you.”  Contentment comes as we realize that God is all we really need and He will never leave us.  We are told “to be content with what we have; for He has said, I will never leave you or forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, I am to be content”. Phil. 3:10

 Do you believe God has given you all you need?

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Let's Learn from the Wildebeest!"

“COMMITMENT IS WHAT TRANSFORMS A PROMISE INTO REALITY

Once born, a wildebeest calf has 15 minutes to stand and run with the adult herd, or it will be killed by predators (usually, hyenas).  The wildebeest mother will take on a pack of hyenas and sacrificially, single-handedly fight…until death…to preserve the life of her calf. (Bill Gothard, Character Sketches)   There are countless “hyenas” that will be used to devour the life of these God is entrusting into our care.               

                                   What is our commitment!??

 Being intentional is our only option!

 “Life is a stewardship; not an ownership; A TRUST; NOT A GIFT. With a gift you may do as you please; but with a trust you must give an account (Ephesians 2:10).  

God holds us responsible.

We will answer to HIM

                                                    and…time is short!!  

 The journey of life brings trials, triumphs, tragedy and achievement.  Through all of this, a dedicated mother’s love remains constant. .  Would you consider yourself to be a dedicated mom: a mom that is committed to the success of your child first, above yourself? I know we are fraught with the demanding activities and a deluge of social media that keeps us exhausted from one day to the next; but are we, through it all, rejoicing mom’s that keep the ultimate goal in view?  

 By the way, what is your “ultimate goal”?

Do your children view the goal and actively participate,

involved in “giving” of themselves or are they already “me first”,

“takers”, full of entitlement?

  Let me encourage you with all that you are in Christ and to give you the promise He left with all of us that bear the title MOTHER:  1 Thes.5: 24 says, “Faithful is He who calls you, who will also do it.”  However, it is a conditional promise…we have to let HIM!  On that day of accountability there will be NO excuses!    This is our call to action… 

HOW DO WE DO THIS??

Where do we start?

 When I think “steps of action” I think work, HARD WORK!  In that same thought comes the comfort of new direction and hope for a positive change.  In the introduction of our Princess Parable Blog site we looked back at 2014 only to find 2015 “approaching with stomping feet demanding Action” …Steps of ACTION! 

 Are you ready, Mom’s?

 Here is a test of our dedication and commitment…

 (1) Do we “Walk Our Talk?!”  Or do we make excuses for our wrong responses!  Do we call impatience what it really is…ANGER? And how about overuse of social media…CHILD NEGLECT?  Or MISSED OPPORTUNITY?!  There are no “socially acceptable sins” … Rudeness is self-first; Discouragement (or “I deserve better”) is Entitlement (the very attitude we battle in our children!)  Purpose to pursue holiness; moment-by-moment… Mothers of conviction, not compromise!

 (2) Are we open to Teachable Moments? Please note: Most interruptions are the teachable moments!  Purpose to take advantage of the moments we are least wanting to take advantage of!

 (3) Are we Intentional and Consistent?  All decisions we make carry a consequence…positive or negative.  Purpose to teach your child this truth and in doing so, enable him/her to learn to hear the voice of God.  Dial your life into the kingdom of God…Have HIS purpose wrapped in HIS WILL, not your own!

 (4) Are we Character-focused? Note the attitude in which the words or eyes are speaking to you…read your child’s spirit and you will identify the REAL NEED!

 (5) Are we Grateful…regardless of the circumstance?  Gratefulness wards off discouragement.

 (6) Are we Diligently Prayerful?…Lamentations 2:19 “Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord.  Lift up your hands to HIM for the life of your child”!

 The definition of the word “purpose” means “resolute, unwavering, deliberate” …

Commitment requires sacrifice.

 Whether a bush nurse, a missionary mom, a city mom or whatever our title may be…each of us is called to be a godly mother with a profound and sacrificial love for our children.  The calling is to “count the cost” and to love with the purpose of making these entrusted to us more successful than we could ever be for HIS glory!

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Hey, Mom...What Marks a True Princess?"

A Biblical worldview should influence all areas of life.  Articulating that worldview within our sphere of influence is what the Princess Parables are all about!  While surface problems (hate, murder, anger, addiction) attract media attention, they merely reflect and are symptomatic of the deeper need we have as people…the need for godly character!  

 Character determines our actions.  Character determines our responses, regardless of the circumstances presented to us in life.   It defines us and tells others who we really are!  Character is written on the heart of every person.  It is universal and transcends culture, race, age, social status, religion, gender and nationality.  

 Godly character marks the life of a true princess!!  For years Princesses Joy, Grace, Hope, Faith and Charity have been a large part of my life and I have grown to love each of them, as distinct and separate personalities, with unique engiftments and an adventurous story to tell.  They form a cohesive body of work that speaks to the need for early development of godly character in our little prince and princesses in a pragmatic way, that they can relate to, with Biblical terms attached. 

 I recently read, “A dear old Quaker lady, distinguished for her youthful look, was asked what she used to preserve her appearance.  She replied sweetly, “I use for the lips, truth; for the voice, prayer; for the eyes, pity; for the hand, charity; for the figure, uprightness; and for the heart, love” (Jerry Fleishman).  

 The Princesses are designed to inspire godly thoughts and actions.  The key to this wise “Quaker lady’s” answer and the challenge to us is to maneuver victoriously through this new day and its many opportunities… each revealing our TRUE character through our moment-by-moment responses!  

 Who am I really?

My daily response to life situations brings to light the REAL me!

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Family Vacation!"

It is not often that our entire family can pull away for a few days.  I’m sure you know what I am talking about. With schedules that require coordinating and lots of activities and work schedules, it is a nearly miraculous feat when a good plan finally comes together!  

 Listening to the chatter, daughters and cousins laughing and planning together, watching the wonder and living in the excitement of just being together is totally worth the undertaking.  Just stepping outside our regular pursuits and taking time to heed the familiar voices more carefully and more often is an instant stress releaser and sets the tone for a time of new appreciation, reminiscing and creating new memories.

It is silent, except for the roar of the boats.  The lake is crystal clear and smooth as glass.  It’s a glorious sunny morning!  .  I see the kids and grandkids fly by in the speedboat.   My mind is flooded with gratefulness.  Everything in me wants to shout out loud… How great is our God!  And this is only the first half of the first day!  Happy hearts are healing and invigorating.  Spontaneous hugs and unprompted conversations are the reward of “stopping the truck” for a second to regroup and realign our priorities to harmonize with His.  Each evening we stop to open the Word and open our hearts to each other and His reality in our lives. 

 “Thanks Grandma for the “sick” vacation!”   WHAT?!

Who calls a great vacation SICK?  

This generation does…it’s a great compliment!

Definitely…worth it all!

Check out the fishing! My grandson, Payton with his catch of the day!

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Betrayed!"

“…for they have dug a pit to capture me and have hidden snares for my feet,

 but you know, Oh, Lord, all their plots to kill me.” Jeremiah 18:23

 Has anyone ever set a snare for your life?

 Shortly after we returned to our village in the remote jungles of Panama after a two-month absence, a young Kuna man came to our door, obviously troubled.  He faltered and then blurted out with no care for his terminology, that Aquileo, the town representative to the Panamanian government, was plotting to kill us!  

The only word that would describe my shock was…INCONCEIVABLE!

Where can we run?

How do we …ESCAPE!

Our isolated village made any getaway… IMPOSSIBLE!

 In my traumatized state of mind, a verse in Jeremiah raced into my consciousness…  Jeremiah was facing his plotting antagonists and said, “But the Lord is with us like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail…” Jer. 20:11   This plan had taken Aquileo two years to put together and why were we now…TWO YEARS LATER…being informed that the time had come to eliminate us!  I knew we were expendable…but….

 My first thought…my two little girls…what could I do?  

Would we be disposed of in the river?  

No one would find us…ever!

 This had to be a nightmare…this could not be happening!

 My heart was stunned, on the one hand, because Aquileo and his wife had been consistently friendly to us, visiting in our jungle home, laughing and sharing with us. The terrifying reality was, they were planning to kill us at the same time!!  I was terrified… I felt betrayed because so many in our Kuna family had known of this plan and no one, until now, had told us.  I felt indebted to the young man who had risked his tribal reputation to protect us. 

 When?…Where?…How would this be carried out??  

What should we do?  

What could we do! 

 Ralph, took one look at me and instantly, reminded me that I should “joyfully” be giving thanks to God that for the two years of planning I had been spared the stress of knowing about this development!  He had recently given me a mathematical “formula”, as a reminder, for just this kind of situation.   It went like this:

 Trials + Acceptance of the Trial with Joy = Maturity

 I asked myself these 6 questions:

 1.     Could I trust God’s Sovereign plan?  Romans 8:28

2.     Did I believe God would never give me a trial too big?  1 Cor. 10:13

3.     Would He give me a way of escape? 1 Cor. 10:13

4.     Is every trial given with divine purpose and benefit?  Rom. 8:18; 11 Cor. 4: 17

5.     Am I convinced the Holy Spirit will help, comfort and carry me through this trial? Rom. 8: 26

6.     Do I believe that testing will produce Godly character in me?  Job 23: 10

 For the formula to work growth and maturity in me

 I would have to answer each of these questions with a resounding… “YES”!

 Ralph’s response was, “This is preposterous, Aquileo is my friend!”   Denial was never an option in my thinking!  Ralph immediately stood up and bolted out the front door, swiftly crossing the village… to confront his nemesis!  

 In that talk Aquileo shared a verbal wound that he had received from my husband when we first moved into Pucuro.  He felt he had “lost face” among the men in our very tight community.  Ralph had no idea that the result of his jesting had caused such pain and immediately humbled his heart and asked forgiveness. 

 In the days to come, I found that accepting the trial (even this one!) with joy proved to be a life-lesson that made a permanent imprint on me to this day, as I face life daily.  Accepting not just the formula, but also its applied truth with a joyful and resounding “YES” has changed my life!  The struggles continue to come, but accepting God’s purpose, provision and control with joy is the quickest path to peace, growth and maturity. 

 JOY is not the absence of suffering but the presence of the Lord.

C.S. Lewis said, “Joy is never in our power, it is the fruit of accepting God’s provision in difficult circumstances!”

 Well…we waited to see what would happen to us.  Days passed slowly, the nights were even longer (!), and then, one bright morning, Aquileo and his entire family arrived at our front door… smiling!  

 I cannot put into words the delight and relief

I felt as I opened the door and invited them inside!

 “Consider it PURE JOY whenever you face many trials 

of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith 

develops perseverance.

 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be 

MATURE AND COMPLETE, not lacking anything…!”

James 1: 1-4

Are you finding joy in your times of difficulty?  

 How do you respond to distresses, trials, rejections and betrayal’s?

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "The Empowerment Issue!"

Each year I read the Bible through.  I read a Proverb of the day…there are 31 Proverbs…so in a month I have completed reading the book of instruction in Wisdom, Knowledge, Discernment, Discretion, Understanding, Righteousness, Justice, and Equity.  The purpose would be that understanding comes from increased learning which allows me to acquire Biblical wise counsel in knowing how to live as a godly mother with the power of influence. Proverbs 1:1-7  

 Because we are mom’s, we have the biggest responsibility and privilege of schooling and equipping our children in how to maneuver through life and one day teach their own children.  Worldly wisdom will bring their destruction.  Biblical wisdom will bring the fear of the Lord and the beginning of knowledge that will guarantee protection and success in life.  Proverbs is a textbook for truth regarding a person’s relationship to God, Oneself and Other’s.  It supersedes personality type and is designed to teach us to contemplate the fear of God and what it is to live by His wisdom.

 When the Author and Creator of All that is…gives me a manual or workbook, you can bet I’m in…and I’m on it!  My course was set many years ago and the simple comparisons between common, concrete images and life’s most profound truths has challenged me to look at life through another-worldly lense.  “Proverbs are simple, moral statements (or illustrations) that highlight and teach fundamental realities about life.” (John MacArthur)

 As chaotic and divisive as our world is at this moment, there is still a book that is packed with help, instruction and teaching! The author, Solomon, gives insight into the tricky issues of life facing us today. I love this book because it clearly addresses the importance of imparting a pattern of undeniable absolute truth from generation to generation.  That speaks to this Mom!  

 What will I leave behind?

Did I do a good job with what was entrusted to me?

 My heritage (children and grandchildren) is “my truth”, to coin the popular phrase today…

How did I use “my empowerment” for the success of my heritage, to coin another popular phrase…?

 In the end it will ONLY be:

 Did I seek and find HIS TRUTH?

and was I EMPOWERED by HIS Spirit??

 My Heritage

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey ""Don't Cross Me...I have my Rights!!"

Would you consider yourself an angry person??  

 1. Does your family (or whomever you live with) ever see you lose your temper?

 2.     Are you able to quickly admit when you are wrong?

 3.     Do you complain about how others treat you (when you’re slighted or get 

your feelings hurt)?

 4.     Do you grumble when things don’t work out the way you planned?

 5.     Do you demand prompt attention from family members, friends, teachers, employers, etc.? (Do you feel hurt when others get more attention than you do!)

 All five questions reveal patterns of anger that are not uncommon to all of us!

 The best functional definition I have ever found for anger is: 

 “Someone finding a right that I have not yet yielded to God.” 

  Someone crossing my already decided will!

As a young tribal missionary wife and mother, I felt I had a right to be understood.  Sounds reasonable, doesn’t it?  I was living with so many unknowns. Knowing my husband understood how hard I was attempting the impossible was important to me. It seemed like a legitimate right…don’t you think?  It was imperative to have someone to talk to in my heart language (English).  Poor Ralph…he was it!  He is not a detail guy and I speak in paragraphs!  My anger would reveal itself in various forms demanding his attention. 

 “A Right”…

is a legal demand of our will that we impose on each other–

something, someone, or some attitude apart from God’s will.

It has its own authority with no power

It produces anger or hurt feelings

It assumes God and everybody owes us something

It refuses humility (the key to the Christian life!)

What rights do you claim?   

My anger popped up in the jungle more often than I care to admit.  I had an unprincipled habit of making excuses or blaming others for:

 Ø  My Pride – reserving the right to make the final decision 

Ø  My Insecurity – structuring my life around temporal values

Ø  My Reputation- projecting the image I wanted others to have of me

Ø  My Expectations

 While living in the jungle I jotted down a “few” of my rights in my journal!

·      To a normal standard of living

·      To ordinary standards of good health

·      To privacy

·      To hold others to their responsibilities

·      To be angry

·      To make the final decision on a matter

·      To judge others

·      To do it my way 

·      To be understood (self-justification)

·      To be envious or jealous

·      To be uninterrupted

 Do you identify with one or any of these as a daily occurrence?

 By making excuses for my anger rather than tracing my “anger” to a violation of one of my personal rights, I failed to live in victory.  

 By calling the “right” by its name and repenting, I found freedom in a consistent Christian walk…No more excuses.  I exchanged them for gratefulness and found peace!   

 What is the hardest right to give up?

Answer: The right to make the ultimate decision!

 I continue to learn to stop before yielding to my demand for my way and put my will in neutral, acknowledging His control and His will (not mine or my husband’s).  It brings harmony into my life in the midst of unknowns and confusion.  My demanding to be understood has become my friend and my signal to yield to Gods Will by giving my “demand” to HIM and giving thanks instead! 

 In the New Testament Christ gave up:

His Rights- “did not consider equality with God”

                                   His Reputation – “Made himself nothing, becoming a servant”

                                          His Ego – “Humbled himself”

                             His Will - “Obedient unto death”!

“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death even death on a cross.” Philippians 2: 6-8

 How can we do less?

 An independent, willful and demanding spirit will keep us from living in victory.  Let’s choose to agree with God, call anger the sin that it is and walk as He walked, honoring the cross and remembering the price He paid for our Victory over sin!  No more excuses…

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "HURRY...Draw the Battle Lines!!"

“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.”

II Cor. 10:3

 Is Someone Attempting to Destroy your Life?

 The answer is a resounding YES… Every moment of every day!  The enemy is lapping at our heels…we are at war.  Elisabeth Elliot wrote, “How can God remold my mind from within unless I continually test what I read and hear from the world by the ‘straight edge of Scripture?’”  Moms, we are inundated with time consuming activities of every kind that are compounded by social media platforms: Face booking, tweeting, texting, Instagraming, blogging, etc.  

 Where is the voice that speaks transforming truth?

  “Forever, O Lord, Your Word is settled in heaven”.  Ps. 119:89

 “The Word of God is living, powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword”! Hebrews 4:12

  How many days did you get in the Word this week?

 The Old Testament prophet, Jeremiah wrote in Chapter 6, “This is what the Lord Almighty says…to whom can I speak and give warning?  Who will listen to me?  Their ears are closed so they cannot hear.  The Word of the Lord is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it…” 

 When you read His words what do you hear?

What are you looking for? (His power? His life in you? A change in your bad habits?  A better attitude…A good story time?  A verse to meet someone else’s need?  A class assignment?)   What…??

 Listening to His voice and allowing His words to “dwell richly” in us brings life and blessing. Neglecting His Word brings spiritual devastation and destruction.  The Bible is the heart and mind of God…the transformer… renewing my mind. Rom.12:2 It is the roadmap to life!  Please Lord, “open our eyes so that we can see” the road, since Your thoughts are not our thoughts and Your ways are not our ways.” Isa.55: 8   

My granddaughter, Alexandra, a student at Biola University forwarded her grandpa’s message to me.

 Are we aggressively using the God-given tool to battle the enemy??

 Let’s explore His Word by purposing to read for a “BUMP” …a verse that jumps off the page!  It might be for someone else, but it is ours first!  It is the transforming voice of God speaking to us in an area that blinds us to what is hindering the goal of His transforming life in us, which is the key to victory over our nemesis. 

 Here are 5 questions I ask myself regarding that “bump” verse:

1.     Is there sin for me to AVOID?

2.     Is there a PROMISE for me to trust?

3.     Is there an EXAMPLE for me to follow?

4.     Is there a COMMAND for me to obey?

5.     How can this passage increase my knowledge of the Lord God (not just about Him)?

 WARNING!!

 “Many false prophets (with false philosophies) will appear and deceive many.”

Matthew 24:11

 Beware of these 5 strong voices in our 2020 culture:

 1.     Evolution:  How creation came into existence and developed

2.     Egalitarianism:  Re-Defining the role of man and woman

3.     Economics:  Contentment = Having

4.     Experience: Instant Gratification = I want, what I want…NOW! I am entitled to it!!

5.     Ego:  It’s All about Me!

 These voices are universal and give us a checklist to reveal our true convictions and the confirmation or absence of His Word in our lives. They help define strongholds that have been yielded to the destroyer. 

 “The thief (Satan) comes only to steal (our joy, youth, peace, seeds of truth, etc.) and kill (relationships) and destroy(us!); I (Christ) have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly”. John 10: 10

 Revival is the power of the Holy Spirit transforming God’s Word into our soul!

 Let’s pick up the Word of God this week and 

devastate the devil’s attempts to destroy us!!

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "It's February Already...How's it going?"

There are five keys to Success in life…

Finding the Will of God, His Desire, His Purpose, His Righteousness and His Wisdom!

 We can grab the key and walk in the light or Isaiah 50:10 talks about the Darkness…that unknown future that God desires to guide us through…you know, those mine fields of life. God’s goal for us is to lead us into our destiny…the life He has marked out for us. Heb. 12:1   Verse 11 of the same chapter is the other choice when we persist in finding our own way in the dark… and the promise is failure and torment!

 GOD’S DESIRE WILL LEAD TO OUR PURPOSE.

HIS PURPOSE WILL LEAD US TO HIS WILL.

HIS WILL WILL LEAD US TO HIS WISDOM.

THIS WISDOM WILL LEAD US INTO RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HIS ABUNDANT SUPPLY AND PROTECTION.

“Wisdom is seeing life’s situations from Gods point of view and acting in harmony with Him.

So be wise my son and heed His instruction, hallow His Name, don’t walk in shame…”

HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL FILL US WITH HIS SPIRIT AND KEEPS US FROM THE DEPTH OF SIN AND RUINATION.

HIS SPIRIT WILL PRODUCE ALL OF THIS IN US AND ENABLE US TO PLEASE HIM.

 WHATEVER WE SOW…WE REAP!

 WHY IS PRAYER SELDOM ANSWERED??

WE WANT GOD TO CHANGE HIS DESIRES AND BLESS OURS!

WE WANT GOD TO CONSIDER OUR PURPOSE AND MAKE IT WORK!

WE WANT GOD TO BLESS OUR WILL!

WE WANT GOD TO USE OUR WORLDLY WISDOM!

WE WANT GOD TO GIVE UP HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR OUR SELFISHNESS!

God requires an initial denial of self, daily death to selfish desires and a determination to follow Him. Luke 9:23   If this is not our daily practice, then there is no need to pray for our desires, wants and longings.

IT IS GOD’S RIGHT TO RULE OVER HIS PEOPLE AND HIS UNIVERSE!!

 This is why it is important to pray biblically…

BECAUSE:

 PRAYING BIBLICALLY IS SOWING GOD’S PURPOSE

INTO WHAT THE 

NEXT GENERATION WILL REAP… 

! PETER 1: 3

How’s your prayer life going??

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights.