A CHRISTMAS EXHORTATION

MESSIAH PROMISED - GENESIS 3:15

MESSIAH PROMISED

By Susie Hale, Precious Jewels Ministries

The serpent was beautiful and beguiling,

And the woman was deceived.

He told them the fruit would make them wise,

A half-truth they chose to believe.

Because they listened to someone other than God,

A curse came upon them and the earth.

Men would have to work hard to provide,

And women would have pain in childbirth.

The serpent on his belly would crawl,

But God gave them a promise that day.

Although the Deceiver would bruise man’s heel,

Eve’s descendant would purchase the way

To defeat Satan once and for all

By fatally crushing his head.

Jesus’ feet were bruised upon the cross,

But He conquered Satan once for all

WHEN HE ROSE UP FROM THE DEAD!

RIGHT RELATIONSHIP RESULTS IN RIGHTEOUSNESS

Right Relationship Results in Righteousness

Susie Hale, July 9, 1989

We do not become sinners when we commit sin;

We all commit sins because as sinners we begin.

We are not righteous by doing righteous acts;

We do righteous deeds because our righteousness in Christ is fact.

We do not become holy by doing holy things;

We do that which is holy because of holiness He brings.

We are not sanctified by living godly lives;

We are capable of godliness as the Spirit sanctifies.

grace – charis – the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life: including gratitude: acceptable, benefit, favor, gift, gracious, joy, liberality, pleasure, thankworthy. (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible)

            Many of us can quote John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Do we believe it? Do we live like we believe it? I’ve spent a lot of time trying to be good enough, feeling compelled to do the “right” things, working like crazy to meet the expectations of others and myself. I’ve realized in recent years that trying to squeeze good works from myself and playing the martyr are not how God desires me to live.

            Just as I am saved by grace, I must also live by grace. Salvation is due to God’s drawing my heart and my accepting his gift by faith. His life is then reflected in my life. That is the benefit of walking with him. Righteousness does not come from straining and striving to be like Jesus. Righteousness occurs in my life as I spend more time with Christ, in his Word and prayer. Then his grace, his “divine influence upon the heart,” is liberally, joyfully, graciously reflected in the peace that I have and the deeds that I do. Pursuing my relationship with the Righteous One results in righteousness. I am only able to do his works when I take time to be his child.

            Father, may my life be a reflection of your influence on my heart. May I be known not for my efforts in my own strength but for the evidence of your grace to me. May you be glorified as others see Jesus in me. 

A CIRCUMCISED HEART

A Circumcised Heart

I cannot follow my moral compass.

I cannot rely on religion or creeds,

Being born of a certain nation or race,

Or submitting to ritualistic deeds.

It is impossible to obey God’s law completely,

Never committing sin nor omitting good.

In my flesh, by my will, I cannot attain

To all of the rules I know that I should.

Only a circumcised heart can change me,

Only a spirit made new by the Lord.

Giving my life completely to Jesus

Is what will enable me to obey His word.

His blood has covered my many failures.

He gave His life to pay for my sins.

Accepting His precious gift of forgiveness

Frees me to live a life pleasing to Him.

           In order to live a life pleasing to God I had to undergo heart surgery. God had to cut around my heart to remove the hardness, to extract my heart of stone in order to give me a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 11:25). He did this by drawing me to himself and giving me the faith in Christ needed to save me.  When I surrendered my life to the control of the Lord, his Holy Spirit moved into the renewed heart he had created. As I daily allow the Spirit control of my life, I am able to accomplish the tasks God lays on my heart. True service is not willing myself to obey certain rules and regulations. It is, rather, a complete surrender of my will to God. It is a moment by moment choice to seek God’s best in every decision, every action, every breath of my life. As I choose to know more of the Lord through his Word, worship, and prayer, I am more aware of the ways he desires to work in and through me. As I learn to pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17), bringing everything to him, and as I seek first the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33), then the good works for which he created me will follow.

            Father, keep my heart soft and pliable for your use. Cut away any hardness that would keep me from you.

CHRISTMAS BEGINS WITH CREATION

EVE - Mother of all Living

            When I hear the name Eve, often my first thought is “I wish you had said no to that serpent!” It is true that the sin of Adam and Eve in eating the forbidden fruit caused the cursed state of the earth and mankind.

          However, God in His grace killed animals to make clothing for the couple who had just realized they were naked. He pronounced the curse that women would have great pain in childbirth, but He allowed Eve, the fallen woman, to bear the first children. In fact, her name means “life giver,” the name her husband gave her because he realized that God’s command to them to be fruitful and multiply meant that his wife would be the mother of all living. Adam and Eve’s son, Seth, is listed in the lineage of Jesus! She was the Lord’s own great to the nth power grandmother. And wasn’t that the promise she received, that her Seed would crush the serpent’s head once for all?!

          The Bible is truly the story of redemption through the Lord Jesus Christ throughout the pages, in every book of God’s word. Eve was the first woman, the one who gave the forbidden fruit to Adam, the first mother to suffer the loss of a child who was murdered, the mother of the first murderer; but she was also the Mother of Christmas because Jesus’ lineage is traced to Seth, the son God gave her to replace Abel who was murdered by Cain.

          Have you rebelled against God? Have you denied His existence? Or just ignored Him thinking you have plenty of time to make up your mind about Jesus? Today is the day of salvation! Surrender your life to Jesus, the only way to a right relationship with the Creator, the Almighty God, today! He is the only One who can crush Satan’s power in your life! He offers you the free gift of salvation, free to those who believe and trust Him, but very expensive for Him to give. The price of that gift was His agonizing death on the cross. You see, the baby in the manger at Christmas was born to die that men might truly live.

JOY, NO MATTER WHAT!

       At this very moment, I am in pain. My foot that is no longer there is having spasms, phantom pain. We tend to think of rejoicing as a feeling, but it is not. It is bound up in relationship, my relationship to our heavenly Father that I am devoted to and committed to no matter what. Joy is possible because God loves me and chose me when I was unworthy because of sin. I wouldn’t even have the capacity to love Him unless He loved me first. I can give thanks to God when I pray, even when I am in pain, because He is faithful. I have trusted Jesus, surrendered my life to Him; and thanksgiving is His will and destiny for me. What the Lord instructs me to do, He empowers me to do through the Holy Spirit within me.

                                                                Rev. Susan R. Slade

                                                        Dedicated to Betsy Hall

INDESCRIBABLE GIFT - 2 Corinthians 9:15

Indescribable Gift

By Susie Hale, Precious Jewels Ministries

We love to remember the Gift given at Christmas,

The babe wrapped in cloths and laid on the hay.

But as He left Heaven God’s only Son, Jesus,

Knew He was not born for Christmas day.

He willingly left His throne and His glory

To enter a body of flesh made mostly of mud.

He knew He would teach and heal hearts and bodies,

But He knew His purpose was to shed His blood.

The indescribable, inexpressible gift free to us

Was purchased by the Lamb of God at great price.

He was born to the virgin to take on flesh

In order to be the final, perfect sacrifice.

Let us give thanks to our eternal Father

Who gave up His only begotten Son,

Providing the way for us to have relationship,

That we and our Savior might truly be one.

THANK GOD FOR JESUS

“Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth” (Revelation 1:5a) purchased our freedom from sin and death by shedding His blood on the cross and secured our own resurrection by rising from the dead on the third day. He is King of kings and Lord of lords, seated at the right hand of the Father. We can be thankful for many things during this season – food on the table, a roof over our heads, a loving family – but most importantly, we must remember to thank our God for the free gift of salvation, purchased by Jesus’ blood, and given to us through His grace. Thank you Father for your indescribable gift!

PERSISTENT, THANKFUL PRAYER

Persistent, Thankful Prayer

By Susie Hale & Susan Slade

Precious Jewels Ministries

Interceding in prayer should never be a ho-hum exercise.

We need to be persistent and consistent with open eyes

To be constantly aware of other people’s needs

And seek the heart of our Savior who intercedes.

And as we labor on our knees intensely aware

Of pain and sorrow, those in need of prayer

To be strengthened to walk where the Father leads,

Knowing He is constantly aware of our needs,

May we remember to be thankful for all He has done,

Is doing and will do; for He is the only One

Who can truly provide exactly what is best.

His love for us is true, upon this we can rest.

So even when struggling we can thank the Lord

Because He is faithful to what’s promised in His word.  

GROWING IN GRACE

Growing in Grace

By Susie Hale, Precious Jewels Ministries

When a plant first comes up, we may not know

what beautiful blossom upon it will grow.

As babes in Christ we are fresh and green,

but how we will bloom is yet to be seen.

The master Gardner pours in His grace,

and gradually we will resemble Christ’s face.

Someday when He comes to claim His bride,

we’ll be made like Him pure and righteous inside:

a miraculous flower in the garden of our God,

singing His praises, bringing Him laud.

New Earth

Protests, riots, senseless violence – all this has been in the news the last few days. Our world seems like it is hopelessly mired in sin. It IS mired in sin, but there IS hope. To quote a great hymn, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.”  Those of us who know Jesus intimately, who have trusted in His sacrificial death on the cross and subsequent resurrection from the grave, have peace in the middle of all this strife and the hope of a fantastic future when Jesus returns. We can take His promise of new heavens and a new earth to the bank. He will return to judge the ungodly, those who never believed, and cast them into the lake of fire. But He also will provide a brand-new world for us where “righteousness will be at home.” No more violence, no more hate speech, no more sin! If you have put your faith in Jesus, you can live confidently each day knowing that this present world is not your permanent home. If you have not yet surrendered your life to Jesus, what are you waiting for? Now is the time!

FAITHFUL

Faithful

By Susie Hale, Precious Jewels Ministries

You are faithful every moment of every hour

of every single day.

You are near me, right beside me, never leaving;

You will never stray.

For Your love is perfect. Your love is true.

No one else could ever love me the way that You do.

So I will trust You. True submission, complete surrender,

I give to You my all.

Lead me; guide me. Show me how I best can serve You.

I’m listening for Your call.

For Your love is perfect. Your love is true.

No one else could ever love me the way that You do.

For Your love is perfect. Your love is true.

No one else could ever love me the way that You do.

PSALM 100:4 - THANKSGIVING

Psalm 95:2 - PRAISE

MAGNIFY WITH THANKSGIVING

A magnifying glass makes things appear larger than they are. When Susan and I are working together, I temporarily magnify (enlarge) the text to make it easier for her to read on the TV screen. God is already bigger than anything or anyone else. Magnify in this verse means to extol, to exalt, to raise in estimation. In this case, we are magnifying the Lord, extoling His greatness to a world that is too myopic and self-focused to see Him clearly. Notice what magnifies Him: thanksgiving! When we are truly thankful for all God has done and is doing in our lives, and we express that outwardly, we magnify our Lord. Tell people not just that you are thankful, but to whom your thankfulness and praise are directed. Change the phrase “I am thankful” to the more accurate “I thank God.” Magnify the Lord God by having an “attitude of gratitude” every day. It will brighten your day and may just give you an opportunity to share the best news ever with someone who desperately needs to hear it!

RESCUE FROM TRUTH DECAY

Rescue from Truth Decay

          Some days it feels that evil surrounds me like a thick fog – wars, murders, riots, robberies, cruelty toward innocent children, persecution of my brothers and sisters around the world. However, an even bigger problem is the colorful, eye-catching temptation everywhere in my path – billboards, commercials, magazines in the check-out line. Beautiful women and handsome men promising the latest craze is everything needed to make life wonderful. Little children and puppies used to make one feel that spending to excess is a must in order to survive in the modern world. We are inundated with invitations to drink, smoke, eat, buy, or pursue sensuality in an effort to fill the void. We do NOT have to give in to the desires inflamed by the world. The Lord is able to rescue us. We are all tempted, but as Christians we always have a way out. “No temptation has seized you beyond what people normally experience, and God can be trusted not to allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear. On the contrary, along with the temptation he will also provide the way out, so that you will be able to endure.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 CJB) I must approach the world with discerning eyes, a mind rooted and grounded in the word of God, and an attitude of constant communication with my Lord through His Holy Spirit indwelling me. God will guard my mind and strengthen me to stay on His path whether I am walking in the thick fog or inundated by eye candy that causes truth decay.

ENABLED TO STAND

Enabled to Stand

By Susie Hale, Precious Jewels Ministries

Our God created everything we see,

Created man and woman, created you and me.

Jesus existed before time began.

Before Adam fell, the God-head had a plan.

The Son of God born, as a human to live;

So as the Lamb of God, His life He could give.

Christ rose from the grave, returned to the throne,

The most powerful King the world has ever known.

Those that He rescued by His death on the cross,

Are secure in His grip and cannot be lost.

For those He has chosen, He enables to stand:

He bolsters us up with His righteous right hand.

He will present us, His bride, spotless and clean

And we will live forever in glory yet unseen.

Give thanks to the Lord, praise His name,

Sing of His glory, and His greatness proclaim. 

CONSTRUCTION ZONE

How do we build ourselves up in the faith? First, we make sure we are standing on our firm foundation, the Lord Jesus Christ. Surrendering our lives to Him and trusting Him alone to redeem us from sin is the only way to build a strong faith life. Next we pray in conjunction with the Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit, praying according to God’s will and seeking His ways in everything we do which is the framework. How do we abide in God’s love? By keeping His commandments (John 15:10). Our godly lives are the part of the house seen by others. The false teachers Jude exposed were doing the opposite of this by trusting in their own arrogance, denying the Spirit’s power, and blatantly tossing God’s commandments out the window to give in to their fleshly desires. Like them, false teachers today are tearing down rather than building up the faith. DO NOT FOLLOW THEM!

INTERCEDING

          As we have studied Psalms 105 and 106, we have seen that Moses interceded on behalf of the Israelites many times. They would completely disobey or fail to trust God to the point that God would offer to destroy them all and start over with Moses. However, Moses always prayed that God would remember His promise to Abraham and protect His name among the nations by preserving His chosen people.

        We, too, stray far from God’s desire for us over and over, but Jesus is constantly interceding on behalf of His chosen children. He is the one who holds us in His hand and provides a way for us even when we fail Him over and over.

        We need to thank the Lord for interceding on our behalf. We should follow His example and intercede for others as we pray. One of the most Christ-like things we can do is to ask the Lord to intervene in a positive way in someone’s life. 

FLASHLIGHT

       Have you ever tried to find your way on a path at night or in a heavily wooded area that does not allow much sunlight through? If so, you know the value of a good flashlight. God’s word is the flashlight aimed at the path in front of us. We may not always be able to see clearly a long distance ahead, but each step is illumined to keep us from stumbling over rocks or falling into a ditch. Failing to read and study the Bible is like having a fully charged flashlight in your hand on a dark night and failing to turn it on! Read the Bible. Allow the Holy Spirit to illumine it, light it up for you. Then faithfully follow what God shows you. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” 

(Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)

ENCOUNTER WITH THE GLORIOUS MAJESTY

An Encounter with the Glorious Majesty

From Peter’s point of view

By Nicole Foster, Susan Slade, and Susie Hale

                 

                  Jesus took James, John, and me on a high mountain. We seemed to be Jesus’ inner circle of followers. His appearance changed right before our very eyes. His face was shining as the sun, and His clothes became white as the brightest light there is! Suddenly, Moses and Elijah were standing there talking with Jesus. How did we know who they were? I have no earthly idea; we just did.

                  I blurted out, “Teacher, it’s a great thing that we’re here. We should build three shelters here: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” Jesus didn’t reply to my idea.

                  At that point, a shining cloud surrounded us, and were interrupted by a voice from heaven. The bold voice came from the majestic Glory saying, “This is My beloved Son, I take delight in Him!”

                  We all fell face down on the ground from overwhelming fright! Jesus touched us and told us not to be afraid. We realized Moses and Elijah were no longer present.

                  Then Jesus commanded us to make an unusual promise. We had just gotten back from a preaching journey, sharing about Jesus everywhere we went. But now, He asked us to keep this whole experience on the mountain a secret! I wondered why, but we obeyed Him and did not tell a single soul until after His death and resurrection.

                 

                  What a day! We witnessed this—we ourselves heard this voice from heaven—when we were with Jesus on that holy mountain. This why I can confidently teach that Jesus is indeed the Son of God, the Messiah, the Lord of lords.

EYE WITNESS TESTIMONY

EYE WITNESS TESTIMONY

By Susie Hale, Precious Jewels Ministries

Peter was called on to testify,

Not in a courtroom but in a letter.

The Holy Spirit inspired him

For God knew there was no better

Witness than one who had been there,

An eye witness to Jesus’ glory.

He breathed into Peter remembrance,

An accurate account of His story.

For Peter, James and John

Had climbed a mountain with Christ

And seen Him changed before them

Shining countenance, clothing bright white.

This experience confirmed what they knew

That Jesus was the scripture fulfilled.

He was the promised Messiah,

The perfect Lamb whose blood would be spilled.

ON THIS ROCK I STAND

On This Rock I Stand

July 12, 2003

There is a Rock on which I stand.

I’m held there by God’s grace.

For Christ alone is my salvation; 

I will daily seek his face.

My fortress, my stronghold, my defense, 

my refuge, the rock of my strength

is Jesus Christ, my Lord, my God, 

the Living Water from which I drink.

My salvation and honor depend on God. 

In him, my soul shall find rest.

I stand on this Rock and shall not be moved. 

By his grace, I’m supremely blessed.

“My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him;

For my hope and expectation are from Him.

He only is my rock and my salvation;

He is my defense and my fortress; I shall not be moved.

With God rests my salvation and my glory;

My rock of unyielding strength and impenetrable hardness, 
and my refuge is in God!

Trust, lean on, rely on and have confidence in Him at all times, you people;

Pour out your heart before Him. God is a refuge for us – 
a fortress and high tower.

Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

Psalm 62:5-8 (Amplified Version)

“To his own master he stands or falls.

And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”

Romans 14:4 (NIV)

SPIRITUAL STICKY NOTES

Spiritual Sticky Notes

(see also Ephesians 5:19)

By Susie Hale, Precious Jewels Ministries

Peter’s letters, as all of God’s word, serve as sticky notes

Reminding us who we are, whose we are, and how we are to live.

Right up until he left this earth, Peter stirred other believers

And through his two letters, he continues to give.

We as believers must invigorate and encourage

Each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.

We must use God’s word to stir one another

And remind ourselves to Whom we belong.

AUTUMN OF MY LIFE

The following post was originally written three years ago in 2013. As my roommate turns 50 this week (which seems younger and younger every year), I thought it a good post for today. Many will gather this afternoon to celebrate the fact that Susan is entering her "golden decade."  What most of us consider middle age, autumn of life, over the hill is for Susan a miraculous, marvelous event. When she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a baby, the doctors warned that her life expectancy was about twenty-four years! PRAISE THE LORD for sustaining her double that many years and pray with us for many more! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SUSAN SLADE!!!

My Awesome Autumn

God orders and sustains the seasons and created plants that flourish in each one.  My winter veggies and pansies fade as my hyacinths and daffodils peek their heads up in early spring.  Then come the peonies, roses, and irises of spring. Summer ushers in daylilies, marigolds, and blooming sedums. This year the Lord extended my summer harvest of tomatoes and bell peppers into October!  As cooler weather brings ugly brown to much of my yard, here come the redheads!  At least that’s what I call them. They are some type of spidery lilies that rise up on a tall stalk seemingly without leaves and grace the head of my driveway every October.  They are now joined by late blooming morning glories and my newest favorite Sedum Autumn Joy whose late summer pink blooms turn fiery red in the fall.  I do believe autumn is my favorite season of all!

At fifty-six years old, some might say I am in the autumn of my life.  I enjoyed the spring – I was born to loving parents who provided a happy and nurturing home in which to grow with my two sisters. My summer years brought laughter and tears, love and betrayal, healing and hope, and in my forties the children I always knew I would have.  Right now, I feel I’m in an extended summer because I am surrounded at church by friends in their eighties and nineties!  But autumn is arriving in my life, a few more aches and pains, a little more gray hair. Watching my mother weather the storms of her winter years as she approaches her eternal spring with our Lord has aged me a bit, but the Lord has brought joy in the midst of trial. Each season has its beauty and its challenges.  Each phase of life is appointed by God who sends the sunshine and rain, summer’s heat and winter’s ice, and redheads every October. 

HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER

The psalmist recounts Your mercy and love

in spite of Your people’s rebellion.

Your loving-kindness didn’t depend on their faithfulness,

But solely on Your own.

Today your character remains the same:

You redeemed me from the midst of my sin.

My salvation does not depend on my works,

But on the grace of Christ alone.

I give thanks to You, Lord, for You are good.

Your love endures forever.

I’ll live my life in praise to You,

And trust in You to bring me home.

Susie Hale, www.PreciousJewelsMinistries.org

COMPLETE CONFIDENCE IN CHRIST

Complete Confidence in Christ

By Susie Hale, Precious Jewels Ministries

How do I know my salvation

Is eternally secure?

What keeps me from doubting

As trials I endure?

My entrance into Heaven

Is not something I have earned.

It does not depend on me

To hold on to it, I have learned.

My trust is in the Savior,

My Lord who paid the price.

To purchase my redemption,

He was priest and sacrifice.

Therefore, I am persuaded

Jesus holds me in His hand

And nothing can snatch me from Him;

He’ll enable me to stand.