Staff -founder / president Melissa Pearce
-copy editor Laurie Hamby
-contributing writers Jamie Clawson Katie Cline Pastor Chuck Hamby Toni Hembree Maureen Kurp Melissa Pearce Ronald Pearce Mary Beth Pecora
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From the depths of my heart, I would like to take this opportunity to wish the EHM subscribers a blessed Thanksgiving with your loved ones.
It is hard to believe we are approaching the
holiday season already. Where has time gone? For many of you reading this, the thought of approaching holidays overwhelms you.
For
others, the thought this season saddens you. For some, the holidays fill your heart with hope and joy.
No matter where we are on the spectrum, there is one thing I believe God desires
for us to realize.
He desires for our focus not to be on the holiday, nor our circumstances,
but on Him and what He longs to do through us this holiday season. I want you to join me this holiday season and take the “Pay His Love Forward Challenge.” I’m basing this challenge from the movie, “Pay It Forward,” but want to take it one step further. As we approach the holiday season, let us concentrate on the one person God desires for us to focus on and invest in.
For some of you, this may be having someone over for a
cup of coffee and a piece of pie.
For others, God may ask you to take a person grocery
shopping and purchase his/her groceries. For someone else, God may ask you to go clean a house or do someone’s laundry. No matter what is it, ask God to direct you to the one person who needs His love and take the Pay His Love Forward Challenge.
The most valuable and priceless gift you can offer
someone is your time and love. You cannot place a price tag on either of these items.
Use Hashtag #PayLoveFwd to accept the challenge and to challenge others. So you may be wondering, why the Pay His Love Forward Challenge? I believe God is calling His people into a season of being intentional about His Kingdom plans.
Our culture will try
to dictate and direct you as to what is or is not important, but God sees things differently. …..Did you not see and know that it is necessary (as a duty) for Me to be in My Father’s house and (occupied) about My Father’s business (AMP – Luke 2:49b)? We need to be concerned about the Father’s business. His business is investing in the lives of others, and He wants to use you to do it!
So this holiday season be intentional on asking
God to use you to be a blessing to someone else. have money to bless someone else. time into another life.
I know some of you are thinking, I don’t
It’s not about money.
The question now becomes apparent.
It is about you investing your Are you willing to take the
Pay His Love Forward Challenge? Let this holiday season be the best yet! Allow God’s love to transform not only your life but those with whom He has you pay His love forward. Happy Thanksgiving! In Him, Rev. Melissa Pearce
Physical rest: Being too busy, not getting
doubting or lacking peace in your heart.
enough sleep, being committed to too many
Spiritual restlessness results when we do not depend on Who God is and what He
things, and living without proper boundaries are a few of the ways we get depleted
says – about Himself and about us.
physically. Yet God never intended for you
Let's suppose for a moment that there is a
to live your life at max speed. In fact, God's
negative situation happening in your life.
Word says – In peace I will lie down and
You have two options:
sleep... (Psalm 4:8, NIV).
sick about it and/or continually attempt to
And in Psalm 23,
depicting God as our Shepherd and us as His sheep, it says – He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters (Psalm 23:2, NIV).
A) Worry yourself
solve your problem by analyzing it to death. B) Go to God's Word.
Read what is true (ex:
'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to
Even Jesus took time to rest: One day
harm you, plans to give you a hope and a
Jesus said to his disciples, 'Let’s go over to
future ‘ (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV). Bask in His
the other side of the lake.' So they got into
love and presence. Trust Him to do what He
a boat and set out. As they sailed, Jesus
says.
fell asleep (Luke 8:22-23, NIV).
Which scenario do you think allows rest to
Again we
see in Mark 1:35: Very early in the morning,
occur?
while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the
sixty-five times in His Word, God says not to
house and went off to a solitary place, where
fear. He understands we battle spiritual
he prayed (NIV).
Throughout the gospels
restlessness, but He doesn't want us to! I
we read of many times that Jesus went off
recently heard a speaker say “Jesus didn't die
by himself to pray and/or rest. Since we're
a horrible death and then rise again so you
called to follow Him, we are to do so in
could have an 'okay' life.”
ministering and also in resting.
you abundant life (John 10:10)
Spiritual rest: Inevitably, you're going to get
Definitely B! Three hundred
He died to give – not turmoil
and torment, but assurance and peace.
physically tired at times and need to rest, but
Jesus said, Then you will know the truth, and
spiritual rest can be an ongoing comfort as
the truth will set you free (John 8:32, NIV)!
we live our lives resting in Him. You are in need of spiritual rest if any of the following apply to you: worrying, over-analyzing, wasting your thought life on listening to lies,
Walk, think, and live in His truth, and you will be free indeed! ~ Jamie Clawson
Have you ever tried to achieve something that was without error? Do you strive to achieve incredible results that are pure and perfect?
Let me reassure you that there is no perfection
you can know that will shield and protect, except one thing! That one thing is the Word of God! Here’s what we are told: “The words of the Lord are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay purified seven times” (Psalm 12: 6).
Wow! That’s hot! Purified in the furnace not only once, but seven
times! To obtain pure silver, it must be refined as it is melted down. All the impurities come to the surface and are then removed by skimming them off of the top. Well, it’s the same thing in our lives. It takes the heat of affliction to bring stuff to the surface so that it can be removed from our lives! The process is painful – as suffering is painful, but suffering purifies our faith! Why do we need our faith purified? We are human and we doubt.
The reason it has to
be refined seven times in a furnace is because the number seven means completeness or perfection! The words of the Lord are so pure and so flawless…they are purification in its fullest! Not only are they pure, but they produce protection. How you ask?
Here’s how:
“Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him” (Proverbs 30: 5). Did you notice that every word is flawless? Folks, it doesn’t get any better than that! Why would we want to achieve anything else?
When we read God’s Word, it purifies everything within us. It not only purifies but it becomes a shield over our life. That’s why it is so important to digest and read God’s Word. His words are so completely reassuring of who we are and what we are called to do. That’s why we need a shield. We live in an ugly, evil world. But as we grow spiritually, we are protecting ourselves when we apply God’s words into and over our lives! When God speaks His words into our situations, He is so pure that what He speaks comes into existence! As soon as He speaks, it is! Understand that there is timing involved to when we get our answers…but know this: If God has said it, it is His promise and God keeps His promises! Look at what happened way back in the beginning. In the very first book, Genesis, chapter 1, it repeatedly says, “And God said…”
Merely by speaking, God brought all things into
existence – even the very creation! DO WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN HE SPEAKS? God’s Word is so powerful. His words bring life… His words create…They are flawless and pure… The words that God speaks trump all other words spoken against us! We all have suffered and been victims of nasty, hurtful words that have been spoken to us! Hear me, there shall come a day when God will say: “’Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will NOW ARISE,’ says the Lord. ‘I will protect them from those who malign them.’
Oh Lord, you will keep
us safe and protect us from such people—forever” (Psalm 12: 5, 7).
When this Psalm was written, it was a prayer for help when it seemed that all men were faithless and every tongue false. Now I will arise… (Selah) The King of Glory is no longer sitting but standing on our behalf! In a courtroom, when its time for the judge to give the verdict, you hear echoed through the room, “ALL RISE!” When the Father, the Ruler, the Judge says, “I will now rise,” He is arising on our behalf to protect us from those who malign us. Have you ever been maligned by someone?
The word malign means this: To speak evil
of, to slander. If you’ve been slandered, you know it is so very harmful and hurtful! About slander, we are to “…Give the enemy no opportunity for slander” (1 Timothy 5: 14). We are then further instructed to “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men” (Titus 3: 1-2).
We are to “Get rid
of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4: 31-32). Did you notice that all of the instruction is about one’s speech – the words we speak! As believers in Christ, we have the words of God within us; so we must be very careful what comes out of our mouth. God keeps reminding me every day about the power of words, first His words and then secondly, my words! The power of life and death are truly in my tongue! If you have been maligned or spoken against, I want to encourage you by saying that the Lord of Glory has promised through His written Word that “He WILL ARISE on your behalf and protect you!” God’s Words over our life are flawless, which means without error! When He speaks, it shall come to pass. When He spoke creation into existence—it came to pass. We have the precious book, the Bible, 66 Chapters of His promises to us! It’s our love letter from God, which shall NOT return void!
“As the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, So is My Word that goes out from my mouth: It shall not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55: 10-11). When it rains and snows, doesn’t it water the earth? we guaranteed water? What does water do?
When we get this precipitation, aren’t
Glad you asked! It causes growth. It
makes us clean. It produces. It causes flowers and fruits to bud—not only bud but flourish, which means abundance. When something is flourishing, it is abundantly blessing you! When we allow the Word of God to water our spirits, so to speak, we grow in Him. The seeds that are being deposited in our spirits, now become the very food to nourish us, like bread…Jesus is the bread of life… God’s Word will produce! God’s Word will not let you down. It can’t return back to Him. Once it’s released, it will be done! Once those words are released, they cannot go back up to Him. Just like when the rain falls, it cannot go back into the clouds! Once His Word is released, it shall produce in you what it purposed to achieve… This is why we don’t have to strive to achieve perfection into our lives…Only His words to us can produce that! How many countless hours have we wasted by trying and striving? Folks are losing sleep because they are over-achievers longing to be perfect, longing to achieve words that will be spoken to them, to validate them! We are already validated by the Creator of the Universe, God. His words over our lives and His promises shall come to pass! Just believe and trust in what He has promised! “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119: 105). If you long to achieve direction, let His Word guide you. It lights the way – not only for a while but forever. “Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth and it endures (Psalm 119: 89-90). His Words endure forever! That’s perfection…That’s completeness…That’s achievement, perfected achievement! Let His Word produce that in you! |
I know the answer to this question because like many of you, I have been there. In fact, my husband and I just went through one of the most difficult seasons of our lives. It appeared we were living a “Job” experience. When I recall where God has taken us over this past year, I stand amazed at His faithfulness to us. This past year has been one of the most difficult years I have had to do endure. With my husband battling unknown issues with his health, we were perplexed beyond words. As if enduring his health problems wasn’t enough, we had also put our home up for sale and were not sure where God was leading us. The word that kept penetrating every aspect of our lives was the word – UNKNOWN. The “unknown” can be overwhelming, scary, dark and disturbing. Although I know God did not inflict sickness upon Ron, He used this season to draw out the dross within our lives. [Continued pg18]
Months later, we still do not have answers but are reminded that the answers may not come. However, what we did obtain through this whole process was a greater understanding of the Mighty God we serve.
He gave both my husband and me a deeper revelation of Him.
To
me, this is priceless. He is the only One who remains true and constant. No matter how grievous your situation may be, there is one thing you must do.
You must
keep your eyes like flint upon the Master Who is above the storm within your lives. the Light that dispels all darkness. more day.
He is
He is the Hope that fuels our spirits to persevere one
He is the Anchor that we need to cling to.
He is the Great I Am. As we come
to know Him we learn that there is nothing too hard for Him to handle within our lives. When we place our faith in God, He gives us His perfect peace. peace.
There is nothing like His
His peace quiets the raging storms within our souls, giving us the assurance of His
ability to work out all the details within our lives. You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in you.
Trust
in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock, eternal (NIV- Isaiah 26:3-4). His peace impacts our attitude. eyes are focused.
How we approach our circumstance hinges on where our
We could be in the most torrential downpours of our lives. Yet in the
midst of the storm, we can remain calm because we know the Prince of Peace is in control. God’s peace gives us the perspective that we need to face our circumstance. Our attitude should also reflect this one truth:
God will never leave us nor forsake us.
This
is a core truth God has embedded into this season of our lives.
I believe God is watching
how we will respond to Him and the circumstances around us.
Are we going to take Him
at His word and believe Him?
Or are we going to fumble through the process, questioning
where He is? Could it be God will use those circumstances within our lives to reveal what is truly hidden deep within our hearts?
Is our faith in Him as great as we proclaim?
Or does our faith
get shaken when things do not necessarily go our way? As I was having my quiet time with God one day, He revealed this great truth to me. He is always looking to teach us something about Himself. However, we must learn to recognize
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. how He is teaching.
There are times God will be vocal with us just as Jesus was with the
disciples. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat (NIV- Luke 5:3). Jesus taught from the boat.
He was revealing to the disciples a greater revelation of Himself
to them during this time. Then there are times God remains in the boat with us, but He remains silent.
He is watching
how we are going to respond to Him and to the circumstances around us.
Yet, we need
to realize just because the Teacher is silent does not mean He is not with us. One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into the boat and set out.
As they sailed, he fell asleep.
A squall came down on the
lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
The disciples
went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples (NIV – Luke 8:22-25). In school when a teacher conducts a test, he or she will remain silent while giving the students the test.
I believe God acts the same with us.
In our seasons when unforeseen
circumstances develop within our lives, and God remains silent as we endure the process, could this be our test of faith?
Could this be our test of resting in the character of God?
Is God watching how we respond? or are we wavering?
Are our eyes fixed like flint upon Him during this season
You need to realize God is always for you and He will use whatever is going on within your life to bring a greater revelation of Himself to you.
The first revelation He desires for us
to grasp is the love He has for us and how He is truly for us.
He is not our enemy; Satan
is our opponent but not God.
If God is for us, who can be against us? (NIV- Romans 8:31b) So, how does God want us to approach the storms in our lives? Where are our eyes?
It is all about our focus.
Are they on the Prince of Peace or our circumstances?
Where your
concentration is will determine your response to your storms. You can rest assured that the Great Teacher within our lives is always looking to reveal a greater side of Himself to us. character. in Him.
Why? In the end, it will develop our understanding of His
We place our trust in someone we know and God wants us to place our trust
Lastly, God will not allow anything to be wasted within our lives.
He will always
use it for our good and His glory. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (NIV- Romans 8:28). We become victorious by facing adversity within our lives.
Through our experience, we see
that God is Greater, Stronger, and Able to conquer anything that stands within our way.
You
will overcome because your eyes are set on the One who will not only fight your battles but give you everything you need to sustain and succeed. Do not listen to the lies of the enemy.
YOU ARE NOT DEFEATED!!
Just having the mere
knowledge that God is for you, puts you in a place of victory before the victory even happens. Stand strong in the Lord and in his mighty power (Ephesians 6:10)! In Him, Rev. Melissa Pearce
1. Live inside your means: There are two points inside this tip. First, God's Word says in Proverbs 22:7 that the borrower is slave to the lender (NIV). If you are spending money beyond the amount that you bring in each week or month; you're compiling debt. Jesus broke our chains of slavery, and He wants us to remain free – even in our finances. Secondly, living outside of our means can be an indication that we are filling our lives and hearts with something more than God alone. Check your spending, For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21, NIV). 2. Give:
God tells us to give, but He realizes this can be an area of struggle for many.
Giving is the only command in the Bible that God says to test Him in...'Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,' says the Lord Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough for it' (Malachi 3:10).
That
blessing may not always be financial, but God knows exactly what we need. And remember David said – I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread (Psalm 37:25, NIV). 3. Get perspective:
Where does money come from anyway?
It's all God's! Romans
11:36 – For from him and through him and to him are all things (NIV). A wonderful book explaining this truth is, “God's ATM” by Ron Hembree (Good Friends, Inc., 724-733-8336). 4. Steer clear of jealousy: Jesus tells a parable about laborers hired to work in a vineyard (Matthew 20). Some were hired in the morning, some at noontime, and some in the afternoon. When it was time to be paid at the end of the day, they were all paid the same wages – whether they started early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Jesus is teaching about the kingdom of Heaven and people coming to Him; but this parable is also applicable to our literal wage-earning. Looking around at what others earn will only cause jealousy or pride – neither of which will make you a spiritually rich person. When a money issue arises in my heart or life, this is my prayer...and I hope that it is yours as well: “God, I don't want a dime more than I can handle humbly and thankfully.”
Rich in Him, ~Jamie Clawson
I would like to extend a Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones. As a child, Thanksgiving was one of my favorite Holidays. One of my fondest memories as a little
girl
was sitting
around our big kitchen table And being together. Don’t get me wrong; my
mom knew how to
make a delicious meal for us to enjoy. But deep down Inside, I loved the comfort of being with my family, surrounded by love, laughter, joy, and of course, the arguments family
has
of
who
was going to wash the dishes. As my
grown, celebrating
Thanksgiving
has
become
different for us today, but it still is very special within our hearts.
When
you
think
of
Thanksgiving, what comes to your mind?
Perhaps for some, it’s a day filled with
childhood memories of
gathering around the table and being together as a family. For others, it’s a day gorging
themselves
on
those once-a-year
foods like turkey and pumpkin pie. For some, it’s a day of sitting in front of the television watching football.
I believe there is nothing wrong with enjoying your family, eating and resting, but I do believe our culture is missing one significant treasure to Thanksgiving - the importance of revering Father God, our Creator.
Although our Thanksgiving holiday stems from the Pilgrims celebrating the autumn feast in 1621, it was President Lincoln in 1863 that declared it a national day of Thanksgiving after the Union’s victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg during the Civil War.
President
Abraham Lincoln made the following proclamation: “The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. ….. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and hose who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, …….. and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty
hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union.” President Lincoln knew in his heart the
importance of acknowledging and revering God for
His continued mercy and favor He had extended upon this land and the people. It was President Lincoln who declared the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our Father Who dwells in Heaven. What is so interesting to me is that prior to discovering the Proclamation by President Lincoln; I received two words spoken into my spirit by the Lord: thanksgiving and praise - the same two words President Lincoln used - “a day of Thanksgiving and Praise” - as a national holiday. As I was meditating upon those two words, God impressed on my heart how thanksgiving has to deal with the posture of our hearts and attitudes, while praise is the outflow of our actions being expressed.
Although we celebrate Thanksgiving once a year, I believe the
principles of evaluating our hearts and attitudes, as well as our actions towards God and others, should be applied daily. God yearns for our hearts to be full of gratitude, admiration, and appreciation towards Him. He Who controls the depths of the earth is the same God Who is able to do immeasurably more than we think or imagine within our own lives. He is the One Who went to the Cross for us – the One Who is the Rock of our salvation.
If God never expressed another ounce
of goodness towards us, and all we had was the known fact of our salvation – that should be more than enough.
Our hearts should be full of thanksgiving to Him for extending His
love, mercy, and grace toward us.
But because God is more than we can begin to fathom,
He desires to reveal Himself to each of our hearts and bestow His blessings within our lives. I love these scriptures in Psalm 95:1-7: “Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. with music and song.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him
For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. In
his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. his, for he made it and his hands formed the dry land.
The sea is
Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.” I wonder if the same Scriptures were within President Lincoln’s heart when he wrote the Proclamation for us as a nation?
I believe when President Lincoln penned the words of thanksgiving and praise, he never wanted us to lose sight of the LORD, our God.
I think he was a man who developed intimacy
among his family and loved ones, and most importantly with God. communication and connection.
Intimacy births both
Intimacy needs to start with God, our Creator.
He is the
God Who is not only love, but He designed how love should be expressed towards others. Intimacy needs to be cultivated and expanded among those we love. many distractions that vie for our time.
Today, there are too
This impacts our intimacy with God and others who
are in our lives. So on this Thanksgiving, my prayer is that you would reflect upon those two simple yet profound words that were penned by President Lincoln and were instilled into my spirit by God: thanksgiving and praise.
Ask God, “In what ways do I need to express my thanks and love
to you, God, and to those who are in my life?” And then do it! Be blessed, my dear friends.
Ron and I would like to wish you and yours a Thanksgiving
filled with much joy, laughter, and love.
We appreciate all that you do for the ministry.
are grateful for all of your love, prayers, and financial support.
We