Winter 2015 Newsletter
A
s you read this, we’re well into the new year, but you may still be thinking of resolutions , goals , and changes you ’d like to see happen in the coming
months .
At Revive Our Hearts, we’re also thinking about a fresh year before us. With
that in mind, I wanted to share with you some upcoming initiatives that are on our hearts. • In less than two weeks, our Spanish ministry, Aviva Nuestros Corazones, will hold the first-ever international True Woman Conference in the Dominican Republic. Women are registered from every country in Latin America. We’re praying God’s Spirit will move powerfully among these dear Latin sisters who are so hungry for His truth and are eager to share it throughout the Spanish-speaking world. • Then at the beginning of April, True Woman 201: Interior Design will be released. As we focus on ten elements of biblical womanhood drawn from Titus 2, it’s our hope that God will give women a new interior design. • We also have a new devotional journal available as a companion to my radio series “The Incomparable Christ.” Through these resources, we’re challenging women to be intentional about turning their thoughts and hearts to the significance of what Christ did for us on the cross. • And though it’s still several months away, we are busy preparing for Revive ’15: Women Teaching Women Conference. Our burden is to motivate and equip women to study the Word and teach it to other women—whether in one-on-one discipleship, small groups, counseling, or larger settings. Through all of these endeavors—and more—we’re putting your generous gifts toward this past year-end need to good use. Thank you for your part in helping women everywhere thrive in Christ!
Because of Him,
By Nancy Leigh DeMoss
I
t hardly needs to be pointed out that
He breathed His final breath, Jesus was the
most of the world does not affirm
subject of intense scrutiny and controversy.
“ incomparable .” In our
Throughout His earthly ministry, His claims
twenty-first century, multicultural world, a
and message were vigorously discussed and
host of religions claim to have a corner on
debated.
that
C hrist
is
truth. Many of those claims are mutually exclusive with the claims of Scripture—they cannot both be true.
(Mark 8:29, emphasis added). That is the question every person must answer. The way we respond to that question is of utmost importance. Our answer determines how we respond to Jesus and His
The credibility and validity of His mes-
message. When He was here on earth, some
sage hinge on the matter of His identity. At
grumbled at His teaching; they hated Him
one point, Jesus asked His disciples, “Who
for exposing the darkness of their minds and
Who and what are we to believe? How
do people say that I am?” (Mark 8:27). A va-
hearts; ultimately, they put Him to death.
are we as followers of Christ to respond to
riety of responses followed, just as the same
But others humbly and gladly received His
those who insist that their faith is equally (or
question would elicit a range of answers
words, because they believed He was who He
more) valid than ours? And how are we to
today: some would say that Jesus was a great
claimed to be: the Son of God, God of very
present the gospel of Christ to a world that
moral influence, a philosopher, a man worthy
God, come down to earth to reconcile God to
views Him as something different or less
of emulation; others consider Him a fraud or
man.
than we believe Him to be, simply another in
a menace to society.
a pantheon of religious figures?
And still today, people either worship,
The follow-up question Jesus asked His
love, trust, and follow Jesus as the Savior of
These challenges are not new. From His
disciples is even more pointed and critical
the world, or they deem Him irrelevant or
entrance into this world as an infant until
than the first: “Who do you say that I am?”
even a threat to be extinguished. There really
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is no middle ground. What we believe about Jesus determines our ultimate destiny. In his final book, The Radical Disciple, John Stott stresses the importance of affirming the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in our pluralistic world: For he is unique in his incarnation (the one and only God-man), unique in his atonement (only he has died for the sins of the world), and unique in his resurrection (only he has conquered death). And since in no other person but Jesus of Nazareth did God first become human (in his birth), then bear our sins (in his
What we believe about Jesus determines our ultimate destiny.”
death), and then triumph over death (in
S.M. Lockridge (1913–2000) was an African-American preacher who is best known for his six-and-a-half-minute description of Jesus known as “That’s my King!” I trust this excerpt will further whet your appetite to meditate on the person and work of the one and only—the incomparable—Lord Jesus Christ: He’s God’s Son. He’s the sinner’s Savior. He’s the centerpiece of civilization. He stands alone in Himself. He’s august. He’s unique. He’s unparalleled. He’s unprecedented. He’s supreme. He’s preeminent. My King is the key of knowledge. He’s
his resurrection), he is uniquely compe-
“Consider Him” is the counsel most
the wellspring of wisdom. He’s the
tent to save sinners. Nobody else pos-
needed by our generation—and every gen-
doorway of deliverance. He’s the path-
sesses his qualifications.
eration. Christ is a Tonic for tired, troubled
way of peace. He’s the roadway of righ-
hearts. He is Wealth for impoverished souls.
teousness. He’s the highway of holiness.
He is Life for those bored and deadened by
He’s the gateway of glory. He’s the mas-
endless entertainment and meaningless
ter of the mighty. He’s the captain of the
pursuits. He is Wisdom for the perplexed,
conquerors. He’s the head of the heroes.
Health for the wounded, Freedom for the ad-
He’s the leader of the legislatures. He’s
dicted, and Grace for the guilty. He truly is
the overseer of the overcomers. He’s the
more than enough!
governor of governors. He’s the prince
So we may talk about Alexander the Great, Charles the Great and Napoleon the Great, but not Jesus the Great. He is not the Great—he is the Only. There is nobody like him. He has no rival and no successor. There truly is no one like Jesus—not even close! But it is one thing to give mental assent to that concept and quite another to make Him the supreme, unique object of our attention and affection. It is not enough to know that Jesus is incomparable. We must steadfastly fix our eyes and our hope upon Him. • He alone is able to save us from our sin. (Matt. 1:21)
In a letter written in 1840 to a group of teens in his church, Scottish evangelist and missionary William Burns put it this way: “Look unto Jesus!” is the whole of the Gospel. Look and wonder, look and live, look and love, look and adore, look and admire, look and be blessed, look and
of princes. He’s the King of kings, and He’s the Lord of lords. That’s my King. I wish I could describe Him to you, but He’s indescribable. Yes. He’s incomprehensible. He’s invincible. He’s irresistible. That’s my King! Amen and amen.
be glorified, look eternally—and your hearts will be filled with everlasting love, your mouth with an unending hal-
• He alone is able to sanctify us—to make us holy. (Heb. 10:10) • He alone is able to satisfy our thirsty souls. (John 4:13–14) • He alone is able to sustain and strengthen us in the race to which He
lelujah! As we gaze steadfastly upon Christ, we will be transformed into His likeness (2 Cor. 3:18; 1 John 3:2). And as we reflect His beauty, “the fragrance of the knowledge of him” will be spread to all around us (2 Cor. 2:14).
has called us. (Heb. 12:1–3)
Catch Nancy’s series “The Incomparable Christ” February 18–April 10 on: Your local radio station ReviveOurHearts.com
“The Incomparable Christ” book and devotional journal AVA I L A B L E N O W:
ReviveOurHearts.com
NANCY LEIGH DEMOSS Lover of Christ, Bible teacher, Author @NANCYDEMOSS
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true woman 201:
interior design TEN ELEMENTS OF BIBLICAL WOMANHOOD by Mary A. Kassian and Nancy Leigh DeMoss
H
aving a talented designer come in and create a new look for a home
or restaurant is a popular topic of
TV
reality shows.
THE PROJECT The shows follow a similar format. First, the designer and the owner take a look at the space and talk about how unsightly and dysfunctional it is. Then the designer asks the owner to hand over the keys and trust him to do a renovation. Although she may be a bit nervous and doubtful, she agrees to let the designer take over and transform the space.
THE DEMOLITION
The Lord is the ultimate Designer. . . He wants to come in and do a radical renovation of your heart.”
The designer comes up with a plan and quickly puts his team to work. They demolish and clear out everything old. They fix things that are broken, paint and paper the walls, lay new flooring, change the fixtures, bring in new furnishings, and choose just the right accessories to fit the new décor.
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THE BIG REVEAL The highlight of the show is when the owner returns for the big reveal. The camera zooms in to capture the look of surprise, joy, and astonishment on her face as she takes in the change. The audience is shown “before
and after” footage to demonstrate just how dramatic the transformation has been. The show ends with the happy owner giving a testimony about how much the metamorphosis means to her and how her life will change as a result.
THE ULTIMATE DESIGNER These renovation shows are a great illustration for the object of this study. The Lord is the ultimate Designer. And He has a divine design for womanhood. He wants to come in and do a radical renovation of your heart. He wants to change you from the inside out. If you let Him, He’ll give you an extreme makeover . . . a brand-new interior design.
THE END RESULT The change won’t take place overnight. But the outcome—a heart and character like His—will be grander than anything you could possibly have envisioned, better than anything you could have done on your own. And it all starts with trusting Him enough to hand Him the keys to your heart, asking Him to make a beautiful work of art out of your life. And it doesn’t end there. God wants to use you as part of His makeover team to help others experience His grand, interior design for their lives!
Step into the great adventure of discovering who you were created to be!”
can be easier or work better. According to Isaiah 43:6–7, God created sons and daughters for the purpose of displaying His glory. His divine design reflects profound truths about His character and about the gospel of Christ.
THE GRAND UNDERTAKING You have a purpose. Your womanhood has a purpose. The Lord wants you to discover the beauty of His plan for manhood and womanhood, and to experience the joy and fulfillment of being exactly who He cre-
Christian womanhood” curriculum for
ated you to be. He wants to arrange the inte-
women in every nation and every generation.
rior of your heart and life so that you might
They’re just as relevant today as they were
best accomplish the purpose for which you
back then. Step into the great adventure of
were made. And He invites us to participate
discovering who you were created to be!
with Him in that grand undertaking.
THE DEFINITION
Are you ready to start? Get your copy of True Woman 201: Interior Design on April
Charles Eames is a famous American
1, and ask the great Designer to start reno-
designer who made major contributions to
vating. Let’s watch the amazing transforma-
modern architecture and furniture design.
tion as He gives us a beautiful, new Interior
He defined design as “a plan for arranging
Design!
elements in such a way as to best accomplish a particular purpose.” We think his definition is appropriate for this study.
MARY KASSIAN Author, Speaker, Professor, Wife, Mom @MARYKASSIAN
THE DIVINE PLAN God has a divine plan for womanhood. He has given us the elements that are necessary to accomplish that purpose. And what is that purpose? The goal is not just so our lives
NANCY LEIGH DEMOSS Lover of Christ, Bible teacher, Author @NANCYDEMOSS
THE STUDY True Woman 201: Interior Design is a ten-week Bible study that takes a bold, fresh look at what the New Testament has to say about womanhood. In Titus 2, we see a portrait of the counter-cultural Christian woman—a woman who honors God and reflects the heart of Christ. In the opening paragraph, Paul points us to ten essential elements of womanhood: discernment, honor, affection, discipline, virtue, responsibility, benevolence, disposition, legacy, and beauty. These ten elements make up the “basic
Winter 2015 5
The Ripple Effect of True Woman 101 The first week I was blown away. I felt like I’d gotten punched in
Khalilah
the face by what it was saying. It was difficult at first, because it was contrary to what I thought a true woman was. The fact that it was backed up with Scripture was shocking to me. But when I looked up the verses, it all came together. I felt a bit angry, too. The devil has pulled a fast one on us. How many women have the wrong perspective of a true woman? Take marriage, for example. On my mom’s side of the family, no marriages have lasted. On my dad’s side, only one has. I believe if the women in my family knew what a true woman was, some of the marriages would have survived.
I heard about True Woman 101 at a mom’s group where we went through the study each week. I wasn’t excited at first, but when I started doing the homework, I went, ‘Whoa!’ As I read the Scriptures listed, I was overwhelmed by the worldliness of my thinking. Even as a Christian in the church, my thinking was divided.
Khalilah was so excited about True Woman 101, she shared it with her friend Salina who was about to get married. Salina wasn’t that excited, but she started the study for Khalilah’s sake.
I’m so grateful to know what a true woman is now so I can be that for my husband, future children, and other women. It’s like a ripple effect. Now I’m doing the study with someone. I’m so grateful Khalilah shared this study. My children, my husband, and future generations will benefit from it.” —Salina
The Lord began to show me I was thinking the worldly way as opposed to the Scriptural way, and I was forced to deal with it. God
changed my heart to be able to receive what He had to say. True Woman 101 especially helped me understand that my roles as a mother and wife are not menial. It doesn’t matter if I’m changing diapers or writing reports in corporate America, as long as it’s for God’s glory and in obedience to what He has called me to be. I can’t imagine having passed on to another generation the lies I’ve believed. I hope my daughters will approach life differently than I have.” —Khalilah
True Woman 101 explored the Old Testament record of creation and the Fall to discover God’s beautiful design for womanhood and to examine how that design has been damaged by sin. 201 will dig into the New Testament—the book of Titus—to focus on ten important elements of redeemed womanhood.
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Salina
tongue. A woman teacher will also lift different truths from a text than a man might. This is not to say she will feminize a text, but that she will emphasize those elements of the text that highlight the role of women in redemptive history, or that speak to sin issues women commonly face.
3
WE NEED THE AUTHORITY OF WOMEN TEACHERS. A woman can tell other
women to stop making idols of their children or spouses in a way a man can’t. A woman can address other women on vanity, pride,
Why Women Need Women Teachers
submission, and contentment in a way a man can’t. Women teachers hold empathetic au-
by Jen Wilkin
I
believe the church desperately needs well-equipped women teachers, women
who will handle
S cripture
with care
and diligence and who have a heart for
Bible literacy. It matters that women teach women, and that they do so with excellence. I believe it matters for three reasons.
1
WE NEED THE EXAMPLE OF WOMEN TEACHERS. When a woman sees some-
one who looks like her and sounds like her
I love Jen’s heart for the Word and am delighted that she will be joining me on the platform for Revive ’15—our women’s leadership conference—this fall!”
teaching the Bible with passion and intelligence, she begins to recognize that she, too, can love God with her mind—perhaps beyond what she had thought necessary or possible.
thority over their female students; we have the ability to say, “I understand the besetting sins and fears of womanhood, and I commend to you the sufficient counsel of Scripture.” So by all means, ask yourself if the Lord is calling you to teach. The church needs women teaching women. And if his answer is “yes,” gather a group and get going. But do so with care. The book of James warns us not to enter into teaching lightly, but to soberly consider that those who teach will be judged with greater strictness (James 3:1).
—NANCY LEIGH DEMOSS
2
WE NEED THE PERSPECTIVE OF
JEN WILKIN Wife, Mom, Bible teacher
WOMEN TEACHERS. A woman teacher
Had I only heard men teach the Bible well, I
will naturally gravitate toward application
don’t know that I would have considered my-
and examples that are accessible and recog-
self capable of doing the same. Thankfully,
nizable to other women. Think: fewer football
God gave me smart, diligent women to set an
and action movie analogies, more HGTV and
example of what it means to open the Word
romantic comedy analogies; less about porn
with reverence and skill.
addiction or abdication of responsibility, more about self-image issues or sins of the
@JENNIFERWILKIN Excerpted from Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin. Request your copy on the enclosed reply card. Taken from Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin, © 2014, pp. 129-30. Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org.
The Lord gives the word; the women who announce the news are a great host. —Psalm 68:11
Indianapolis | September 25-26
Revive15.com Register Today! Revive ’15 will equip you to study the Word and teach it to other women—whether
While you’re on the site, sign up for one of the
in one-on-one discipleship, small groups, counseling, or larger studies. Register
special preconference tracks on writing, speak-
today at Revive15.com to join Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Jen Wilkin—with worship
ing, worship, or LOGOS training. Seating is
leader Lauren Chandler—in Indianapolis on September 25–26.
limited!
Revive Our Hearts' First International True Woman Conference!
Nancy Leigh DeMoss
Dannah Gresh
Mary Kassian
Dominican Republic 26 feb. Youth Pre-conference 27-28 feb. Mujer verdadera conferencia Encourage your Spanish-speaking friends to watch the LIVE stream February 26–28 at AvivaNuestrosCorazones.com. (And if you didn’t know, we offer Spanish radio programs and transcripts on AvivaNuestrosCorazones.com five days a week!) Please pray that: • God would provide for the needs of women traveling from around the world to the Dominican Republic. • The Spanish interpretation would not be a distraction to the women. • The Word would produce much fruit and that this fruit would remain. • This conference would push this message further into Latin America and around the world.
• God would give the speakers His message for these women and protect them from Satan’s schemes in the days before, during, and after the conference • God would anoint this conference, that His presence would be manifest, and that all speakers and worship leaders would be full of His Spirit. • Jesus Christ would be glorified.
Will you prayerfully give to support Revive Our Hearts? Help women around the world thrive in Christ through life-changing resources like The Incomparable Christ, True Woman 201, and the Mujer Verdadara conference. Use the reply card enclosed or go to ReviveOurHearts.com.
TM
Revive Our Hearts is an outreach of Life Action Ministries PO Box 2000 • Niles, MI 49120 • ReviveOurHearts.com • 800.569.5959
Looking for bite-sized, daily encouragement right where you are? Follow us on: facebook.com/ReviveOurHearts twitter.com: @ReviveOurHearts pinterest.com/ReviveOurHearts instagram: @reviveourhearts
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is taken from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, Copyright © 2001, Crossway Bibles, esv.org. The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Photographers: Chiree Bollinger, Death to Stock, lightstock.com: Shaun Menary