Well, Amen

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Posted by Toni Hebel, April 18, 2023

Twenty-eight years ago on April 19, the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City took place at 9:02 am. I lived in the Oklahoma City area then, and that morning I hosted a Bible study in my home. Together we watched the television in horror as we saw the aftermath of the crumbled building. My husband Bruce, a pastor in the Oklahoma City area, called to tell me that he just felt the church building shudder—the front doors shook—and so did all of us.

The next two weeks were very difficult as Bruce was asked to serve as a Chaplain to the rescue workers at Ground Zero. The stories were horrific. The pain was deep. The questions continued to multiply. "How could anyone do this?” “Why would a loving God allow this to happen?” Then there was the very difficult assignment of telling a family we knew that their missionary parents were in the building at the time of the bombing; they didn’t make it. Their remains were never recovered.

So many horrific things happen on this planet that we don’t understand. It’s very easy to entertain the question, “Why would a loving God allow ______ to happen?” Haven’t we all struggled with this thought in one way or another? I have.

Proverbs 16:4 says, “The LORD has made everything for its own purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil.” God has a purpose for every event in our lives—even the evil ones. His ways and His thoughts are higher than ours. (Isaiah 55:9) So the real question is, “Do we trust Him?” “Do we believe God is who He says He is?“ “Do we believe what He says?”

In my struggle to believe, God revealed this Bible verse to me during a difficult time in my life.

“I do believe; help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24) These six words changed my life forever. I remember thinking, “God understands my struggle.” When I admit my struggle, He is there to help me—to give me the faith I need—and He did. God is faithful even when I am not. “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13) In other words, “If I am untrusting, He continues to be worthy of trust, because He cannot disavow who He is.” Amazing! His trustworthiness is NOT based on my ability to trust. He is trustworthy no matter what because that is who He is. Doesn’t that bolster your faith and your trust? His grace in my moments of unbelief propels me to want to love Him even more by choosing to believe He is who He says He is and He will do what He says He will do.

What does God say He will do?

“When you walk through the waters, I will be with you…” (Isaiah 43:2)

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)

What is God asking us to do?

Believe.

Our dear friend, the late Michael Wells, used to say, “The answer to every circumstance we encounter, whether good or bad, is, ‘Well, Amen.’” Amen, in Hebrew, means God is trustworthy; God is faithful; God is reliable. When I say those words amidst a difficult or confusing situation, I feel my heart yielding, and peace comes rushing in as I focus on God “in” the situation. And even when it is hard to see Him, I can be hopeful because I know that God is my Redeemer! I can be sure that He will redeem all things, even the evil He allows, for His glory and my good!

Well, Amen!

Toni Hebel is a gifted communicator and teacher of spiritual truths. Her passion is contagious to all around her as they gather close to hear her latest “God Story.” She is quick to say she lives to see and hear God. Toni has served alongside her husband in ministry for over 40 years. They now lead and champion Forgiving Forward, a ministry founded out of their own suffering. She is passionate about helping all women find freedom through forgiveness while restoring their God-given destinies through an intimate relationship with Jesus. Toni has been a guest speaker for various national and international ladies' events, retreats, and podcasts. Together with her husband Bruce, they have authored the book Forgiving Forward: Unleashing the Forgiveness Revolution. Bruce and Toni have been married since 1979 and have been blessed with three adult children and are the proud grandparents of six grandchildren.

Be Holy

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Posted by Priscilla Carr, April 11, 2023

“For it is written, ‘Be holy, because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:16

My mother has been diagnosed with dementia. It is so difficult watching her become less and less of herself. I feel as though my identity is so tied to her that as she diminishes mentally, my personhood also does. I’ve been trying to continue to fill the caretaker role I adopted many years ago, especially as dementia progresses. Lately, however, two of my sisters have banded together to remove me from my role and assume my position, and a part of me wants to let them do as they please. But I keep reminding myself that when my mother was fully mentally and physically functional, she legally gave me rights to make medical decisions for her should she become incapacitated. She trusted me in 2006 and 2017 to enforce her wishes. So, I’ve had to stop myself several times from running away from the rejection I’m feeling from my sisters and even my mother, and fight for her. If you don’t know me, let me tell you, I am not a fighter. I appease; I run; I quit, but I don’t usually fight...well, not for myself.

Dementia is incurable and progressive, and I’ve been up and down emotionally as I see its effects on my mother. And feeling like such an outcast has made the emotional rollercoaster ride feel even more precarious. Honestly, I feel that how I’m being treated is all very undeserved. Sometimes I’m hopeful that things will improve, but a lot of times, I’m not at all optimistic and get very weary. I’ve been the daughter that has taken care of my mother for most of my life. Now becoming almost her enemy, has made me want to get off the ride and to run far away.

So, this morning as I was vacuuming, feeling overwhelmed by the weight of responsibility to fix things and feeling weighed down because I can’t fix things (I can’t fix myself, and I definitely can’t fix others), a Bible verse came to mind. Although I was feeling very un-Christlike because the pit was looking more and more attractive, and running away felt more like running home, I heard, “Be holy because I am holy.” Be holy. I felt there was an emphasis on “be.”

I had always looked at holiness as a result of actions. I would be holy if I read my Bible a certain number of times, prayed a certain length of time or fasted regularly, or gave religiously to those in need. Being holy was always something I thought I’d achieve if I accomplished the “religious” acts, but this morning God seemed to emphasize “be.” Since He is, I am to just be.

Because the truth is, I am already holy, and so are you if you belong to Jesus.

Holy: sanctified, consecrated, and dedicated or to be separated from the world and worldliness.

This is one of the gifts or spiritual blessings we’ve recently learned about through Martha Wilson’s teaching. Holiness is God’s gift to everyone who belongs to Jesus. I no longer belong to the world order; I belong to Him. I’ve been consecrated, and set apart by Him, and for Him. I am His and that’s my true identity. It doesn’t diminish over time, over inaction, or over less-than-perfect reactions to circumstances. I am to be who I am. My actions and emotions will follow as I hang out with Him and focus on Him. That’s why Jesus instructs us to “abide” in Him (see John 15) because, without Him, we can do NOTHING (of value to His kingdom). As I abide and be, He’ll do His good work in me (see Philippians 1:6), making me more and more like Himself.

Don’t think that be-ing is passive. It isn’t. It’s actively releasing my hold on fixing circumstances and things and people, and it’s gazing at Jesus, acknowledging He will do it. He’ll produce the fruit, and He’ll work in the circumstances, all in His timing. Be-ing can be really hard work!

I will do all I can to help my mother, but I purpose not to strive, but just be. I bring my authentic self to Jesus, and I admit that I am unable but that He is more than able to accomplish what He has purposed. I bring the self that has holes in her soul, that has been a quitter, that considers crawling back into my familiar (but abandoned) pit, the self that longs to be loved and understood and held. God and I sit consecrated together, and I find that He doesn’t reject imperfect me, and I find rest in Him and in His timing as I just be.

O soul are you weary and troubled No light in the darkness you see There's light for a look at the Savior And life more abundant and free

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace.

(Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus by Helen H. Lemmel)

Priscilla Carr was born in NYC, but has lived in metro Atlanta since 1979. She is a Navy veteran trained in electronics which God used for a 30-year career at the FAA. She uses her training to provide audio support to Touching Hearts Ministries, and is the Editor and Producer of “A Burst of Hope” podcast. She began her adult new life in Jesus in 1990 right before leaving the Navy, and today she exudes her love for Jesus. She is the proud mama to two rambunctious fur kids, Gracie (Lab) and Faith (Pit-mix). Priscilla was encouraged by elementary teachers to write. She took creative writing courses in High School and college, but in the mid-eighties, she stopped writing. The desire to write has been recently reawakened, and she is thriving in her new writing adventure.

We Need Easter

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Posted by Martha Wilson, April 3, 2023

We need Easter.

Not a new dress, shoes, or purse.

Not eggs, bunnies, or jelly beans.

Not a picnic, egg hunt, or even a family gathering.

We need Jesus.

We need the cross.

We need the blood

We need His prayer.

We need the tomb.

We need resurrection.

We need new life.

We need victory in Jesus.

Does anyone besides me need a real Easter? A true “come to the Cross” Easter?

Here we are, just a couple of days before Easter Sunday. I pause and reflect as my first thoughts return to my childhood memories of dying the eggs. Baskets beside the door awaiting the Easter Bunny to fill. There were always new dresses, patent leather shoes, and a matching new purse. The family huddled on the church pew as we sang, “Up from the grave He arose.” (Ok, readers, I can’t continue to type without recalling the old forgotten hymn.)

“Up from the grave He arose.

With a mighty triumph o’er His foes.

He arose a victor from the dark domain,

And He lives forever, with His saints to reign

He arose! He arose! Hallelujah, Christ arose.”

My mind quickly sprints to the saddest yet most glorious Easter I’ve ever experienced. It was Easter 2020 when church doors were tightly shut, and no one gathered to celebrate our risen Lord. No preparations were made for celebrating, and we were filled with shock, unbelief, loneliness, and sadness.

The tap on my shoulder woke me early that morning as my husband invited me to join him for the sunrise service. As I brushed the sleep from my eyes, I reminded him there were no Easter gatherings this year. He strongly disagreed while coaxing me to get dressed, and quickly join him in the car. Off to the cemetery across from the church, we drove. We, the living, tip-toed around the tombstones and there positioned our chairs. The chairs were in tow, along with the thermos of hot coffee. Amid the darkness and symbols of death, we sat among the graves, waiting for the sun to break through.

As we settled into the silence, the choir was awakened. Ed joined the birds singing every old Easter song he could recall. Tears flowed down our cheeks as we shared the purest worship ever. There were no flashing lights, instruments, or words on a screen, but our love for our risen Lord was written on our hearts, and worship overflowed. Two hearts were longing to remember and honor our Lord.

Suddenly a peek of light began to climb into the sky. The colors on God’s pallet that morning were more beautiful than any dyed easter egg I had ever seen. The color filled the sky, and joy flooded our hearts. We recalled when the same had happened in our lives. Both as young children, we had accepted Jesus as our Saviour. The dead came to life because Jesus went to the cross. He totally changed our lives.

Just as the tomb could not hold Him, nothing could stop our worship.

No locked church doors can keep Him from expressing Himself, nor keep us, the living, from worshipping our Lord.

Pause and remember! Hush the noise and sit in the silence and Remember.

That first Easter morning, He changed everything. This cross, this grave, this empty tomb, this Resurrection suddenly changed everything. Lift your eyes from the tombs you sit among daily and watch for His glorious light to burst through the darkness.

Go, shine His light to this dark world. Go tell your Easter story.

Once I was blind, but now I can see.

Once I was lost, but now I am found.

Once I was stained, but now I am clean.

Once I was tormented, but now I am free.

Darkness turned to Light. Death turned to Life.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

Martha Wilson is a writer, speaker, blogger and co-host of “A Burst of Hope” weekly podcast. She is the founder and director of Touching Hearts Ministries for women. She has led women to pursue an intimate relationship with Jesus for most of her adult life. She is bold, tender, and transparent as she teaches women to embrace powerful Biblical truths. Martha and her husband, Ed, live in Fayetteville, Georgia, and enjoy their blended family of five children, eight grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter. You can connect with Martha at: Facebook and Instagram @TouchingHeartsMinistries or listen to the A Burst of Hope Podcast.