I love Easter. I enjoy coming together with other believers and worshipping Christ. I can’t wait to sing “Christ, the Lord, Has Risen Today,” or “Up From the Grave He Arose,” and “Crown Him with Many Crowns.” To this day these lyrics make me cry. Easter brings a powerful message of hope to a hurting world. We want everyone to know what Christ did for us on the cross and share His victory over death through His resurrection. But what about our family members or friends who have drifted away from God or don’t know Christ as their Savior?

Photo Courtesy @ www.organlessons.blogspot.com

As much as I enjoy the Easter celebration, I struggle with sadness for those who are wandering through life far from God. I worry about those who profess Christ outwardly, but haven’t stepped into a saving relationship with Him. I hurt for those who don’t recognize how spiritually lost they are and don’t think they need Jesus. There are some who know there is a better life, but don’t know how to get there. Jesus is the only One who can fill the void in their heart. How can we reach them to join us for Easter? The Lord gave me a thought that won’t go away: God wants them to come home. Here are a couple of passages and a hymn that came to mind that we can use to encourage our loved ones.

Photo Courtesy @ www.jesusplus.org

The Story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32)

I think of this story for friends and loved ones who are “drifters.” A father had two sons, and the younger one asked for his share of the estate. The father granted his request. The son took his early inheritance and promptly squandered it in a distant country. He became broke and hired himself out to work in the field and feed pigs. He envied the food the pigs were eating! He came to his senses and realized that his father’s hired hands had food to spare, while he was starving. He made a plan. He said, “I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired hands.’”

When the son set out to return to his Father, “his Father saw him from a long way off and was filled with compassion for him. He RAN to his son, threw his arms around and kissed him.” His father wanted his son to come home! The father felt overwhelmed with joy at the return of his son, so he celebrated by preparing a feast for him. Let’s pray for our loved ones who are drifting that they will know how deeply their perfect Father in heaven wants them to come home.

Photo Courtesy @ www.waysoflife.info

The Parable of One Lost Sheep (Luke 15:3-7)

I think of this story for friends and loved ones who are spiritually lost. Jesus told a story in front of a large crowd that included Pharisees and teachers, along with the tax collectors and “sinners.” Jesus described this scenario. “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” Isn’t this a beautiful picture of our heavenly Father? He cares for any lost sheep. He has a heart of compassion, especially for those who are outside of the fold. He will go to any length to find a lost sheep and bring it home. When a lost person repents, notice that our Father REJOICES. Do we have the heart of our Father? Are we doing everything possible to locate lost sheep to help them find their way home?

Photo Courtesy @ www.sermonsfromseattle.com

Finally, there is a beautiful hymn that says it all:

“Softly And Tenderly”

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,

Calling for you and for me.

See, on the portals, He’s waiting and watching;

Watching for you and for me.

[Chorus:] Come home, come home,

Ye who are weary come home;

Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling; Calling,

“O sinner, come home!”

O for the wonderful love He has promised,

Promised for you and for me.

Though we have sinned He has mercy and pardon;

Pardon for you and for me.

How can we make Easter special for our loved ones and friends who are far from God. How can we help them know that God wants them home? Let’s not let the Easter celebration slip by us. We have a wonderful opportunity to start inviting others to join us. I’d love to hear your thoughts below.

Blessings,

Lee Ann

The post 3.11.16 God Wants You to Come Home appeared first on LAPenick's Blog.

Christians in our church still struggle with the decision to dedicate a child to same sex parents, if we’re ever asked. They believe that gay couples are unrepentant and have no intention of changing their behavior. How can they worship God while being in a state of rebellion toward Him? We should judge them and not allow them in the church. I want to challenge your thinking by asking, “What would Jesus do?”

Photo Courtesy @ Shutterstock.com/Arthito

A well-known story in John 8:1-11 recalls a woman caught in the act of adultery. The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought her to the temple and presented her to Jesus. They believed He would uphold the Law of Moses, which stated the death penalty for adultery. But they were in for a surprise. “If any one of you is without sin,” he said, ‘let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” It didn’t take long for all the men who had been ready to judge her to walk away.

“Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” Jesus asked.

“No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

“If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Are we in a position to judge other’s sin? The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees certainly thought so. They were the spiritual leaders of the temple and believed they had the authority to stone the woman. Jesus disagreed. When Jesus said, “If any one of you is without sin, he didn’t elaborate. He didn’t try to classify sin as “visible or invisible.” He didn’t categorize the sin by type, e.g. “sexual sins.” 

He didn’t rank and order sin as if some sins were worse than others. Our man-made classifications appear to be irrelevant to Jesus.

“At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left.”

Jesus leveled the playing field, assuring that the teachers and Pharisees understood they were no better than the woman who committed adultery. He forced them to examine their own sinfulness. Why? Maybe Jesus wanted to humble the spiritually elite. Maybe He wanted to send the message that they didn’t have the credentials to judge like they thought. Maybe He believed that a deep understanding of their own sinful condition could give way to compassion for others.

I appreciate that Jesus confronted the men who were self-righteous. He reminds us that there is a little bit of Pharisee in each of us. It’s easy to start thinking that we are better than others, while forgetting the depth of our own sin condition.

When Jesus ascertained that no one had condemned her, he said, “Neither do I. Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Jesus was sinless. He was the only one qualified to judge this woman. Could He have declared the death penalty? Of course! Yet He modeled a loving spirit, not condemnation or judgment. Jesus showed compassion without compromising His Word. He didn’t dodge the fact that adultery was “a life of sin.” He invited her to embrace a new way of life.

Many of us assume that the woman repented after having an encounter with Jesus. But what about believers who come to church who appear unrepentant, especially those who live a lifestyle contrary to God’s Word? Are they welcome in the church? Yes, because ALL are sinners who need a place to find spiritual healing and growth. Moreover, it’s not just the gay community who appear to have a problem of unrepentance.

For example, do you know professing believers who still don’t tithe? Jesus says, “Render unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and render unto God what belongs to God.” We know in Malachi 3 that God believes we are “robbing” Him when we don’t bring the whole tithe into the storehouse. Yet many believers are unrepentant about not tithing. What does a non-tithing Christian have in common with a Christian who engages in homosexual behavior? They both rationalize their sin. A homosexual person will say, “I was born this way,” or “Marriage is about love not gender.” A non-tither will say, “The church is always asking for money.” Or, “This church doesn’t need my money.” As a general rule, we know that approximately 20% of Christians support 80% of the church budget in most churches. Since 80% of non-tithing Christians are disobeying God’s command, should we judge them? Do we tell them they are not welcome in the church?

So how should the church respond to the unrepentant believer? What would Jesus do? I believe He would welcome ALL sinners so that the Holy Spirit can touch the hearts of everyone who attends. For some believers, it may take several years because there are certain areas of their life they don’t want to submit to Jesus. I believe everyone needs a safe place to hear God’s Word, and all will stand before the Lord to give an account of our choices. Our part as a church is to remain open to all sinners, whether they are repentant or unrepentant. We should never compromise His Word. 

Photo Courtesy @ Shutterstock.com/Birute Vijeikiene

If sinners can’t come to the church for healing, where else will they go? How will we reach them if we tell them “they are not welcome?”

I believe the church exists to seek and to save the lost. Jesus is looking for laborers since the “fields are ripe unto harvest.” We can choose to love the sinner and show compassion in their brokenness. I think you can be this kind of laborer! Let’s embrace the opportunity to reach hurting people. Let’s BE the church by demonstrating love over law and allow the Holy Spirit to take care of the rest. I believe this is what Jesus would do.

We live in a fallen world, filled with broken people. Are you willing to introduce Christ to all sinners through unconditional love and compassion? Do you think Jesus is asking too much of us? I invite your thoughts below.

Blessings,

Lee Ann

The post 10.30.15 Is Loving an Unrepentant Sinner Too Much to Ask? appeared first on LAPenick's Blog.

If Jesus is the only way to God, what happens to those who’ve never heard the gospel? I hear this question even from Christians. It seems unfair for God to send people to hell if they’ve never heard about His Son, Jesus Christ. Dad ran into this question as well, which not only compelled him to write a book, Without Excuse, but also led him to include a special prayer request within his Intercessory Agreement. Today I continue to honor my father for the spiritual legacy he left behind. If you haven’t read my recent blogs, you need to know that he was willing to lay down his life early in exchange for eight prayer requests he listed in his Intercessory Agreement ¹. Here is his sixth petition:

“I offer my earthly life for making the saving blood of Jesus available to every human being right from the dawn of history to its end in such a way that not a single soul is lost due to involuntary ignorance of Your provision in Christ, an inadequate witness or any other circumstances, i.e., so that all eternal losses occur solely as a result of deliberate rejection of Your mercies in Jesus Christ from a position of full conviction and awareness. As you know, I am personally persuaded that You have already done this.” 

Dad cared deeply for those who were spiritually lost. He didn’t want one person to stand before God on Judgment Day and play the card, “I never heard about you.” He wanted every soul who has ever walked the earth to stand before the Lord without excuse. If people decide to reject Jesus as their only provision for salvation, they need to do it with the full awareness of God’s mercies available to them in Christ Jesus. Dad wanted to rule out the concern, “What about those who have never heard the gospel?”

Dad wrote Without Excuse to engage this question. He begins in the Preface of his book:

“Many challenges to Christianity are based on the failures of Christians and church organizations to bear good fruit, or on futile efforts to discredit the Bible. However, by far the most effective assault, in my opinion, that can be made on Christianity is to accept the experience as professed and the Bible as valid, and then point to the apparent inequality of opportunity to learn of God’s mercies in Jesus Christ – to raise the problem of circumstantial, involuntary ignorance. It is my aim in this book to discover some principles in Scripture which will lay this question to rest.”

Dad’s thesis is that “God does not permit the failures of the flesh to be the deciding factor in the eternal loss of a soul. There cannot possibly be anything statistical about a man’s eternal destiny. Fellowship with God is not a reward for circumstances of birth and exposure to the Word. Invitations to salvation are not by lottery. To present a man with the possibility of condemnation without the clear and present possibility of mercy would be predestination to damnation which is nonsense; there must exist for every man a choice.” The rest of his book is a guided tour of Scripture that support his thesis.

For those who have an itch to hear some Scripture on this question, let me summarize what I understand the Bible to say:

• The Bible affirms that Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except by me.” (John 14:6) There is no other name under heaven by which man can be saved. (Acts 4:12)
• God is just. “It is unthinkable that God would do wrong, that the Almighty would pervert justice.” (Job 34:12) (Other references – Gen 18:25; Acts 17:31)
• God loves us with an everlasting love. (Jer 31:3) (Other passages – John 3:16; 2 Pet 3:9)
• God continues to reveal Himself through His handiwork in creation. (Rom 1:19-20)
• Because no one has been kept in the dark about God, we’re all accountable to Him. (Luke 12:47-48)

So is it true that there are people who have lived and never heard the Gospel? The answer is “no.” If people die spiritually lost, it’s a result of their own actions, and not because of God. People don’t end up in hell because of what they haven’t heard, but rather because of their failure to act responsibly on what God has already revealed to them. We know that God reveals Himself through creation (Romans 1), through our conscience (Romans 2), or through the light of Christ (Romans 3).

Dad already believed that God faithfully reveals Himself to everyone He created. I think that is why he boldly asked the Lord to let those who reject Jesus to do it deliberately and with the “conviction and full awareness” of God’s tender mercies made available through Christ. He didn’t want anyone to buy into the lie of “involuntary ignorance.”

Part of Dad’s spiritual legacy was giving a clear answer to “Does God send people to hell if they’ve never heard about Jesus.” Through his study of Scripture, he landed on a resounding “NO!” And he has thoroughly documented his answer with many Scripture passages in his book.

Writing about his spiritual legacy has caused me to evaluate my own prayer life. I will ask you the same question I am asking myself, “What is one thing I can do to take my prayer life to a deeper level?” I think I need to start prayer with silence and record in a journal the thoughts He brings me. I am so eager to pray for family and friends that I bet I’m not giving enough room for God to let His voice be heard. I think He’s endured many monologues. How about you? 

Blessings,

Lee Ann

¹ Dad’s Intercessory Agreement contained this language: In the hope that it is meaningful and that my earthly life is still at least partly mine to give, I am willing to lay down the rest of my earthly life if You count that of sufficient value that You are willing in exchange to do the things I have listed below:”

Prayer Request #1: The salvation of my children, Gene and Lee Ann. http://wp.me/p3LmrK-ry

Prayer Request #2: The salvation of every soul I have ever asked You for or will ever ask for in prayer. http://wp.me/p3LmrK-rN

Prayer Requests #3, #4, #5:

• The release of all Russian saints from prisons and camps.
• The prevention of any further arrests or confinements of Christians in the USSR and the provision of freedom to meet and worship without disturbances.
• Giving the Russian saints and inquirers plenty of Bibles and related literature without fear of confiscation. http://wp.me/p3LmrK-s8

The post 6.19.15 The Heart of My Father: Without Excuse appeared first on LAPenick's Blog.

Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

~ Matt 28:19-20

My Dad took the Great Commission seriously. He didn’t read it as a suggestion, but as a commandment, just as the Lord presented it. Dad had a heart for the spiritually lost. He felt a burden to pray for them regularly and share the gospel as opportunities arose.

In my last post I shared the introduction of his Intercessory Agreement with God that he wrote on May 14, 1983. He was willing to give up his life in exchange for answered prayer on eight requests. I shared the first prayer request, the salvation of my brother Gene and me last week. [Read It Here] Today, I want to continue honoring my father by sharing his second request. He wrote,

#2 – The salvation of every soul I have ever asked You for or will ever ask you for in prayer. 

I wonder how many lost souls his prayers represent! He prayed for unbelievers for over sixty years. If he knew you before you became a Christian, there’s a good chance he interceded for you. As I reflect on this part of his spiritual legacy, there were three ways that Dad was intentional about reaching the lost:

He wrote a book, Without Excuse, to reach a lost family member.

Uncle Gene was our genius in the family with an IQ of 160. He received his Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics and worked at the renowned Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. The Lawrence Labs exist to ensure the safety, security, and reliability of our nation’s nuclear weapons through the application of advanced science, engineering, and technology. Uncle Gene was an atheist. As a scientist, he claimed there was no empirical evidence for God.

Uncle Gene with Mother and Lee Ann

Out of a love for Uncle Gene, Dad wrote a book to show him that God in His infinite wisdom revealed Himself and made Himself plain to all of us.  As it is written in Romans 1:18-20, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are WITHOUT EXCUSE.”

Every Sunday Evening He Met with a Prayer Group

When we think of small groups in which we gather with other Christians, most of us think of bible study groups. We come together for the primary purpose of studying Scripture, while we use prayer to open and close our time. We often pray for the needs of the people in our class if time permits. My father, on the other hand, attended a prayer group, in which the primary focus was prayer.

Dad brought me to one of his gatherings when I was in my twenties. He had prayed with the same nine people for nearly twenty years. As a first-timer, I came to listen and silently pray in agreement with the requests that members lifted to God. I heard the grief and the tears expressed over loved ones who didn’t know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. I began to understand the power of prayer, the intimacy of sharing our hearts through prayer, and how it deepened the walk of my fellow Christians.

I am deeply grateful to my father for introducing me to prayer groups. I have a Prayer Ministry team that gathers at my office every Thursday. It is the most cherished time I spend with fellow Christians, joining in agreement over a variety of kingdom issues. This prayer time deepens my relationship with them, and it deepens our relationship to God.

I wonder what would happen if all bible study groups across our nation became prayer groups for a month. How refreshing it would be to change the focus of our gatherings and increase our intimacy with one another and with the Lord. If I had a magic wand, I would make that happen. It’s a completely different experience and worth the time to do it. There is so much power in prayer.

He maintained a list of those who were spiritually lost and prayed for them regularly

Dad taught me to keep a list of those who appeared to be spiritually lost. Although we don’t have the ability to judge anyone’s heart, he encouraged me to record names as the Lord burdened my heart. It sounds so basic, but over the years I have learned that many of my Christian peers don’t keep a list. Maybe this is a “Dad” thing, but I find it valuable. I keep a Word document that I update as needed.

Dad’s spiritual influence in the area of prayer facilitated my growth as a Christian. I am deeply indebted to him. I can’t help but wonder if on April 8^th, the day he died, if God honored Dad’s Intercessory Agreement. Dad was willing to lay down his life early in exchange for “The salvation of every soul I have ever asked You for or will ever ask you for in prayer.” 

Would you pray in agreement with me that every soul that Dad prayed for will discover salvation in Christ before they die?

Blessings,

Lee Ann

The post 5.22.15 The Heart of My Father: Lost Souls appeared first on LAPenick's Blog.

If I suggested that Christians might be missing a key component to help lead people to Christ, would you tune in? I discovered a powerful avenue to lead people to Jesus. In fact, it is so painfully obvious that I can’t believe I’ve missed it over the years, but I’m not about to let you miss it!

Donilee is a dear friend of mine who attends my Sunday School Class. She is intelligent, engaging, humorous, and authentic. Once you meet her, you love her. Our connection was immediate. While she enjoyed my interactive bible studies, I enjoyed her honest questions and insights. I could tell by her questions she was seeking a belief system, and she was open to Christianity because Christians, “seem to be nice people.” She asked me if I would be willing to meet outside of class to explore Christianity, and I readily agreed.

We have been meeting for over a year, processing her questions over lunch at Luby’s. At a recent lunch, Donilee expressed frustration. She couldn’t understand why “it was so hard to find Jesus.” After all, she had been participating in two bible studies a week for the last six years and my Sunday school class for the last two years. She didn’t lack Bible knowledge, yet she was still an unbeliever. Her questions were more aggressive than usual.

“Why did God kill so many people in the Old Testament, yet one of his Ten Commandments is ‘Thou shall not kill?’”

I felt uncomfortable because I thought she was painting God as a harsh, wrathful, and unloving God.

“Donilee, if you read the Old Testament closely,” I said, “you’ll see that the majority of times when God killed a group of people, it was after He had given them warnings to repent of their wicked ways. God was dealing with stubborn people who wouldn’t do what He said. When He invited them to repent, they chose not to. So God, who is holy and just, delivered the consequences.”

“Why did God ‘command’ Samson to kill the Philistines?” Donilee pressed.

“I need to go back and re-read that story because something doesn’t feel right with the question.” I was feeling even more unsettled. “I don’t recall that God ‘commanded’ Samson to kill the Philistines. I’ll have to get back with you.”

Donilee had a few more questions that attempted to stain God’s reputation as a loving God. By the end of lunch I was frustrated. I took this conversation as a major setback. I had invested time with Donilee for a year, and we had made no progress. I thought maybe our time together had run its course. Donilee’s last question suggested that she was coming to the same conclusion.

“Are you still willing to meet with me for lunch?” She chuckled nervously. She seemed genuinely uncertain that I would continue our weekly lunches. Though she was trying to be light-hearted, I was irritated. But that last question and her nervous laughter gave me a crystallized picture of what was happening. I realized that the enemy was using Donilee to taunt me, though she was unaware of it. The enemy wanted me to walk away from Donilee in my frustration. I should have recognized this sooner during our lunch. I have observed a pattern with Donilee over the last year. The closer she drew to Jesus, the greater the enemy worked to create confusion and doubt about God’s love for her. We said our goodbyes, and as I was driving back to the office, I knew something had to change. Something in the way we were spending our time together wasn’t working.

I was determined not to give up on her, but I also needed to protect myself from misrepresenting God in any way. I prayed for God’s help, and He brought to mind the book of Job to help set boundaries with her. I wrote her an email with the biblical support for how I would deal with her questions going forward. The key ideas were as follows:

• “I am not God, so I can’t tell you what He was thinking when He decided to do x, unless it is explicitly stated in Scripture.”
• “Per Job 38-41, we are not the ones who get to ask the questions! God will ask the questions, unless you can say you hung the stars, created the universe, etc. He told Job to ‘Brace yourself like a man. I will question you, and you will answer me.’” (Job 38:3)
• “I am not willing to make the mistake Job and his friends made. God says in Job 40:4, ‘I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right.’”
• “Any bible questions need to have a specific Scripture reference to make sure God’s word is not being misstated or taken out of context.”

Finally, I asked her to start meeting with me in a more private setting.

“Donilee, I want to introduce you to Jesus.” I said, “I want you to experience a personal relationship with Him. I want to help you pray to Jesus what is on your heart. He wants you to seek Him with all your heart, and you have been seeking Him with your head. What this means is that you will pray out loud, and I will follow by praying in agreement with you. It won’t be Lee Ann praying “for” Donilee. My goal is to facilitate your direct connection with Jesus.” I suggested we start a prayer journal to record her prayer requests and start recording God’s answers.

This was a huge ask. She admitted that praying directly to Jesus caused her fear and anxiety. And she knew that our mentoring relationship was either going to move forward in a new way or stall out. Donilee rounded up every ounce of courage she had and showed up at my office. With our prayer journals in hand, we started recording where she needed God’s help in her life. She had nine major prayer requests to present to Jesus. I asked her to be herself and to talk to Him like she talks to me. I was thrilled that right then and there she did it! She prayed several sentences for each prayer request with a humble and transparent heart before God. I followed her lead and prayed in agreement for each request she made.

Before we parted ways, I asked her how she felt.

“I feel calm,” she said. “I haven’t felt this calm in years.” I was ecstatic.

“Donilee, you are in the presence of Jesus. He is here. He is the Prince of Peace. You are experiencing what the Bible describes as ‘peace that surpasses all human understanding that guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.’” I knew this was real because earlier, when she first arrived at my office, her hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

“I hope I still feel this when I leave,” she said when it was time to go. I told her I would pray to that end. I also encouraged her to be patient as God will answer her prayers in His way and in His perfect time. I didn’t want her to be discouraged or disillusioned in any way.

The following week was a spiritual adrenalin rush for both of us. Donilee alternated between texts and emails almost daily expressing her amazement about how calm she felt. It was a new reality for her, so I kept thanking God for making His peaceful presence known to her. I was excited for Donilee because God delivered on His promise that those who seek Him will find Him.

Donilee was bubbling over with excitement at our next meeting. Not only was she feeling His peace, but God answered a couple of her prayers! What she didn’t realize until we opened our prayer journals was that God had answered all nine of her prayers! God showed up in such a powerful and compelling way that Donilee knew there was no turning back. She experienced the personal connection with God she had always wanted. God heard her prayers, and He answered them. We spent our second prayer meeting thanking God for answering her prayers. We could only marvel at the grace and mercy He was showing her.

A few days after our second prayer meeting, Donilee sent me an email. She was ready to become a member of what she called “the Jesus Club.” Donilee decided to include her two closest friends who shared Jesus with her for many years. The four of us gathered the hour before our Sunday School class began. She was ready to be a Christ follower. In her prayer to God she admitted she was a sinner in need of God’s forgiveness. She acknowledged that Jesus was the Son of God who died on the cross to pay the penalty of her sins. She declared Jesus as her Lord and Savior. She asked Jesus to help her follow Him with the help of the Holy Spirit. On Sunday, April 7, 2013, at 10:00am, she became a member of the “Jesus Club.” Let me introduce you to my dear friend and new sister in Christ, Donilee Rinehart:

     I have been a Christian for 42 years, and it never occurred to me to create a safe place for a lost person to talk directly to Jesus. I have prayed over lost people in their presence. I continue to pray for lost persons as part of my prayer life. I have talked to lost people about Jesus. I have led people to Jesus because they were ready. I have pointed people to His Word. I have taught God’s word to help unbelievers discover Jesus. I have trained Christians to share their faith. How the Spirit led me was not in any of the training materials. Now I am wondering how many others you and I could have introduced to Christ had we thought of this years ago.

Donilee and I are enjoying a new level of friendship as sisters in Christ. She’s ready to grow as a new believer. We are filling up our prayer journals and marveling at how God is already at work in her heart. She is excited about serving God. We ask God to show her where He needs her, and He is faithful to answer. She has discovered the power of prayer and how the Holy Spirit moves in those whose hearts are open to Him.

There is more to this story. I look forward to sharing in my next post one of Donilee’s answered prayers, which was instrumental in helping Donilee make her decision for Christ.

     If God has placed individuals in your life who are genuinely seeking Christ, would you consider creating a safe place for them to pray directly to Jesus? If you have already discovered this avenue of leading people to Christ, please share your story!

Note: This post is being written with the permission and blessing of Donilee Rinehart.

Blessings,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Lee Ann

The post 6.8.13 Do You Want to Reach More People for Christ? appeared first on LAPenick's Blog.

I heard someone say, “There are five gospels, and four of them no one reads.  The fifth one read by many is YOU.”  During this Christmas season, I find myself asking, “What gospel are others reading in me?”  We all know people in our circles of influence who are unchurched and may not even be hearing the Christmas story, so how do we help them experience and not just hear about the Christ of Christmas?  

I have been pondering this while enjoying the Christmas messages during this Advent season.   I love hearing sermons at this time of year to see how pastors share the same, unchanging story of the virgin birth of Jesus and focus different characters in the story in fresh, new ways.  I found myself with a similar challenge as I was preparing the Sunday school lesson on John 1:1-14 last week, but the Spirit did not disappoint me.   John chooses to introduce the Christmas story by sharing that Christ dwelt above us (John 1: 1-3) before He came to dwell among us (John 1:14) as the God-man, i.e.  being  fully God and fully human.  This is what we call in the Christianese language the incarnation of Christ.  Christ dwelling among us by entering the world as a baby is what we celebrate during the Christmas season.  So it begged the question, “What happened after Christ dwelled among us?” 

If we get out our binoculars and look ahead to see how the Christmas story unfolds, we will see that  Christ did not come to dwell among us just to hang out with us as His creation, but rather  to hang on a cross as a sacrifice for His creation.  He came to pay the penalty of our sins so that those of us who believe that Jesus is the Son of God could be reconciled to God (I Pet 3:18) and enjoy the free gift of eternal life that comes with our profession of faith in Jesus Christ alone for our salvation (I John 5:11-13).  Once Jesus accomplished the mission of being the perfect sacrifice for our sins by shedding His blood on the cross, He was resurrected.   Between the time He was resurrected from the dead and His ascension back to Heaven, He made sure to meet with His disciples to prepare them for the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8).  The gift of the Holy Spirit is sealed within all believers the moment we declare our faith and trust in Christ for our salvation.  

So here is how Christmas has a brand new energy that is being experienced in a fresh and powerful way for me, and I hope for you as well.  Christ originally dwelt above us, then came down to dwell among us, and now dwells within His believers.  I have never attached the indwelling of Christ in me to the Christmas message, but this whole theme of incarnation just kept blossoming.  John 14:10(b) quotes Jesus, “…it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.”  Jesus was telling Philip that God the Father was indwelling Him.  Christ was modeling how to live in our earthly bodies with the power and presence of the living God within us.  Now that Christ has ascended to Heaven and no longer has an earthly body, Christ is looking for bodies to indwell, and that is you and me!  (You may be yawning at this point and needing a seventh inning stretch here, but my spiritual adrenaline is rushing!)  I have known for years that Christ lives in me.  Galatians 2:20(a) says, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”  It absolutely excites me to think that when Christ was in human form, His Father dwelled in him, and now that we are in our own bodies, Christ chooses to dwell in us.  As believers, we are the “incarnation” of Christ.  Since Christ parted with his earthly body, He is counting on our hands to be His hands.  He desires for our feet to be His feet, and our mouth to be His mouthpiece.  He wants to permeate every part of our being.  If you would like some inspiration around this idea through music, I invite you to listen to a beautiful benediction piece by John Rutter called “God be in my Head” that can be offered as a prayer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPQcRmN6hvg). 

Since there are people who have never read the four gospels, may we be the hands and feet of Christ as we go through this Christmas season to be the “fifth gospel” that draws people closer to Christ.  The power of the CHRISTmas story is living and dwelling in us!  If people can see Christ in us, then from the vantage point of Christ who is celebrating His birthday,  I can only imagine that He is having a very Merry Christmas indeed!  You have a very Merry Christmas as well!  

Blessings,

Lee Ann

The post 12.7.10 The Fifth Gospel appeared first on LAPenick's Blog.

Do you remember as a kid playing Tug of War?  Do you remember the sandpit, the rope with the red ribbon in the middle, and the goal line that the red ribbon had to cross to declare a victory?  It was always a test of not just strength, but also endurance. Teams could have comparable strength on both sides of the rope, but the team that endured the longest in the tug of war usually won.  The winning team was the one whose arms had rope burn and were ready to drop off from extreme fatigue.

This word picture came to mind after a dear friend sent me spiritual encouragement.  The Scripture was Ephesians 6:18 that says, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”  Those who are familiar with Scripture know this verse follows the well known admonition by Paul for each of us to put on the full spiritual armor of God, and the reason he tells us to do this is because Eph 6:12 says, “For our struggle is not against  flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”  We’re obviously up against the evil one and his demons!   Thus, it’s no surprise that Paul commands us to “be alert and keep on praying for all of the saints”.  But I will also tell you that we should  be praying for lost souls too. 

The reality of spiritual warfare reminds me that there is a major tug of war for souls.  Each of us can probably identify family members, friends, colleagues, etc, who do not know the Lord and need us to pray for them.   The problem is I am not sure how many of us are consistently taking our place on the rope to ask the Lord’s assistance to reach a lost soul.  I even wonder if some us are so wrapped up in ourselves and enjoy our gift of salvation that we have walked away from the rope?  Do we have the heart of God that breaks knowing that a loved one is going to face a Christless eternity unless they turn their heart over to Jesus? 

I am a huge believer in the power of prayer.  I believe this tug of war can be won for lost souls if we would just be willing to take our place on the rope and start praying for them.  There is no question that it takes spiritual energy and time to get on our knees.  There will be times as we persist that we are tempted in our discouragement to walk away from the rope because our red ribbon hasn’t moved in years.  On the other hand, if ALL believers made it a priority to start praying for lost family members and friends on a consistent basis, my bet would be that we would see many more victories, and it would motivate us to pray even more.  

Scripture shows that  Jesus was a soul-winner.  Christ came to Earth to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10).  In John 17:18 he prayed to his Father that just as God had sent him into the world, he is now sending us.  In Acts 2:8 we see recorded Jesus’ last word to his disciples before ascending into heaven saying “you will be my witnesses”.    He trained his disciples to be soul-winners.  He trusted us so much with the gospel message that he commanded us to “go and make disciples…” and promised to be with us on the journey (Matt 28:16-20). 

This tug of war is not a game to God.  For each engagement at the rope, for every time the red ribbon comes across the goal line, it means that a lost soul becomes a child of God and crosses over from death into eternal life.  God was so invested in this tug of war that He sent Jesus incarnate to die on a cross and pay the penalty of our sins with His blood.  Jesus was clearly about winning the lost, and we should be too.  He is not willing that anyone would perish, but that all would turn to Him with prayers of repentance (2 Peter 3:9).   Let’s be faithful prayer warriors and take advantage of the fact that “Christ who is in us is greater than he who is in the world” (I John 4:4) is our anchor at the end of the rope.

It’s time to get our knee pads and assume our positions at the rope.  This tug of war is real.  We have family and friends who deserve our spiritual energy to reach out to them with prayer.  NEVER GIVE UP.  We need prayer warriors to stay on the rope for however long it takes to win.  See you at the rope!

Blessings,

Lee Ann

The post 10.4.10 Tug of War appeared first on LAPenick's Blog.

What in the world would we do without the internet?  Technology is such an amazing thing, and I marvel at the many applications we have available to us that allow us to communicate with anyone all over the world with the click of a “send” button through a computer or a mobil phone.   Today,  the internet allowed me to exercise what I love the most: sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with others who are seeking Him and trying to understand who He is and what He has already done for all of us.

Because of the power of technology, and because I am in transition having just relocated to Austin 2.5 months ago without a small group to go to just yet, I have been going online over the last month and watching Andy Stanley preach “live” from Atlanta, GA, from 5-6pm CST, and then processing his sermon via the chat room with about an average of 25 participants.  I have done this over the last month, and I have been greatly energized by the chatting that follows a sermon.  I am reminded on a weekly basis that people are hungry to understand what is really missing in their life and how to fill that void.  Each time I have participated, I see the most genuine questions being asked.  Today the questions we dealt with from someone signed in as “truthseeker” were:

1. What is the atonement theory all about?

2. Why couldn’t God just forgive us our sins without having to send Christ?

3. Why is it that Jesus is the only way to God?

4. Isn’t sin just “missing the mark”?  If yes, why can’t God put up with a little imperfection?

Several of us stayed in the chat room until 7:30 just processing some very heartfelt questions with this one individual because it was important to him, and he needed the support.

I signed off completely energized by this experience as I have each time I have gone to the chat room.  I believe God has given me a gift to share God’s word with people who are skeptics, genuine seekers, or anyone who is just wanting to know an answer to a specific question without feeling strong-armed or pressured.  I was reminded that God can use me over the internet as well as face to face with individuals. 

As we continue to go through the Christmas season, I can’t help but wonder how many FB friends are deep down inside questioning:

The reality of God, or

The reality of His deep love for you, or

His ability to forgive you of your past failings, or

His real interest in having a personal love relationship with you, or

His perceived “absence” in the midst of suffering or loss of a loved one

Does He really hear my prayers? 

These are just starter questions, and you may have many more, but I want to invite you to “attend” Andy Stanley’s worship service to hear him share God’s Word.  He is NOT boring.  In fact, he is very engaging.  I feel like I am at his kitchen table having a cup of coffee with him when I listen to him.  The link is at http://www.northpointonline.tv/  He comes on every Sunday from 5-6pm CST.  I encourage you to go to the chat room following his sermon and create a username that is anonymous (if that is important to you), e.g. abc123, Fred Flintstone, or whatever.  Ask your hard questions.  There are many of us who want to see you discover your purpose as to why God put you on this Earth in the first place!  Since God is in everything and is in control of everything,  I want to assure you that He really does have the whole world wide web in His hands.  That means that if you are genuinely seeking Him, He will meet you wherever it is safest for you to meet Him.  If you want to meet Him through the internet, He has your URL address and will join you there.  He assures us in His word that “if anyone seeks me, he shall find me.” (1 Chronicles 28:9; 2 Chronicles 15:2; Jeremiah 29:13)

For my Kansas friends (for that matter any of my friends no matter where you live), I would also point you to a pastor and friend based in Hutchinson, KS, Andy Addis.   You may catch him leading a live bible study on Wednesday nights at 7:00pm at http://live.crosspointnow.net/live.php.   You may also hear his sermons at http://www.crosseyedlife.com/   and click “This Week’s Teaching” in the right hand column.  You will find him to be very engaging and far from boring!

My point is that the internet now opens a door for anyone who is seeking God to easily connect with others and safely explore Christianity without the intimidation of showing up at a church building where you don’t know anyone.  I would also like to invite anyone who has questions to feel free to ask me if you feel safe enough to do so.  You have my personal email address and phone number in my contact information.  I would consider it a privilege to even dialogue with you.  In the meantime, please take advantage of the technology.  It is my prayer that this Christmas season you will personally discover Christ in CHRISTmas.  Jesus is asking you to “ADD” Him as your friend.  Please “CONFIRM”.

Blessings,

Lee Ann

The post 12.13.09 He’s Got the Whole World Wide Web in His Hands appeared first on LAPenick's Blog.

It was another Saturday afternoon from 4-5pm that my friend Barb and I showed up at the Soup Kitchen to continue to build our friendships with those in need.   No sooner did I step out of my car when Chad who has been filling me in on his life story couldn’t wait to give me an update.  We probably stood outside listening to his update for the first 10-15 minutes of our visit.  I can’t begin to tell you how touched I am by that.  He’s like all of us.  We all want a safe person we can talk to and know that the person we are talking to actually cares about our life and well being.

Once Chad had filled us in on the latest changes, we proceeded indoors to find our place at the table to continue our friendships with Bessie, Sonya, Judy, Jaz, and Tony.  Bessie with a few chuckles lovingly confronted us and asked, “Where have you been?” (I was gone playing in a golf tournament last weekend, but she was gone the two Saturdays prior.)  I bantered back and said, “What do you mean?  Where have you been?  I have only been gone once!”  She just smiled and couldn’t wait to share that her cataract surgery went well and could see so much better.  It was such a relief to have that behind her.

Celebrating Bessie's Birthday at IHOP

The last 15 minutes of my time with these dear people was taking alot of teasing from Bessie and her attempt to figure out my age because of my white hair.  She suggested I was 55 (I must say that was discouraging!) When I told her I was only 48, she took a much longer, harder look with her better eyes and decided I didn’t look as old as 55.  For those who know me well, you know I just had to give her a little bit of grief for it!  Once we got our ages established, she just looked at me and Barb and said, “You are really nice. Are you going to be here next Saturday?”  I sat there stunned and realized that after intermingling with these folks week after week that I was accepted as part of their community.  I’m “in”!  Life is good.  They haven’t asked me for a thing.  They just appreciate anyone who cares and who is “nice”.  I think that is what the Lord requires of us as we build relationships with others.  Genuinely care about others and be nice (treat others as you would want to be treated).  Pretty basic, huh?

Blessings,

Lee Ann

The post 8.9.09 Soup Kitchen – I’m “In” appeared first on LAPenick's Blog.

In-vis-i-ble (adj): 1. Not visible; that cannot be seen  2. Out of sight; not apparent  3. Too small or too faint to be seen; imperceptible; indistinct  4. Not publicized; kept hidden

Let me tell you where I am headed with the word “invisible”.  How many of us have come to a stop at a signal light where a poor person is holding a sign that says, “homeless-will work for food” and not even give eye contact to him or her?  How many of us when we are among crowds of people tend to avoid people who don’t look like us and don’t seem to fit our perceived socioeconomic class?  How many of us do that even inside the four walls of our own churches? 

People feel invisible when we act like they really don’t exist.  They feel invisible when we don’t even make eye contact with them.  They feel invisible when there is an impending encounter and we work hard to make sure an encounter doesn’t happen.  They feel invisible when we are socializing in a group situation and we don’t bother to engage them.  When the unspoken message to the underprivileged is that they are “invisible”, it is no wonder they have learned over the years to not even attempt eye contact with us.   

It has been about a month and a half that I have had the weekly opportunity to connect with the poor at the Soup Kitchen.  The joy of taking the time to sit with the poor is that they know they are not invisible at the Soup Kitchen.  These are precious creations of God who are loved just as much as any person God has created.  They know that they can be open, share their stories, get good eye contact, and build their friendships with others with similar struggles.  I am pleasantly surprised that they are letting me be a part of their community and are sharing their stories with me. 

As I continue to reflect on my experiences at the Soup Kitchen, I am finding myself challenged with whether I am treating anyone in my circle of influence as “invisible”.  Who am I avoiding because conversation with them is hard or they make me uncomfortable?  Who do I not make eye contact with?  It is my prayer that I am not ignoring the very people God has purposely placed in my circle of influence.  He has placed them in my circle for a reason, and it is up to me to make sure I am building bridges to them for the cause of Christ.

Blessings,

Lee Ann

The post 6.28.09 Life Nuggets from the Soup Kitchen appeared first on LAPenick's Blog.