Author Archives: Nannette

About Nannette

Wife to The Sweetheart, Mom to the Fantastic Six, Nana to six of the cutest littles on the planet, Author, The Daniel Fast, A Devotional. UPCI ministers.

#WeAreN – Pushing back the darkness

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Unless you live in a cave, you are most likely aware of the atrocities being played out against Christians around the world, but most horrendously in Iraq at the moment.

The Islamic State, formerly known as ISIS, has taken control of the city of Mosul, with Baghdad next on its list.

This past week, the Sunni Muslim group forced Christians out of Mosul, where they have lived for the past 2,000+ years. This is the ancient city of Nineveh. They had no choice but to either convert to Islam, pay a large tax or be killed. Those that were allowed to leave were robbed at the border, anything of value taken from them.

Now, they are doing something that is reminiscent of Nazi Germany, marking the houses and doors of Christians.

The symbol is an Arabic N,

ن

and it is the symbol the Islamic State is using to pinpoint and identify who is a Christian. It is a derogatory name, Nasara or Nazarene, as they are calling them.

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They will not stop in Mosul, or in Iraq, but they will move across the Middle East and around the world, quickly, and with terror. Even Al Qaeda keeps their distance from this group of Muslims; they are so fierce and determined to do whatever it takes to accomplish their world domination goal.

They have blown up the tomb of Jonah, desecrated cathedrals and are now worshiping Allah in them instead.

Women are not excused from the violence. They are being forced into marriages with the militants, sold into slavery, raped, beaten, and forced to be completely covered, if they are brave enough to venture out into public. They have been warned to have their faces veiled or risk severe punishment. The announcements have been given over loud speakers in the city and enforced, with horrendous consequences.

“Anyone who is not committed to this duty and is motivated by glamour will be subject to accountability and severe punishment to protect society from harm and to maintain the necessities of religion and protect it from debauchery…” Islamic State.

It doesn’t matter to these extremists if you are Baptist, Methodist, Church of Christ, Pentecostal, Nazarene, etc., it matters if you are Christian. Do you believe in the God of the Bible and are you willing to say the same when your life is threatened?

Shari’a law has been in place for several weeks now in Mosul.

This past couple of weeks, there has been a rallying cry of Christians coming together, and against, the torture and murder of innocent Christians in Iraq. Thousands are joining together on Twitter, spreading now to Instagram, with the hashtag

#WeAreN

standing for We are Christians, demanding an end to the violence and asking for help from leaders around the world.

WeAreN

 

They are using what the Islamic State intends for persecution with the meaning of the N, and showing their support through social media, in solidarity, to help bring awareness and end the persecution of Christians.

Peaceful demonstrations, walks and rallies have been held on four continents, in fifteen countries and over forty cities so far, showing support for the Assyrian Christians in peril. Many have placards, posters and t-shirts with the #WeAreN symbol of support.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is also pushing back. The Jewish people have been under fire, targeted, embattled and persecuted for centuries. Many say they are killing innocent civilians, when in reality they are doing what any other country would do; defend, protect and preserve.

The Palestinians have tunneled their way under the earth to bombard Israel and will stop at nothing to get what they want. They would not be happy if they regained complete control of Gaza, it would not stop there.

They want Israel annihilated, completely.

Netanyahu has a formidable task ahead.  He has little support from the world community and is daily condemned for his attacks on Gaza. What should you do when you are being attacked?

These are just a few of the examples of heartache, turmoil and injustice in the world right this moment.

It is easy sometimes, as life goes on in our corner of the globe, to think that things like this do not affect us. Friends, this DOES affect all of us! This is persecution, and yes, the Bible did say persecution would come, but we must bind together and not sit idly by as our brothers and sisters are slaughtered across the pond.

Israel and Gaza, Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, South Africa…the list goes on. And on.

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Ephesians 6:12, 13.

What can we do?

We can pray.

We must pray!

Pray for your persecuted Christian brothers and sisters.
Pray for their children, for rest and peace from the terror that fills their bedtime dreams.
Pray for the mothers and fathers who are struggling to find food for their families.
Pray for those that are being tortured, for deliverance and God to intervene on their behalf.
Pray for leaders to rise up and to condemn the massacres. It has to start somewhere.

That doesn’t mean things will miraculously get better, all wars will cease and peace and harmony will reign in the world. No, if we read and have knowledge of our Bible, we are aware that these are all end-time events. Many of these things must come to pass! But we can pray for wisdom and look for ways to make a difference, to touch heaven.

We still enjoy freedom in many countries in the world. We are able to gather in houses of worship, to pray, to choose.

[Tweet “May we not take our freedoms lightly, but use them as an opportunity to come together in UNITY.”]

While we obviously pray for deliverance and these atrocities to end, the reality is that they may not because of the time we live in. We pray for grace, boldness, strength…and courage in the face of adversity.

If the roles are reversed, and some day they come for US, we would hope that our brothers and sisters around the world would bombard heaven on our behalf.

Back before WWII, people never dreamed Hitler would be able to accomplish what he did. The innocent slaughter of MILLIONS of Jews, Christians and others that they decided were not worthy to live, was unthinkable and yet, if some of those souls were with us today I wonder if they would be warning us to wake up.

Are YOU N?

Pray.

Kingdom2

Sharing with Modest Mondays, Living Proverbs 31, Making Your Home Sing, Sharing His Beauty, play dates with God, mama moments Monday, Testimony Tuesday, Titus 2 Tuesday, Women Helping Women, Tell me a true story, Wedded Wednesday, A little r and r, Wholehearted Wednesdays, #TellHisStory, Winsome Wednesday, Whimsical Wednesday, Thriving Thursday, Thought Provoking Thursday, Hearts for Home, Thrive at Home Thursday, Essential Fridays

Christ is Enough for Me!

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 You can never learn that Christ is all you need, until Christ is all you have. ~ Corrie ten Boom

We have been blessed this weekend to travel to Latvia for services with our friends from Riga. I mentioned in my post earlier this week that our kids, Martins and Konstance, had started a new work in Mazsalaca, Latvia, close to the border of Estonia. They have service on Saturday afternoon in this tiny village and we wanted to be with them while we were close by.  The area includes the largest known Stone Age burial site in Northern Europe and was first settled ca. 5000 BC. The present town began to develop in 1864, when a bridge over the Salaca river was constructed.

Heading out on a three hour trip through the Baltic States is a little bit different than taking a little drive through America. There is virtually NOTHING along the way aside from hundreds of storks. Yes, I said storks. I have never seen so many nests atop power poles, ever. They stand guard of all of the babies they are preparing to deliver down chimneys…oops, that’s another fairytale for another day. (smile) But they do seem to be standing guard of their own babies in their home in the sky.

This one was out for a stroll; I barely caught him in action before he took off flying.

We arrived in Mazsalaca in plenty of time to split into teams and do a little inviting. I was paired with Egija, you may remember her story here. We headed down the street hoping to be able to invite a few people to the service, which was to start soon. The church has outgrown its first meeting place and now has a larger room in the cultural center in the center of town. It does not have air conditioning, not too many places in Northern Europe do, and unfortunately, we have had a very unusual hot spell for the last three weeks. It has been in the nineties several days and when you pile 25-30 people in a room, well, you can feel the heat!

That did not keep them from praising God as you can witness in the video below. We had a wonderful time trying to sing in Latvian with them, it has been a while and I was terribly rusty, but we enjoyed the presence of God just the same.

Martins shared the Word, after a short testimony by The Sweetheart. He can never talk without crying when he is with the kids and Saturday was no different.

We are Holy Ghost proud of the work they ALL are doing in this country! They were blessed with a few visitors off the street in this service and it was just a wonderful time of meeting new people and connecting with old friends. I have been thinking of the service since yesterday and stuck with the thought that Christ is enough. Everywhere I go in this part of the world I am reminded how different it is than what I am used to but He is the same. Always the same. He is enough in America, He is enough in the Baltics, the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines, South Africa, Australia…

He is just enough.

He promises to meet our needs, to go with us to the ends of the earth and He promises to come back and take us eternally home to be with Him.

When the doctor delivers a bad report, when your son or daughter lose their home, when an accident claims the life of a loved one, He is enough.

He comforts, soothes, heals, protects, delivers, supplies, gives unselfishly and without reserve what we NEED and when we need it.

He is there. Always. Unconditionally loving us over and over again.

Forgiving and restoring, as His Word has promised.

Even when things do not go my way?

Even then.

He is enough.

No matter whether I see these wonderful people again in this life, I am comforted by the fact that they are working for God, telling others about Him, building churches and congregations all over a country with so very few places of worship.

It is enough because He is enough and He fills all in all!

We should never be complacent with this thought, thinking that He is God and He is able to take care of everything by Himself. We are His hands, His feet, the BODY of Christ, and it is our duty, His command, that we GO and SHARE the Gospel.

[Tweet “You don’t have to be on a foreign field; you are called wherever you are. That’s YOUR mission field.”]

Is He enough for you? Do you KNOW Him? Does He fill all in all for you?

There is a beautiful song by Hillsong with this same name, Christ is Enough. Take the time to listen to it today and thank God that He is enough.

Then go, and tell someone else.

Sharing with Living Proverbs 31

 , dwellings, inspire me Monday

Begin…the blessing is in the obedience.

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Go!

Where do we start? How do we begin?

Those were the questions facing me and The Sweetheart on our first trip to Tallinn, Estonia four years ago. Our first missionary journey, we were beyond ecstatic as newbies.

One of the first things our missionary mentor suggested we do was to take prayer walks.

What?

By ourselves?

So we set out together in downtown Tallinn, where we lived, and took off like lightning down the street.

 Setting the city on fire for Jesus. Yes, we were.

Ten minutes later?

We were finished.

Now what?

Since that exciting day of being totally lost on a prayer walk, I feel like we have come a long way. We definitely understand prayer walks. I even teach them all over the country with Revival By Design. (Don’t be too impressed, that is the only 45 minutes of talking I do for the entire seminar.)

We have started our own house church in a foreign country. We have been on evangelism outings, inviting, singing, reaching out to people as best we could. (No tooting of horns here, we just obeyed God, unsure of the outcome but trusting in the One who was doing the nudging.)

All of those things are great, we realize we were just blessed to be a part.

But, tomorrow?

Tomorrow we are traveling to Mazsalaca, Latvia (pronounced Maht-sa-lot-sa) to see two of our kids at work in their own house church.

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Martins and Konstance were two of our very first contacts that came to know Jesus, baptized in His Name and filled with His spirit, while we were in Riga, Latvia. Our house church was made up of young people, we were the old ones on the team but we had the youngest house group.

We needed kids, they needed parents; it worked out great.

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These two did not even know each other at the time but met at our house group and English club. From there, love blossomed and they were engaged by the time we were heading home for Christmas, 2011. When we went back to the States in April, 2012, they were insistent that Doogalas, (The Sweetheart) return in August of that year to marry them. Return he did. What a thrill!

Today, Martins and Konstance are busy winning their families. They are preaching the Gospel all over Latvia, sharing the love of God and inviting others to come to know HIM.

We weren’t finished when we left Riga, it wasn’t over. The Steinbergs’ are just beginning to do great things for God. It had nothing to do with the two of us but everything to do with Jesus Christ. We are blessed to know these people, to now stand back and watch what God will do through them because they obeyed. They started, they are beginning to touch lives and share what God has done for them.

The blessing is in the obedience.

 

Sharing with Living Proverbs 31