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Growing Up in Every Way…Truly

Truth is like oil in water, no matter how much oil you add to depress it; the oil will always float to the top!

We can say something isn’t true all we want, we can try to make it a lie, but truth is truth no matter how many say it is a lie. You can never change the truth! It cannot be undone!

Winston Churchill once famously said, “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.”

Pardon the pun but, truer words were never spoken!

Why do we love to embellish the truth? Why have we capitalized so much on the “little white lie”?

We have even justified ourselves by the telling of the “white lie”, which has been around since at least the 1700’s! The term “white lie” has a feeling of innocence and purity, meaning it is not a darker or evil lie.

For instance, we might feel we are protecting someone’s feelings by telling a “white lie”.

“Honey, does this dress make me look fat?” “Well of course not, dear!” When in reality it is two sizes too small for your beloved but you value your marriage and want to eat at the dining room table and sleep in your own bed for the next two weeks.

That, was a “white lie”.

“Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth…” Psalm 86:11 ESV.

But the telling of little “white lies” can lead to other lies. It becomes easier to slip them into our conversation. We don’t think about it so much anymore if we are not careful. And even worse, our children hear us and they do not understand the difference.

Austin O’ Malley said, “Those who think it is permissible to tell white lies soon grow color-blind.”

The devil is the liar and the Bible says he is the father of lies. “He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44.

There is no truth in him!

But the Lord desires truth in our lives and in our hearts, to show forth in everything we do…and say!

**“Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.” Psalm 51:6 NKJV.**

He will make us to know wisdom! The New Living Translation said “…you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom, even there.” From the beginning He was teaching us, molding us, making us to know wisdom. Putting His truth in our hearts!

This truth is built on the foundation of the Word of God but the doctrines of men change with every generation.

We must be settled with what we believe and never waiver. “Buy the truth and sell it not”, the Word says.

Others are watching our lives and we want to emulate Jesus Christ every day, ALL DAY!

This scripture in Ephesians 4:15 completes our thought beautifully: “But, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ…”

Now look at it in this version, the exact same text only expounded just a bit! (Emphasis is mine.)

“Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth (in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly). Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head, (even) Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).” Ephesians 4:15 Amplified New Testament.

Enfolded in love! Let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him…friends, it is so plain, it is so beautiful and we make it so difficult.

Jesus is waiting for us to be enfolded in His love…

Let us grow up…

Feel free to comment and let me know your thoughts on “little white lies”!! This is community!

And remember to pray for us here in Latvia! Tonight begins the leadership part of the 2nd Annual General Conference. We have missionaries arriving from Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Norway and the United States, all coming to Riga to help support this conference. We appreciate your prayers for a mighty outpouring of the spirit here in this beautiful country. If you have missed previous posts you can read them here and here! God bless!

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God Doesn’t Have to Prove Himself to Me…

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We have experienced so much rain since we arrived in Riga, Latvia this past week! Ugh!

Today we awoke to wet grass, puddles everywhere and cloudy skies but no rain. The sun began to come out and it was actually pretty outside! Lots of big, puffy clouds in the sky, and looking out our big hotel windows, I was enjoying the sunlight!

Around 2:30 this afternoon, The Sweetheart yells out that there is a rainbow in the sky! A rainbow with no rain? We had not had any rain all day long!

Sure enough there was a perfect rainbow. We watched as it just got brighter and brighter, the colors were just magnificent. Our camera did not do it justice, unfortunately. We stood in awe as we even called out each color we could see!

Beautiful beyond description was this creation of our Lord!

Did you ever NEED a rainbow?

Did you ever need an answer to prayer or something from the Lord to remind you of His greatness?

I thought of that as I stood there, of how we long for “signs”, reminders that He is there, that He hasn’t forgotten us.

“And God said: ‘This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.'” Genesis 9:12,13.

We are human, that’s okay if you have asked God for signs or promises. I have too, we all have. We need Him.

But I also was reminded that God doesn’t need to prove Himself to me by performing something miraculous.

I love Him regardless, I will serve Him no matter what. I will walk with Him, depend on Him, follow Him whether He ever answers another prayer for me the rest of my life.

You say, “Those are big words, Nannette…hope you never have to live them out!” I hope not either, but He has already done more for any of us than we can ever repay. He gave His very life and has promised us eternal life…and He promises to be WITH us and IN us forever.

That IS all we need.

He left His Word and by doing that He left us Himself. It is alive, breathing, quick, powerful!

The Bible gives us all we need

To live our lives for God each day,

But it won’t help if we don’t read

And practice what its pages say! ~Sper

As I am finishing this post, the sun is shining as bright as ever, and it is pouring rain! Now The Sweetheart says it is actually hailing! God is showing His miraculous, ha, but He doesn’t have to. He is still God with, or without, the thunder, the hail,and the lightning.

And He is God in the rainbow…He keeps His promises friend.

Would you remember to pray for the General Conference here in Riga, Latvia? Starting tomorrow evening we have ministry coming in from Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Norway and the United States. Saturday and Sunday are the conference services. We have rented a large conference center and are praying to fill it up! We appreciate your prayers for this capitol city to be filled with the presence of God and drawn to these services where a mighty outpouring of His spirit will take place. Pray for miracles, signs and wonders in Jesus’ name!

Blessings,

Nannette and The Sweetheart

If you have missed previous posts about Latvia you can catch up here and here!

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Sheltered Safe Within the Arms of God!

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There is an old, old song I remember from my childhood that goes like this:

So let the storms rage high,

The dark clouds rise

They don’t worry me,

For I’m sheltered safe within the arms of God!

He walks with me, and naught of earth shall harm me.

For I’m sheltered in the arms of God!

That song has played over and over in my mind for weeks on end. It has been a comfort to me when the storms of this life swell and seem to cover me in waves.

(The Sweetheart took this beautiful photo of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, which stands guard near the Navy Pier.)

“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are His everlasting arms.” Deuteronomy 33:27 NIV.

That just brought another old song to mind: UN-DER-Neath…are His Everlasting Arms! He is my refuge, and nothing shall alarm!

What hope, peace and strength we find in His Word! “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1.

He gives us His promises, He gives us hope that He is not only with us but He is IN us. “The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.” 1 John 3:24 NIV.

One of the verses says, “I have no fear for Jesus walks beside me.” Do you have that comfort today? There is no need to live without Him; open His Word, you will find Him there.

“He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart…” Isaiah 40:11.

If you are not sure where to start, please email me at ynannette@gmail.com and I will be happy to help. This is too important to let another day go by without knowing your salvation is secure. Signs of the times are everywhere and not only do WE need to be ready but we must tell others that Jesus died for ALL.

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