Jesus, the Living Word of God, answered the tempter’s every push, plea, pressure and twisted persuasion with the true, eternal Word of God.

How much more should we get to know, trust and depend on–live on–the truth and power of God’s Word to feed us, lead us and strengthen us every moment, every day of our lives!

Jesus answered, “It is written: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4

We need God to live. Bread is good–even very good (especially warm and fresh from the oven). But we don’t actually live on bread…or fruits…or vegetables…or meats…or chocolate…or coffee. At least not in the deepest part of our souls (even if it does comfort them!) And not for all eternity. 

We need God to live. Now. And Eternally. Without God there is no life. As a matter of fact, God’s Word even tells us that, ”…the LORD is your life” –Deuteronomy 30:20.

Jesus made it clear that we actually live on the words of God–every word that comes from the mouth of God.

As we get to know, trust, depend on–live on–God’s Word, our minds and souls will be fed with the absolute assurance that in Christ alone our deepest needs are met. Our needs for unfailing love and life eternal!

This really is what my soul hungers for–even if I act temporarily as if something less than these will satisfy me or fill the cravings.

No man-made bread, even from Great Harvest Bread Company (mmm…mmm!), could ever fulfill those deepest soul needs. No. We live on God’s Word.

And as we live on God’s Word–right here and now–our minds and souls will be fed the strength, courage and self-control from our Lord so that we may be victorious over the trappings of any and every temptation that comes our way.

I know that when I give into temptation (darn it!!!)–whatever that may be, it is not because of lack of nourishment within God’s Word. No, it is because I chose, at that time, not to go back home to my Abba’s table where His living, active and powerful Word are always available to me. And had I gone to Abba’s Word Buffet, I would have received all I needed to deal with any of the pushes, pleas, pressures or twisted persuasions that life presents to me.

 As I–as we–choose to live on–feed on–God’s Word, we will be shaped by it, just as we are shaped by our physical food. God’s Word will shape us and transform each one of us to be more and more like Jesus. Loving, true, strong, wise, humble, powerful. 

For myself, I have come to really believe that God’s Word is absolutely essential for my life and for my mental, spiritual, relational and, yes, even for my physical health. 

I must live on God’s Word to truly live! And how delicious God’s Word is!

What are you living on? 

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

April 2009—TBG Newsletter 

THIS IS EASTER TIME!

WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES THIS MAKE TO US?

I pray that it does, and will, make a very real difference to each and every one of us.

 Jesus makes a difference. Jesus makes us different.

 Without Jesus we are left without experiencing the deepest, truest love that we could ever know.

 With Jesus the love of God breaks into our hearts and our consciousness in inexplicably deep and real ways. And we know that this is the love for which our souls have always craved. And nothing will ever separate from this love that we now have in Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 8:39)

 Without Jesus we are left condemned because of our sins that are ugly and evil and have separated us from the Holy and Righteous One.

 With Jesus we have been set free from condemnation and the punishment of death. By Jesus’ sacrifice, the shedding of His blood on the cross-the giving of His own life for ours-we have been made holy in God’s sight, without blemish and free of accusation.(Colossians 1:21-22) Jesus became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

 Without Jesus we are left to die in our human mortality without hope, without assurance of eternal life with God.

 With Jesus we have been given the sure hope and God’s own faithful promise of eternal life with our Heavenly Father! (John 3:16-17) Jesus conquered death once and for all through His glorious, mortality-crushing resurrection! And with Jesus we will be raised to eternal life-raised up imperishable, immortal-in joy and victory! (1 Corinthians 16:51-54)

Without Jesus we are left trying to desperately fill our own needs, by our own insufficient power. And we do this in the emptiness and ugliness of living out our lives and our relationships in our own ego-centric, self-seeking, self-justifying-often hateful and hurtful-ways.

With Jesus, by God’s divine power we have been given everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness! (2 Peter 1:3) There is no striving. No fight to get what we need. We have been given it all in Jesus. We must live out this truth-and get to know–all that we have already received!

With Jesus-here are a few of the everything things we have been given:

We have been given weapons and divine power to demolish strongholds, and arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against knowledge of God. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5) And, I know that Love and Forgiveness are two of God’s greatest divine weapons!

We have been given the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)

We have been given renewed and transformed minds by the power of God’s love and mercy. (Romans 12:1-2)

We have been given forgiveness of all our sins and we have been given the power to forgive all that we would consider unforgiveable. We have been given the power to love the unlovable. We have been given the peace of Christ to rule in our hearts. (Colossians 3:12-15)

We have been given a new LIFE! We are a new creation! The old is gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

How’s that for a difference?!

Will you and I choose to let these truths of Jesus make a real difference within each of us?

Will you and I choose to let these truths of Jesus make a real difference in the way live out each day, and each relationship, we have been given in our lives?

MAY WE EACH CELEBRATE A VERY REAL EASTER

 EVERY DAY OF OUR LIVES!

 -TO CELEBRATE WITH US!-

Speaking Events Completed:

January 15-Mindy Benjamin, one of our TBG Counselors, reflects on her speaking engagement:

I had the privilege to speak at a MOPS (Mother of Pre-Schooler’s) meeting in Philadelphia, PA.  The topic was Beating the Winter Blues.  One thing that I have learned as a mother is that I set the tone of the house. This can be a challenging responsibility. Especially during the winter months.  I was able to share some different ways to handle everyday situations and hopefully share some new ideas to help break up the day.  I was also able to encourage them to take care of themselves.  Something I think we moms tend to forget to do.  However, I emphasized that we don’t need to just physically take care of our bodies we also need to take care of ourselves spiritually.  God has given us these precious little ones, for only a short time. We empty ourselves out for them and for the others around us on a daily basis.  Therefore, we need to be filling ourselves up.  I encouraged them to fill up with The Word. I know from personal experience, there is no way I can do this calling on my own. 

March 10 and April 2-Lydia Austin tells us about two recent speaking engagements:

I had the fun opportunity to speak to two MOPS groups this Spring.  The topic; How to bring JOY into your boring-day-to-day-routine-carousel-ride of mommy-hood.  JOY - Jesus Over Yourself!  What Joy and Freedom there is in that!!  He makes our ordinary extraordinary!!  AMEN!!  The first group at Christian Life Center in Bensalem (assisted by Kelsi Austin and Karen May) had about 70 moms gathered in a lobby colorfully decorated with a circus theme.The second at liberti roxborough church in Philadelphia (DeAnne Harland assisted) was a smaller intimate setting with moms so open to God’s promises. We were blessed by these wonderful women and touched by the opportunity to share of our true source of abundant JOY and to spend time praying for individual mommies.  May God’s truth bring JOY into all your lives every single minute of every single day!

April 7-2 Sessions at Mathom House-Sylane Mack

Our long-standing, relationship with this Rehabilitation Center for Adolescent Sexual Offenders continues to bring opportunities to share God’s Word of forgiveness, healing and transformation through Jesus Christ.

1^st Session-was a training program to the Front Line Staff of MH. First, telling my own story from victim to more than a conqueror through the life-changing, mind-healing love of Jesus. I, then, gave specific intervention approaches-that go beyond rehabilitation to true transformation-to use when working with both perpetrators and victims, I call: Transforming Children of Hurt into Children of Hope.

2^nd Session-I spoke to a small group at the Family Night Gathering so that they could hear and know how and why I have been brought in by MH as part of their son’s (foster-son’s or grandson’s) therapeutic program. I shared God’s work of transformation in my own life, while making it clear that God’s same loving intervention and transformative power are available to each of their sons and to each family member as well.

What a powerful privilege we have been given to declare with so many at Mathom House, so often, that Jesus came to save and heal all of us-who are each, in some way, both offender and victim!

This is the continuous, real message of Easter!

Our Next Scheduled Event:

May 2-Rachel Mack will present Mother Knows Best? for a Ladies Tea at Trinity Bible Church (located near Georgine’s Restaurant) in Bristol, PA. All women are welcome and encouraged to bring a friend. Lunch will be served. For details and registration, please contact Connie Springfield by April 18th at: 215-805-4203.

Remember to join us on the 10th day of each month as we passionately PRAY for God’s life-giving, life-freeing, transforming work to be done in the lives of all with whom we minister-at conferences, counseling sessions or on corners and in coffee shops!

Please SERVE with us as a Partner in Grace. Your prayers and financial gifts provide tangible and much needed support for both the Counseling and Conference ministries through which we share the transforming grace of Jesus! 

Keep going! Keep choosing life and truth! Keep choosing freedom and joy! Keep choosing to seek the LORD! 

We must continually make the choice to walk with our God–to run with great perseverance of faith–every single day of our lives.

So! Let’s get rid of ALL of the the junk, ALL of the sin and ALL of the empty, self-focused thinking, speaking and acting that holds us back, weighs us down and trips us up. (Don’t read that too quickly! You know we’ve got to get real with ourselves about ourselves!)

Let’s get on with the job of being a people of faith–running our life-race with determined and deliberate perseverance as we follow our Lord Jesus. Let’s move forward with our eyes firmly focused on Jesus–and on His way of doing things.

Let’s trust our God who walks-runs-leaps-stands with us, giving us His love, peace and strength to endure ALL the hardships we experience. And let’s put our faith in Jesus–the author and perfecter of our faith–who gives us His joy no matter what our day brings.

So! Let’s choose to get rid of ALL the junk now so that we may enjoy deep and sweet fellowship with our Lord during these earth-bound, beginning days of our eternal life with our Abba. That is freedom!

And let’s choose to fix our eyes firmly on our Lord Jesus, ALL that He has already accomplished and ALL the power He has for us so that we may persevere victoriously ALL the days of our lives! That is joy!

…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

God tells us to examine ourselves, to examine our ways. Those ways are every way that we think, perceive, respond, react, speak, behave, spend our time, spend our money, roll our eyes and all other forms of body language!

If we take the time to look, really look, at ourselves–examine and test our ways–we will know deep in our souls that we need the LORD. I know I do. At all times. In all ways.

And to tell you the truth, I would much rather have it be God and me together scrutinizing all of my ways–rather than having to be corrected by someone else. (Although I know that will keep on happening, too! I’d just rather have God get in my face first! He loves me the most!)

And our God is so good! Because no matter what our ways have been, our God always calls us back to Himself. Our LORD always wants us to return to Him…and stay with Him…and follow His ways very, very closely! 

That way our ways are sure to pass the examination process!

Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD. Lamentations 3:40

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

I’m not sure I’ll ever really be able to grasp how passionately our LORD loves me–how passionately He loves everyone of us.

I’m not sure I’ll ever really be able comprehend the idea that our LORD actually longs to pour out His grace and goodness onto us and into us.

I’m not sure I’ll ever really be able to fully understand how it is that our LORD chooses to come close to us, to rise, to embrace each of us with His compassion.

No, I’m not sure about how or why our LORD loves us in the outrageous, unexplainable ways that He does.

But! I am convinced that this is true because my life has been irrevocably transformed by my LORD’s unexplainable grace and compassion!

And I am convinced that the LORD wants to, and is more able than you could ever imagine, to transform your life, too, with His unexplainable grace and compassion!

Will you let Him?

Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you;

He rises to show you compassion. Isaiah 30:18

We often make things so much more difficult than they really are.

Sadly, this thinking–that things are too difficult for us–can even be pervasive when it comes to living out our life as a believer in Jesus Christ.

Yet God tells us that it is not too difficult to live out our faith relationship with Him. It is not too difficult to trust God. It is not too difficult to obey God.

God has not left us alone to live as His people in our own strength! Oh, no! That would be too difficult. Rather, God in His love and perfect provision has given us the intimacy of His very present Holy Spirit and the power of His Word to surround us, fill us, strengthen us, heal us and transform us! 

God may–and often does–take us out of our comfort zones in order to transform us more and more into the likeness of our Lord Jesus. But as God does this, He is always, always very near to us offering His comfort so that in His presence and through His love and power nothing is too difficult!  

God never said that our life and our circumstances would always be easy. They’re not. But they are not, and never will be, too difficult for us when we trust and obey our Mighty God.

Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach…No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. Deuteronomy 30:11, 14

Today is April 15th. This is TAX DAY in the United States. We have a debt to pay. All of our taxes for the previous year come due today.

Some of us may actually be getting a refund because our tax debt was already paid. (I’m happy for you! Really!)

Many, maybe even most, of us, however, still have a tax debt that we need to pay out to our government.  Today.

Some of us may try to finagle our tax forms to ensure that the amount we owe is doing some version of what I call: ” The Tax Limbo Dance.”  You know, “How Low Can You Owe?” 

Some of us may even choose to completely ignore our debt–ignore our responsibility–to pay our required tax amount. Determining in our own minds that it is we–not the government, nor anyone else–who decides what we do with our money and everything else that belongs to us.

Well, maybe some people will get away with the finagling that is done in figuring the amount of tax debt they owe.  Others may seemingly get away with disregarding their debt all together.

Whatever our attitudes and our consequent actions are regarding the payment of our US taxes–our Lord Jesus has something to say to us. Really?

Yep. Jesus has something to say to us, not only about what we need to give to our governments, but Jesus has something, much more important, to say about what we need to give to God.

Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and give to God what is God’s.  Matthew 22:21

I’m pretty sure that Jesus is telling us here that we each need to fulfill our responsibilities to the governments under which we live. And that includes paying our tax debt as a US citizen. Today.

And yet far beyond that, I believe Jesus is challenging us to really think about what actually belongs to God. And, then, Jesus is calling us to act faithfully in giving back to God all that belongs to God.

You and your accountant–or maybe Turbo Tax–will figure out the debt you owe in taxes.

As for figuring out what belongs to God, God makes that perfectly clear to us. No finagling here at all!

The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it!  Psalm 24:1

Yep! All that exists, all that we have, all people everywhere, all of our very lives truly belong to God!

And, Oh! God really does want us to live–knowing and believing–the truth that we belong to Him! Our loving God desires the very best for our lives. And that comes to us when we give our lives fully back to the One, our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave His life for us!

Yes, living in the truth that we each completely belong to God is freedom. No fear of being audited. No finagling to look a little better. No need to ignore our debt.

Jesus has accepted the full responsibility to pay the full price of our full debt to God. Believing this truth, living this truth, is our way to “give to God what is God’s.” 

This is the true debt free living!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

Sometimes life really is unfair. And sometimes–not always, but sometimes–it really isn’t even our fault!

Still, we find ourselves in an unfair circumstance with unfair (and maybe very mean and evil) people.  And we can’t do a darn thing to make it better, change the situation or bring about justice.

At least not justice according to our own perspective of what justice should look like. And we definitely don’t have the power to bring about justice according our own hurry-up-and-make-it-right-right-now-time-line.

We are not only left powerless in these unfair circumstances, but we may actually find ourselves in the situation where no one else sees the righteousnes and truth of our perspective.

That can be a devastating and faith-shaking place to be. But it doesn’t shake God.

What does God ask of us when our situation is so unfair?

What has God asked of me–when I’ve found myself in these unjust, unfair circumstances with unjust, unfair people?

Well, it definitely wasn’t to continue stomping my feet or slamming my cupboards or screaming all sorts of ugly stuff REALLY, REALLY LOUDLY! (Even if the screaming was, only and usually, just inside my head! God has made it pretty clear to me that inside-my-head-screaming still counts as screaming to God!)

No. Instead, God has asked TOLD me to do this: To trust God and be still. To commit my way to God. To wait for God’s justice.

I am to commit to God ALL of my circumstances–no matter how unjust they are.

I am to commit to God ALL of my thinking, my planning, my hopes, my frustration, my perspective, my speaking, my acting, my facial expressions, my tone of voice, my stomping, my slamming and my screaming.

My everything is to be consciously, intentionally, actively–and immediately–entrusted over and committed to my God.

I am to be quiet and wait. God is just. Justice is God’s to work out. Not mine.

God is still God. God is the Sovereign LORD. God is trustworthy.

Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways…Psalm 37:5-7

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

Our LORD’s great love, His compassions and His faithfulness are offered new to us every new morning of our lives–no matter what our yesterday was like. And that’s a darn good thing! 

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

Our moods, our behavior, our circumstances, our health, our hope, our families, our friends, our jobs, our bank accounts, our perspectives–ALL can change–and sometimes quite radically–from day to day.

Some things–many things–we just can’t count on to remain the same from one day to the next. We don’t have perfect certainty or control in any situation or relationship. And that can be a very hard truth to accept.

Yet we can be absolutely certain that our LORD is God, and God doesn’t change. And every new morning our LORD offers us Himself.

We can be certain that the LORD’s great love for us is as present with us today as it was yesterday. And we can be certain that our LORD’s great love for us will be just as present with us in the new morning we’ll greet tomorrow.

We can be certain that our LORD’s compassions–His care, His concern, His mercy–flow constantly, consistently and unfailingly to us His children. God’s offer of compassion to us is always the same from one day to the next…to the next…to the next. Yet they are always new every morning for us to receive. 

How good it is to know that our LORD’s great faithfulness is based on who He is–not on who we are, not on what we do or even on what we think! 

Our LORD’s great love, compassions and faithfulness truly are offered to us new every morning. And if we will accept these as gifts from our powerful LORD, we are renewed every new morning.

And in our renewal, our LORD empowers each one of us to offer great love, compassion and faithfulness, that are new every morning…every new day, to all those who have broken our hearts, scorned our care and betrayed our trust. 

Is there someone in your life that needs this renewed offering of love, compassion and faithfulness from you?

By the LORD’s powerful Spirit working in and through us, it is always possible to do this–not necessarily easy. But it is always possible. Because it is “the LORD who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or even imagine according to His power that is at work within us!” –Ephesians 3:20

It is the through the very same power that raised Jesus from the dead, that the LORD will work to renew us…and work through us to offer–new every morning–love, compassion and faithfulness even to those who have hurt or disappointed us the very most! 

HOW NEW IS THAT!

HOW GREAT IS OUR LORD AND HIS RESURRECTION POWER!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.

They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.

In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them,

“Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here;

HE HAS RISEN!

Remember how He told you, while He was still with you in Galilee:

‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and on the third day be raised again.’ ”

Then they remembered His words.

Luke 24:1-8

JESUS HAS RISEN! Always Remember!

This Truth changes everything! This Truth changes all who believe!

JESUS HAS RISEN! Always Remember!

Jesus has conquered the power of sin.

Jesus laid down His pure life to purify us by His own blood shed on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. And through this act of ultimate love, Jesus bore the full punishment of condemnation and separation from our LORD so that we who trust in Jesus as our Messiah-our Savior may approach our Heavenly Father as His holy, dearly loved children! 

JESUS HAS RISEN! Always Remember!

Jesus has conquered the power of death.

Our Lord Jesus could not be bound by the cords of death! He is the Lord of Life—with all power and authority to eternally conquer death and to grant eternal life to all who believe!

Jesus Himself assured us of this great hope, this great victory over death:

“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me

has eternal life and will not be condemned;

he has crossed over from death to life.

I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come

 when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God

and those who hear will live.

For as the Father has life in Himself,

so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself.

And He has given to Him authority to judge because He is the Son of Man.”

John 5:24-27

JESUS HAS RISEN! Always Remember!

And Jesus desires each one of us to hear and believe His Words of Grace and Truth:

I died for your sins. I alone could do this. I Am GOD. You are forgiven. You are free of all blame and all shame. I bore it all for your freedom!

I have eternal life to give you. I alone could do this. I Am GOD. You need never fear death again. I swallowed it up in full victory. Death cannot hold my children—you who believe in me. I have already rescued you from death and brought you into the promised eternal life with Me!

JESUS HAS RISEN! Always Remember!

You have a choice to make. We all have a choice to make about Jesus.

Believe the message of Jesus and receive the salvation and eternal life that comes through Jesus Christ alone.

HOW? Ask Jesus, even now, to be your Savior. Let God know that you believe that Jesus is His Son who died for your sins and rose from the dead to give you eternal life.

God loves you so much. Your Heavenly Father wants you to hear and believe; God wants you to be set free from the power of sin and the judgment of death.

God wants you to know the total forgivess that Jesus alone offers and the hope and joy of eternal life with the Soverereign and Holy God of all creation!

Believe. And thank God for hearing your confession of faith in Jesus as your Savior. Tell someone about your decision to trust in Jesus for your forgiveness and eternal life!

Welcome Home, precious one, Welcome Home!

 JESUS HAS RISEN! Always Remember!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane