He's Got Your Number! by Loisa Guzman

"Everyone who asks receives, the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."[Matthew 7:8]

When I was in elementary school, daily after lunch, we had to get on our knees and pray for the souls in purgatory so that they could get to heaven. But having heard over and over again that Jesus Christ had been crucified so we could get directly to the Father, I knew something was wrong with this picture. So, one day in the 3rd grade, right in the middle of prayer, I raised my hand. Now being that this was an old-school Catholic school, any defiance or straying from the norm was basically regarded as a mortal sin. Nevertheless, despite the deadly look from Sister Dominic, the 4-foot nun we'd nicknamed "Sister Dynamite," I persisted.

"Young lady, this had better be a matter of life or death!" Sister Dynamite bellowed.

"Oh Sister, it is a matter of life and death," I assured her. "If Jesus died on the cross so we can get to heaven, why must we pray for the souls in purgatory? Won't they get there because of what Jesus did for them?".

The only reason my heresy didn't get me expelled was because I was an A student, but you can best believe I was severely punished for challenging the "responsibilities of a proper Catholic child."

That experience taught me---wrongly---that there was no room for me and my questions in God's kingdom, but in reality, God never took His hand off my shoulder, even when I went asking, seeking, and knocking in the wrong places. As I look back on my days as a disco queen, I realize that there were some pretty dangerous scenes as the mid 70s and 80s clubs where I was a regular. These places were clearly lions' dens of sex, alcohol and drugs, but "...I escaped and am here to tell you about it!" [Job 1:16].

As I moved on from my disco days, God continued His subtle prodding. In college I had a boyfriend that I'd see every single day except Sunday.

"Why can't we ever do anything on Sundays?" I'd whine every weekend.

"Sunday is my family day," he'd tell me, "I spend time with my church family and my actual family. Come to church with me some time."

I was curious, but I had had enough of "church". The church that I knew was a place of angry nuns, despotic priests, and obscure rituals, and I quickly replied, "Nah...I'll pass. Church isn't my thing."

That was God knocking on my door, and even when I refused to let Him in, He kept on knocking. For 3 years I worked for a lovely couple who never failed to invite me to their Wednesday bible study. I mean---Bible study? Who studies the bible? The bible is for priests to read from on Sundays at church! Now I know that "all scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching...so that (we) may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." [2 Timothy 3:16] But then my answer was, "Thanks. I have book club on Wednesdays. Maybe some other time."

"Ok, dear. You're always welcome. You're in our prayers."

And God kept knocking.

A few years went by. My son was a little boy, and it pained me that as an event planner I hardly had time for him. I was a single parent, and I decided I had to have a job that would give me time to be with my son, so I went to work for the Department of Education. But in going from private industry to the DOE, I took a huge pay cut--- more than half my salary---and within a few months I found myself back on my knees. "God, I don't want my son and me to end up on the street. I leave this in your hands. We need a miracle."

God's word promises that "...everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." [Romans 10:13] God had been with me all along. The miracle was already in the works. He was just waiting for me to call on Him.

Soon after, I came to know the real Jesus, and 23 years later I can say without a doubt that He has definitely got my number. Whenever I need to hear from Him, all I have to do is read His "text."

God's got your number too, but you might not recognize His ringtone. Be alert and listen for His call. You won't be disappointed when you call Him back!

TPEE - by Christina Calvache Debunking The Myth, Part 2

With Every Temptation, God Provides a way of Escape so that we can Endure the temptation.

Going through hardships is different from going through temptations. Hardships refine us, while temptations strengthen us.

Temptations come from, I believe, one of two places - Satan, or our own selfish desires (James 1:14). For those who belong to Christ, the temptation is usually a battle between the spirit and flesh. (Gal 5:17)

When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan, Jesus used the written Word of God to resist the first two temptations, (Luke 4:1-13) By quoting scripture, truth and light was shed on the situation. In the third temptation, Jesus used the Word again and also included a warning -, He reminds us, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ (Luke 4:12).

When contemplating giving in to temptations, it is only wise to remember God will not be mocked (Gal 6:7-9).

Everyone should have a battle plan for temptation. All battle plans are thought out before the battle. Usually the same temptations come your way until you learn to overcome them.

Jesus fasted and prayed 40 days before He was tempted.(Mat 4:2) Fasting and praying helps suppress your physical desires and strengthens your spiritual desires. Fasting will help you build a greater resistance to the temptation.

Feeling conviction and struggling with the temptation is part of Christianity (John 16:7-11). I find the battle easier when I imagine who it is that’s bringing on the battle - Satan himself! He sends out the assignments, hoping to make you fall and trip up, again. He is the enemy of your soul. It helps to imagine him there with his arms crossed scrutinizing you and waiting for you to give in so he can laugh and accuse you to our Lord Jesus. He is the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10).

With Every Temptation, God Provides a way of Escape so that we can Endure the temptation.

God’s Word gives us an emergency exit to any temptation. Simply, “if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away”. (Matthew 5:30). This scripture is a strategy for overcoming temptation. You need to cut it off, make it dead to you. Do not put yourself in a position to be tempted.

I remember being so attracted to this guy I knew. I had a secret crush on him for 5 years! I would flirt with him but never give in to even a dinner date. After wrestling with this temptation for so very long, my resistance was wearing out. I remembered the scripture “if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away” and used it as my game plan. I had to have nothing to do with this guy, no friendship, no contact. He had to be “dead to me”.

We need to use wisdom and sometimes look at temptations with logic. If we are not in a position to be tempted then we cannot give in to the temptation. With temptation - going cold turkey is a must!

The good news is, we can “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7). Resist that devil! Endure the temptation! Merriam-Websters definition of “Endure” means “to remain firm without yielding.” Keep resisting and he will get bored and either move on to someone else or hit you with something else. Doesn’t it seem as if we are always battling something. With each victory, you’ll be empowered, and it will only lead to more victory.

TPEE by Christina Calvache

Debunking the Myth, Part 1

With Every Temptation, God Provides a way of Escape so that we can Endure the temptation.

When going through hardships, we like to believe God doesn’t give us more than we can handle. I used to rely on this concept knowing that whatever came my way, would not be more than I could bare. I had been a Christian for more years than I’d like to admit when my Pastor ( Pastor Garry) said, “you know, that’s not in the Bible.” I couldn’t believe it! So many people say it in so many different situations, it was almost common knowledge. And I had relied on this belief to get me through many circumstances. I had to sort this out.

I found that God doesn’t give us more than we can handle was derived (somehow) from 1 Cor 10:13, which states: No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

I had one of those moments where the theme song for “The Reading Rainbow” ran through my head, in conjunction with the advertisement that “Reading is Fundamental”. Was I misunderstanding the scripture? He will not let you be tempted beyond hour ability and saying God doesn’t give us more than we can handle are two different concepts.

When going through hardships, as we are taught in the book of Job, God filters everything that comes our way (Job 1:12). We are taught in Ephesians 6:13 to utilize the armor of God to be victorious in any evil situation. Yet, this does not mean God does not give us more than we can handle. What scripture teaches us is that He will give us more than we can handle because He wants us to rely on Him through the hardships, (Psalm 91:14-16)

We all go through difficult and trying times in our lifetime. “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed (2 Co 4:8-9). During these times, God wants us to reach out to Him. His promise in Psalm 34:17 States, When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. To believe God wants us to die in our diseases or to believe His plan is to remain suffering is not truth. The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast (1 Peter 5:10).