“Well, do you have a list that
includes things such as - Make sure I buy Dana flowers once a week. Make sure I
call Dana once a day. Make sure I tell Dana 'I love you' once a day.”
“Oh no,” I laugh. “Why would
I do that?”
“Well, so you don't forget,”
Yesh says.
“I wouldn't forget those
things,” I reply.
“So if you came to Dana and
handed her some flowers and said, 'Here Dana, this is on my list of things I
know I must do for you today.' What would she say?”
“She would be horrified,” I
reply. “I would never do that!”
“You've answered correctly,”
Yesh replies. “You never would because...”
“I love her,” I finish. “I
never would because I love her.”
“Then why Malo do you think
the list you made of things you are going to do for God pleases him? What was
it...Go to church regularly, read your Bible daily, do more outreach...”
“No,” I interject. “Those are
things I know I must do more of in order to become a better child of God.”
“Malo,” Yesh replies, “don't
worry. You're not the first to make lists and rules in an attempt to bring you
closer to God. People have been doing this for thousands of years. In fact my
people had some of the best rule keeping systems around. It didn't work. In
fact it was such a failure they sadly missed seeing me when I stood right in front
of them.”
Yesh pauses and look down at
his open hands. It seems he is remembering the sorrow of being rejected by his
own. He looks up and continues. “There is no self-improvement you can undertake
that will please God, Malo. There is only one way and that is in Christ,” he
says pointing to the stone he has given me. “In Christ you are set right before
God, not in trying to be good. If you try to be good in your own strength,
you're just rebuilding the old decrepit, broken barn that I tore down,” he says
glancing at the beautiful new barn across the stream.
“I have tried making lists
and keeping the rules a few times,” I say, “but I never could. But I didn't
want to stop. I thought if I just tried harder, if I just put in more effort I
could be a better child of God. I wanted to please God. I just didn't want to
give up...”
The phrase is still hanging
in the air as the full weight of the words hit me. “I just didn't want to give
up.”
“That's my problem isn't it,”
I say, looking at Yesh. “I wanted to please God by working my head off, just
like I did in my job. I wanted it to be about me, what I did, what I achieved.”
Yesh looks at me with his
kind, understanding eyes and says, “But now you can leave behind the “laws man,”
the “me man,” the “list man,” and become God's man. I have showed you how. If
you let me I will enable you to uphold God's word in your life. See the sign we
nailed up on the barn over there,” he says pointing back at the barn. “It's
perfect, and it's still perfectly in position. Well done, Malo, for keeping
God's word perfectly.”
“No I haven't,” I interject,
“I couldn't even hold it straight for even a short bit while waiting for you.”
“That's right, yet now
because of the nails, the sign hangs true. And so upholding of the sign is not
what you did, but what the nails did for you. The life you will live, including
everything and much more than your list, will not be yours but Christ living in
you.”
Buy the
Book: .99 E-book; $11.99 Print
About
the Author
Full On Life – I suppose those would be the three words that define me and the
life I like to live. Words taken from Jesus’ offer – “I have come that you may have
life and have it abundantly (full on)” - John 10:10. And so in everything I seek, in
Jesus’ power, to live a life of abundance. So whether physical – such as having
run many 56 mile marathons, or mental – such as completing a PhD – whether
at home with my awesome wife and children or in front of a thousand people, I
give my all, through him who gave me all. Yet all of this is so unimportant
compared to whom I am related. My dad wrote the world’s best selling book. He
also made the originals that everyone from DaVinci to Michael Angelo copied.
And in case that is not enough, he breathed and the stars came into being. He.
“…merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed, and all the stars
were born.” (Psalm 33:6). I am a child of God.
Connect
with Malo
Trish
Jenkins, Treasure of Darkness
About the Author
Living with murderers, drug dealers, frauds and
broken humanity, Trish Jenkins’ prayers for deliverance were not answered the way
she expected. Instead the Lord delivered her "through the fire..." Prison was not part of Trish Jenkins’ ministry
plans but it happened. Conned by a fraud and a breach of the Corporations Act
meant losing her multi-million dollar portfolio, including her family home. It
also meant this Australian mother served 8 months in prison, isolated from her
husband and 3 little girls.
TREASURE IS FOUND IN DARK PLACES
Instead of succumbing to
despair and self-pity, Trish chose to believe the Word of God and in doing so, she introduced many other prisoners to
Christ. In the darkness, Trish found keys to freedom and courage and a deeper
walk with the Holy Spirit.
Trish felt compelled to record everything she experienced. She wrote
letters to her family and friends by writing letters to her husband, who then
copied the letter to an email that went out to a list that grew rapidly. Those
emails went viral and Trish’s readers shared her journey with her. What she
couldn’t put in letters due to their sensitive nature, she wrote in a private
journal.
From stories of winning over bullies, to the despair of persecution for
her faith, Trish shares her journey with warmth and candour.
Today Trish shares her hard-won “Treasures” as an entertaining,
insightful speaker and author, inspiring audiences to be courageous in all
circumstances. Ministering effectively to both Christian and secular audiences, she is warm, compassionate and funny! Today, as a
well-respected international speaker and author, Trish’s heart-felt and
inspirational story filled with practical advice is re-igniting fire and faith
in the hearts of her audiences.
Trish and her family were reunited and today are
all active members of Citipointe Church, Australia.
See the Trailer
About
the Story
FREEDOM
ON THE INSIDE
Prison was not on the “Goal Chart” of
entrepreneur Trish Jenkins. A breach of the Corporations Act meant losing her
multi-million dollar portfolio, including her family home.
It also meant Trish served 8 months in prison.
Isolated from her husband and 3 little girls,
living among Queensland’s most dangerous criminals, Trish could have succumbed
to despair.
But
treasure is found in dark places.
Refusing to give in to self-pity, Trish answered
a new calling to make a difference in the lives around her. In doing so she
found a different kind of freedom and healing.
Real and raw, these pages are better than a
memoir; made up of letters, personal journaling and hindsight.
“I assumed I would be a model prisoner because I
was a Christian. So how did I get into so much trouble, so often, yet with the
best of intentions?”
Like when she was reported escaped…
Or setting the alarm off in the officers’
quarters…
Or having to explain why the woman she prayed
for fell to the floor…
Be
Inspired
You’ll laugh, cry and shake your head at
hilarious stories, tragic circumstances, discouragement, hope and ever present
faith.
“You may have no razor wire around you, but you
may feel more like a prisoner than me! Let me share my keys to freedom with
you.”
Connect
with Trish:
Pamela Carmichael
Financial Empowerment: Realign Your
Finances to God’s Will
About the Book
Are you in a constant financial
struggle and juggle where there never seems to be enough? Do you wonder if God
is able to or even willing to provide for you? Are you constantly paying bills
and covering debt payments without seeing much progress? Are you faithful in
tithing and giving but yet you cannot see on outpoured blessing?
Then this book is here for you. Financial Empowerment discusses the problems we
face in different areas of our finances and shows how to manage money in a
God-pleasing manner. In a simple easy-to-read manner, it provides biblical and
practical solutions to personal financial management.
Financial Empowerment is a fresh look at how you see your finances and how to
deal with them effectively.
Get ready to be empowered as you honor God in managing your financial
resources. As you give eternal value to your money, God will continually bless
you.
About the Author
PAMELA CARMICHAEL is
a financial services professional with over 10 years’ experience. In her
Christian walk, the burning question to God has always been: Why do Christians
struggle with finances? With a desire to see Christians grow in the area of
personal financial management, she wrote Financial Empowerment: Realign
Your Finances to God's Will. She hopes that you will grow and become
financially empowered as you apply God's principles to your personal financial
management strategies.
Pamela has a passion
to see God's people move from struggle to success not only financially but in
all areas of life. You can learn about Pamela by visiting her blog called
"Live Out Loud! Success by God's Word" at
http://www.pamelavcarmichael.com.
Connect with
Pamela
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