Women's Liberation, by Amy Joy

     "To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, 'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.' " John 8:31-32

     My mother has often told me the story of when I was a baby and at the doctor's office, I sat right up as soon as she finished the exam.  This was back in 1978.  My pediatrician remarked to my mother that I would be a "woman's libber" someday, seeing the determination and confidence that I had as I sat up, I suppose. Maybe she thought that it was a compliment. My mother knew what the Bible taught on woman's roles, so she was certainly hoping that I would not turn out to be a "woman's libber".

     After my mother recently retold the story to me, I surprised her by saying something to the effect of , "And she was right!"  My mother looked at me, quite confused.  There I was, standing before her, a Christian woman, wearing a head covering (a symbol of authority), a long skirt, having long hair that I had grown because my husband likes it.  I happily gave up my career to stay at home and raise my children.  I am in total agreement with what God says about women, including that it is "disgraceful  for a woman to speak in the church".  I hate when people are so scared to offend women by practicing the things that He says to, as if God is not loving and His ways  are not best.  I am confident of God's love for me and that in Him I am of equal value as that of a man.  Paul writes in Galatians 3:28-29, "There is neither ...male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."  If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."  I am not offended by the truth when I am considered "the weaker partner".  I know that I am also an heir with my husband "of the gracious gift of life..." (both 1Peter 3:7).

     Thinking about having recently started this blog, with my intent to encourage women, particularly in areas concerning our role, I realized I am a "woman's libber" after all!  For when we follow and hold to Jesus' teachings, then we know the truth and the truth does set us free!  I am free!  I am liberated, and I want to encourage other women to be the same!

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Caring More About Your Friend Than Your Friendship, by Amy Joy

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity."  Proverbs 17:17

"Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses."Proverbs 27:6

     Recently, while praying for some friends of mine who are in some situations that I am concerned about, I realized that if I really care for them and their souls, then I need to speak to them and make them aware of what God says about the situations that they are in.  It is very scary for me to think about bringing these things up.  I don't like conflict.  I don't like to say anything that might offend people. 

     While praying, it came to me that I need to care more about my friends than my friendships.  I need to be willing to lose my friendships with people for the sake of their salvation.  What good will it be for me to keep a friend, yet have my friend go to hell because I didn't have enough love or courage to speak up?  

     I am still scared, but maybe you can please pray for me that God will give me boldness, wisdom, and the words in these situations.  

"All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved." Matthew 10:22

You can check out our other works! If you like them, you can help us out by sharing our links on your social media accounts and asking your contacts to do the same! Thank you!

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Tip For Softening Cookies, by Amy Joy

      I like my cookies soft, in general, but often when I've made cookies they're crispy.  I learned as a child from a woman named Toni Andrade, that if you leave a slice of bread in a container with the cookies, the cookies will become soft.  It works! 

You can check out our other works! If you like them, you can help us out by sharing our links on your social media accounts and asking your contacts to do the same! Thank you!

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God bless you!

If You Heard It Only Once, by Edward

    When we read the Sermon on the Mount, we have the privilege of being able to read it again, and again, and again.  Sometimes we come to conclusions years later, from rereading it, which we had not originally come to when we first read it.  

      Getting to read it again, and again, and again, is not what those who originally heard it had the opportunity to do.  Remember, the gospels were not recorded until years later.  They heard Jesus speak His message, and then went home with only what they had heard.  They had to make decisions based on what they had heard that day, not on what they got to read again, and again.  They would have either accepted or rejected what they had heard.  

     We actually have a very good example of this in the gospel of John.  In John 6:53 when Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you."  After this, many disciples left him saying,"This is a hard teaching.  Who can accept it?"  but Peter said with the eleven present, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life." The disciples heard Jesus' teachings and then made decisions based on what they had heard at that time. They either accepted His teaching or rejected it.  

     So the question I have is this. If you were present when Jesus spoke the Sermon on the Mount, what conclusions would you come to about how He wants you to live based on what He said, having heard it only one time?  After all, at the end of the sermon He said, "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law."  

     If the Sermon on the Mount is not as sharp to you as the first day you read it, it may be that you have let the years wear away its edge so that it's simply a collection of nice words, and not the revolutionary sayings of our Great God and King. 

You can check out our other works! If you like them, you can help us out by sharing our links on your social media accounts and asking your contacts to do the same! Thank you!

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God bless you!

An Enjoyable Experience, by Edward

     A couple of weeks ago, on two separate occasions,  I heard two different brothers speaking about two different subjects (I apologize for the redundancy).  On both subjects, I had come to the same conclusions on my own that they had come to. 

    

      What's neat is that I had never heard them speak about these things before.  I don't read commentaries, so I know that we had not come to the same conclusions by reading the same commentaries.  

      I spoke to both of them separately about this and one of them said to me with a smile, "You would think we were reading the same Bible!"  That brother's statement says it all.  The Bible is understandable.  

     This is not the first time that this has happened with a brother, and I doubt it will be the last, but it is enjoyable every time.  We can come to the Bible, read it, understand it, and obey it.  

     Christians coming to the same conclusions, independently, on what the Bible says, has happened throughout history, despite being separated by time, space, culture, language and even translations of the Bible into different languages.  

     This is very encouraging to me.  It really helps me to see that the Bible can be taken at it's word.  It really does mean what it says.  I don't need someone to interpret it for me.  If we simply accept what the scriptures say, with a childlike faith and obedience, then we can be unified in Christ.  We can all be of one mind and of one Spirit and of one faith.

You can check out our other works! If you like them, you can help us out by sharing our links on your social media accounts and asking your contacts to do the same! Thank you!

http://iamonebook.com

https://www.patreon.com/WarePublishing

https://www.waredesignworks.com

https://www.etsy.com/shop/waredesignworks

To follow us on Twitter and Instagram:

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To listen to different thoughts from Edward:

https://rumble.com/c/c-5501477/videos

https://youtube.com/@edwardcarlton?si=HUHHNoh5NX0hW-La

God bless you!