Go and Tell - Matthew 28:18-20

Sue Tornai and her dog, Maggie, with Chicken Soup's Finding
My Faith Book, September 30, 2012

Jesus said, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,"
Matthew 28:18-20 (in Context) Matthew 28.

I don't know about you, but I take Jesus' words very seriously. That is why I teach Sunday school and write stories about God's love. My story, "The Promise," is one of 101 heart-moving, life-changing stories in Chicken Soup's Finding My Faith book. and last week my honorarium books arrived! Those are books the publisher gives the authors.

If you would like your copy of Chicken Soup's Finding My Faith book, it will be released October 16, 2012 in paperback and Kindle formats.

Think About It
How do you tell people about God's love? I would like to know your story. Please leave it in a comments box and email me your contact information at suetornai@comcast.net. I would like your permission to put it on my blog. Tell me how it makes you feel when God uses you. It is an awesome feeling for me.

Pray About It
Lord Jesus, I pray that this book will touch hearts and lives for You. May Your Holy Spirit use the inspirational stories about life, belief and spiritual renewal to demonstrate your amazing love. Amen.

Dialogue with Jesus

Experience God’s love through conversations Jesus had with Nicodemus,the Woman at the Well, Martha, Zacchaeus, Peter, the Roman Centurion, the Rich Young Ruler, Simon the Pharisee, the Adulterous Woman, and more.

Dialogue with Jesus is fifty-two devotions for families, written to teach children how to pray. Bible stories come alive and inspire questions, acceptance, love, and faith.

A book for families, but it can be used for teaching by home schooling mothers, Sunday school teachers, and in mentoring relationships.

Each devotion includes:

• A retold Bible story with Jesus' words in red
• A "Think About It" section, which applies Bible truth
• A "Pray About It" section with simple prayers kids can learn.

This book is a work in progress, born in the Mentoring Track at Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. Find similar devotions on my Talking with Jesus blog. 

Please leave your suggestions how I could make this a great devotional book for families.

Do Not Lie--the Ninth Commandment

What if our noses grew every time we told a lie? What if our ears grew? What if our feet grew? Maybe people wouldn't lie so much. Did you know lying is problem of the heart? Yes, our hearts are the heart of the problem. So what is the solution?

The solution to lying is the same as for all other acts of disobedience to the Ten Commandments. It is God's love. He loves us so much He gave His only Son to take the punishment for our sins so we wouldn't have to. When we believe that with all our hearts and accept God's love, our lives change. We won't want to lie anymore.

Love rejoices in TRUTH. (1 Corinthians 13:6) Jesus said, "I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me," (John 14:6) and "If you love me, you will obey what I command. I will ask the Father and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--the Spirit of TRUTH," (John 14:15).

Think About It
So is it ever okay to lie? Check this out in Proverbs 6:16-19.
There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him.

1. Haughty eyes
2. A lying tongue
3. Hands that shed innocent blood
4. A heart that devises wicked schemes
5. Feet that are quick to rush into evil
6. A false witness who pours out lies, and
7. A man who stirs up dissension among brothers.

Pray About It
Lord Jesus, help us to accept your love and not the ways of the world. Help us to honor you with our mouths by telling the truth. Thank you for sending your Counselor, the Holy Spirit, to help us live for you. Amen.

Happy Birthday Church

The birth of the church is known as Pentecost. It happened 53 days after Jesus' crucifixion: After three days was the Resurrection. Then Jesus appeared to his disciples and at least 500 people for forty days after the resurrection. He told His followers to remain in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came on them with power. Ten days after He ascended into Heaven, the disciples gathered in an upper room. The Holy Spirit appeared as flames of fire over each of the apostles and enabled them to proclaim the gospel in the languages of all who were present.

"Aren't these men from Galilee?" asked one man. "How is it we understand them in our own language?"

"They have had too much wine," responded another.

Peter stood and said, "We are not drunk as you said. It is only nine o'clock in the morning. What you see is evidence of the Holy Spirit just as Jesus told us it would happen," and he convinced many of the good news. More than three thousand people repented of the way they lived that day and were baptized.

Because Peter and the apostles were faithful to preach the gospel, we know the truth today about God's  grace and a relationship with a living God who loves and cares about us.

Living Water

While driving along the Feather River in Northern California, I thought about the River of Life in Revelation 22. It must be beautiful with the Tree of Life rising on each side which bears twelve different kinds of fruit. Hard for me to imagine.

After a winter of heavy rain and snow, the Feather is fuller, faster and more captivating. White water rushers over boulders and descends into glorious waterfalls. The rushing water seems to be alive and I questioned, "Is this what living water is like?"

Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well outside of Sychar, that He had living water, water that would spring up into eternal life. She said, "I want some of your water," because she didn't want to have to keep coming to the well several times a day for water to clean her house and cook her food. She didn't want to have to come for water to bathe her family.

But Jesus wasn't talking about physical water. He talked about nourishment for her soul. She understood when she realized Jesus knew all about her sinful life but showed her love. She tasted the living water but couldn't keep it to herself. Like the water in the rushing Feather River, the living water bubbled up inside her and she had to run and tell others in town about the man who knew all about her, yet, loved her.

That's how God's love is. Once we experience it, we can't keep it to oursleves. We have to love God and love others. That's how God's kingdom grows and grows. Do you know God's lavishing love? If you do, you know what I mean. If not, my prayer is for you today, that you will call on Jesus' name. That's all you have to do. He is waiting to show you His love just as He did the woman at the well.

King Josiah Obeys God

Josiah became king of Judah when he was only eight years old. After eighteen years he sent his secretary, Shaphan, to the priest, Hilkiah to collect the money for the repairs to be made on the Temple.

"I have found the book of the law in the temple of the Lord," said the priest, and he gave it to Shaphan to read. He took the book back to King Josiah and read it to him. The king wept and cried and tore his robes. The book had been hidden in the temple so many years that the people didn't know how to live for God. In fact they worshipped other gods, gods that men made out of wood and metal. The gods have eyes but couldn't see, ears but couldn't hear, and mouths that couldn't speak. The handmade gods had no power at all to help the people.

Josiah's heart pounded and he paced back and forth. He said to Shaphan, "Go and inquire of the Lord for me and the people about this book from the temple." And that is what Shaphan did. He went to Hulda, a prophetess.

She said that the Lord said, "I am going to bring disaster on this place! My people have forgotten who I am. They burn incense to other gods and have forgotten who I am." But because Josiah tore his robe and humbled himself, he avoided the terrible disaster. He gathered his people together and read the book of the law to them. The people looked at each other and thought about how they lived. Like Josiah, they cried out to God and pledged to obey the words of His law with all their hearts. Josiah collected all the handmade gods in the temple and burned them and ground them into dust. He made the pagan priests move out of the temple so that only the one true God would be worshipped and adored.

Something good happens when you and I read God's word. Like Josiah and his people, we learn what is good and right. We learn how much we need God. When we confess to Him the wrong things we've done and ask Him to help us live for Him, He will do it. He will give us new hearts and we will be able to love as He loves. I hope that is your desire. It's mine too.

Lord Jesus, I am praying for the ones reading your story. Let them know how much you love them and help them live to love You and others. Amen.