Category Archives: Adversity

October 1, 2017

You’ve Got Mail!

By Angie Knight

October Greetings!

I was reading in one of my devotional books, “Streams in the Desert”, last week and this jewel jumped off the page.  Mainly because, not only was it a powerful devotion, but it was spot on for what we have been feeling and going through –here in language school.

A piece of wood once bitterly complained because it was being cut and filled with rifts and holes, but he who held the wood and whose knife was cutting into it so remorselessly did not listen to the sore complaining.  He was making a flute out of the wood he held and was too wise to desist when entreated to do so.  He said:

“Oh, thou foolish piece of wood, without these rifts and holes thou wouldst be only a mere stick forever–a bit of hard black ebony with no power to make music or to be of any use.  These rifts that I am making, which seem to be destroying thee, will change thee into a flute, and thy sweet music then shall charm the souls of men.  My cutting thee is the making of thee, for then thou shalt be precious and valuable, and a blessing in the world”.

I was stunned.  My eyes filled and I wept with gratitude and a strong repentant heart for crying out while being that stick of wood, and complaining for all the “shaping” going on.  This school is rightly named.  Chisel.

Every time I have entered a sentence in my Spanish Dictionary and used the name of the school, Cincel, the word “chisel” comes up, since that is exactly what Cincel means in Spanish.  Chisel.  We have all felt the blows of the hammer as well as the knife on the stick of wood.  But you know, in our hearts we all long to be useful for the Master.  The One who called us surely has a plan and purpose for every splinter of whittling,  and gouging out the places that have so desperately needed work.

On an encouraging note, we can carry on a conversation with others now with a little more confidence.  I walk down to the beauty salon and talk with the young ladies there about once every couple of weeks.  It’s where I got my FIRST haircut after chemo! I was so excited, and I have made two new “Tica” friends in the process.  One of them even gave me her phone number so that I could practice my Spanish.  And another one made me some flashcards this week to help with my “beauty salon lingo”.

We have prayed for you all during all these weather episodes and the various things that have been going on.  Last week, as I was sitting here typing, we had a small earth tremor that shook the bed that I was sitting on.  Everything in this world is subject to change.  In the very next minute–your life or my life could change.  We have no promise of tomorrow, we have today–and it’s up to us to use it for the Master, or squander it away.

This weekend, we were privileged to be able to go with dear friends, about an hour out of the city to the mountain area and just relax for the morning.  We stood at a fence and just viewed the valley and surrounding mountains and we breathed.  It felt good.  I cannot quiet describe the feeling–but it was needed and necessary.  And best of all….we spent time with friends of like mind and faith, who also left home, family, friends, and jobs they loved, to follow into the unknown, our Jesus.

While talking with the young lady at the little coffee shop–we asked her about the coffee harvest season.  The process from the time of planting, to harvest, to roasting, grinding all the way to your favorite cup of coffee.

Something we learned by tasting:  a good cup of coffee does not need sugar or cream.  That had to be proven to me.   It is something I will be excited to share with my family when we get home in December.  A hot cup of the best Costa Rican coffee.

She was so passionate about her job–her love of coffee and all things Costa Rica came through with every word she shared.  That’s what I want others to feel and hear in us as we share about Jesus in our new language.  I want them to feel the passion in our hearts–hear it in our voices and see it on our faces.  I want them to desire to know Him and share His love with their own families.

That’s one thing we need you to add to your prayer list for us:  Our ability to speak fluently as possible and to be able to share without reservation or hesitation.

Can I share with you a list of daily prayer needs?

Sunday:  Pray for our spiritual lives.  Our spiritual growth, fellowship with local believers, integrity, reliability, and consistency.  Jeff was blessed with a lunch a couple of weeks ago from an invitation from a “Tico” friend he met at church.  What a joy!  Pray for more connections and development of relationships that will last long after we leave.

Monday:  Pray for our personal lives.  For our marriage.  You have no idea the attacks on marriages and families here.  I won’t go into the details–suffice it to say, prayer is necessary to the mission.  Pray for our families back home, their health, both physical and spiritual.  Pray for their protection.  What is it with mama’s and daddy’s that believe we need to be there to help?  God is not limited by distance.

Tuesday:  Communication.  Adapting with generous flexibility to the culture, customs and people.  The language study, clarity in speech, ability to hear and comprehend.

Wednesday:  Relationships.  Both in the churches and the community.  As well as not losing our relationships back home.  That’s a fear many have as they shift their lives to another field.  We have discovered through conversations with others and reading several articles for missionaries, home relationships (back in the states) almost always suffer, insomuch as they are forgotten altogether.  Or at the very least, once they return, they are treated differently than when they left.  We hunger for our relationships with you to either remain strong–or become even stronger.  Not become weaker or disappear altogether.

Thursday:  Evangelism.  Boldness, sensitivity, Holy Spirit led.

Friday:  Discipleship. That we can be mentors.  Training, equipping, and encouraging others even now before we get to our field of service.  May we serve Him now with fervor.

Saturday:  Pray for our country.  Our first and home country, the United States of America, and secondly, our country of calling:  Bolivia.  Pray for more schools to open in Santa Cruz, relationships to develop and grow under the anointing and presence of the Holy Spirit.  Help us pray now for a good, safe, and secure place to live.

Often many think that because they aren’t giving monetarily, they aren’t helping.  NOTHING could be further from the truth.  Your prayers make the difference.  We cannot do this without your prayers.  I cannot say that loud or long enough.  Prayer is the KEY to the KINGDOM.

Thank you for taking the time to add us to your likely already long prayer list.  It is undeniably what keeps us going strong.  We love each of you.  If you feel led to get further involved, an offering of any amount is always welcomed and needed.  The cost of living here is “crazy” expensive.  But I won’t talk about that any further.  It hasn’t brought the prices down one bit! 🙂

We received our 3rd mail here this week! (It takes about 10-14 days to reach us if there are no holidays involved.) OH Mercy I was giddy with joy!  My heart overflowed with the love from the words that came from the letter–but soon found myself weeping like a child.  God is SO good!  Thank you.  Every word meant the world.  I have all three cards we’ve received taped to the wall in our bedroom.  It gives me joy every time I look at them.

We wish you were here.  We miss you.  BUT, if the LORD is willing [as my Mamo always said], or “Si Dios quiere”, we will see some of you in December!  We wish we could visit every single one of you in your churches!  You are greatly loved.

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All for HIM,

Jeff and Angie

“Streams in the Desert, Morning and Evening Edition, page 649-650, September 20      (L. B. Cowman, Zondervan Publishing Company.)

© Angie Knight 2017.  All rights reserved.  All photographs © Angie Knight 2017.

1 Comment | posted in Adversity, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Life, Missions, Trust

May 11, 2017

Pardon the Dust

By Angie Knight

Have you ever seen the sign that says, “Pardon the Dust”?, in a store when it is under a remodeling, but they are still  open for business?  Well, that is pretty much like my life.  I won’t speak for Jeff, but he would likely say the same thing.  My area is really dusty these days.  More so (in my mind) than the cancer days.

I told a new friend this week that [language school] seemed to be designed to do what the chemo did….kill off things that doesn’t belong.  Then we learned what the name of the school meant; in Spanish, cincel means to chisel.   Appropriate, don’t you think?  I think many of the new students have felt the sharp edge of the chisel this week.

We are on day 4 of classes and I will do my best to share enough, but not too much that  you get cold feet if God is speaking to your heart about missions.  But in reality, if God is speaking to you….there is no amount of things I could say that would scare you away.  You are in it for the long haul.  Just like us.  Be advised though, the enemy won’t like your decision–just as he didn’t like ours–BUT GOD HAS BEEN FAITHFUL.  Through everything!

Our days begin early–Jeff slipping into an altogether new routine here, and myself as well.  We get up early (Jeff, often around 4:00).  He has always been an early riser-but I think this place calls for even earlier–simply because such deep God conversations need to take place.  And listening.  Escuchen….to listen.  Above the voices in my head, I am learning to listen more to the Holy Spirit when He gives a direction.  “This might hurt….but it’s for your good.”

There, He sets me on the block.  Chisel and hammer.  Dust is flying.  I am noticing some things in me that needs correcting.  I need to be more sensitive.  Not quick to judge or assume based on what my eyes see…but to listen.  He blows His holy air on the form sitting still on the block.   That’s me.  The tears I shed based on what I feel, the weaknesses in me, wash away more of the dust.  He is working to see His image in our lives….

That was like chemo and radiation.  “This might hurt, you will feel many changes, but it’s for your good”…. I think God prepared me in some ways on HOW to look at things so that I would not crumble (quite so much).

I have two friends who, one just this week lost her daughter to cancer, and our cancer journey began approximately the same time, and another dear woman is losing her husband, even as I type, to cancer.  And here I sit.  Healthy–preparing for a work God has set before me…and I cannot explain even the least amount of the whys of that.   But God’s plans are perfect and I will not try and understand HIS understanding for the Word says, it’s way beyond me.

We are grateful for our monthly supporters and daily prayer partners.  YOU have no idea!  When I wake up in the morning–I know someone is praying!  All during the week, I trust and believe someone is still believing with us that God has much in store!  And their support continues so that we may journey on.

Each day in class (so far) I have felt so close to tears at times because there is NO English spoken by the teachers.  It is brain numbing.  There, that’s the chisel again.  Learn a new way.  Open your heart, mind, ears and listen.    Admittedly, I come home and go to the bathroom to let the tears fall.  It’s a release.  Don’t feel sorry for me, pray with us.  We need to learn this.  The culture, the language, the people.  Once the tears are dry, I feel better.

I learned just yesterday, the best thing to do after class is go for a long walk.  So, Jeff and I walked yesterday, about 8 blocks, mostly uphill, to the grocery store to pick up a few things.  Let’s look at that miracle for a minute.  UP HILL.  The backstory of this is I finished my last round of radiation treatments that took place every single day for 6 weeks the WEEK before we left for Costa Rica.  I hardly had energy to pack.  I had beloved friends, one at a time, come almost every day to lend a hand with our packing.  I couldn’t even “think” clearly from the residual effects of the chemo yet, here I was packing with help, and then just a week later arriving here.

The walkway to our apartment is such a steep downhill trip, that first day I was so afraid I would fall face first–but I didn’t.  Sure, my knees ached afterwards, but look again at the miracle.  YESTERDAY, we walked over 8 blocks one way mostly uphill.  Of course I was sweating like a horse when we got there, but my mind was clear.  And we did our little shopping, enjoying the air conditioned grocery store…then we had to carry our packages back…all 8 blocks.  Thankfully, my precious husband carried the two stuffed bags and I carried the umbrella.  It rains every day.

New things.  Every day something new.  A new experience, a new feeling, a fresh mercy from God.  We are learning now to live without the air conditioner.  I have the blessing of two fans that Jeff bought after we arrived.  THAT is huge to me here.

I look at many things differently.  The dust that is gathering at the base of this Sculptors stone will soon be blown away again, and He will look to see what else needs adjusting.  Hammer will continue to strike and I can count on sitting in this spot, under His chisel until He feels it’s time.  I’m done.  I’m ready.  Then, I’ll go Home.  Not to an earthly home, but to my heavenly home.  All the while the chiseling and hammering is happening, work is being done, through me and on me.  He will use me however HE sees fit….just as He will YOU when you say “yes, LORD, I’m willing”.

In the meantime friends, please pardon the dust.  He’s still working on me.

 

[We are very grateful for a new supporter this week!  If you are interested in becoming a prayer partner or a monthly supporter–or BOTH, please feel free to visit our agwm site, www.tinyurl.com/sendjeffandangie]

© Angie Knight 2017.  All rights reserved.  All Photography © Angie Knight unless otherwise noted.

 

8 Comments | posted in Adversity, breast cancer, faith, Life Issues, Ministry, Missions, News Letter, Trust

October 3, 2012

Buckle Your Seat-belt–or Get out of the car now

By Angie Knight

I had the hardest time thinking up a title for this post.  Mostly because I’m mad.

Not at you…but at the devil who is so infiltrating everything we do–

When did we start thinking that transvestism was a “good” thing?  A thing to laugh about?

Hilarious?  Not hardly.

Harmless?

Are you kidding me?

“Oh, Sis. Angie, they are just goofing around”…you may say…

Right.  But what about those that the enemy already has a hook in their jaw about their identity?  What does this activity do for them?  It excites them I’m guessing…makes them even think, “hey, this is fun—this is okay”.

I’ve seen it splashed on facebook today–just heard about it last night–until I am SICK to my stomach.  Sorry.  I know you didn’t sign up to read this today…  GOD’S Heart is so grieved by this…

This is where it starts…and it’s not harmless.

I’m sick to death of what I see the enemy doing in the lives of those I CARE about.  I’ve witnessed it for years–All the way back to when I was a teenager–and it is painful to watch people, young and old alike–succumb to the wares the devil is selling.

Today it may have a new look.  Designed to tempt the age–but it is still the same sin–and it is still UGLY.  And it is still LIFE changing…in a bad way.

I’ve probably stepped out on a limb here and some of you may take your name off the subscription list…I may even lose my place in writing for Internet Cafe`, Laced with Grace and StreetTalk…but I cannot sit idly by and watch the generation we are trying SO DESPERATELY hard to sow seeds of LIFE into –go down the drain…never to surface again…

I cried at lunch today at the realization that we have a job to do as Christians and it is getting harder to do–because even the enemy knows time is running OUT

…and that is

LIVE IT.

TELL IT.

SHOW IT.

KNOW IT.

BE DIFFERENT?  YES!  But in the way that draws others to want THE CHRIST that YOU are living for…not “WONDER” what  is going on –who and WHAT you are or are living for….

My heart is sad and heavy.  The end is so near…

I had a dream the 23rd of September, I have shared with few close friends–and feel such an urgency to pray as never before for what GOD has for us to DO…in the last days.

Well, you know where I stand.  And my feet are in concrete.  I won’t laugh with you or at you–my face is hidden in prayer.

Missions is my heart–but even with that being said, nothing saddens me more than to see the gifts, talents and blessings that WE as a nation have, and yet we squander–waste, and selfishly live to ourselves…thinking the little things–that “everyone else” considers fun and cute is not harming anyone.

If you are a teenager reading this–realize that there are little, young, impressionable eyes watching every move you make…it won’t be cute to see them walk away from their godly upbringing into a life of sin that carries their soul straight into hell…  Will it?

Pray.  Pray.  Pray.

© Angie Knight- The Knightly News

1 Comment | posted in Adversity, SIN

August 19, 2012

The AWESOMENESS OF GOD

By Angie Knight

At the beginning of August, we embarked on a journey that I knew would change me…(Operation 180º–Bible Consuming–prayer and fasting.)

I sort of had that “feeling”…something BIG was about to take place…

Almost from the onset, the enemy had another change in mind.

His plan–to steal…your dreams…your vision…God’s plan for YOUR life…

Kill…the joy, the hope, the abundance of LIFE that is yours in Christ…

Destroy…all the good that is in our hearts.

WHY?  He wants us to remain passive…

Complacent…

Non-compliant…

If you were here…we just might SHOUT this morning!( or maybe I would–you would be in sort of shock…)

Guess what?

I was a sinner…and now I’m FREE FROM SIN that held my soul captive and had had me hurling fast for hell!!

I WAS heartbroken…and now I’m JOY FILLED!!

I WAS sick (just last night!) BUT sometime during the night…after I whispered...JUST WHISPERED the name of Jesus…“JESUS”…I fell asleep–and WOKE UP HEALED!

Yesterday was filled with the same shadow that had followed me around for days…depression was creeping up behind me…trying to take me on the sly.

Guess what happens when we consume THE Word everyday…it begins to stick…

It begins to sharpen the edge of the blade…

And when the enemy starts in on YOU–then You will have a weapon that can take OUT the enemy of your life!

Are the troubles of your life going to disappear?

Not at all…

but you have a DELIVERER…and He will either walk with you THROUGH the fire…Take you AROUND the fire…or deliver you FROM the fires of life…

Yesterday…the enemy was creeping.  Affecting both the hearts of Jeff and myself…we sat down in the living room and just had a confession party –not a pity party…but confession…Not giving the enemy any stars…but just letting each other know where we were battling…

The battle had been severe…HOT even at times.  It turns out–WE WERE FIGHTING THE SOME OF THE SAME ISSUES.

Well–when it was spoken out–the covers yanked BACK–I began to see what the scheme of the enemy was!  His stinking,corrupt words?  I’m coming to that…

The enemy whispers the same thing to each and every believer…perhaps at different times…but I guarantee that everyone who names the Name of Jesus Christ has encountered the hot–stinky–nauseating breath of the enemy in their nostrils–and the distorted, raspy voice in their ears…OH–I need to let you in on a secret…MANY times the enemy will use YOUR OWN VOICE in your head!!!

Quit.

Leave.

It’s too hard.

Go back to a time in life when things were less stressful.

Take the easy road…everyone else is... (Bro. Shane Martin preached about that easy road last week…it is FILLED with people who ALL BOUGHT THE SAME LINE OF BULL.)

I have to REMIND myself from time to time–especially when it all starts crashing down…about the awesomeness of God…

THE AWESOMENESS OF GOD…

I’ve shared this video on facebook–but I want to share it here…if you’ve heard it before–you can probably sing it with them…it will do you GOOD! SING IT LOUD!  THE ENEMY NEEDS TO HEAR IT FROM YOUR MOUTH!!! FROM YOUR HEART!!!  SING IT AND MEAN IT!!!  (I’m not done yet)….don’t click on it yet….


News flash for all those who are “non-compliant” from the church pew…Oh, wait…”who”?  Are  you seriously talking to ME? Uhm…YES!

When things aren’t going your way… you sit down.

You sit down spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and PHYSICALLY.  (REAL physical issues are different…the heart continues to worship and praise–with ABUNDANCE of JOY.)

I thought this morning–as I was waking up–around 4ish…“I’m BETTER.  I’m not SICK!”…I began to marvel at the peaceful rest my Savior gave me…and I began to praise Him!

Every day you are given a CHANCE to celebrate a MIRACLE…and you sit with arms neatly folded (yes sir, I’m talking to YOU)…and you pass up that chance!

What miracle?

Did YOU WAKE?  Could you HEAR?  COULD YOU SEE?…I don’t need go on with this, Jeff already did this one years ago–the point is YOU MISSED A CHANCE TO PRAISE HIM!!!

I’m telling you a truth–there will come a day–perhaps today…maybe even during our Sunday Morning Worship Service…The CALL will sound…

Not for the first of several loads…but THE LOAD…We will be LIFE FLIGHTED out of here!  And no amount of JUMPING…or CLIMBING…or even begging and pleading at that point will cause your feet to leave the ground….

You better (I’m being bossy) start praising HIM NOW.  HE IS AN AWESOME GOD!!!

Look around YOU!  Don’t look at what you don’t have…PRAISE HIM for what you DO HAVE!!!

Now…you can listen to the song…NOTHING compares to the awesomeness of God.

As Jeff and I drove to a gathering the other night–after our “mulling” around in our pity place–we began to SEE and FEEL the awesomeness of God in our lives…our hearts…and we were HELPED!

Psalm 121:1-8;

I found this one as I was typing this morning…I had left my Bible laying open on the bar here in the kitchen…ready for my  eyes and heart to be revived….

Psalm 3:3-6  “But YOU, O LORD, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the ONE who HOLDS MY HEAD HIGH.  I cried out to the LORD, and HE answered me from HIS holy mountain.  I lay down and slept, yet woke up in safety, for the LORD was watching over me.  I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround me on every side”.  (NLT–emphasis mine)

RECOGNIZE WHO God is in your life…SHOUT IT!  Glorify GOD!  HE IS AN AWESOME GOD!!!

© Angie Knight- The Knightly News

3 Comments | posted in Adversity, Devotion, faith

July 17, 2012

Foggy Faith

By Angie Knight

A few years ago, I wrote a devotion for Internet Cafe` called “Faith in the Fog”…it may be worth a re-visit if you have time (click on the link)…here are some new thoughts on that–which came to me after a drive to Tallahassee…and reading a post by my dear friend Marsha Harwood on Facebook…and like Marsha, I will borrow from a writing of Corrie Ten Boom.

“When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off.  You sit still and trust the engineer.”

I’ve been in the dark before…when you don’t know where you are–it can be pretty scary. 

And sometimes, even when you are very familiar with your surroundings…it can still be a bit discomforting.  However, there are those “real life” instances when the snuffing out of the lights happens so suddenly, we are taken completely by surprise.

This past Saturday I was driving on the interstate with a favorite passenger of mine.  We were talking about what God is doing in our lives and in the churches in our area–and all of a sudden–from out of nowhere, we were engulfed in a fog so thick everyone hit their brakes.

This particular fog looked like a dense cloud of smoke that had settled on the highway.  It completely covered the two lanes we were on–but not the opposite side of the road.  Afraid that perhaps someone had a wreck and the smoke was the result–my guts clinched in a knot. 

We both stopped talking. 

Time for concentration…and we prayed.

As we entered the great expanse of darkness–I was amazed at the fact there was no smell of smoke…I decided then–it was “fog”.  The thickest–[way past the pea-soup stage]–fog I had ever encountered.  It caused me to suck in air–as if that alone would help me get through the murky road.

As we went along, the semi-truck in front of me seemed to lurch to one side suddenly as I noticed he avoided a car that was trying to pull back onto the highway.  (That one was a NUT.)

Let me tell you what I discovered just by watching the actions of other drivers on the road that day….

  1. Fog happens.  It can happen to anyone–at anytime.  A good day or a bad day.  It can happen early–or late;
  2. Do not leave the roadway.  You will cause much confusion to those coming along behind you if they see you pull off the road.  They may even think YOU are the cause of the fog;
  3. You will have to slow down…but don’t stop.  Once inside the fog, it’s a bit easier to navigate if you don’t stop suddenly.  Stopping suddenly will definitely cause a wreck.  If not a wreck…a severe tongue lashing that you won’t be able to actually hear–but will FEEL;
  4. When inside the fog–keep your lights on.  It’s just one of those things I like to do even on a sunny day–I drive with my lights on.  Let the LIGHT shine is what I say;
  5. Remain steady–and focused.  Talking to anyone other than God–is completely out of the question;
  6. Remember, it won’t last forever–and there are things to learn while in the fog.  No, you didn’t make the fog…but remember Who did…and the fact that as long as you keep HIM as your Navigator and Guide–you will come out on the other side…just keep going on.

You may be thinking…this is not a “devotional” post here, Angie.  But–I beg to differ. 

Re-read.   Turn that interstate highway into your walk with God.   Perhaps you have just stepped out in faith–or maybe, you stepped out awhile back…and there have been more foggy days than sunshiny ones…and maybe you have grown a bit discouraged by what you’ve not seen–even though you are seeking…and expecting…and yes, even believing!  (Been there.)
 
Can I tell you that just because we don’t see the “results” we may have expected…and just because things have become dark at times…that is no reason to stop.  No reason to pull off the road until things clear up a bit. 

Friend, there have been some “doozy days” in my own life in the past 4 years…but I wouldn’t trade a second foggy second–for the clearest-brightest day. 

In the fog, Jesus taught me how to trust.  How to lean on HIM and not my own understanding.

In the fog, Jesus taught me how to “see”k Him first–and continually.

In the fog–He showed me His power–HIS strength would become mine–because in the fog–at times I was weak.

Can I encourage you today?  If you were here–or I were there–I’d hug you and tell you very clear–our God is bigger than the fog is thick.  Don’t hang back.  Keep doing the things He has placed in your heart to do…you already know what they are–and you are sitting there right now thinking, “but I can’t”.

But HE CAN.  (And He will–through YOU!)

And hey, as long as I’m handing out advice here–I learned it’s okay for the tense knots to build in your belly…it reminds us that we are NOT in control of a single second of our day…God is.  And as long as He is…then you can relax in HIS arms.  Sometimes though, He sends the foggy reminders just to let us know “He’s got this”…

© Angie Knight- The Knightly News

2 Comments | posted in Adversity, faith, Hope

March 23, 2012

Complacent?

By Angie Knight

100_4786That’s a word that’s been on my lips a few times today…especially in thinking of how some are towards growth…seeking God for more…and especially in living outside of the walls we’ve secured around our lives.  Complacent.

I was one.  With a capital “C”.  It makes me nauseated now to think of how I was—and would still be had God not gotten my attention with life…

You know…life.  The daily stuff that happens and then all of a sudden, life smacks you in the head with a brutal sharpness that causes your eyes to sting. 

God will deal with complacent…and I personally believe it nauseates Him.100_4805

What do you do with this disease?  Is it treatable?

I say, “yes”.  But it takes some knee work.  As in getting down on them and seeking God—asking for forgiveness for the hardness of our hearts and the blindness of our eyes to the plight of others.

I’ve witnessed complacency.  It sits comfortably on church pews all across our nation.  It has soft knees and not so soft hearts.  I’ve seen complacency fill a pulpit…from real life—to televangelist.  Those seeking that dollar bill…or mega-dollar bills.  Nauseating.

The day we went to the temples in Cambodia, I struggled inside with what I witnessed.  People kneeling before a lie…seeking to please a lie.  Walking miles in the heat for a lie…tears formed in my eyes as I watched one young woman, possibly early 20’s kneel down and offer something to the dead stone.

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But think for just a minute what we are doing every single day.  We offer up hours of our lives to dead stone.  Maybe it’s not stone, but it’s dead nonetheless.  It not only steals your time…but it steals your family.   It steals your future…and if I may be so bold to say (I may as well be bold—I told God I’d type what He dictated),  I believe it will steal your eternity in heaven…and hand deliver you one to hell.  Ouch.  That hurt.

Where are you sowing seeds of life?   In your church?  In your neighborhood?  Community?

Or in dead stone.

I’ve spent all the time I intend to with dead stone…I determined a few years ago, that God would have my full attention.  If He chose to rearrange my whole life—He could.  If He chooses now to send me across the “pond”…I’m His to send.

Truthfully, I am dealing with things since my return.  The first trip to Honduras brought things into focus…now, the lens of my camera has been cleaned again.  Bolivia brought insight and clarity.  Cambodia brings urgency.  An urgency that cannot be ignored.

When I came home from Honduras…God really began to deal with me about how I spent my time and money.  I worked on it…with His guidance and help.  I told a dear pastor friend today, Bolivia was different.  Maybe it was because Jeff and I were there together—but there was a feeling of dog-tired-joy.  Joy like I’ve never experienced.  Peace. 

100_4772Tonight—as I sit here—reliving moments of the past 3 years, I am praying for more insight into His plan.  I will change-rearrange-do what needs to be done to fall in line behind Him.  Following Him has been my “sign-off” on my blog for many years, then, I changed it to “Giving Him All”.  When I give Him my ALL, I am following Him…and I don’t intend to stop.

I can promise you I won’t be a favorite.  It happens when I leave and see God somewhere where the people are hungry for Him and then come home to where the complacent out-number the hungry…even in our own church.  My mouth sometimes gets in gear and I can’t stop it…so—if you are one of the complacent…you might want to avoid me for a while.

If you are not sold out completely—willing to give it all up for Him—then I’m afraid you are like the girl in the picture.  Standing before the dead stone.  You may not be bowing down…but you are there…stuck inside the rocky walls of life…and life has a tendency of crashing down…100_4798

Might I add—a crash helmet won’t help…

Only the helmet of salvation will.

Ephesians 6:10-18 NLT

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.  Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.   In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.  Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Amen.

 

© Angie Knight-The Knightly News 2012.  All rights reserved.

Leave a comment | posted in Adversity, Cambodia, Life

November 27, 2010

Surrounded?

By Angie Knight

2010-11-23 Thanksgiving week-boys 2010 020

Have you ever had that feeling of panic that hits you when it seems nothing is going right?  When the noise level in your space elevates to such a decibel that your heart begins to pound and the temperature in your body rises and you begin to sweat…

Surrounded. 

By noise. By clutter, space, time constraints, people, winding up in exhaustion.

By chaos is what the enemy of your soul wants you to think.  How do I know?

Walk with me.  That is exactly what I’ve felt for the past few weeks.  The noise level had nothing to do with the grandkids being here.  The noise level was coming from everywhere and no where at the same time. 

Guess what I have found.  We are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses.  Peering over the portals, if you will allow me to paraphrase into my ideas of what it means. 

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  Hebrews 12:1-2 KJV

Friend, today I held my Bible to look up something to share with my mother,  and the very feeling of peace that seemed to wash over my soul was amazing.  Just for my eyes to gaze upon the Word surprised my tired heart.

That’s what an encounter with Jesus will do every time.  Instead of trudging through the day without Him—why not give the day to Him?  For me, it’s the only way I can have true soul peace.  True heart peace.  Pure peace of mind.

That great cloud of witnesses are standing at a point seeing what we do not see.  The nearness of the end.  No, they don’t know the “day and hour” the Son of Man comes, for know one knows that—but I believe they can turn and see the table being readied.  They can see the chairs being lined up just so.  They can see Gabriel adding the last polish to the trumpet.  They can see far more than we can.  I also believe they are cheering us on.

“Don’t give up brother!  Take heart sister!  Though the trials you have suffered have been hard, there is such a joy set aside just for you ahead! Keep the faith!  Lay aside all that would hinder you—whether it would be relationships, objects, or ideas of what you’ve heard that is contrary to God’s Word.  Let nothing hinder you.  Let nothing get in your way to your heavenly home—let nothing stand between you and doing what God would have you do.  Keep your focus on HIM.

He focused on YOU and ME as He endured the cross.  He knew that without His fulfilling what He came to do—we would be eternally lost.  His focus was on us—so our focus could be Him.

You are surrounded.  Pull up the blanket of peace.  Tuck it in secure.  Shout out His Words! Claim them as your own!  (That’s what we have the Word for!)  Find your Victory Statement this weekend—and pursue peace and joy with all your might!

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4 Comments | posted in Adversity, Hormones, Weekend Reflections

June 5, 2010

Adversity and Destiny

By Angie Knight
To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. Revelation 2:7 (NIV)

Have you been side swiped by adversity? I don’t mean in a car. I mean in your heart—your life. Something that has stumped your toe–tripped you up.

A storm in your life that may have caused you to run for cover. Only maybe you didn’t run for the right Cover.

Think about it for a minute.

What about Job? You know, Job in the Bible. The one who had it all and lost it all… but by the mercy and grace of God, had it all and then some—again!

And what about Joseph. Sold by his brothers into slavery. They thought they’d never see him again. Little did they know—Joseph had a destiny–and God used the adversity in Joseph’s life to usher in the destiny– for the well being of his family.

Okay, those are some men, what about Naomi? She lost her husband and her sons. What did she have? Adversity with a capital “A”. But she also had a daughter-in-law that vowed to never leave her side. And God had a plan.

Okay, if those aren’t enough, think about Esther.  She lost her mom and dad—maybe at the same time, maybe close together—the point is—she lost them both. And being raised by her uncle…well, I call that some adversity. But she also had a destiny. Designed by the Master Designer Himself!

We can go on and on here!

Have you ever considered that the very adversity surrounding you— may be shaping your life for your destiny? Or, consider that it could be shaping someone else’s destiny.

I know. It’s hard to imagine that losing a job would play any part at all into shaping up your destiny. But I remember a time when Jeff lost his job. Many years ago when our daughters were very young, Jeff was “let go”.

Sound familiar? Well, let’s just say he had principles and the boss did not. He wanted Jeff to lie –deceive a fellow employee. He wanted Jeff to do some “dirty work” for him. And Jeff refused. In a nice way of course. But…that ended that.

It also ended our income.

I remember distinctly going into the closet in April’s room. She was the baby—and had the most space in her closet. I didn’t need much space—for I only stood and pounded the wall —and asked God “why”?

“Why now Lord? Don’t you see? We’ll have no food! What if we get sick? We won’t be able to pay our bills!”

We were Christians. We believed God “could” meet the needs…we just never had to “depend” solely on Him for them. Little did we know that God had a plan.

Looking back at that time, I can’t really tell you what we did next–besides pray. I know we prayed. God not only supplied one job, but He supplied two. Two part-time jobs and then soon, very soon, a full time job opened up and Jeff walked in.

As Jeff settled into the new job, he made some friends. One friend, a young black man, was very nice to Jeff and they began to talk daily about the difference in Jeff’s life over some of the others that were there. It was not long before Jeff was leading this young man into the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ!

Not many months after that, we attended our first A.M.E. Church service as that very same young man preached his first sermon! How glad we were to be a part of that day!

Through our adversity, God brought about this man’s destiny.

Care to give God what’s troubling you?

I assure you He can handle the adversity going on in your life right now. Rest in His care. He’s assembling all the pieces into your destiny.

And might I say….what a picture it makes!

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 (Don’t forget about the RETREAT!
Read about it at Sisters of Faith!)

© The Knightly News 2007-2010

Previously posted at:


4 Comments | posted in Adversity

April 27, 2009

Adversity and Destiny

By Angie Knight

To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. Revelation 2:7 (NIV)

Have you been side swiped by adversity? I don’t mean in a car. I mean in your heart—your life. Something that has stumped your toe–tripped you up.

A storm in your life that may have caused you to run for cover. Only maybe you didn’t run for the right Cover.

For the rest of this devotion, head over to the Cafe`— on Tuesday morning—bright and early! Where the coffee is hot—the seats are comfy, and the company is sweet! I hope to see you there!

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© The Knightly News 2009. All rights reserved.

7 Comments | posted in Adversity, faith, Life