Beth Moore Living Proof Live

An Important Message from Beth Moore from LWEvents on Vimeo.

The Color Green

If you have ever gone on a foreign mission trip you will undoubtly know that there is usually one very large barrier…Language.

As I began to prepare for this trip we were given a list of phrases that would help with our presentation. Five phrases, one in Arabic and four in French was the basis of our communication with our target people group.
These phrases were: (in English)
Peace be to you
This is a new testament
This is a gift
It is free
Have a safe trip

The longer we stayed the more we would pick up a few more phrases but our original five were used very often. So often I would wake up saying them, go to bed saying them, even saying them in my dreams. To this day, the phrases will jump into my mind. The funny thing is you can’t say just one, they always demand you go through all five at the same time. Maybe it is just me but I get tickled when they appear in my thoughts at the most random times.

Anyway, you can see that our French and Arabic was VERY limited to say the least. The neatest thing was to step out on faith, approach someone, let the phrases roll off our tongue (ok maybe that was stutter off our tongue) and watch God do the rest. It totally amazed me when God would take our bumbling of the language and still open the door for people to receive the packets we were giving.

There were times, however, that something more than those five phrases were needed to break down the barriers. I’ll share with you how God used the color green to open a door.

As I had shared earlier my mother was on this trip with me. One morning she was at the walk on gate (this is where people boarding the ferry would have to carry all their luggage for a while without the use of cars).
As she was offering the packet to those walking up she noticed an older lady dressed in a burqa laboring with her belongings in the distance. My mother shared with her partner at the gate that she was going to start praying that by the time this lady got to the gate she would be prepared to receive a packet.
As the lady drew near, my mother’s partner told my mother that she would approach every one else and my mother’s attention should be directed only to that lady.

My mother walked towards the lady and begins with the five phrases that we had studied but to her dismay the lady refused and kept pressing onward to the ferry. A little discouraged but still feeling she was to continue to offer the packet to this lady. She quickly realized that the five phrases were not enough and she began to seek God’s help. Then she realized that the lady’s burqa was the exact shade of green as the shirt she was wearing. As my mother walked beside the lady she pointed to the burqa and then to her shirt. The lady realized that they were both the same in color and looked my mother in the eyes. At this time, my mother again used the phrases and the lady graciously accepted the packet.

We learned that day that words are not the only thing that God uses to get His Word into the hands of others. It can be many things even a color that He will use to open doors. I encourage you to seek God to show you how to reach those that are rejecting Him.

His,

Cynthia

Playing in Traffic

If you haven’t read the prior post I would like to invite you to do so before continuing. If time doesn’t allow please scroll down to the definition of successful witnessing.

All my life I remember hearing someone tell me, “Stay out of the traffic” or “Don’t play in the street”. As a mother I have stressed these same points to my children over time BUT on the first training day we heard just the opposite.

As we sat in that room listening to the speaker we hear these words come from his mouth, “We WANT you to go play in the traffic!” As we giggled and joked, his face showed that he wasn’t joking. He really did want us to take the initiative and step out into traffic. That was enough to send anyone back to their room to hid under the pillow especially after the cab ride we had from the airport.

The next morning as we met our team and headed to the port the thought of playing in the traffic was a little unnerving. As we approached the gate, cars were well into the process of proceeding through to board. Some were slowly maneuvering the fully loaded cars (a sight in itself to see) past the authorities and others were zipping right on by. Most of the time it wasn’t one car at a time but rather two wide and very much with an agenda.

Our crew leader led us to the small concrete island at the port entrance. She showed us where our materials were, placed a packet in our hands, turned with a smile and said, “Let’s do it”. Oh how this girl from the south wanted to do what she has done best over the course of her life…step to the farthest point of action, fade into the background and hope no one sees her. But God…God would see. God didn’t allow me to travel this far to hide. God called me to this port. God set these materials in place for a people to freely receive.

I started quickly reviewing my 5 phrases and praying for God to empower me to do this task. Just then a thought ran across my thoughts. My husband has always had a quick little phrase that he spouts when someone steps into the line of traffic, “Go ahead, step out there and meet Jesus”. With that thought it hit me what I was doing, (taking the initiative alert here) I was to go ahead, step out there so someone else could meet Jesus. Once that was settled in my own mind, I quickly felt the need to get these materials into the hands of those passing through.

As the days passed, I found myself excited to go to this gate. Although the other two gates were much slower paced and less likely to have my toes smashed by a tire, I found an excitement at the car gate. I witness God soften the hearts of some passing through, I watched in amazement as God took my jumbled phrases and spoke to the people and they accepted a packet. All the things I saw and experienced was because through God He asked us to take the initiative to share Christ's love through the power of the Holy Spirit and leave the results to Him!

Are you ready to play in traffic? Ok don’t literally go into the streets and step out into an intersection. But are you ready to play in the traffic of life and step out there so someone else can meet Jesus? I would love to hear how you are "playing in traffic".

His,

Cynthia

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord!

It is beyond a shadow of a doubt that I had my eyes opened this summer.
I just don’t know where to begin to relate to you just what an incredible mission trip I participated in.
After much thought I think I will do a series of entries so that I will not overload you or begin to ramble.

This trip in and of itself was a treat to me. You see for years I have answered the question, “If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?” with the same response…The Mediterranean Sea. I never had a specific place just wanted it to be on THAT Sea. Little did I know that God had a plan to delight me with a trip there and combine it with doing His work. Many places in the Bible tells us that God delights in us and even gives us the desires of our hearts but this…this took my breath away.

I traveled with a group of 13 other ladies from all across Arkansas (one being my mother) to France.
Our main agenda for the trip was to distribute Bibles to North African Muslims that lived is France but traveled by ferry to their homelands. Please don’t get the impression that this was an easy task because of its location. It was long and sometimes very early days, lots of walking and a good amount of rejection…BUT well worth every minute!

Let me lay a little groundwork.

Here’s an interesting fact: Within the world population, 1 in every 10 is a Muslim women.
That fact set me back a little. I kept asking “within what population?” and kept getting the same reply…world. Being from the south, that one was hard to grasp. If you live in this region you will understand why…my goodness we live in the “Bible belt”.

Another interesting fact: While it is not illegal to own a Bible in Northern Africa it IS illegal to give them out. There are stiff penalties for such offenses so that is why the distribution is in European countries.

My eyes were quickly opened to the oppression and deception that these people are under. Even though so many were rejecting our packet, you could still see the hunger in many eyes for the truth. There was a desire of some to take the packet when someone with authority would demand that they not. Some of these stories I will share soon.

For our first days we underwent some very beneficial training. The one thing that stuck with me the most was a definition of successful witnessing. That definition is:

Successful witnessing is taking the initiative to share Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God.

That was exacting what was called upon us to do daily. Over the next few post I will share with you how that definition became something we took as our own. How we learned to take the initiative and how we had to completely surrender the results to God. You will be amazed at how we were called out of our comfort zones to get God’s word in the hands of others.

For now I will leave you with this to intrigue you and not get too lengthy. One of the best things about a mission trip is what you bring home. I traveled many miles away to learn something that I know that I need to learn to apply to my life here at home. While it is easy to take the initiative on foreign soils, it needs just as much to be done here at home. Would you join me as I lean on the true meaning of successful witnessing?

Please pray:
- that those that did accept the packet will read the true Word of God and accept His give of salvation.
- That those that wanted a packet will find one and begin to read.
- That many packets will be distributed by the other groups that are taking part in this project.

Looking forward to sharing more soon!

Cynthia

Long time

I know, I know it has been a long time since I have posted on here.

I ask that you please forgive me.

God has taken me on an incredible journey and frankly, I haven't physically recovered from it. I hope to post something about the most eye opening mission trip that I have ever been on soon. Please visit back soon to hear about my adventure.

For now, I leave you with...Our God is incredible to serve.

Talk to you soon!

Cynthia

Mad Gab

Lately my life has been marked with sadness.
A struggle in my personal life has resulted in forced smiles and down cast eyes.
At the beginning of this season I would cry out to God...sometimes in sadness...sometimes in anger...sometimes in confusion. It seemed however I didn't hear God answer...not even a still small voice.

At times I would begin thinking that God was not wanting to talk to me and would ask friends how God was working in their lives. Each and every time, a friend would reply with how they were experiencing God. I had mixed emotions. One celebrating that God was working among them in such a great way and the other a deeper sadness that I wasn't seeing Him work among my life.

Sadly my prayers began to slowly be withheld. If God is chosing not to work in my life then I will chose to cease conversing with Him. (side note...Not recommended)
As the situation did not change, I found myself missing God. I didn't know how to begin praying. The situation that had brought the sadness didn't show signs of change so how was I to pray in a believing fashion? All I knew was to open God's Word. The pages in my Bible fell open to Psalms 143 and I begin to read.

"Come quickly Lord, and answer me, for my deprssions deepens.
Don't turn away from me, or I will die.
Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you.
Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you."

This was just what I needed. God was speaking to me through the words of David.
I felt a spark of hope that God had not forsaken me.

Last night I really struggled with going to church. I was really wanting to go, unlock the doors, then retreat to my car until time to lock the doors back. Thankfully someone saw me and I was committed to stay.

Our pastors wife had graciously offered to lead the class for me and when she saw me she laughed because she had been caught. She was not expecting my attendance and decided to teach through a game. Her thoughts were, "If kids can learn through a game so can the women."

Honestly, my heart sunk. A game? How would God show Himself to me through a silly game? But you know what? He did!

We joined in a fun and lively game of Bible Mad Gab. We laughed as we heard the other team saying the phrase but not realizing it. We joked about how they were getting so close but yet so far. We research where the phrase was in the scriptures.
We enjoyed a great fellowship during a mid-week gathering that was simply refreshing.

To me that was just what the Great Physican ordered. I needed to know that although my sad situation was not letting up miraculously, God was still providing. He was being my sustainer, my all in all.

I can now read and attach myself to Psalm 143:11 "For the glory of your name, O LORD, preserve my life. Because of your faithfulness, bring me out of this distress."

He is faithful...may I be found faithful as well.

His,

Cynthia

God's Chisel

You ARE a masterpiece!

Cynthia