MissionAccess

Category: Church

  • A Diamond’s Best Friend

    Image Source: goo.gl/R0fKap

    Greetings & Blessings Faithful Followers of Team MissionAccess!  Ponder with me this month the concept of Legacy.  How shall we honor not just the Milestones on our Christian journey but more significantly the Process we go through to prayerfully become transformed into the image of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ?

    So let’s talk Diamonds, shall we?

    I’m not talking literal diamonds though they certainly are precious. I believe our Lord is interested in creating diamonds of a far greater value.  In fact I never cease to be amazed by how Our Awesome Lord allows suffering to produce Spiritual Diamonds out of us.

    Our Scripture passage focuses not so much on the Product but on Process:

    Psalms 66:10-22 NASB

    “For You have tried us, O God;

    You have refined us as silver is refined.

    11 You brought us into the net;

    You laid an oppressive burden upon our loins.

    12 You made men ride over our heads;

    We went through fire and through water,

    Yet You brought us out into a place of abundance.”

     Question:  Who is “You”?  And what is He doing?  More importantly who is *NOT* doing it? 

     Ah!  But Look closely:  WHY is He doing it?

    Oh Precious Peeps!  (Insert Heavy Sigh Here)  So much of our focus remains fixed on the “What” we’re going through.  And rightfully so because we are urged to “Pray Without Ceasing” (1 Thess 5:17 NASB) for others as well as ourselves.  But the Power lies not in the What but in the “WHY”:  “YET You brought us into a place of abundance!”  Amen & Hallelujah!

    Speaking of Diamond’s Best Friend…it’s God!  So why not get to know Him better?  Here’s a suggestion:  try simply spending more time with Him focused on the Why with a Daily Devotional.  Joni Eareckson Tada’s powerful classic Study entitled “Diamonds In The Dust” I Highly Recommend!

    In His Accessible Grace,

     

    Linda

     

  • Fresh Blessings

    Image Source: iStockphoto.com
    Image Source: iStockphoto.com

    Greetings & Blessings Faithful Followers of Team MissionAccess! As we boldly step out on faith in 2017 I simply wish to encourage you to anticipate Fresh Blessings as we press forward towards the Goal in the newly-minted Year ahead.

    Let’s revisit the beloved story of the “Fishes-n-Loves” in Matthew 18–but do it through fresh eyes, shall we?   

    OK lemme set this up:  Jesus is now in full Ministry Mode and wows the crowds when He performs miracle after miracle including feeding 5000 Fans without the help of Ubereats (in fact with just two fish and five loaves of barley bread).  By the time we arrive at this passage His Disciples have “been there done that,” and should be anticipating a miracle, right? 

    But look what they say:

    “And the disciples came to the other side of the sea, but they had forgotten to bring any bread. 6 And Jesus said to them, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”  7 They began to discuss this among themselves, saying, “He said that because we did not bring any bread.” 8 But Jesus, aware of this, said, “You men of little faith, why do you discuss among yourselves that you have no bread?  9 “Do you not yet understand or remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets full you picked up?  10 “Or the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many large baskets full you picked up?  11 “How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?” Matt 16:5-12 NASU

    Bottom Line is this Peeps:  Fear Not!  If He did it before He can do it again.  Regardless of what you are going through He’s got Fresh Blessings exceeding abundantly.  Plus Doggie Bags O’ Blessings to take home.  Though your challenges of yesteryear may creep unwelcome into the New Year, His Mercies already beat them over the threshold.  

    May Fresh Blessings abound for You and Your Fam in 2017 & beyond!

    In His Accessible Grace,

     

    Linda

  • Pure Joy!

    Feelin' The Joy in 2017!
    Feelin’ The Joy in 2017!

    Greetings & Blessings Faithful Followers of Team Mission Access!  While we breathe a huge sigh of relief that our collective Christmas craziness is winding down and set our hearts on a hopefully Happy New Year ahead, let’s consider something that may have may have gone MIA this season:  JOY.

    So let’s unwrap Joy, shall we?  James 1:2-4 NASU says:

    “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

    The Key Verse in that passage is:  Consider It All Joy.  The NIV says we are to Consider it PURE joy.  Each of those words is a Bible Study in itself!  But’s Go For The JOY.

    Doing just a simple concordance search reveals a Whole Lotta Joy in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament books of Psalms and Isaiah.  But it is only in the New Testament that a more excellent Joy is revealed:

    John 15:11 NASU

    “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

    Wow!  Check it out!  God through His mind-blowing Gift of His Son & Our Savior Jesus Christ gives us full access to His uniquely personal Joy that Lives 24/7 IN All who Believe.

    Now THAT’S a Happy New Year!

    In His Accessible Grace,

     

    Linda

    Image Source:  Shea Fam Archive

  • Think For A Change

    bbt-images-103016-think-4-a-change

    Greetings & Blessings Faithful Followers of Team Mission Access!  With less than two weeks left before we elect our next President I urge you—nay I beseech you–to Think For A Change.

    Recently I read a fascinating book entitled “The Art of Thinking Clearly” by Rolf Dobelli which digs deeper into some of the cognitive cliffs we leap from so willingly to our peril and why.  But there is a way cooler Bestseller that offers a preemptive plethora of wisdom about how best to employ those glorious minds that we’ve been entrusted with to Think.

     I’m sure you’ve heard about it:  we know it as simply The Bible.

     Of the Top 7 Bible Verses About The Mind due to limited time, space and attention spans I choose to focus on this gem from Luke:

     Luke 10:27 “And he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.’”

     The other verses reinforce quite clearly that our minds are always on His mind, as ours should be on His.  In fact as Christians Our Minds and His Mind should be one and the same.

     So before you head to the polls to vote, check out what each candidate represents.  Read both the Republican Platform as well as the Democratic Platform.

     ***DISCLAIMER!!!***:  I AM NOT ENDORSING A CANDIDATE NOR A PARTY!

     My deepest desire and most hopeful prayer is simply that you Think–& VOTE–For A Change:  for You and Your Family, our Nation and Our Future.

    In His Accessible Grace,

     

    Linda

    Image Source:  goo.gl/LNwD1L

     

  • Meet Dieula Previlon!

    bbt-images-091816-dieula-119Greetings & Blessings Faithful Followers of MissionAcess Inc.!  I am honored to shine a well-deserved spotlight on my Good Friend & former DTS classmate Dieula Previlon.  Wife, Mom and Evangelist, Dieula heads ElevateHer–an amazing ministry on a Mission To Empower The People of God to Heal, Find Purpose and Hope Through Jesus Christ.

    Born in Haiti, Dieula immigrated to the US in the late 70s.  After attending Rutgers University she taught Middle School but felt compelled to sojourn to DTS in 2004 to expand her education.   After graduating with her MABC (Masters in Biblical Counseling) in 2007 she served as Missions Pastor & Director at Irving Bible Church.    Later she joined Redeemer Evangelical Covenant Church as Associate Pastor to oversee Local and International Missions.

    In 2008 Dieula boldly pressed forward with her new ministry delightfully named ElevateHer International.  Now Dieula is unleashed to use her God-given talents to truly bless women worldwide:

    • ElevateHer International Ministries’ Vision is to help Women live in spite of past wounds and fear, dream without boundaries, and joyfully embrace all of life for the glory of God.

    Listen to her Bless Us with Her Message at Bartimaeus Baptist Temple!

    What a powerful message to all People & Families Affected by Disability!  But especially to women who either personally or as caregivers often bear a heavier burden of disability.  What Joy to break free in order to become everything Our Awesome God created us to be.  

    Thank You Dieula for your tireless efforts on our behalf! May God Elevate Your Ministry Worldwide!

    In His Accessible Grace,

     

    Linda

  • Are We There Yet?

    SHEA FAM TRIP TO CALI 1969
    SHEA FAM TRIP TO CALI 1969

    Harken back to 1969 with me when our fearless mother Gerry Shea loaded us up onto a westbound train in Cleveland, Ohio to visit Fam now living large in The Promised Land of Cali.  Restauranteurs by trade, they took a chance and bought an unknown franchise named McDonalds which by the time of our visit expanded to four franchises in Bakersfield.  Sitting motionless on the tracks we had yet to budge an inch when my brother Jim brimmed over with anticipation blurting out breathlessly “Are We There Yet?”

    How like my brother I am when it comes to my Christian journey! And with the intense suffering that so many of our Christian Brothers and Sisters are enduring right now, I seek not just Good answers or even Better answers but press forward towards the Best answers that He has to offer.

     

    Let’s try it out on this simple verse:

    GOOD

    Ps 119:50 NASU

    This is my comfort in my affliction,  That Your word has revived me.

    Hey! That’s good!  But let’s dig a little deeper with a Life Application I call “Good—Better—BEST.” Remember The Goal:  we are Hurting & we are pressing forward towards the Best answer possible.  One surefire technique is simply to Seek Out Different Translations of the same verse.  Let’s try the New International Version:

    BETTER

    Ps 119:50 NIV

    My comfort in my suffering is this:  Your promise preserves my life.

    Yes! Better indeed.  But wait!  There’s more!  Check out this version I was unaware of prior to my search:

    BEST

    Ps 119:50 GW GOD’S WORD® Translation This is my comfort in my misery: Your promise gave me a new life.

    Wow! That’s it!  His Word not only revives and preserves me—it gave me New Life!  So the next time you find yourself yet again in the Crucible of Sanctification—Fear Not!  Take great comfort in abiding in His personalized promises meant just for You.  And me.

    In His Accessible Grace,

     

    Linda

     

  • Regifting Grace

    Hands in the mittens holding red heart
    Image Source:  iStockphoto.com

    So any regifters amongst us? Come on, admit it—for better or for worse you have on at least one occasion recycled a gift. Be not ashamed!  In fact according to Regiftable.com “the mission of the superslick site, from Money Management International, is to make regifting less shameful.”(i) Well there is one gift that everyone is free to regift sans shame—and that is the Gift of Grace.

    Grace is “favor or kindness shown without regard to the worth or merit of the one who receives it and in spite of what that same person deserves. Grace is one of the key attributes of God.” (ii) However an even shorter, sweeter definition is simply this:

    GRACE=UNMERITED FAVOR

    THAT’S IT! That says it all in just two words:  I didn’t earn it and I do NOT deserve it.  Now  that’s Grace.  Amazing Grace. 

    You know, we’ve got this whole Christmas thing so totally wrong.  It’s all really focused on STUFF—Giving STUFF; Getting STUFF; & RE-GIFTING STUFF!!!

    But we never stop to think about what God really wants for Christmas. 

    Don’t get me wrong—God LOVES giving gifts! In fact in James 1:17 NIV it says: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.”

    But if we were to ask: here’s what I think He would say:

    Psalm 133 New Living Translation (NLT)

    A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of David.

    1 How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! 2 For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe. 3 Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion.

    Wow. HARMONY.  What a concept.  A Little Peace.  A Little Harmony.  A Little GRACE!  Now THAT would Be AWESOME.  Because the best gift is Harmony!  Last month we talked about The Good Fight—but the BEST Fight is NO Fight.  The BEST Fight Is H-A-R-M-O-N-Y.

    In other words–Hey! It is OK to Regift Grace!  So in the Happy New Year 2016 ahead, let’s Regift The Gift of Grace…Liberally!  Unashamedly.  And Joyously throughout the year. 

    In His Accessible Grace,

     

    Linda 

    (I)  http://www.catalogs.com/info/bestof/top-10-most-regifted-gifts

    (ii)  Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers

                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

  • Unleash Your Warrior Within

    Photo Source: iStockPhoto.com
    Photo Source: iStockPhoto.com

    Today let’s talk fighting.  Not just any fight—but The Good Fight. Paul writes about it in 2 Timothy 4:7 NASU:  “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.”  But let’s dig a little deeper to discover its Context and Culture to unleash its power especially for people and families affected by disability.

    First let’s talk Context.  Deeper study of the Word involves looking at what was happening before, during and after the verse was written.  The Book of 2 Timothy was Apostle Paul’s second and final letter to his beloved protégé Timothy. 

    OK now Get Your Paul On and imagine what it was like:  YOU are on Death Row in a disgusting underground prison cell, chained to a Roman soldier. Escape is NOT an option.  Death is inescapable. 

    And yet YOU are able to write that YOU’VE fought “the Good Fight?” 

    Wow not exactly what most folks would define as success.  But that’s exactly what I’m talking about!

    Now let’s talk Culture:  let’s look at the Word Paul uses here—“AGONIZOMAI.”   

    According to the Blog post “Why Agonizomai?” the root word “agon” described the Cultural contest fought to exhaustion by Spartan males separated at birth in order to forge them into fierce Warriors.  “In the Koine Greek of the New Testament, the derivative word “agonizomai” means ‘to strive, to fight, to labour fervently.” (i)

    And that’s the very Good Fight we are all called to as Christians.

    So what’s Your Good Fight?  Whatever it is, know that if you are a Christian, your fight is not meant to destroy you–it is meant to make you strong!  So unleash Your Warrior within!  Because You My Friend are a Warrior in Training set aside from birth, being prepared for a glorious Crown that awaits:

    2 Tim 4:8 NASU

    In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

    Keep Fighting The Good Fight!  And Keep Letting Your Light Shine!

    Speaking of which:  Here Is your new Battle Cry by Unspoken to keep You fortified for combat:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0M3X3_pFD4

    In His Accessible Grace,

     

    Linda

    (I) http://agonizomai.blogspot.com/2005/08/why-agonizomai.html