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MissionAccess
Celebrating Disability Ministry Worldwide
Well Done!
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Greetings & Blessings Faithful Followers of Team MissionAccess! This month we continue our focus on the concept of Leaving a Legacy with a closer look at the Life & Legacy of Evangelist Billy Graham.
Perhaps one of the most well-known Evangelists of all time, this early You Tube Vid Clip captures a fiery young preacher leading a classic Crusade 60 Years ago in Madison Square Garden. But by that time he’d already been saving souls for a decade!
And during a steamy Summer 1972 Billy Graham Crusade in Cleveland, OH I too heeded The Call to come “Just As I Am” and gave my life to The Lord.
“According to his staff, more than 3.2 million people have responded to the invitation at Billy Graham Crusades to ‘accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior’. As of 2008, Graham’s estimated lifetime audience, including radio and television broadcasts, topped 2.2 billion. Because of his crusades, Graham has preached the gospel to more people in person than anyone in the history of Christianity.”[1]
Suffice to say Billy Graham has been a powerful force for Christianity worldwide. But according to the World Population Clock, there are roughly 7.5 Billion people in the world today. So though God has used Billy Graham in a mighty way there are still more than 2.5X that many people who STILL need to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Hard to believe but Billy Graham turns 99 this year! And while he eagerly anticipates hearing a richly-deserved “Well Done!” it is now up to You…to Me…to US to pick up our Crosses, Share Our Faith and help lead a whole new generation into a Personal Relationship with Our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ.
Be Encouraged By: Billy Graham’s Final Message To America
In His Accessible Grace,
Linda
[1] “Billy Graham” in Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia (Wikipedia Foundation Inc., page was last modified on 21 March 2017, at 03:48.), [encyclopedia on-line], available on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Graham, retrieved 14 March 2017.
Posted in Church, Disability Evangelism, Discipleship, Mission Accessible Inc.
A Diamond’s Best Friend
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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
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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!
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
Camp Out!
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Greetings & Blessings Faithful Followers of Team Mission Access! Well we made it through perhaps the most contentious election in America’s history. Though we have a “winner,” suffice to say that we remain deeply divided as a nation. I see a definite parallel in Churches today—especially when it comes to our most basic beliefs about how Christianity works, more specifically when it comes to Disability Ministry.
Bob Sorge’s book The Fire of Delayed Answers hits the nail squarely on the head. Having personally wrestled with extreme suffering in his own life, Bob not only identifies the challenge with astonishing clarity, he proposes a brilliant solution to strengthen every Believer’s witness.
Here’s an entry from Bob’s journal that captures the struggle:
“I relate to Job 9:27-31—it doesn’t seem to matter what I consider doing, there’s always some reason why that isn’t the answer, or why it isn’t sufficient. If I rest and do nothing, it seems that’s exactly what happens—nothing. If I wrestle and seek to press into God, I feel like I’m striving. I’m damned if I do, and damned if I don’t.”[1]
Believers, surmises Sorge, fall in one of two “Camps:” The Quietness Camp, or The Confidence Camp. These two vastly-divergent Camps are locked in an epic perpetual dance for theological superiority especially when it comes to healing.
In a nutshell:
“The Quietness Camp emphasizes the necessity of surrender to the sovereignty of God, and the Confidence Camp emphasizes the availability of God’s promises and power to those who will believe.”[2]
Q: So who’s the “winner”? Quietness? Or Confidence?
A: YES!
Galatians 3:28-29 NASU says “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Neither is there Quietness nor Confidence. May we Camp Out in but One Camp where Our Awesome Lord deeply desires our Unity to become One with Him through faith in Jesus Christ.
In His Accessible Grace,
Linda
[1] Bob Sorge, The Fire of Delayed Answers (Grandview, MO: Oasis House, 1996). Digital.
[2] Ibid
Image Source: goo.gl/ZL7PEZ
Think For 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!
Greetings & 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
Calling All Chariots!
Praise God For The RFD “Chariots of Fire” Team!
Greetings Faithful Followers of Team Mission Access! Flashback with me to 1985: the year my beautiful Mom Geraldine “Gerry” Holt Shea dove headlong into the deep end of Disability. Diagnosed with a massive brain tumor, she was rushed into surgery to dislodge it ASAP. And though the surgery saved her life she nevertheless suffered with the disabling fallout for the rest of her life.
Still decades away from experiencing disability in my own life, I responded to my mother’s disability in the best (yet most maddening) way that I knew how: a “gift” of a walking cane complete with clever wrapping along with a card and of course an obligatory “healing” verse:
Jude 1: 24 NIV: To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy—
And OH does that make a great-sounding Get Well card! Problem is that “naming and claiming” something over someone who is suffering can create the exact opposite effect of what was intended when prayers remain unanswered. How Loving is that? Being on the receiving end of a plethora of such prayers I can tell you emphatically: Not So Much!
So what’s a better response? Try a little good ol’-fashioned encouragement!
One of the most encouraging stories from the Old Testament Book of 2 Kings tells the tale of the prophet Elisha and his servant who outwardly appear to be facing certain doom at the hands of the King of Aram’s powerful army. Ah! But there’s something much more powerful playing out behind the scenes in the spiritual realm:
2 Kings 6:17 NIV: And Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
Speaking of Chariots of Fire…
Though I struggle with disability like my mother before me, I now wear a pendant complete with a direct connection to the Richardson Fire Department’s “Chariots of Fire” Team who remain poised ready, willing and able ready to rescue me at a moment’s notice. I Thank God for Them for they have Lifted Me Up…quite literally!
How’s THAT for Naming & Claiming? 😉
In His Accessible Grace,
Linda
Got Peace?
Greetings & Blessings Faithful Followers of MissionAccess.org! Got Peace? Suffice to say that the recent unrest resulting from police shootings here in Dallas and now Baton Rouge have everyone suffering a serious Peace Deficit. But Fear Not! Let’s have a Peace Talk, shall we? Where to find Peace, how to access it and how to NEVER lose it.
Our Scripture focus is found in Phillippians:
Phil 4:6-7 NASU
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
This verse holds a special place in my heart because it was one of the first verses that my dear Daddy-O taught me. Let’s focus on that last line: what was the Peace of God designed to do? To GUARD Our Hearts & Our Minds. To keep us Safe. And Sane.
Speaking of guarding…
The Gospel of Peace is a pivotal part of the Armor of God found in Ephesians 6: 15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE. Here’s something I never saw before (though I’ve read this passage countless times before): you may have every other weapon of war but without the Gospel of Peace you ain’t got nothin’ to stand on!
So don’t be caught barefoot (spiritually speaking) Saints!
Guard Your Hearts & Minds by spending time in The Word. Enjoy Unlimited Access to His Perfect Peace 24/7. No safer place in the entire universe than that. Guaranteed.
In His Accessible Grace,
Linda
Wake Up, Christian!
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Greetings & Blessings Faithful Followers of Team Mission Access! Join me and the Benham Brothers as we cry out “Wake Up, Christian!” with a stern warning regarding the costliness of our collective spiritual snoozefest. But more importantly, join forces with us as we resolve to awaken the power of taking action now before it’s too late.
Benham Brothers: Obama, Justice Department & Department Of Education Leading Us Into Absolute Chaos
Suffice to say that when we witness the absolute craziness breaking out daily in our country we are sorely overdue for a robust Revival ASAP. According to Wikipedia:
“The idea of an “awakening” implies a slumber or passivity during secular or less religious times. Awakening is a term which originates from and is embraced often and primarily by evangelical Christians. In recent times, the idea of “awakenings” in US history has been put forth by conservative US evangelicals.” (Source: https://goo.gl/f56Aqn)
Speaking of snoozing…
Whilst a humble student at Dallas Theological Seminary I was honored to study under the wise tutelage of the late great Dr. Howard “Prof” Hendricks. One of his favorite verses was this everlasting gem from the Book of Proverbs:
Prov 24:33-34 NASU
“A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest,”
Then your poverty will come as a robber
And your want like an armed man.”
Certainly Doctorates have been awarded on the intense study of the Great Awakenings in history. But the significance of this verse for us today is simply this:
Wake Up, Christian! Yeah! I Am Talking To You! Be informed! Be engaged! Be Prayed Up! And Be Prepared To FIGHT! NOW…BEFORE It Is Too Late.
In His Accessible Grace,
Linda
Posted in Mission Accessible Inc.