Link to an Article on God's Peace

Treasured friend,

I don't often lead you around the web for articles, but this one is an exception. It's called "A Peace Worth More Than Anything," and it's by an adult daughter who saw in her aging mother's example of living, aging and eventually dying, a blessing and a set of footsteps to follow. The Scripture the writer uses as her basis is one of my favorites: "The peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Luke 10:38-42)

This is an article worth another click, and a moment to read: http://singleness.org/devo/dev_445.shtml

Blessings and prayers,

Julie

For My Canadian Friends

Just wanted you to know that I'm scheduled to appear as a guest on The Miracle Channel's broadcast, INSIGHT, on September 12 to talk about caregiving. It's a live call-in show -- so get your questions ready. I'll look forward to talking with you live on that day!

Blessings and prayers,

Julie © 2012, Julie-Allyson Ieron. All rights reserved. For reprint permission, email: orders@joymediaservices.com

The Gospel ... According to Jesus

“Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations” (Luke 24:46-47 ESV).

Treasured Friend, 

I can’t tell you how many messages I’ve heard about the gospel. I was practically born in church. My first excursion as an infant was to church, where my grandfather was the preacher. I quickly became the church mascot, singing my little two-year-old heart out to the rough tune of “Oh, How I Love Jesus,” and meaning it. I prayed to ask Jesus to forgive my sins and take me to heaven some day when I was about that age—and did it again at the ripe age of 8, just in case the first time didn’t take. But it’s always concerned me that whenever I’ve been to a class on how to lead someone else to Christ we make things so very difficult. We have to take people down the Romans road – you know, the highlights are Romans 3:23 (all have sinned …), Romans 6:23 (the pay for sin is death), Romans 10:9-10 (confess Jesus and believe in Him) … Or we have to use some other method of long, involved explanation, hopscotching from one book of the New Testament to another to piece together the story.

I’d wondered and wondered, since salvation is the biggest deal imaginable, why didn’t someone—especially Jesus—put the whole essence in one place. It especially troubled me because I’ve often been called on to pray with folks who are getting what may just be their last chance to be sure of salvation before entering eternity. They’re on pain meds, in and out of consciousness, maybe even battling the worst imaginable mind deterioration of dementia. And frankly, they couldn’t follow any road—Romans or otherwise. Their bodies are weak, their minds failing.

Then I lit upon what is quite possibly the clearest presentation of the gospel possible. It contains in a few well-chosen words the distillation of the entire story of God’s provision for mankind—and it gives a sort of mission statement to every one of us who wishes to please Christ in our Christian life. Who put this genius statement together? None less than Christ Himself, in those moments just before He was majestically elevated into glory and re-seated at the right hand of the Throne of the Almighty.

Are you ready? Here it is:

“Repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His [Jesus Christ’s] name to all nations.”

That’s it. The gospel. You’re a sinner. Jesus Christ offers to forgive you. Accept this gift. Pass it on. To everyone.

Just about anyone can get that.

Jesus preached repentance as His core message (Matt. 4:17). So did John the Baptist to prepare the way before Him (Matt. 3:2). In a chapter of my new book, I give a more complete explanation of what this means (It’s called The GOD Interviews and I hope you’ll read it when it releases in September 2012), but here’s the gist.

·         Repent—acknowledge that you’re on the path that displeases and dishonors God, and turn back in the opposite direction. Be sorry that you’ve sinned against God (not just that you got caught doing wrong), and turn yourself around to run toward Him.

·         Forgiveness—if you repent, you’ll receive from Him the gift of restoration and of right relationship with Him (purchased at the cost of Jesus’ life—after all the pay for sin requires death).

So, then there is a one-stop-shop for the distilled, simple gospel that I received as a tiny tot and that I’ve had the privilege of sharing with worldwide TV audiences, retreat groups, and many loved ones on the brink of eternity. If you turn from your sins toward Jesus Christ, He’ll forgive you and usher you into paradise.

Now, I’m not just preaching at you. I’m challenging you, fellow believer, to keep it simple. To be willing and ready to share this message with those you encounter as you walk your caregiving journey. Maybe your aging loved one needs to hear. Maybe a professional caregiver who comes into your home. Maybe a doctor or social worker—even a chaplain—needs this reminder. So, once more … just so we’re sure we have it down. Proclaim repentance and forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ name to everyone: You know you’re a sinner. Jesus will forgive you if you ask Him to. Pass it on. To everyone.

Blessings and prayers,

Julie

© 2012, Julie-Allyson Ieron. All rights reserved. For reprint permission, email: orders@joymediaservices.com

Caregiving from a friend ...

A meaningful first-person story about the sorrows of helping a parent age -- from my friend and colleague, Karen O'Connor. Also, Karen links to my video for caregivers. Enjoy!

Blessings and prayers,

Julie

Love -- The Spirit's Fruit in Our Lives

Treasured friend,

I found this beautiful quote this morning, as I was reading DL Moody's classic book, Secret Power. It caught my attention, I suppose, because without the supernatural love poured out in our hearts by God's Spirit, our caregiving responsibilities just might overwhelm us. He references Paul's list of the Fruit of the Spirit, from Galatians 5. Here's the biblical reference first ... then Moody's perceptive quote:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 (HCSB)

Moody observes that just as Paul listed love as the first fruit -- it's the source of all the other eight.

Joy is love exulting; peace is love in repose; long suffering is love on trial; gentleness is love in society; goodness is love in action; faith is love on the battlefield; meekness is love at school; and temperance is love in training.
Dwight L. Moody, Secret Power, (Chicago: F. H. Revell, 1881)

May our Lord and Savior equip us today, by His Spirit, to love as He loves us.

To love in action and repose.
     In suffering and in training.
          On trial and in society.

To love in our caregiving.
     To love in our interactions with a hostile world.
          To love in our relationships.
               To love even those who make loving so very hard.



Blessings and prayers,

Julie

© 2012, Julie-Allyson Ieron. All rights reserved. For reprint permission, email: orders@joymediaservices.com

Who's Working ... in All Things?

Treasured Friend,
Today I share an excerpt of a devotional from my compilation eBook, Pearls to Treasure. The whole book features the best people-stories, devotionals, interviews, and short fiction from my first 25 years in publishing ministry. Here are my comments on a passage that's so familiar it's nearly lost its meaning to those of us who are weary and disappointed, grieving or ailing. If that could describe you, there's hope--read on ...

Devotion on Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Admit it. When you saw the Scripture reference quoted above, you glossed right over the words. Normally, so would I. After all, we know what it says; we've heard it quoted squillions of times. Quoted glibly to us—purportedly to comfort us in our darkest hours. More often, it left us feeling like it had been quoted at us. Leaving us feeling even less understood by a distant Creator who thinks everything in this world—in our lives—is good. "All things work together for good …" Blah. Blah. Blah.

We know better, don't we?

Recently I ran into this verse in a new way. Often reading a different translation of the Scripture can give me a fresh perspective of its content. So, humor me and read Romans 8:28 from the New International Version, quoted above. When I did this, one phrase breathed new life into it for me: "in all things God works …" My eyes stopped right there. I read it over again. Selfishly, I had always focused my attention on "things" in life working together for my good. Yes, I tagged on an obligatory "for His glory," almost as an afterthought. But mostly I have been concerned about everything in life being good for me—good in my eyes and on my time table.

This may be somewhat understandable since the translators of the King James Version made it sound like the "things" are acting all by themselves: "And we know that all things work together for good …" Clearly, someone is orchestrating "all things," but He's working incognito, in the background. It's easy to forget He's there, when you put it that way. My writing professors always harped on the notion that tight writing shows who's causing the action; it features the actor.

That's why this phrase in the niv readjusted my perspective. You see, the Apostle Paul wrote this great truth not to focus my attention on me, but to focus on the God who is at work, intimately involved in all the happenings in this life. I had failed to receive comfort from this verse, because my eyes had been in the wrong place.

Everything we know about the character of God attests to the fact of His unparalleled love for us, to His longing for intimate interaction with each one of us—in every moment of our lives.

So, the fact that "in all things God works" is consistent with all we know about our Creator and Friend. He is at work in our lives because He loves us, He longs to express His grace and His truth to our needy hearts. What a comfort to know that in every circumstance God doesn't just stand by and watch, He doesn't just allow things to happen, but He works to make things happen. Good things. For the translators of all the versions agree that the ultimate result of this work does indeed come for good—yours and mine—and this results in His eternal glory.

My Father and my Friend,

I acknowledge Your loving hand at work in all of the circumstances of my life, and I trust You completely to orchestrate them all for Your glory and for my good.

Amen.

Blessings and prayers,

Julie © 2010, Julie-Allyson Ieron. Excerpted by permission from Pearls to Treasure, Julie-Allyson Ieron, a Joy Media eBook. All rights reserved. For reprint permission, email: orders@joymediaservices.com