Rise and Shine: Book Review

Today, we cover a book named "Time to Rise and Shine" by Janice Riley, a dear friend, book publisher, and ordained minister. She and her husband Rob, a professional and short-term missionary, have visited India, Honduras and the Dominican Republic for revival meetings. Their mission trips included construction projects, prophetic training, community outreach and more.

The book highlights the changing needs of Christianity in today's world and the need for a Christ-like response to people and situations.

According to Janice, "this book is a heart’s cry to come and be transformed into the likeness of Christ, calling the Bride of Christ into her destiny, her identity.

While The Church has been told what to do, given the top five ways to make it happen and a comfy seat to sit in while they watch the sage on the stage preach one more sermon, and enjoy one more musical performance by the worship team, religious tradition has assembled a mass of spectators to watch a special few do the work of the Lord.

Meanwhile, broken, sick and downtrodden people are falling to the wayside every day, ignorant of the Love of the Father, blinded to the Truth of who they really are".

Janice goes on to say, "It is time to discuss what being a true follower of Jesus Christ looks like and dig into executable tactics on how to do just that".

So, here we go. Get in, sit down, buckle up and enjoy the ride.

The book can be bought at here. 

The link will be part of our posts this month for all those who may be interested.

Note: This is not an ad and TWWJ gets no direct or indirect renumeration/fees.

In Case You Missed

The Little Foxes
Did you know foxes love grapes (among other fruits). In fact, the term "sour grapes" comes from the story of the fox who tried to eat the grapes on a branch but couldn't reach them so after several failed attempts he gave up muttering - "they would have been sour anyway"

Learn what the Bible has to say about these sweet little creatures. Click Here 

Repurposing Failure

How many times in life we take a decision or done or not done something only to realize we have blown it? When failure stares us in the face we dread the result with that sinking feeling, with the knowledge of the outcome of our failure?

But guess what? We know of at least 5 Biblical characters who went through failures and yet built on it for success. Click Here to read more 

 

The Legend of The Fourth Wise Man Or Dont Wait for Christmas

Did you know there was a 4th Wise man who didn't make it? 

Long ago in the late 1800s a man named Eric Van Dyke wrote a short story about a "fourth" wise man (accepting the tradition that the Magi numbered three), a priest of the Magi named Artaban, one of the Medes from Persia.

Like the other Magi, he sees signs in the heavens proclaiming that a King has been born among the Jews. Like them, he sets out to see the newborn ruler, carrying treasures to give as gifts to the child - a sapphire, a ruby, and a "pearl of great price".

However, he stops along the way to help a dying man, which makes him late to meet with the caravan of the other three wise men. Because he missed the caravan, and he can't cross the desert with only a horse, he is forced to sell one of his treasures in order to buy the camels and supplies necessary for the trip. He then commences his journey but arrives in Bethlehem too late to see the child, whose parents have fled to Egypt. He saves the life of another child at the price of another one of his treasures.

He then travels to Egypt and to many other countries, searching for Jesus for many years and performing acts of charity along the way. After 33 years, Artaban is still a pilgrim, and a seeker after light. Artaban arrives in Jerusalem just in time for the crucifixion of Jesus. He spends his last treasure, the pearl, to ransom a young woman from being sold into slavery. He is then struck in the head by a falling roof tile and is about to die, having failed in his quest to find Jesus, but having done much good through charitable works. A voice tells him "Verily I say unto thee, Inasmuch as thou hast done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, thou hast done it unto me." (Matthew 25:40)[4] He dies in a calm radiance of wonder and joy. His treasures were accepted, and the Other Wise Man found his King.

This is a story, but isn't the fourth wise man like us? We want to worship Jesus in spirit and in truth but miss the bus so many times. However, as the wise man did, we can still use our time to be of service to our Lord, using the gifts we have, to lay at His feet, in His service. 

Re-Purposing Failure: The Professionals Bible

* the Free Dictionary

How many times in life we take a decision or done or not done something only to realize we have blown it? When failure stares us in the face we dread the result with that sinking feeling, with the knowledge of the outcome of our failure?

But guess what? We know of at least 5 Biblical characters who went through failures and yet built on it for success.

You see it is not the failure itself that Hurts us but our reaction to that failure. And there are enough examples in the Bible. But God does not turn His face away when we fail. He loves a good come back !

Look at King David - he broke half the commandments! David coveted Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11:2-3), committed adultery with her (2 Sam. 11:4) effectively stealing her from Uriah (2 Sam. 12:9), lying to him (2 Sam. 11:12-13) , and eventually having him murdered (2 Sam. 12:9).

The prophet Elijah had such a major burnout he ran and hid himself.

And what about Paul's awful history, Peter's denial, Moses' disobedience?

So when we fail, spiritually or otherwise, or make choices which do not turn out well, we do not have to lie down and cry but turn to the life book called Bible and take advice, instruction and motivation from the stories there. That's what they are there for so take heart. 

The key lies in this: Failure is not the opposite of Success. It is part of Success. Without failure there will be no success because failure teaches us what not to do. 

Read Jeremiah 8:4 Jeremiah, say this to the people of Judah: This is what the Lord says: You know if a man falls down, he gets up again. And if a man goes the wrong way, he turns around and comes back.

As Eric Schenkel said - "The only way that failure can get the last word in our life is if we choose to let it. We serve a God who is able to take our defeats and missteps and still use us to bring glory to his name".