Tuesday, September 22, 2009

"But these things I plan
won't happen right away.
Slowly,
steadily,
surely,
the time approaches
when the vision will be fulfilled.
If it seems sow,
do not despair,
for these things will surely come to pass.
Just be patient!
They will not be overdue a single day!"
(Habakkuk 2:3 The Living Bible)

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

"We are pressed
on every side by troubles,
but not crushed and broken.
We are perplexed
because
we don't know why things happen as they do,
but we don't give up and quit.
We are hunted down,
but God never abandons us.
We get knocked down,
but we get up again
and keep going"
(2 Corinthians 4:8-9 The Living Bible).

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Hi, Girls!

Some of you are asking about the online global sisterhood and when it will begin.
We really wanted it to launch in September . . .
but it looks like it will be October.

We do have some of the new "skin" up on our Web site:
susiemag.com
but it's just taking a while to get the sisterhood all put together.

It's amazing, though.
I just finished a three-hour photo shoot for it today.
You'll get some video-devotions from me,
a column from Obie,
a bunch of new stuff,
and best of all—
you'll be able to interact with the sisterhood:
other girls around the world who are also
plugged into SUSIE Magazine.

We're creating something really cool—
a symbol—
that we'll print inside the magazine.
And you'll hold it up to your computer
camera
and it will immediately take you inside.
It's hard for me to explain,
because I'm so tech illiterate,
but it really IS cool!

And if you don't have a camera
on your computer,
you'll still be able to make it work.

So if you have friends who haven't yet subscribed
to the printed magazine,
please get them signed up quickly!

This would be a great b-day gift
for you to give your friends.

I love you, Girls!
Susie Shellenberger

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

I've LOVED your responses on the two questions:
1. What's your wall of protection around your life?
2. Is there anything in your life that needs a "holy destruction" as described in Deuteronomy chapter 3.

The foundation for a solid wall of protection
around your life
is, of course, a strong
growing
intimate 
relationship with Jesus Christ.
Your parents can also provide a strong wall of protection—
and some of you mentioned that.
Youth group,
Bible study,
and
church
are also great sources that provide
a strong wall of protection.
But the wall begins
with our relationship
with Christ.

Now about that "holy destruction"
we talked about. . . .

We read a sobering story
about a holy destruction 
gone bad
in 1 Samuel 15.
It went bad
because Saul only halfheartedly
attempted the holy destruction.
He didn't carry it through
with 100%.

Here's the recap:
God spoke to Saul through Samuel the prophet saying,
"Destroy the Amalekites—
the people who snuck up behind you
and attacked your weakest
and most feeble when you were
wandering in the wilderness." 
(See Deuteronomy 25:18 for that part of the story).
"Make sure you destroy 
every man,
woman,
child
and
beast.
Leave nothing behind."

So Saul gathered 200,000 footmen
from Israel
and 10,000 footmen
from Judah,
marched on the Amalekites
and utterly destroyed them . . .
all except for one.

He kept Agag, king of the Amalekites,
along with some sheep.

As Saul returned victorious to Israel,
he saw the prophet Samuel in the distance.
"Blessed be the name of the Lord!" Saul said.
"I have obeyed all of His commandments!"

"Really?" Samuel said.
"Then how come I hear the sound of sheep bleating."

"Oh. Well . . . uh . . . we saved the best of the sheep
and the oxen 
to bring back as a sacrifice to Jehovah!" Saul declared.

Samuel looked at Saul and said,
"To obey is better than sacrifice.
Rebellion is as bad as witchcraft and idolatry.
And who's he?"

(Wow. Rebellion—disobeying God—is as bad as
witchcraft and idolatry? Rebellion—disobeying God—
is serious stuff!)

"And who's he?" Samuel asked.

"This is Agag, king of the Amalekites. 
I brought him back as a trophy," Saul answered.

Samuel grabbed a sword and hacked Agag into pieces
right there on the spot,
threw down the sword in utter disgust
and said, 
"Saul! You have disobeyed.
No longer will you be king—neither you, 
nor your descendants.
The kingdom is taken from you."

Pretty harsh, you may be thinking.

Saul was rationalizing.
He was trying to make wrong make sense. 
We do the same thing, don't we?
Instead of completing a holy destructionwith 100% effort . . . 
we only half-heartedly take a whack at it.

 But I can make it make sense! 

Surely God wouldn’t want me to destroy the BEST sheep! 

God doesn’t always make sense. 

He's the One who says:

• The Last shall be First.

• Wanna be great? Learn to Serve!

You see, it's not our job to understand God.

Our job is to simply OBEY Him.

OK, maybe I can understand the need to kill the animals, but what’s wrong with bringing Agag back as a trophy to march in the victory parade?

At the very end of 1 Samuel, and in the first chapter of 2 Samuel, 

we see Saul 20 yrs later on Mount Gilboa fighting the Philistines. 

Wounded in battle, he heard the voice of his attacker behind him.

 “Who are you?” Saul cried out.

 “I am an Amalekite,” came the answer.

 GASP!

You see, the period between the time Saul brought Agag back until the time he talked to Samuel was probably less than a week, but in that time, Agag must have escaped and fathered a son.

Now, 20 years later, he appears and attacks Saul.

We THINK we have sin under control, 

but whenever we keep a little trophy hanging around 

to show how powerful we are, we’re playing with fire.

“R-rated movies used to be a problem” you may say. “Romance novels used to be a problem. Drinking used to be a problem. But I have it under control now. No need to block it completely out of my life. I can turn it off, stop doing it, whenever I want. Partying? I can handle it."

Watch out!

You are not as strong as you think you are.

When God says, "This needs to be destroyed"

DESTROY IT!

 

That’s why a Father who loves you says, “Destroy completely every Amalekite. If something is wrong, if something is tempting, if something is pulling on you carnally, if something is attacking you from behind, annihilate it. Don’t play around with the Amalekites, because if you leave even one, he’ll come back and get you!

I'm asking the question again, Girls:

Is there anything in your life that needs

a holy destruction?

Love you!

Susie Shellenberger