He Is With You
Has it been a rough week?
Do you need some encouragement?
“The One who formed you says,
‘Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name; you are Mine.
When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.
For I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
Do not me afraid, for I am with you’”
(Isaiah 43:1-3; 5 NLT).
My precious Dad entered heaven this week. We had his funeral
service today. He was ready for heaven! And I’m so grateful for the
wonderful spiritual heritage he left me.
I’m speaking in Salem, OR this weekend and would appreciate your prayers.
Come Back Home
I had been speaking for about a week and a half and was glad to be home. All was perfect: My two miniature Schnauzers were happy Mama was back and Amos had curled his body into a tight little ball in his doggie bed while Obie was nestled underneath a blanket on my lap as I relaxed and watched a little TV.
When I got up to get some munchies, Obie ran outside. I came back and resumed relaxing thinking he was curled next to Amos. About half an hour later, my doorbell rang. Who could be on my porch at 8 pm? I thought. It was totally dark and cold outside.
I turned on the porch light, opened the door and was greeted by my neighbor and friend Mark who was holding Obie in his arms. What?
Mark laughed and said, “Melissa and I were watching TV and looked up to see Obie staring at us from the patio.”
Obie had dug underneath the fence between our yards and decided to visit the neighbors.
I scooped the little furball into my arms and said, “I didn’t even know he was gone! Thanks so much for bringing him home.”
Allow me to state the obvious: Sometimes we tend to wander spiritually—but it’s such a slight detour that we don’t immediately realize we’re not where we should be.
I’m so thankful for a loving heavenly Father who will scoop us in His arms, invite us in from the cold and bring us right back to where we need to be.
Taking Jesus to Peru
Jesus told us to go into all the world and spread the gospel.
We know this as the Great Commission.
(See Matthew 28:18-20.)
Each summer I take people on a two-week international
missions trip so we can do just that! Will you pray about joining me this summer?
We’ll be going to Peru.
It’s an amazing trip!
Yes, it’s missions come to life . . .
but it’s also packed with the flavor of
old fashioned revival,
adventure,
and brand-new friendships!
The dates are June 26 to July 9, 2017.
(We ask adults to arrive on June 24 in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.)
What will we do?
We’ll minister to orphans, in schools, do work projects at churches,
set up a medical clinic, and we’ll present the gospel through
a 22-minute pantomime drama.
It’s powerful.
It’s unforgettable.
And it’s genuine ministry!
I’ll be speaking to our group each evening.
We’ll be staying at a beautiful place outside of Lima.
I’d LOVE to have you join me!
Who can come?
Adults, students, medical personnel, counselors.
I call it “Never the Same”—
because you truly are NEVER the same after experiencing this!
I need you.
Will you pray about joining me?
For more details go to:
When you fill out the application, write “Susie Shellenberger”
at the very top. This will alert the people handling the applications for me that we know each other, and they’ll process your application much faster.
Let me know your thoughts, OK?
Time at Home
I’m enjoying time off this month from traveling and speaking.
I don’t schedule myself to be off during the month of December—
I just don’t get scheduled anywhere.
And I totally understand.
Churches are busy with Christmas plans,
cantatas,
food drives,
and so many wonderful activities.
I enjoy being home and getting to attend church
with my brother and his precious family.
I love being with friends
and I’m enjoying taking Obie and Amos to the dog park.
This is a much-needed break for me.
But because fulltime evangelism (speaking fulltime)
is what I do for a living,
it means no income during the time I’m not speaking.
If God prompts you to donate to the ministry He had entrusted me,
I can send you a tax-donation receipt, because I’m a 501 C-3.
I hope you have an amazing Christmas season!
Know that I’m praying for you!
Yes, I’m serious!
If you’re receiving this blog—
I’m praying for you!
You may send a check to:
Susie Shellenberger Ministries
3128 N. Timber Avenue
Bethany, OK 73008
Or use this to donate via PayPal [paypal_donation_button]
Gratitude
As I count my blessings this Thanksgiving,
I’m truly grateful for
the holy Trinity:
God, the Father, who created all things and who loves me
enough to send Jesus, His Son, to save me from my sin
and to die for me and grant me mercy, grace and forgiveness—
and the Holy Spirit who guides me daily
and reminds me of the Truth in Scripture
and who empowers me to live the Christian life.
I’m grateful beyond words that Christ is ALIVE—
that He actually conquered death
and is preparing an incredible home for me in heaven!
I’m so thankful for godly parents who have given me a wonderful spiritual heritage . . .
and my godly brother and his family
who love me and pray for me,
and for godly friends with whom I can discuss spiritual truths
and share prayers requests and burdens.
I’m grateful for YOU . . .
for reading my little blog week after week
and praying for me when God prompts you.
You’ll never know what a difference your prayers make
when I’m exhausted and lonely in a hotel room
and miles from home.
On a lighter note . . .
I’m thankful for the smell of brand-new shoes,
all the primary colors,
the taste of raw cookie dough,
the sounds of my two dogs
when we’re wrestling,
cuddling
or talking,
OKC Thunder basketball games,
Stephane’s yummy tossed salad that no one can make like her,
Jennifer’s homemade dressing,
Kent’s special stash of cokes-made-with-sugarcane-sugar-in-a-bottle stored in the garage fridge,
and even the annual Thanksgiving family Ping-Pong tournament
that I never win.
God is good.
What are YOU grateful for?
Please share!
Three Strikes
We all know that three strikes = an out.
In 2 Kings 13:1-19, we find a fascinating story in the Bible
in which three strikes are used.
King Joash began his reign as a godly little 7-year-old who had been raised by the priest Jehoida. For most of Joash’s life, he did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight. It wasn’t hard, because he had his very own priest guiding him.
But the end of Joash’s reign didn’t end so well.
Joash (also known as Jehoash) visited the prophet Elisha to inquire about Israel’s future. Elisha told him to shoot an arrow to the east indicating victory over the Syrians.
Then Elisha told him to take his arrows and strike the ground.
King Joash struck the ground three times, then he stopped.
Elisha rebuked him: “You should have struck the ground five or six times!” he exclaimed. “Then you would have beaten Aram until it was entirely destroyed. Now you will be victorious only three times.”
King Joash limited himself.
When we make the same mistake—by stopping too soon—two things happen:
1. Our Spiritual Growth Is Stunted
We settle for less than God desires.
It’s easy to become complacent and indifferent in our relationship with the Lord. We aim too low spiritually.
It becomes easy to place our spiritual lives in survival mode
instead of moving in dynamic spiritual growth.
2. The Mission of Christ Is Limited Through Us
The enemies of God (Moabites) would soon invade Israel after this event. When we stop too soon, we can cause the church (God’s people) to move backward instead of forward.
Israel would now begin to worship idols again.
God’s people would spiritually deteriorate.
Guess who NEVER stops too soon?
Satan.
He is relentless.
He is always working overtime to thwart God’s people
and God’s plans.
Though Joash had been mentored spiritually by godly Jehoida,
after the priest’s death, Joash turned to idol worship.
When Jehoida’s son tried to get King Joash back on the right path, Joash sentenced him to death by stoning him.
Without God’s support, Joash didn’t have the military success he once had, and he was seriously wounded in battle when defeated by Syria. Not long afterward, King Joash was assassinated in his own bed by three of his officials.
Let’s not make the mistake of taking a wrong turn off of the narrow road that Jesus describes in Matthew 7:14.
Let’s determine together to be diligent!
God is looking for disciples who refuse to give up,
who will go the extra mile,
and who will live with a faith that moves mountains.
Will you join me in answering this call?
Thoughts?
This weekend (in Temple, TX) is my last time to speak this year—
not by choice . . . but simply because churches don’t tend to
schedule extra events during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season.
Though I’m looking forward to a much-needed break,
I’m not excited about no income coming in during the next month.
The Christmas season can be a tough time for evangelists.
Will you pray for me?
If God prompts you to donate to the ministry He had entrusted me,
I can send you a tax-donation receipt, because I’m a 501 C-3.
Susie Shellenberger Ministries
3128 N. Timber Avenue
Bethany, OK 73008