Things began to unravel at the beginning of the year. The matriarch of the family died in April and even though she died at a ripe old age, the death was a shock the family. Three months later, her daughter-in-law, who had suffered a stroke and had spent more than a year in a convalescent hospital since, also died. And in a cruel twist of fate, the matriarch’s daughter Sue suffered a mysterious illness about the same time her sister-in-law was buried.

I visited Sue ten days before she passed away. For a long time, she kept the news of her illness from friends. She was uneasy about how she looked but happy that I had come to visit her. She was literally just half the person she used to be. Three months after the last burial in the family, Sue passed away and I was invited to give the benediction at her funeral service the weekend before Thanksgiving. The family told me how happy they were that I saw her before she passed away and that Sue had actually saw me at a restaurant when she still could walk, but felt too embarrassed to see me.

Such is the inner guilt, social stigma, and sad tragedy that sometimes befall godly Christians and their families.

One of the most mesmerizing, puzzling, and unpopular passages in the Bible is, no doubt, the story of Job. Job was a moral, wealthy, and godly man. As the story unfolds, his life was a bad movie script, his children were like extras that died in the first scene, and the plot that followed the first scene were all dialogue and little action – two chapters on tragedy and forty chapters on philosophy. Scholars largely agree that Job was a contemporary of Abraham and lived before the Jewish nation was founded. Therefore, Job’s account is the only biblical account of an individual stripped of cultural and national or even Jewish ties. Job is a universal and personal story, too, a story too close to home. It is easy to cry for Job, sympathize and identify with him, because you may have gone through unspeakable pain or know of someone who has gone through or is going through extreme suffering.

Job is a profile of courage in the face of adversity, because Job did not give up on his character, give in to his pain, and give way to Satan.

Be True in Adversity
20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.” 22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing. 2:1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still MAINTAINS HIS INTEGRITY, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.” (Job 1:20-2:3)

The first thing Job did when life seemed unfair was to stay true to his character. He remained true to himself, true to form, and true to the end. God defended Job’s innocence, praised his integrity, and flaunted Job’s determination, feistiness and toughness to Satan.

The Chinese have a saying: “True gold is not afraid of fire.”

Do you know why gold is so expensive? Olympic athletes compete for the gold for a reason. I did a little research on gold and discovered some interesting facts on gold. Gold is a hedge against inflation, a popular form of savings, and a reliable asset during times of economic uncertainty or political upheaval.

Gold has a fairly high melting point of 1945 degrees Fahrenheit. It is valuable because it is almost indestructible and has been used and then reused for centuries to the extent that all gold that is in existence today is almost equal to all the gold that has ever been mined. Gold is also a great medium metal for jewelry, as it never rusts or tarnishes.

Gold appreciates in value when more of it is present in the material. For example 10K gold is the least expensive, and there is more gold and value in every additional 2K gold, up to 24K gold, which is 100 percent gold. http://www.beejeweled.com/metals.htm

Job was as good as 24K solid gold. He did not bend in his character, deviate from his character or part with his character. The Hebrew word for the verb “maintain” (2:3), in a negative sense, has been used to describe the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart (Ex 7:13), but in the positive sense for “strong” in the famous “Be strong and courageous” assertions in the Bible (Deut 31:6 Josh 1:6, 1 Chron 28:20, 2 Chron 32:7).

In a sense, Job was as headstrong and as thick-skinned as an ox. He was stubborn, uncompromising, and indomitable. He was did not move, budge or retreat from his position, viewpoint, or stand. That was what drove Job’s wife nuts in chapter 2 verse 9. The same word for Job’s determination to “maintain” his integrity is translated as “holding on” (2:9). His wife said to him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity?” When his three friends accused him of harboring known and deliberate sins in his life, Job had the same fighting words for them: “I will never admit you are in the right; till I die, I will not deny my integrity. I will “MAINTAIN” my righteousness and never let go of it; my conscience will not reproach me as long as I live. (Job 27:5-6)

God used an unusual word “integrity,” or the Hebrew word for “innocence,” to describe Job’s character (2:3). This word is found only in Job and Proverbs – four times in Job and once in Proverbs (11:3). Job upheld, pleaded and maintained his innocence to the intimidating end: “Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.” (Job 31:6) The root word for “integrity” is derived from the Hebrew word “blameless” in the same verse (2:3). No matter what others said, Job claimed innocence – he had a strong grip and a choke-hold on his own innocence.

The three words Job’s friends could not believe that he muttered were: “I was innocent.” Job meant that he was morally innocent, not just ethically and legally innocent, or not guilty. Job’s claim infuriated his friends, caused a debate, and made others lose sympathy for him. His friends did not believe him nor did they think it was possible, so they threw the book at him. Whether Job had a good attitude was beside the point.

Be Tenacious When Afflicted
4 “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life. 5 But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.” 6 The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.” 7 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. 8 Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. (Job 2:4-8)

It’s been said, “Every winner has scars.”

I read that Romans, at their peak, distrusted most of the foreigners they had conquered and foreigners who wanted to fit in, but they admire battle scars but despise cowardly scars. The manly thing was to have battle scars on the front. To have scars on your back was a mark of shame – it showed that you had turned your back in battle and run away or, worse, that you had been whipped – only slaves were whipped.

http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/H/history/a-b/ancientsurgery6.html

Probably the oldest coin in the world is a Greek silver coin depicting the head of Alexander the Great (356—323 B.C.), who was one of history’s most courageous and charismatic leaders. Any man in his army would lay down his life for Alexander in a heartbeat. In those days, soldiers faced their enemies on the battlefield. As his enemies watched, Alexander would stand in front of his thirty-five thousand troops just before battle. Without saying a word, he would drop his toga to complete silence.

Alexander was a strong and handsome man, but the front of his body was covered with battle scars because he always led his troops into combat. After displaying the scars on the front of his body, Alexander would turn around to show that he didn’t have a single scar on his back, proof that he had never retreated in battle. Following this display, his soldiers would let out a deafening cheer while hammering their shields and swords together in a frenzy. The enemy would quake, and the battle was won before it even started. http://www.acgpress.com/tam_coins.html

Next, Job did not give in to his pain. He had painful sores from head to toe, eating into his flesh and bones, waking him morning till night, but he still did not give in to his pain.

Pain was an enemy but never a stranger to Job. Job did not ask for suffering nor did he despise his suffering. He had a high tolerance of pain. He did not hide his pain nor grovel in his pain. With courage, he scraped himself with a piece of broken pottery of the pain, the sore, and the itch in his body without a murmur or a whimper from his mouth, a growl on his face, or a tear in his eye.

The Hebrew word describing Job’s sores (2:7) are similar to plagues from Egypt (Ex 9:10, Deut 28:27) and leprosy in the Law (Lev 13:18-20). Job had become like dust and ashes (Job 30:19). He’d rather use the time, muster the courage, and still the body to save his strength, dull the pain, and quiet the mind, so that when the next sore stirred his body, pinched his nerves or weakened his bones, he could still muster the last ounce of his strength to turn to his side, apply some pressure, and relieve the pain.

Job demonstrated remarkable courage under the circumstances, under the weather, and under the onslaught. He passed the school of hard knocks with flying colors and graduated with the highest honors, making him the valedictorian to speak to all sufferers. Nobody understood him; neither his wife nor his friends. Job cried out in his pain, but he did not give in to the pain. He was alone in his pain, yet he refused to buckle or break. He was discouraged with things but not despondent of life. He was not bitter to the end or devoid of hope. He clung on to life and hope even though he longed for death. He stared at death in the face, but he did not blink. He cringed, but he did not cry. He fought back tears of rage, pity, or shame. That’s the essence of courage –an uprising against fear, pain, and suffering. Courage is a virtue that faces its sternest test against evil, injustice, or grievances.

Be Thankful Under Accusation
9 His wife said to him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!” 10 He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. (Job 2:9-10)

Lucy the wannabe moneymaking psychologist from the Peanuts gang once put up her advice booth with the slogan “Flawless Advice” written on it. Before too long, Charlie Brown walked in, sat down, and opened up: “My trouble is I never know if I’m doing the right thing. I need to have someone around who can tell me when I’m doing the right thing.” Lucy had a ready response to his problem: “Okay, you’re doing the right thing. That’ll be five cents, please!” Charlie Brown vacated the chair, paid the money and left the place, but returned after a short while.

Lucy was surprised to see him so quickly, and said, “Back already? What happened?” Charlie Brown admitted, with a downtrodden face, “I was wrong, it didn’t help. You need more in life than just having someone around to tell you when you’re doing the right thing.” Lucy jumped up and eagerly concluded, “Now, you’ve really learned something! That’ll be another five cents, please!”

It’s been said, “Life is a test. It is only a test. If it had been an actual life, you would have received instructions on where to go and what to do!” (Bits and Pieces 1/2/97)

Finally, do not give way to Satan when you are tested. God called Job, who passed the sternest test, “my servant” six times (Job 1:8, 2:3, 42:7, 42:8, 42:8, 42:8). God gave Job the highest honor: “There is none like him in all the earth” (1:8), a statement reserved for God alone (Ex 9:14). Job was sorely tested like no other. Satan’s accusations have not changed much since: “Do people fear God for no reason? I don’t think so! What if godly people are not wealthy, if wealth no longer increases, and if natural disasters leave them penniless, their enemies won’t leave them alone, and they lose almost all who are dear to them and the money they have so painstakingly saved up? What if they lose the biggest wealth of all- their health? Will they still love You?”

Job did not serve God because God had put a hedge around him at all times, sheltered him from harm, or kept watch……

MORE Next Week!

They need your prayers! They need you to ask God for wisdom, peace and guidance in their lives. Asking God to still their hearts and know that He has a plan for them.

This website and other sites reaching thousands for God and telling them of Jesus is the work and ministry of Michael. The Deaf Ministry, Signing 4 God is one of the highest rated Christian Deaf Ministries on the internet.  He and Samantha receive no support for any of them, but do it to give back to God for all He has done for them.

We here at GLM are asking you to help save these ministries and help Samantha and Michael in this tough time.  They are in need of housing first and foremost as Michael is sleeping in their car and Samantha is sleeping in a hay shed at this very moment. They need financial support as they have exhausted all of their funds on this legal battle. They need you Spiritual support in both prayer and letter.

Please write them here at the ministry, support@georgialeeministries.org or you can send your donation to:

ASSIST Ministries

PO Box 609

Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609

Attention: Georgia Lee Ministries -Samantha&Michael
God Bless and Keep You

Georgia Lee Ministries

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God, for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness”…Isa. 61:10a  “Arise, shine, your light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.”  Isa. 60:

When we are born again it is not our carnal nature that has been born again, but it is a supernatural birth of the SPIRIT OF GOD within us.  We enter into a spiritual union with CHRIST in which YOU and I became ONE with HIM. Paul prayed that the Ephesians would know the love of Christ that passes knowledge and experience the IMMEASURABLE, UNLIMITED and UNSURPSSED GREATNESS of His POWER IN US and FOR US!That same MIGHTY POWER that worked within Jesus, that broke the chains of death and raised Him from the dead, is at work –in us-right now.  So often, when I lead someone to Christ I see that spark of light, that new life, that miracle of miracles, happen before my eyes.

So was the case with Johnny.  I had returned to a shop where I had previously led a young man to Christ to take him a bible.  However it was his day off. That gave me the opportunity to visit with Johnny.  He had lived in San Francisco.  We talked about the beauty of the city.  I told him that my late husband had gone to the San Francisco Theological Seminary, so we lived there for three years.  We shared stories of places we loved and things we did.  I said that I, as the wife of a seminary student, was allowed to audit some classes; which meant so much to me.More…  Because of what Jesus had done in my life I wanted to learn everything I could to better communicate His love to others. I went on to say, “It was no accident that we’ve met today.    God has ordained this moment, that you could come to know Jesus in a personal, transforming way.”  He looked in my eyes with such intensity as I quoted a few scriptures and asked if he wanted Jesus to come into his heart now.  As I write this tears fill my eyes, I can hardly see the keys on the computer.  He said “Yes,” and then he prayed. I saw a young man whose sins had been forgiven and whose face was aglow with the light of Christ.

I’ve spoken of spiritual births, which reminds me to thank you, thank you, thank you, for my many birthday cards, phone calls, e-mails, surprise luncheons and gifts!  My daughter Sammy, sent me two boxes of special presents, one that she made for me that has more spiritual significance than I can write about.

This is the first year in over fifty years, that I did not receive a Happy Birthday call from our beloved Dick Ross and Johnny Edwin, two of my precious friends and partners in this ministry.  Dick directed and produced many of my Christian films and Johnny booked me to speak for conferences, Churches, Youth For Christ Meetings, banquets and so on.  They have gone on to be with Jesus and I miss them terribly.

The Holy Spirit reminded me of a specific birthday many years ago.  I had been across the country on a Personal Appearance Tour, which involved TV, radio interviews, press conferences, speaking in churches, appearing in the theatres, etc.  I was returning home on my birthday, completely exhausted.  Ralph, Mom and Sammy met me at the airport and instead of taking me home, told me I was expected to give a report on my trip, at the Hollywood Christian Group meeting that night.  It was being held at Roy Rogers’ and Dale Evans’ ranch.  What I didn’t know is that Roy had just returned from a fishing trip to Alaska and had planned a huge BBQ fish fry surprise celebration for my birthday, before the meeting.

Of all my birthdays, the one I cherish most, is the one YOU and I can share with others, when Jesus Christ became my LORD AND SAVIOR.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE, YOUR PRAYERS, YOUR PASSION, YOUR FAITHFULNESS FOR THIS, OUR MINISTRY,

Gratefully in Christ,

Georgia Lee

by Janet Chismar

Sometimes called the First Lady of Motion Picture Evangelism, Georgia Lee accepted her first role in a Christian film in 1952.

Actress Georgia Lee, for example, has used her years in film to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.

No stranger to Hollywood,Georgia Lee had spent hours on the sound stage at Warner Brothers Studios and on the small screen as the star of “The Georgia Lee Show.”

Before accepting Jesus as her Savior,Georgia Lee explored the tenets of Buddhism and Islam. She was hungry for meaning but it took time for her to find the truth. “I knew about Jesus,” says Georgia Lee, “but I didn’t know Him.”

The greatest moment of her life, she adds, is when she finally accepted Christ. “At first I expected something dramatic to happen. What I found was better — peace and joy.”

Lee decided to remain in the film industry because she realized there are people who would go to a movie who would never go to church.

The emotion of movies can soften people and can bring them to Christ, she says.

When Lee began acting in Christian films, she caught the attention of Billy Graham. Soon the actress appeared in a string of World Wide Pictures productions, including “Oiltown U.S.A.,” “The Heart is a Rebel,” “Souls in Conflict,” and “Mr. Texas.”

Even today Georgia Lee is a supporter of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. She loves the newer ministries that have sprung up over the last several years, including My Hope World Evangelism through Television and Dare to be a Daniel.

Hello Dear Hearts,

“God has told us His SECRET reason for sending Christ, in a plan He decided on in mercy long ago; And this was His purpose, that when the time is ripe He will gather us all together from wherever we are—in HEAVEN or on EARTH—to be with Him in Christ, forever.”                                                        Eph.1:9,10 LNT

The mystery of the unrevealed truth of the church is “that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs of the same body and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,” a truth completely hidden from the Old Testament saints. All believers in Jesus Christ, the Messiah, are equal before the Lord as His children and as citizens of His Eternal Kingdom.  Because of Jesus Christ’s substitutionary death and imputed righteousness believers are “accepted in the beloved.”

WE have a story to tell, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Let me tell you about Lucy, a Christian lady. Her son left his wife and two children for another woman.  He and the other woman now have two children.  The abandoned wife lives on Maui but because of the feelings of severe anger and rejection she refuses to let Lucy see her grandchildren.   Lucy often gets a glimpse of them at the market or when she’s waiting for a bus.  Just a few days ago, one granddaughter saw her and started to run to her but the mother grabbed her arm and stopped her.  Now Lucy has been rejected, despised and forbidden to see her grandchildren.  She was a woman  tormented and heartbroken because of what her son has done.  As we talked and prayed together I witnessed the Holy Spirit transforming the bitterness to forgiveness, the torment to peace, the hatred to love, the despair to hope and the bondage to freedom!  “Thanks be to God which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”                                                                                                                                                                                                               

You may remember me writing you some time ago I fell down a flight of stairs outside an office building.  Two people came running to rescue me; a young woman Cherri and a man Arthur.  The two of them pressed hard on each leg to try to suppress the heavy bleeding until the ambulance arrived. 

After months of recuperation from a severe infection caused by the stitches, I went back to the office building to find Cherri and Arthur to thank them again.  However Cherri didn’t work there anymore and Arthur was just passing by the building at the time of the accident.  I finally was able to get Cherri’s phone number and invited her to lunch.  I told her how I had prayed for her and how I had thanked God for her.  She seemed so pleased to hear that. Then she began to tell me she had been a marine and a little about her background.  She told me about her son and showed me his picture and pictures of her two Maltese dogs, her little furry companions.  

As we talked I shared with her the love of Jesus and sitting on the patio at the restaurant, she held my hand and prayed to receive Christ.  It was Cherri’s destiny.  Even through trauma “All things work together for good for them that love God and are called according to His purpose.”  I gave her a New Testament and will be getting together with her to help her grow in her new found faith.

Billy Graham has said, “God has given us two hands, one to receive with and the other to give with.”  YOU Precious Partners are giving love, prayers and support, that WE MIGHT GO FORWARD TOGETHER TELLING GOD’S STORY! 

With a grateful heart,

Georgia Lee

“All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to Himself through what Christ did. And God has given us the task of reconciling people to Him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. This is the wonderful message He has given us to tell others.” (2 Corinthians 5:17-19).

Do you know or can you sense, when that special opportunity comes for you to share your faith with someone whose path you may cross? Not as a big planned project or performance, but just simply being available to the Lord’s will and call anytime and anywhere. Simply sharing what you know about Jesus, and what He’s done for you. (2 Corinthians 4:5). The Holy Spirit working through you, giving you what to say and how to say it. It could even be done over wine!

“We don’t go around preaching about ourselves; we preach Christ Jesus, the Lord.”

While flying back home from Georgia, I was enjoying the plane ride. A young man seated next to me was reading and studying some papers pulled from his briefcase. While eating airline snacks, we began to engage in conversation. He asked about California, and I shared a little about it. He shared that he had to fly into San Francisco for his job, and he was to be at a winery in the Napa Valley for a meeting the next day.

He asked if I drank wine and my response was, “For communion I do.” He then responded back with a smile and began to share his memories with me of him serving communion as a child. He then asked, “Are you one of those ‘new’ Christians?” and He shared that he was not.

The Holy Spirit gave me the opportunity to share with him a little about my upbringing, and how one day I had become a born-again Christian. This was a time of me simply sharing the message in this scripture. “What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Sharing our faith with unbelievers is what we as believers have been called to do. God has given us the privilege of being His ambassadors in this world. While writing this, I couldn’t help but think of the joy and delight that comes when sharing my faith. We don’t have all of the answers and responses for people that we cross paths with, but we can simply share what the Holy Spirit gives us, remember to pray for them, and leave the rest to God.

To share on this plane with this stranger is something I will never forget. I don’t even know that persons name, but God does!