A lady I don't want to model

Recently, I was on a flight from DFW to LAX and where a lady in the aisle across from me was reading People magazine. I was engulfed in Radical by David Platt but my eyes needed a break. I glanced over to see her gazing at immodest pictures of celebrities. Though probably in her mid-60's, the lady was dressed like a teenager. It definitely wasn't fitting. It broke my heart to think of her wasting her life, her time, and her energy on a worthless magazine. I could only imagine that she wanted to be young again and was coveting the beauty of the world’s most famous people.

The Bible says that “everyone at their best state is a vapor” (Psalm 39:5). Life is short. Beauty is quickly passing and so are the lusts of this world. When I’m 65—if the Lord allows me to see that age—I want to be studying the Word of God, listening to sermons, reaching the lost, doing service for the local Church and spending my minutes, hours and days consumed with the Kingdom of God and service to the King. I don’t want to be consumed with myself or the eye candy of our age, because it doesn't last and will never satisfy (Proverbs 27: 20).

People magazine is not to be the godly woman’s diet. The godly woman doesn't listen to the counsel of Vogue magazine. She takes no delight in reading worldly advice in Cosmopolitan and doesn't compare herself to the pictures in Glamour magazine. She does not seek praise from the world.

Rather, a woman who fears the Lord will meditate on the Word of God day and night. She will compare herself to what the Bible says is a woman who fears God. She will hunger and thirst for righteousness and desire to know the One who redeemed her. That woman will be worthy of praise. "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night" (Psalm 1:1).

This Christmas season, take the time to evaluate if there are things in your life that you look at or watch that are creating in you a desire to be like this world. Are you giving those things your precious time and energy? Instead, be like King David who said “I will set no evil thing before my eyes” (Psalm 101:3)? My challenge to you this season and for all the days of your life is to model the psalmist who said, “I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart" (Psalm 40:8).

Take a moment and go to FishWithTrish.com. Look on the left-hand side of the page, then click on “2 Minute Evangelism Tips”. The first video will start automatically. The short clips featured on this page will give you practical ways to be busy about God’s business during this Christmas season - in fact, make sure you look for the Christmas video. You might want to try the tip featured on this video with your church friends or family members.

Maybe you’re reading this and thoughts of discouragement have entered your mind because the year is almost gone and you feel like you haven’t made any progress for God’s kingdom. Be encouraged friend, because it’s not how well you start but how well you finish. On the “2 Minute Evangelism Tips” page, there are only 7 videos only 2 minutes in duration each. It will take only 14 minutes to watch all of them. Once you do, I encourage you to try one of the tips. Then email me and tell me what happened (email@fishwithtrish.com). I want to hear from you.

Each day when the mail comes, I quickly identify what is junk and what is not. I sift out what is important and shred what isn't. Maybe you need to do this with what you watch and look at or where you spend your valuable time. Identify what is good for your soul and builds you up and spend your time and energy there. Paul the apostle said, "All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify" (1 Corinthians 10:23). Maybe there's something in your life that isn't sin per se, but is it beneficial for you? Would the Lord be pleased with what pages you are viewing on the internet? Or how much time you spend looking at photos on Facebook that provoke you to covet the way others look, or to covet their things or status in life?

Perhaps it's time to do inventory of the magazines or books or internet pages you read and throw some things out. Today is a new day. Remember, the Lord's mercies are new every morning. He is rich in mercy and full of compassion (Psalm 148:8). Cry out to Him today and ask Him to help you be a focused and purposeful woman who fears Him. Let’s be ladies that are focused on eternal things this Christmas—things that will be of eternal value on the day when we meet the King of Kings (Titus 3:8).

"No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier" (2 Timothy 2:4).

Looking for something to do this weekend or next? Here's an idea...

If you're looking for something to do this weekend or the next, why not go to your local "haunted house" and stand outside and hand tracts to people as they come out.

Below is a list of haunted houses in the Dallas/ Fort Worth area. I'm sure there will be a ton of young people flocking to these. If you don't live in DFW simply go online to google and type in "Haunted House" and add your city to find one near you.

Here's a few of my favorite tracts to hand out this time of year:

Tombstone Tract

Hey Kids

Halloween Millions

Death Beth

Youth Millions

Giant Money

The Phantom's Ghost Ranch Storybook Ranch
3701 S. Custer, McKinney, TX 75070
972-369-0874
http://www.phantomshaunt.com/


Tayman Graveyard
4721 Cecilia Ave, Midlothian, TX 76065
http://www.taymangraveyard.com/


Slaughterhouse
2615 Elm St, Dallas (Deep Ellum)
214-999-0708
http://www.weslaughter.com/


Screams
2511 FM-66, Waxahachie, 75167 (Scarborough Fair Grounds)
http://www.screamspark.com/


Hangman's House of Horrors
2300 West Freeway, Ft. Worth, TX 76102
817-336-HANG
http://www.hangmans.com/


Dr. Haunt's Chamber of Fear
2235 N I-35, Gainesville, TX 76240
http://www.drhauntshouse.com/


Moxley Manor Haunted House
510 Harwood Rd, Ste O, Bedford, TX 76021
469-767-5886
http://www.moxleymanor.com/


The Fatal End in the West End
603 Munger Ave, Dallas, TX 75202
http://www.dallashaunt.com/

The Yelling Pilot

Yesterday I handed a pilot and his crew gospel tracts as I was exiting the plane. I walked up the ramp and heard a man's voice yelling behind me several people back. That's always unnerving.

I looked back over my shoulder. It was the pilot. He was yelling at me!

"Thank you." He shouted with a huge smile on his face as he raised his hand in the air holding up the gospel tract.

Then to my surprise, he began loudly quoting a whole slew of bible references.

"John 3:16! Romans 3:23! etc."

I lifted my arm up to point to the Heavens and quoted a reference back, "Isa 26:3-4!".

The folks behind me must have thought we were on another planet. This was the best reception I've had in a while. He ran out of the cockpit to find me. God bless that man and God bless Ray Comfort for opening my eyes to the necessity of gospel tracts so many years ago.

Too good not to share

Recently, I discovered a tasty ice-cream shop in town. It's close to my house. I can ride my bike there and burn off the calories I'm about to eat.

On Wednesday’s, a scoop is only $1.00. I've been spreading the word because in my opinion no one else has ice-cream as rich and creamy for such a good price. I want others to enjoy what I'm enjoying. I want them to experience it for themselves.

Think of your favorite restaurant or your favorite movie, book or ice-cream shop. I bet you've told others about it in passing or at the dinner table or waiting in line at the grocery store. It's easy to tell our family members and friends, co-workers and neighbors about the things we love, isn’t it? Did you know that word of mouth is the best form of advertising? It’s how businesses do well. Word of mouth advertising is more influential than nearly any other form of advertising. People believe what their friends and neighbors say. If you are satisfied with a business or restaurant you tell others.

You love what you talk about and you talk about what you love. It’s natural. If you love the Lord you will talk about Him. If you don’t think upon the Lord or talk about Him, more than likely it's an indicator that you don’t love Him. It's an indicator that He is not your delight -that His word is not your daily mediation. "But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night." Psalm 1:2

What have you talked about today? Where did you thoughts drift? What consumed your mind and energy? Have you talked to your family members or neighbors lately? And if so, what did the topic revolve around? Did you thank God today for anything? Or did you complain and grumble? Did you talk to someone this week or last week about the Lord?

Once you've tasted of the goodness of God and have been partakers of the gift of salvation you can't help but tell others. It will naturally flow out of your grateful heart. You were once dead and now you are alive. You were blind and now you see. You want others to know the forgiveness that you know. You want them to taste and see that the LORD is good. He's better than the best ice-cream in the world. He is better than the best dessert, meal or finest motion picture on the planet. The Gospel is too good not to share.

Be a glutton on the Word of God, then go tell others about his goodness.

He is the greatest taste.

"How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" Psalm 119:103

"O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!" Psalm 34:8

"When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty." Jeremiah 15:16

Atheists Ignore Richard Dawkin's Advice

MEDIA ADVISORY, Oct. 6 /Christian Newswire/ -- Best-selling author, Ray Comfort, has once again instigated a giveaway of his special edition of Darwin's Origin of Species. In November of 2009 he mustered 2,000 Christians to pass out more than 220,000 copies of Darwin's famous book, which contained his 50-page Foreword explaining Intelligent Design and presenting the gospel. Approximately 170,000 of these were given to students in 100 of America's top universities. A clearly angered Richard Dawkins, who had encouraged students to tear out the Foreword, called Comfort "an idiot" on CNN when asked for his thoughts on the giveaway. Comfort said, "That just made him look bad. It's called an ad hominem attack -- when you have no argument against the message, so you attack the messenger." In March of 2010, when the Professor lectured in Australia and New Zealand, teams gave away over 20,000 books at his meetings.

Photo: Richard Dawkins telling students to ignore Origin of Species, at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, New York City.

During this past week, Dawkins has been speaking in five U.S. universities, and Comfort made sure that books were given away at every meeting. Comfort said, "In New York City, after the professor held up a copy of the book and told students to ignore it, students ignored him, and a thousand of them took books. The problem with any message is getting it to the people you want to reach. We have been able to get the book directly into the hands of thousands of atheists throughout the country. I was so delighted that the professor had pulled them all together for us, that I sent him a gift basket and a thank you note."

He says, "It doesn't worry me that he is laughing all the way to the bank as he peddles his little atheist trinkets, or sells his anti-God T-shirts and books to believers. What concerns me is that he does it under the guise of science and intellectualism. He believes that nothing created everything -- something that is totally unscientific, that we may have been created by aliens, that we are cousins of bananas. His latest book says that Einstein was an atheist, when he wasn't. Einstein warned about devious atheists when he said 'In view of such harmony in the cosmos which I, with my limited human mind, am able to recognize, there are yet people who say there is no God. But what makes me really angry is that they quote me for support of such views.' Deceitfulness is nothing new for atheists. One popular poster shows pictures of eight icons of history, saying that they were all atheists. In truth, only one of those eight great men was an atheist, and he committed suicide after a miserable life as an alcoholic." bligbi.com/2008/09/08/atheism-good-enough-for-these-idiots/

Comfort added, "Dawkin's promotional literature, says 'science can provide the answers to many of the questions life on earth poses; questions previously considered better addressed by spiritual authorities.' That's just not true. Evolution believers haven't a clue where we came from, what we are doing here, or where we go after we die. To look to professor Dawkins for answers to life's big questions, is like looking to a blind man for advice about what color you should paint your house."

Above photo from: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Richard_Dawkins_ridiculing_ Ray_Comfort_2.jpg

Photo rights: "David is a also a critically-acclaimed photographer-rapidly becoming NYC's most famous. He shoots anything from a bum on the street to the highest profile of celebs. But what is unique is, of the thousands of images he owns, he puts them all on Wikipedia for free. Free license to those who wish to use for their stories, for their blogs, etc." blog.shankbone.org/about/

Contact: Trisha Ramos,
Living Waters,
800-437-1893

A Debate not to miss in Keller on Oct 21st!

Who: You are invited
What: Evangelical vs. Mormon Debate. Topic: "Which is the True Church?"
When: Thursday, October 21st at 7:00pm
Where: Keller Roundhouse located in historic downtown Keller, Texas.
Cost: $10.00 per person (ticket sales go towards supporting the renovation and opening of "The Bible House" a new Christian bookstore in Keller, TX)

I'll be there with a Way of the Master/ Fish With Trish resource table with discounted resources to help you defend and share your faith. This will be a perfect time to stock up on tracts. I'll have plenty with me (as Oct 31st will be the following week).

Hope to see you there!

Died with Tracts in Hand

This email came into Living Waters last week and Ray Comfort posted it in his newsletter today:

“My husband, Rev. Bryan Turner was hit and killed by a car 10 weeks ago as he was passing out flyers inviting neighborhood children to vacation Bible school. In his other hand, he was carrying tracts that he purchased from Living Waters. He started "The Extreme Evangelism Ministry" 5 years ago and at that time built "The Jesus Bus" out of an old school bus. He and my father converted the bus into a portable live stage that was used all over Florida and South Georgia. My husband was under your discipleship whether you knew it or not and he literally witnessed to thousands during his short 35 years. He has read close to every publication, watched every video, and purchased every tract that Living Waters has ever sold. I have the downstairs basement with loaded book shelves to prove it. Again, thank you for this ministry.” Joy Turner

An account has been set up to help the family. If you would like to contribute, you may send a check to: Bryan Turner Family Fund at Community First Credit Union, PO Box 2600, Jacksonville, FL 32232

God bless,
Ray