CallToBattle

Testimony Tuesday Have you ever wondered what kind of legacy you will leave behind once God calls you home? Are there certain things you will be remembered for? Will there be good thoughts about you, funny thoughts, not so good thoughts? I know it seems strange to think about those things, but once we leave this world our life in people’s minds will carry those memories of us. I remember very clearly when my mother Gloria passed away. Her church had an open mic so people could share their best and funny moments of my mother. Oh how she affected other’s lives; her ministry to help others and organizing events is who she was. One of her talents was that she was a gifted quilter. She was president of her quilt guild, and was very active, until she succumbed to cancer in 1999 at the young age of 67. At her memorial, we asked people if my mother ever made them a quilt please bring it to the memorial so we can share it for others to see. Well, let me tell you our family was pleasantly surprised when we saw all the quilts people brought. There must have been over a hundred quilts. We hung them up on special “A” frame wooden racks my dad had built. There were quilts I’ve never seen before. These were amazing quilts! My mother started quilting late in life—in her 50s. Today her quilts are part of our heritage. Heirlooms to treasure that remind us of who she was, a loving and generous soul. Somewhere I have photos of her memorial in one of the many photo boxes. All the quilts and the different types of quilting she did. This was just one aspect of her generosity and love that generated such a legacy of her. She was also a tutor teaching English as a second language to Hispanic children. She was at every one of my Drill Team, and Color Guard performances when I was in the High School band. She was supportive in every endeavor I took on. She was my cheerleader! When I was a teen, I would tag along at her Women’s Soft Ball league games, babysitting my little sister while watching her pitch. She was very fierce competitor too. But even more than that she was a godly Christian woman who loved the Lord and her life reflected it. She certainly left an impression on all of us. I miss her dearly. Today, I am a quilter also—of course I am! I learned from the best. Sometimes I talk to the Lord about her. When I’m currently working on a quilt project, I tell Jesus; “Jesus, please tell Mama I’m thinking about her, and I hope she knows I am thankful for her teaching me how to sew.” It may sound silly, but when I am trying to decide which fabric to choose for the back of the quilt, (like the most recent quilt for my sister) I’ll talk to her as if she is right next to me. “Mama, which fabric should I pick for the back of this quilt for Patti?” Then I hear this voice; “That one” It sure sounded like my Mama’s voice. When I gifted the quilt to my sister. I told her I asked Mama about which fabric to use for the backing. My sister confirmed, indeed that was the perfect fabric backing. I got to thinking, and asked myself why she couldn’t stay longer with us. But, then again I could ask the same thing about Jesus our Lord. Imagine how much more Christ could have impacted the world had he lived longer. But here’s the thing that hit me. Though we do not know why God calls the good ones home so soon, but what they have left behind reaches far more than what we could have ever imagined. My mother’s legacy continues to carry on in me and my family and those who knew her. In today’s video, see how one man’s legacy has left an impression and outreach ministry sharing the Word of God for the most vulnerable and challenging time in people’s lives. What will you be remembered for? “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18 Blessings, —Paula @CallToBattle

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It’s hard to watch the wicked prosper while the faithful struggle. But Solomon reminds us that human wisdom has limits. Only God sees the full picture. The wicked may seem to win for a time, but their prosperity won’t last. True justice is coming—and only those in Christ are secure. Solomon struggled with how justice plays out in a fallen world. The evil seem honored. The righteous seem forgotten. But through it all, he learned: God is always just, even when we don’t understand His timing. His delay isn’t approval—it’s grace, giving time for repentance. We must not be fooled by appearances. A life apart from God, no matter how prosperous, ends in eternal loss. But those who fear the Lord have peace, even when life seems unfair. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set to do evil. ☕️ Ecclesiastes 8:11 ~Disciplined Discipler ~

Do you all remember the story of the RV explosion that occurred in Nashville, Tennessee on Christmas Day in 2020? Here is another example of God’s providence. https://youtube.com/shorts/mx_WRHrVSOI?

I may have shared this one before, but I just love this one.👇🏼 https://youtube.com/shorts/xs6uXbM-9UQ?

Testimony Tuesday Divine protection is a real thing, undoubtedly a sign of God’s divine providence. God is real. We see evidence of Him every day in our lives and others. God protects us in ways we may never even realize. His Word says His presence goes before us. His angels have charge over us. He who keeps us will not slumber. Over the years I’ve posted many stories of the unexplainable miracles. I say unexplainable because there is no logical explanation but to assume a divine presence intervenes on our behalf. There are times the Holy Spirit will give us a direct order to change our course or redirect us in any given situation. That spiritual instinct that tells us something deep within us to pay attention. I call it my ‘Holy Spirit’ alarm. And it has gone off many times for me. This is why it is so important to pray, ask for guidance, protection, direction, and be in the Word daily, so that you may recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit and His prompting and be quick to obey—because, it can be the difference between life and death. Every night before I go to bed I make a habit of reciting Psalm 91 and Psalm 121. It has become a habit. I just do it. Here is one such testimony of God’s providential protection.👇🏼

There are seasons where praise flows like a river, and then there are seasons where praise feels like a battle. There are moments when the song comes easy, but there are also moments when your soul feels heavy, your spirit feels pressed, and your mouth can barely form the words, “Hallelujah.” Yet it is in those very moments that you must rise up and command your soul to praise. David said in Psalm 103, “Bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me, bless His holy name.” David was not speaking from a place of ease. He was speaking to his own soul. He understood that sometimes your spirit must take authority over your emotions. Sometimes your flesh will resist worship. Sometimes pain will try to silence your praise. Sometimes grief will try to close your mouth. But there is a holy determination that rises up in the believer that says, “Even if I have to crawl to the altar, I will still bless the Lord.” There is a kind of praise that costs something. Anybody can praise when the answer comes. Anybody can worship when the breakthrough has already arrived. But heaven responds to the sacrifice of praise. Heaven responds when tears are streaming down your face and yet your hands still begin to lift. Heaven responds when your voice shakes but you still whisper the name of Jesus. Heaven responds when your heart is breaking and yet you still declare, “God, You are worthy.” The enemy fears a believer who praises in pain because painful praise carries power. The worship that is born in suffering tears down strongholds. The praise that rises out of warfare shifts atmospheres. The enemy does not know what to do with someone who refuses to become silent in the fire. Some of you are waiting to “feel” praise before you offer it, but breakthrough often comes after obedience. Paul and Silas did not praise after the prison doors opened. They praised while their backs were bleeding. They praised while chains were still on their hands. They praised while sitting in darkness. And their praise shook the foundation of the prison. There are earthquakes attached to sacrificial worship. You may not have the strength to dance right now. You may not have the energy to shout right now. But if all you can do is whisper “Jesus,” let that whisper become your offering. If all you can do is lift trembling hands, let those trembling hands become your altar. Some of the most powerful praise you will ever offer is the praise that had to fight its way out of you. Psalm 22:3 says that God inhabits the praises of His people. He enthrones Himself upon praise. That means when praise rises, His presence manifests. And when His presence manifests, everything that He is begins to invade your situation. Peace steps into chaos. Strength steps into weakness. Freedom steps into bondage. Light steps into darkness. Healing steps into brokenness. Praise is an invitation for the King to enter the room. Mary broke open the alabaster jar and the fragrance filled the house. Worship that costs you something always releases fragrance. Cheap praise rarely shifts atmospheres, but costly worship fills rooms with glory. When you break before Him, when pride shatters, when self preservation breaks open, the fragrance of surrender begins to rise to heaven. So command your soul to praise. Praise when you feel abandoned. Praise when prayers seem unanswered. Praise when tears are your language. Praise when the battle is long. Praise when your heart feels exhausted. Because there is a breakthrough hidden inside your sacrifice. And I hear the Spirit saying, “do not let your pain silence your praise.” Open your mouth again. Lift your hands again. Build the altar again. Because the praise that costs you the most will carry the greatest weight of glory. Your praise is becoming a weapon. Your worship is becoming a battering ram against hell. And as you command your soul to bless the Lord, the atmosphere around you is about to shift with the manifested presence of God. -Jessica Jecker Simply Jecker

Testimony Tuesday Today I have a three part video testimony. It is well worth the watch. I am always amazed how the Lord brings people out of darkness. In my younger earlier immature Christian days, I used to think every thing was black and white. There was only one way to become a Christian and that was, you had to go to church, they would invite people to go up to the altar and accept Christ, as the congregation sang the song “Just as I Am” and be done and on your way. I truly believed that was the only way. I had no idea God was a very personal God. Oh, how little did I know. The church never taught me about how much God really loved me and wanted a relationship with me, like a friend. There was no follow up in the Baptist church I was attending. They didn’t teach me that God was a very personal God. I never truly knew the extent of His love until much later in life, outside of the church. Sad, but it was true. I didn’t find God in church, He found me, in the shower one day. As I was there crying out to him. I remember getting this sensation of Him literally washing my sin away and watching it go down the drain. That was the day my life changed forever. It was through another person in Christ outside of the church that encouraged me. She introduced me to my Savior and helped me to truly know the depth of God’s love for me. It was the light that emanated from her that drew me in. And I wanted that. In the past I had an idea about Jesus in my mind and His promises, but for some reason I hadn’t surrendered to Him in my heart because I truly believed I reduced salvation down to a formula, or at least a list of do this and that and you’ll be saved. It wasn’t until that day in the shower, I met the One true God. Not the formula I thought I had to follow, or the list of things I had to do and perform but His pure love and grace and His desire to be my friend even in my sin. That was nearly 40 years ago. I knew I was His…forever. He showed up one day. There was no choir of angels singing that I could hear. No fanfare, no welcome to the club right of passage at least on this side of life. It was quiet, His voice was soft and gentle. He was pure and genuine. There was hope. For the first time I was filled with the fullness of God. I experienced this incredible peace (in the middle of a storm), and I just knew in the depth of my spirit every thing was new. The message I want you all to understand here, is this; God meets you where you’re at. There is no formula or rules to conform to before you have to believe. He is there, ready to show you and ready to listen. Watch these videos of this young woman, how her encounter with Jesus Christ changed her life when she was the farthest away from God a person can get. Oh, and the other reminder I have for you—pray, pray and continue to pray and intercede for those the Lord places on your heart. Those prayers matter in His kingdom. The forces of darkness cannot prevail when the saints of God intercede. Blessings to you my friends, —Paula @CallToBattle

Taps Lyrics Version: 1 Day is done, gone the sun, From the hills, from the lake, from the skies. All is well, safely rest, God is nigh. Go to sleep, peaceful sleep, may the soldier or sailor, God keep. On the land or the deep, Safe in sleep. Love, good night, must thou go, when the day, and the night need thee so? All is well. Speedeth all To their rest. Fades the light; And afar Goeth day, And the stars Shineth bright, Fare thee well; Day has gone, night is on. Thanks and praise, for our days, ‘Neath the sun, Neath the stars, ‘Neath the sky, As we go, this we know, God is nigh. Taps Lyrics Version: 2 Day is done, gone the sun, From the lake, from the hills, from the sky; All is well, safely rest, God is nigh. Fading light, dims the sight, And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright. From afar, drawing nigh, falls the night. Thanks and praise, for our days, ‘Neath the sun, ‘neath the stars, neath the sky; As we go, this we know, God is nigh. Sun has set, shadows come, Time has fled, Scouts must go to their beds Always true to the promise that they made. While the light fades from sight, And the stars gleaming rays softly send, To thy hands we our souls, Lord, commend. Taps Lyrics Version: 3 Day is done, gone the sun From the lakes, from the hills, from the sky All is well, safely rest God is nigh Fading light dims the sight And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright From afar, drawing near Falls the night Thanks and praise for our days Neath the sun, neath the stars, neath the sky As we go, this we know God is nigh

Taps began during the American Civil War in 1862. General Daniel Butterfield, a Union officer, felt that the standard bugle call to end the day was too harsh and lacked feeling. He worked with his brigade bugler, Oliver Willcox Norton, to write a softer and more thoughtful version. That new melody became what we now know as Taps. Initially, it was used only to signal lights out. However, it was soon played during a funeral when no band was available. The sound fit the mood so well that others followed the example. About the Song Few musical phrases carry the weight of national grief and personal remembrance like Taps, the solemn bugle call often heard in quiet moments of tribute. Just 24 notes long, it holds powerful meaning, more than sound. It is a symbol of respect, loss, and service. Even at funerals, memorials, or flag ceremonies, Taps speaks silently, yet says everything.