Inspirations & Photography

As a minister I hear people many times blaming God for the evil that is happening in their lives and in the world around them.  They do not have the knowledge of God’s word as to “Where” and from “Whom” these troubles come from.  Jesus said in John 16 verse 33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation (trouble): but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Notice Jesus didn’t say that God is causing these troubles, he said that because you live in this world you will at times experience troubling times, but the good news is He gives us a very comforting truth, “be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.”

So where does the evil in this world come from?  In the book of John chapter 10 and verse 10 Jesus answers this question, “The thief (devil) comes to steal, kill and destroy, BUT I have come that you might have life and life more abundantly” You see the whole purpose for Jesus going to the cross was to number one “save” us and number two “destroy the works of the devil”   Until Jesus returns and the devil is thrown into a bottomless pit (Revelation 20:30)  we as believers in God and Jesus  have been given what the bible calls the “Armor of God” to help protect us and help us to overcome evil when it presents itself:

The Whole Armor of God

¹⁰ A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. ¹² For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

¹³ Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. ¹⁴ Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. ¹⁵ For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. ¹⁶ In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. ¹⁷ Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

There are many great pieces of armor that the Lord has given to us, let me point out one in particular: Prayer.  Jesus teaches us in this verse how and what we should pray in John chapter 11 verses 1-4:

“And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

² And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

³ Give us day by day our daily bread.

⁴ And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.“

The good news is we have been equipped with God’s strength to face and conquer any evil that presents itself in our lives and the lives of our loved ones.  We have been given a mighty armor to “fight the good fight of faith”(1Timothy 6:12)  and to come out victoriously!

“I’m pregnant!” We’ve all heard the exciting announcement from a friend or family member at one time or another.  Even though we cannot see with our natural eyes the miracle that has begun and is growing inside the womb of an expecting mother-to-be, we can all agree there is life!  Even though she cannot see her baby’s tiny hands, feet and tiny heartbeat, she knows without a doubt it’s there! There is an active faith and trust at work here, the good news is God’s promises are no different. Even though many times we cannot “see” day by day what He is doing in our own personal lives,  we can be assured that he is working, and it is never evil it is always good! “How do you know this?” you might ask, “He fills my life with GOOD things” Psalm 103:5 (New Living Translation) “The Lord is GOOD to all” Psalm 145:9.  You might also be asking, “Why does it seem like nothing is working in my life?” or you may be thinking,  ”Nothing good ever comes to me”  Let me ask you a question: Are you breathing? Do you have health in your body. Do you have a job, a place you call home?  All of these things are GOOD things! “Yeah, but…” and then we begin looking at all the negative things, instead of what is good right now, today.

God has many promises that speak of his love for his people, even the world, “God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever chooses to believe in him will not perish, but have life eternal” John 3:16.  Sometimes we do not realize how powerful this love is.  We think of it as a nice story, or something we heard in church a long time ago. But we’ve never really experience the IMPACT of his amazing goodness and love and many never will until they make one of the most important decisions of their lives: To “trust the unseen” trust in God! Believe in Him and accept his amazing gift of Love by Jesus purchasing our freedom!  Once we accept his love by faith we will begin to “see” Him.  How? Just like that tiny unborn baby, a miracle begins to take place inside of you!  You become a “new” person (2Corinthians 5:17)  you begin to have the ability to trust and be confident that what your “Heavenly Father” has planned for you is always good!  And when it feels or seems like things are not going the way you expected, you can now trust that his promises are true and will work for you, IF you trust and believe, “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will ACTUALLY HAPPEN; it give us assurance  about things we CANNOT SEE” Hebrews 11:1. WOW! Take a look at that again Faith gives us “assurance” about things we cannot see! So what does that mean for you? It means that even though you cannot see the end result, you can be assured and have confidence that God is on our side and that although you and I cannot see him, we can have confidence that it will all work out, “And we KNOW that God causes EVERYTHING to work together for good, for those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28 NLT   Also, once we choose to believe and make an adjustment in our hearts to turn to God and give our lives to him, we can be free from fear, “And I am convinced that nothing can separate us from God’s love. Neither death, nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries for tomorrow–not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below–indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39.

I encourage you today to take that leap of faith! When we do this, we can live a life of rest, peace and assurance that God has our backs! And even though we cannot “see” how everything is going to work out, we can be confident that it will always turn out good!

Pastor Nina Tidwell
PonceChurch.com

As Martha was preparing a very special meal, she saw that Mary was not helping her make the most important meal of her life. Troubled and irritable, she said to Jesus “Lord doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” Luke 10:40

I can empathize with Martha. I would probably feel the same way if Jesus himself was coming to my house for dinner and no one was there to help me prepare for such an occasion. Talk about stress! But what’s amazing is Jesus response to Martha, let’s take a look at what he said to her in verse 41 & 42 “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details!  There is only ONE THING worth being concerned about.  Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

In life Jesus said there will be times that will be troubling. Times that can, if we allow them, to cause us to be overwhelmed with worry, anxiousness and stress.  Times when it seems life will seem unfair.  And by Jesus response to Martha, shows us that we do not have to fall victim of such troublesome times.  In fact, he simply said to Martha that instead of being stressed out about life, Mary decided to sit at Jesus feet and listen to his words. Words of life, words of comfort. Words filled with wisdom that produces Peace in our lives.

The good news is that when we “choose” that “One Thing” as Jesus said in Luke 10, our choice will open the door to a shelter that only  God can provide. Shelter from every storm in life that comes our way, “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. BUT anyone who HEARS my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” Mathew 7:24-26 nlt

Because we live in Florida, we have experienced many hurricanes but none of them have touched us or brought harm to our family, why? Because we were protected by “shelter” Our home kept us safe from the elements. God’s word is “shelter” and it will protect us from anything that comes our way. But we must take the time to “Hear” His words, and not just on Sundays. One sermon a week is not enough. It is so very important to take some time each day to read the words of Jesus.  His words will shelter us from any unforgiveness that tries to creep into our lives, God’s very words will help us overcome any pain inflicted by those we love and know.  If our financial situation is not what we’d like it to be we can hear Gods words and do what He says. His promises and faith in his promises will help us to tap into God’s amazing provision, our hope in His words will bring comfort and peace.   If we need healing for our bodies, we have God’s promises that teach us that it is God’s will for us to live a healthy life. Rehearsing Jesus words and God’s promises helps us to face and overcome any obstacles that come our way. That is why it is so important to follow Mary’s example by taking the time to sit at Jesus feet. How? Open your Bibles and read his words of life, hope, encouragement and faith.

“So then Faith (hope, peace encouragement) comes (increases) by hearing and hearing by the word of God” Romans 10:17

For more go to PonceChurch.com

Believe it or not the subject of “Love your enemies” is just as much therapeutic for me as it will be for you.  Before I have ever started blogging, I have always enjoyed writing. Sometimes I would write to God about my concerns, worries, fears and even anger toward others. I have also been very good at writing people, especially if someone has hurt me, my family or church.  There have been many times in my life where I have been able to relate to Peter the disciple of Jesus. For those of you who have never heard the true story, Peter took his sword and cut off a mans ear because they were coming to take Jesus away! Folks, this was a man of God, a follower of Jesus and he was so angry and protective that he lost it! When this incident took place Jesus said to Peter, “You do not know what spirit you are of…” and proceeded to heal the mans ear.

As human beings the first thing we want to do is retaliate! Some of us are ready to rip others up one side and down the other, especially when they’re cruel, unkind and sometimes just downright ignorant.  Continue reading

Picture if you will a very hot and dry desert. What’s the first thing you think of? Water! For fourteen years our family lived in the suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona. I remember quite clearly one summer after our first child was born, our air conditioner went out because the temperatures reached 120′! YES, I said 120 degrees!  If you’ve every flown over the valley you’ll see that nearly every home has a pool because of the extreme heat.  I also remember that I never left the house without water!! Anyone who has ever lived there knows exactly what I’m talking about. I also remember taking walks. It was either EARLY in the morning or when the sun went down and even then I would literally pour water on me to keep me cool as I hit the hiking trails or the streets of my neighborhood.

Our soul is very much like that hot and dry desert. Whether we realize it or not our very being THIRSTS for God! Many people may not realize it but the truth be told, we are God’s creation, and living a life without him in it is like  living in the desert without water.

Let’s take a look at a true story of Jesus and a woman who came to get water from a well:
As Jesus was leaving Judea and returning to Galilee, he came to village in Samaria.  Jacobs well was there and because he was tired from his long walk, he sat beside the well around noontime. “Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food. The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, ‘You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?’ Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me and I would give you living water.” “But Sir, you don’t have a rope or bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?” Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will NEVER be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” John 4:4-14

Here Jesus is teaching us a comparison between the water that we drink  and the LIVING water that comes from Him.  As we can clearly see the Bible references Jesus as the “Living Water”.  The word of God also reveals that Jesus is the bread of life.  First let’s look at what Jesus says in Mathew 4:4 “People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” Jesus explains in another passage of scripture what this means: “The true bread of God is the One (Jesus) who comes down from heaven” John 6:33.

What is the best way of obtaining the “true bread” which is God’s word? “So then faith comes by hearing and by hearing the word of God” Romans 10:17. In the scriptures above this the apostle Paul explains the importance of the teacher, the minister that God has sent to proclaim “His” word and in Hebrews 10:25, the word of God teaches us one very important aspect that we must be careful to not forget as Christians, His people, “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” The King James version says, “Forsake not the assembling of  yourselves together, as a manner of some have…” So what is God saying here? “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith (faith comes by hearing God’s word by his ministers that he has called) and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-13.

Many times we can get distracted and go through life thinking that this part of Christianity is unnecessary.  We get wrapped up in work and raising our families that we sometimes do not see the importance of going to church.  I remember going through a period in my life where I failed to see it’s importance. I went from faithfully going to hear God’s Life giving words to not. And I can honestly say that I do not ever want that to happen again. Why? Because hearing God’s word causes faith to grow.  The scriptures also say that through “faith and patience” we “inherit God’s promises”.  If we’re not being fed the “bread of life” or drinking that “living water” on a regular basis our faith that helps us conquer EVERYTHING in life will not grow. Faith my friend is the ONLY thing that can overcome doubt, fear, anxiety and worry. Hearing God’s word increases our faith to overcome anything that presents itself in life. God’s word says, “the just shall live by faith.”

I encourage you today that if you have put going to church on the back burner to rethink your decision and based on the word of God put it back on your “To-Do” list.  “Blessed are they that Hunger and Thirst after righteousness (God and His word) shall be filled” Mathew 5:6 (Jesus words)

Pastor Nina Tidwell
Ponce Church, Ponce Inlet, Florida~A Surfside Church

Amid the rubbish stands one of the most beautiful sites anyone will ever see: Springtime Sakura, better known as “cherry blossom” trees.  While preparing for my trip to Japan, I look at the hard work our friends in Otsuchi are doing by helping the people that have been devastated by the tsunami that swept through their town, taking lives and tearing down many of the structures that once stood strong.  But with all of the pain and suffering, there is something more powerful than death and destruction: Life!

Jesus says in the ancient scriptures “The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy, but I have come, that you might have Life and Life more abundantly” John 10:10.  You may say, “Where is this Life? How can Life be present when there is so much sorrow? ” When God raised Jesus from the dead he sent His Spirit to live inside every person who chooses to believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. This Spirit demonstrates the love of the Father (God) when we love those around us.  As the people of God his Love empowers us to help a neighbor living just down the street or thousands of miles away bringing comfort to the hurting.  This kind of Love is expressed with more than words, it is accompanied with action,  “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we must also give up our lives for our brothers and our sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but show no compassion–how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth.” 1John 3:16-18

Just like the Sakura trees showing off their display of life and beauty…the people of God are active all over the world  showing this  “Life”  through acts of love toward mankind.  “Let your lite  so shine that mankind will see your good deeds (acts of Love) and Glorify your Father which is in Heaven” Jesus words found in Mathew 5:16

Thank you for your prayers as I continue preparations for my upcoming trip to Japan. Below is Pastor Guna and Jey and members of their congregation returning from their first trip into Otsuchi.  They have recently returned with another team and are working to help clear anything damaged by the tsunami and cleaning the homes so the families (who are in shelters) can return to their homes. God bless them as they show the people of Otsuchi God’s love through their acts of kindness.

For more information regarding our call to Japan, read my blog titled, “Japan: Mission of Love” or go to our website at PonceChurch.com

Have you ever had to take inventory before? Maybe you’re a business owner or an employee of a company that requires annual inventory. If not, I’m sure you’ve taken inventory of what’s in your kitchen especially if  you are  getting ready to prepare a meal for your family or friends and so what is the first thing you do? You check your cupboards or pantry to see if you have the proper ingredients and if not, you make a list of the things you need to purchase at the grocery store or local market.

In business  we are required by law to be “honest” in our assessments during inventory. Many years ago I used to work in retail and I remember the times we were required to take inventory of “everything” in the store and I mean everything. We could not leave anything out, and we were required to be accurate in our calculations.  In life whether we are aware of it or not, we are constantly taking inventory and making assessments of the things we have or don’t have, the question is are we being accurate? Are we forgetting something? As we make assessments of our life are we leaving anything out?

In Philippians chapter 3 verses 7-9 the Apostle Paul says, “I once thought these things were ‘valuable’, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. vs 8 Yes ‘everything else’ is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.  For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as ‘garbage’ (worthless) so that I could gain Christ and become one with him.”

As I mentioned earlier we are all (knowingly or unknowingly) taking inventory of our lives: For some we look at life and how hard it is. We may be frustrated because of our financial situation. We may be jealous of what our neighbors (or family and co-workers) have. We may even be irritated by the fact that we don’t have the job or career we “really” want. What the Apostle Paul is saying here is that he has  knowingly made an honest assessment of his life. The “things” he once thought were ‘valuable’ to him are no longer that. He made an honest assessment and came to the true understanding that the infinite value in Life comes ONLY from Jesus and knowing him. You might be asking yourself “How?” “How can I stop looking at and being ‘consumed’ with the things I have or “don’t” have and carefully and honestly see the “True Value” in Jesus?  I’m glad you asked, picture if you will a “warehouse” it’s your warehouse containing  “everything” you posses, including your present circumstances whether good or bad and in this warehouse  you also have a chest full of “gold” but you overlook it because everything else in your warehouse has captured your attention which causes you to not see it.  Why? Because while we’re ‘busy’ taking inventory of our life we are failing to  make a “complete” assessment. We’re so focused on all the other stuff, that we are unable to see that right in the middle of everything else in our warehouse  is something that is MORE valuable than anything else. So how do we focus on this treasure that has been in our warehouse since day one? Take NEW inventory and “include” Jesus as being the MOST important and most VALUABLE asset in your life. What does the “value” of Jesus offer us: God’s word says that he “…works ALL things together for GOOD, to those that love God and are called according to His purpose” Another promise is “…and NOTHING shall by any means hurt you…” Another nugget of truth of knowing Jesus is, “I CAN do ALL THINGS through Christ who gives me strength” Friends, He is our Life, Purpose and Peace…everything else is “garbage” it’s worthless compared to Jesus.  Taking our eyes off of the “garbage” and putting our focus on Jesus is the most valued treasure we could ever obtain.

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a TREASURE that a man/woman discovered hidden in a field…” ~ Knowing Jesus.

For more go Ponce Church website and download Pastor Rick’s newest
messages, “The Value of Jesus”

“You’re never gonna be alone…If you feel like letting go-I’ll never let you fall…I’ll hold you til’ the hurt is gone”  Lyrics from the song “Never Gonna Be Alone” by Nickelback.  On YouTube alone there are have been over 8 million people that have nourished their soul by the verses from this song.  That’s 8 million people that are either going through or  have experienced some kind of heartache in their lives.

As I listened to the powerful words of hope, I could not help but think about how close they are to the very words of Jesus. In one particular scripture Jesus says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” and in Luke 4:18 Jesus himself says that He has come to “…heal the brokenhearted”

Maybe someone has hurt you or you have lost a loved one and wonder if you’ll ever be free from the pain.  Or maybe you have gone through a divorce and feel like you’ll never love again. Whatever you are going through the God of all Peace wants you to know that you truly are NOT alone.

You may be asking the question “How do you know?” Let me encourage you to read one of my previous blogs titled: “Girl Meets God” in it you’ll find my personal story and how I met the only one who could take my own pain of loss and heartache away. Is it possible? Absolutely! The only way the pain can continue is if you choose to hold on to it.  It’s like a wound on your own body.  If it is not given the proper care such as cleaning the affected area, medicating it and covering that wound with clean bandages it will not heal properly, in fact it can even get worse by becoming infected. Our heartaches and pains in life also need the proper treatment.  Just like Jesus said, “…I have come to HEAL the brokenhearted…” So how does he “heal” our broken hearts? He says that when we forgive and have mercy on others that we will receive that same mercy when we need it but if we choose to not forgive those that have hurt us, then we become locked in a prison of torment (Mathew 18:21-35). You might be thinking “That’s not fair! They’re the ones who have hurt me” Forgiveness is a powerful thing.  We did not “deserve” God’s mercy, but because of His love He sent his Son to take our place, to pay the penalty of our wrongs, He chose to forgive us and so He expects us to extend that same mercy.  When we choose not to do it, we make it worse for ourselves so much so it can lead to mental torment and physical pain.  Jesus wants us free, and the way we become free is by following his teachings and commandment of love.
Loss of a loved one: In my research when someone experiences a loss of any kind, there are emotional stages and one of them is “anger”  We can become angry with others and even angry with God.  Let me stop you here for a moment:  The scriptures say that we have an enemy and that enemy is NOT God.  Jesus says in John 10:10, “The thief (devil, satan) has come to steal, kill and destroy, BUT I (Jesus) have come that you might have life and life more abundantly” Look carefully at this  passage Jesus is letting us know right away who our enemy is.  He clearly lets’ us know that it is neither God nor Himself  bringing evil into our lives.   In this passage Jesus is teaching us  that there is a thief  (this is the same enemy that deceived Adam and Eve in the garden) and that He (Jesus) came to help us and deliver us from this evil and gives us His Life in abundance.   If you look at the life of Jesus on the earth, you’ll see that the scriptures say “He went about DOING GOOD and HEALING all that are oppressed from the Devil”

So we can clearly see here that God is a GOOD God…and He sent His Son Jesus, giving us good things and providing a life greater than we can ever imagine.

Once we make the decision and believe the TRUTH which is God’s word, then we can begin to “let go” of the anger and begin to “Look to Jesus and do what He says” His promises to help us to be free from pain and torment, he promises to “heal the brokenhearted”.  There is hope my friend, just ask God to help you.  Believe in His Son Jesus and follow his teachings…He is the one who came to give you His Life…full of joy, peace and happiness…and remember, you’re “Never Gonna be Alone”

“Forgiveness” brings you freedom from the pain of others hurting you, listen for free “Mercy and Forgiveness”
Also follow Ponce Church on Facebook “Ponce Church Surfside-Ponce Inlet, FL” or “Pastor Nina Tidwell”

I’m sure many of us are familiar with the song sung  in Sunday Schools all across American and abroad: “Jesus Loves the Little Children” and it goes something like this: “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world, red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world”. It does not matter what age we are nor the color of our skin, the Living God sent His Son Jesus for us ALL because of His amazing Love (John 3:16).
As I look at the young child from Japan in my previous blog, “Japan: Mission of Love” I think of how the Lord loves all children from every nation. I also think of His commission for His people: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature…” This kind of person see’s all mankind as equal. There are no walls, there is no prejudice.  All we see is God’s creation and His desire to share with them the greatest gift of all: Jesus.

I remember growing up and how my father was kind to everyone.  It did not matter what color they were, nor their ethnicity.  I remember in the early 1970′s my father took me aside one day and said, “We are NOT prejudice”  I’ll never forget that! Day’s later my brother of whom was returning from Vietnam brought a friend of his from the war that was African-American along with his family.  You must understand, we lived in an all white neighborhood and the only time you would see a black person was when you crossed the  “8 mile” line. So for our neighborhood this was a big deal! As I think back I am so thankful that my Dad taught me to love all people, not matter the color of their skin.

As a minister of Jesus Christ,  I will go wherever He sends me, and I will preach the Good News of God’s Love to whomever He leads me.

“…red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight…Jesus Loves the little children of the world”

Ponce Church

Japan: Mission of Love