Author: Mimi Acosta

Mimi Acosta is a retired secondary school administrator and educator. Soon after they were blessed with a saving faith, Mimi and her husband, Noé, began a ministry of education for pastors in Latin America—Gospel Through Colombia. Through this mission, Mimi teaches women’s Bible studies and encourages women to do the same within their churches and communities. At her church in Central Florida, Mimi sings in the choir. She enjoys writing songs and poetry.
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Spiritual Motherhood

Precious Sisters in the Lord,

Today is Mother’s Day, and as Christian women, regardless of our age, we are all privileged to celebrate motherhood in a different sense—spiritual motherhood. Indeed, even for those who have not yet had children, or may never bear children, spiritual motherhood is our privilege—and our calling.

Consider the specific command we are given by Paul in Titus 2: 3-5. Here it is:

3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, 4 so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

Notice the particular diction: to be reverent…teaching…encourage. As the Beloved of God, especially chosen by Him for His glory and delight, we can thankfully embark on our high and unique calling to be reverent, to teach and to encourage.

Allow me first to clear up something. When Paul refers to the “older women” this does not mean age, but maturity, particularly, maturity in our Christian faith. I am astounded, Sisters, at the profound, letters that you write, bringing it all home to my heart, allowing me to experience your concerns, your joys and even your pains, then applying Scriptural sensibility to life situations. You may be younger in years, Little Sisters, but you are richly blessed in Christian maturity through your knowledge of the Bible and special applications you continuously make. Good for you—and good for us!

Now, to be reverent should be the passion for every Christian. God is holy, holy, holy. (I keep mentioning that because it keeps humbling, humbling, humbling me.) How else could we stand before God except on our knees or on our face! Our behavior in everything, what we say, what we do, how we respond, should always give glory to God. (Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Colossians 3: 17) What a wonderful way to participate in motherhood—to reflect our love for God at the supermarket, in our work, when we ask for help or address a problem, how we dress for church, where we go for recreation, what we do in service for God and community! The younger women, those ladies who are beginning to realize their need for God, or who are new in the faith, are watching with wide open eyes. I remember the first Christian church my husband and I attended, where I took mental notes on everything Christian women said or did, so that I would learn to act properly and pleasing to God. What a conviction came my way when the Holy Spirit made me aware that we are all sinners, and that our true and only model should be Jesus Christ! But these sweet ladies already knew that!

Also, in Titus 2, we are called to teach, as well. Some of you may already be teachers in Sunday school or homeschooling or Vacation Bible School. But even outside of these activities, God calls all of us to teach little ones the way that pleases Him. In Proverbs 22: 6, we are told: Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it. Spiritual Motherhood is exemplified when we pray for the unborn, the newborn, the tweens and the teens, when we are asked to give advice or counsel to college students or to an engaged couple. Our Motherhood Manual should always be the same—the Holy Bible. What joy it is to see a young person respond well to a situation for the good guidance or warning that we give—all to the glory of God!

Now remember, there is a third admonition for Spiritual Motherhood, and that is, to encourage. Here, we obey God by presenting the Truth of His word to a world that, without Christ as Savior, will perish eternally. When we are confronted by unbelievers and we respond by leading them to the Lord with a word kindly spoken, when we are called to the bedside of a sick person and we read the Scriptures or sing a spiritual song to them, when we visit grieving friends and we place our arms around them and say, “I am here for you”, all of these are only small ways that we can encourage. Women are already designed to be nurturing, comforting, understanding and giving. Now that is a great combination of God-given qualities to make us encouraging Mothers!

To my special Sisters who long to be married and have a family, who are married and are unable to start a family, or whose children are estranged from them, allow me to be your encouraging Mother. Trust in the grace of our Sovereign God Who knitted us in our mother’s womb. Believe that He Who is all-knowing and all-powerful will finish His work in you, for His glory—even if it is not as we would want. Be ready in all seasons to serve Him as teacher and encourager to women and children who need to draw close to Jesus Christ, our all in all.

And so, Dear Sisters, if you believe Mother’s Day is only for women flanked by little ones—or big ones who return to the nest—reflect on Titus 2, and celebrate a Happy Mother’s Day—every day!

Mimi

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The Tongue’s Prayer

My tongue shall speak of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness.
Psalm 119: 172

Dear sister,

How wonderful it would be if our tongue was used only always to speak of God’s word! Imagine the celestial sound of every conversation, every lecture, every song, and every sermon. The harmony would be so euphoric that the stars would sway to the perfect rhythm of God’s perfect poetry! There would be love, joy, peace, patience, kindness—no long suffering, for there would be no suffering at all! This is what Heaven holds for us, the blessed hope for the Believers in Christ, and our tongues shall speak of God’s word, and we shall be forever with our Groom, The Word of God! And so, we wait patiently for that glorious, sinless day.

But, Dear Ones, right now we are here on earth where there is only never an inclination for the tongue to speak of the word of God. A few moments with the television, a few loud sounds of rap from a car, a few shouts from a stadium, and a few rants from an unsatisfied customer in your neighborhood supermarket will show us that the tongue is the cause of anger, slander, complaint, hatred, filthy language, war and murder—the dissonant mess of the world! Right now, the stars are sobbing and the Children of God are striving!

The tongue is in the middle of our mouth. God placed it there for a purpose—to sing praises to Him, to lament with repentance, to converse with Him in prayer, to speak the truth in love to the rebellious, and to praise Him even more! Only always should this be the work of the tongue—designed by the mind of God, redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit! The central location of the tongue should only always remind us that our whole being is for praising and worshiping Him!

Jesus, all God and all man, was able to peer into the hearts of the people that surrounded Him. In Matthew 12:34, He connected their evil heart to the mouth: “You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.” Again in Matthew, a few chapters later, He makes the association: “It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.” Matthew 15:11

The psalmist, David, surrounded by enemies, understood the need for verbal restraint from what he truly felt in his heart. Notice what he says in Psalm 39:1,
“I said, ‘I will guard my ways,
Lest I sin with my tongue;
I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle,
While the wicked are before me.'”

And David’s son, Solomon, in the wisdom that God gave him, said much the same:
Whoever guards his mouth and tongue
Keeps his soul from troubles.
Proverbs 21:23

Because I have not heeded the word of God, and allowed an unbridled tongue to offend, criticize and complain, my soul has been troubled many times.
Precious Sisters, how can I extend solid counsel to you when I have failed to glorify God with my own tongue? There is nothing I can do or say to explain myself out of this sinful dilemma. And so, I shall pray with thankfulness for the Holy Spirit’s kind conviction to our hearts at this time.

Dear Heavenly Father Who created every part of my being, have mercy on me a sinner.
My tongue has caused very large problems for me and for others,
problems that point to the sinful nature that I possess.

Instead of praising Thee, my tongue complained to Thee.
Instead of singing to Thee, my tongue rebelled in discontent.
Instead of proclaiming Thy Word to a needy world, my tongue kept silent in fear.
Instead of presenting the Gospel of Grace, my tongue incited blasphemy.

Precious God, Triune, Holy, Almighty and Compassionate,
the “should haves” for the use of my tongue are numerous.
I should have responded kindly to an unkind person.
I should have prayed for the one who hurt my feelings.
I should have presented the Truth of Thy word to the one who denied and compromised it.

How can it be, Sweet Creator, that this little rudder, of the vessel that I am,
could pull me off course, away from Thy perfect will for me,
and take me to places that make me shudder with shame?
How can it be, Most High God, that I who sing worshipful anthems to Thee with my tongue on Sunday could also engage it in glib gossip, caustic complaints and disgraceful dialogues the remaining week?

Dearest Father, I am ashamed of sin caused by my hurtful tongue, and I have displeased Thee.
Yet you hold me by Thy righteous right hand. I am Thine and You will never let me go.
The sweetness of Thy forgiveness delights my tongue.
The psalms and hymns and spiritual songs have been restored.
May the heart of Christ form words of compassion for every person I meet.
May my tongue confess Christ only always, so that eternal praises may begin today. Amen.

Has this prayer helped you, tearful Sisters—even in a small way? I need to pray this often—only always.

Blessings to you,
Mimi

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On the Waves of Patience

Beloved Sisters in the Lord,

Would that I had the patience of a saint, as some of you think! Indeed, patience is a precious gift of the Holy Spirit, following the flow from LOVE, JOY AND PEACE! (22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23). Patience, in the biblical sense, means slow to anger, long-suffering. What a definition—slow to anger. Only God is slow to anger and, therefore, truly patient with an impatient world. What a gift to have God’s word remind us of His patience with us! Read, Dear Sisters, from Psalm 103: 8-14.

8″The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
9 He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
12 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
14 For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.”

In human nature, patience is cultivated through the trials and setbacks that we experience during our lifetime. As the children of God, our patience should result from trusting Him, our Father in Heaven. It is when we pocket our trust in God that we become quick tempered, easily angered, and yield ourselves to fret and challenge and forget the blessed new creation that we are. (Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17) The very fact that we are saved for eternity should be something that completely overwhelms us with patience to endure any and all infractions on what we deem most important—in our perfect little world, for our perfect little agenda!

No, Dear Ladies, I do not possess the patience of a saint, but there is someone who modeled it for me. Having recently taught a Bible study on Noah and God’s Covenant with him, I began to wonder about the eight people in the ark who were saved through the awful forces of water surge and down pour of the wrath of the holy, holy, holy God on a completely sinful world. Has anyone given much thought to Mrs. Noah as possessing the patience of a saint?

As far-fetched as this may seem, think for a moment of this sinner saved by grace, and what she endured while her husband constructed an ark, a huge building that was to house animals and plants and his family for many, many weeks. Think of her patience as they were ridiculed while this vessel was being built in the middle of dry land. Until then, people had not known rainfall, let alone a deluge, and they could not understand what Noah was doing because they had refused any relationship with God, their Creator and Provider.

But Noah was chosen by God to know Him. And so, what could she have done, other than patiently be his helpmate, feed him, keep him company, and give him encouragement from the very Gospel she received from him. Then they entered the ark and there she was with Noah and her sons and in-laws, locked in a floating box of gopher wood, listening to the bleat of sheep, the moo of cows and the chirp of birds…and these are only the sweet sounds! Think of her patience as she feeds the two elephants and two camels, the two frogs and the two dogs, and, possibly being food herself for the two mosquitoes, that were being kept alive for the restoration of the natural world that was being devastated by our most patient God!

My Sisters, patience requires us to endure—to put up with—the most uncomfortable situations: the surroundings, the sounds, the smells, the selfishness and, yes, even the silliness that we may not like. Even dealing with family dynamics had to cause more stress as they all wondered what was going on outside!

In the end, this patient lady emerged from the ark to observe a totally destroyed world, and to be God’s chosen one, among the 7 others, who were saved. She and the others had much work to do, clean-up, rebuild and evangelize the new ones to be born for the repopulation effort. That had to be an unspeakable challenge to her patience. But, oh, what grace and mercy she and her family had been given—they were saved by God!

If, indeed, we contemplate our own salvation, through the mercy of God Who, through His Son, Jesus Christ alone we are spiritually restored to Him, then we can begin to enjoy Heaven now! What could possibly irritate, annoy, attack and consume us when we are already in Heaven? Like Mrs. Noah, trust God and patiently ride the waves of each day within the ark of His sovereign grace!

With thankfulness for His Grace alone,
Mimi

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Mustard and Mountains

Beloved Sisters,

Mustard and mountains make for a great success story!

Are you desperately pining about why things do not go the way you want? Are you doubtful that your life is not prosperous because…and because…? Where is your Happy and Prosperous New Year?

Perhaps yesterday introduced a barrage of worries—a needed job, a sick child, a lost key. Or was it today that your project was rejected, a promise was broken, or the rent was increased. Have you yet to see your life brim full of all the expectations you had created since childhood—a dream house, a dream vacation, a dream husband? As I walk alongside you, listening and bearing some of your fearful load, I am reminded of a little lesson that Jesus taught His anxious, doubtful followers. He said, in Matthew 17:20, For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

Do you hear what Jesus is saying? He is comparing the fears and frustrations of our day to a mountain. He must have been looking at a certain mountain at the time he said this: you will say to this mountain. His human eyes were probably observing the peaks, the crags, and the many, many rocks, while His divine love was peering through the souls of those around Him. What a lesson for us—coming from the only One fully man and fully God!

His lesson is, also, rather simple: Every day we face a mountain. The peaks are too high for us to climb, the crags are so dangerous, and the rocks may fall on us. And so, how do we get around the mountain that prevents us from a prosperous day? We place our faith in Him.

This is easier said than done, as this Christian woman who writes to you has, more than once, attempted to scale the mountain solo! Setting my goals on reaching those peaks, without asking Jesus to take me there, made the journey of my day longer as I continued to fall back. Without prayer to Him for wisdom, those crags ripped through my ambitions. Without depending on my Sovereign God, the rocks crushed every hope for success. The mountain left me breathless and overcome with discouragement.

But Jesus gives us a great solution with a tiny example—the mustard seed—and He compares faith in Him to that one little seed. You see, having faith in Christ Jesus is the seed from which our prosperity germinates, grows and thrives. With faith, everything we do, say, hear, think should be for His glory and praise. With faith in Christ Jesus, we are praying to Him for your success that is within the will of God.

When we have faith in Christ Jesus, we approach every action with trust that God is sovereign over the action from beginning to end. Our faith may be small for the largest of tasks ahead, yet faith in Christ Jesus will permit us to prosper, even if we fail by the world’s standards, even if we do not get what we had hoped to get—in this world.

Faith is placing our trust on what God wants for us. We can move those mountains when we look at them with Jesus. Better still, we shall walk with Jesus among the faithful–for all eternity. (Hebrews 11)

Allow me to share with you one of my favorite psalms, one that allows me to climb every mountain of the day. It is Psalm 121.

I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;
From where shall my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who keeps Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun will not smite you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
8 The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in
From this time forth and forever.
Oh, what beautiful mountains to behold this New Year—with Jesus!

With Love in Him,
Mimi

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Jesus Wept ~ John 11:35

Do Christians grieve?

Yes, Dear One, Christians grieve.  Oh, I see what you are asking.  Why, then, so little sobbing and so much joy at a Christian funeral?

One would naturally come to that conclusion when a congregation smiles as a fellow member is said to have gone home to be with the Lord.

Christian memorial services and funerals are truly joyous events, for all believers are unified around the throne of God- some in spirit, some still in the body, and we know that we shall all see each other again.

 

 

23Nevertheless I am still with you, You hold me by my right hand.
24 You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to glory.

Psalm 73:23-24

However, Christians do not lose their normal emotions when they are born again and, while here on earth, Christians do still feel the pangs of pain and death, hurt and loss, misery and depression, sadness and inner turmoil, just as anyone else.  The human condition is not eradicated when we are given the faith to believe that God has chosen us, has forgiven us, and has destined us to be His forever. In the face of earthly affliction and misery, we just know that there is something so much better awaiting us—in Heaven with Him eternally!

27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish;

neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

John 10:27-28

The Believer trusts that God is sovereign. God controls all things—the course of the stars and planets, the fur growth on little rabbits, the ups and downs of the stock market, and each beat of the heart of every person in the world.  His omniscience and omnipotence, His eternity and infinity, His power and might are astoundingly constant.  God never changes and He remains the Creator and the Sustainer of life.  When a person worships this magnificent God, even the losses and hits in life are bearable, pointing us to His greater purpose.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God,

to those who are the called according to His purpose.

 

 (Romans 8:28)

Why should we not grieve when the Bible tells us that Jesus wept when His friend, Lazarus, died?  We know this from the shortest verse in the Bible, Jesus wept.  (John 11:35) This may be the shortest verse in the entire bible, but it makes powerful impact on us.

To begin with, Dear One, Jesus grieved the death of His friend because Jesus was fully human, as well as fully God.   He was overwhelmed to sobs with compassion. He felt the weight of the sorrow of Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus.

Jesus knew that He would bring Lazarus back to life again—in order to glorify God.  He also knew that He, Himself, would experience death, as any man, and, on the third day, rise from the dead. But, unlike Lazarus who would experience death again, Jesus would be risen from His earthly tomb, be seen by hundreds, ascend with His glorified body, and sit at the right hand of His Father in heaven, and return again to judge the living and the dead, as our Creed says.

Which brings me to a second aspect of the verse, Jesus wept.  Jesus cries because man is sinful and all creation pays the price of sin.  Everything about us:  our health, our house, our family, our marriage, our work, our daily routines and everything we forget and take for granted—are under attack, because of the Fall of Man.  We grieve at illness.  We grieve at job loss. We grieve at divorce. We grieve at calamity.  We grieve even when a pet dies.

 

Believe me, when I read the prayer requests from my home church I am stunned at all the hardship and troubles that surround our beloved congregation!  I grieve alongside each one of my Brothers and Sisters making their unique prayer requests known.  Just imagine all the suffering of the world!

 

This is what Jesus is also grieving, and we, Believers, grieve the same, crying out to God, How long, Lord, how long?

One last thought on the grief of Jesus as He wept.

Jesus grieved the lost, the perishing, those who would remain under the wrath of God because of their unbelief.  No matter what Jesus told His own people about Himself as the Messiah, no matter how many times He spoke with authority in the temple, no matter how many miracles He performed, and how many people He restored to life from death—the people refused to believe that Jesus is the Son of God come into the world as Savior and Redeemer.

The people were lamenting the death of Lazarus and figured that this was the end for him.  They had forgotten about the Resurrection of the Body and, yes, Lazarus would rise again to live forever.

So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

I Corinthians 15: 54

Oh, Dear Sister, Christians do grieve, especially for the unbeliever.

Is your heart burdened for someone who refuses to know Jesus Christ?  Mine is.  Pray with me, pray hard, and then, pray some more.  We are to pray unceasingly for that person, storm the very gates of Heaven with our prayers, and then rest on the God’s glorious grace on us and His perfect and sovereign will.

The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;

it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.  Lamentations 3:25-26

Christian grief is a real emotion that keeps our heart pounding in rhythm with the heart of Christ.  Do not be afraid of your grief.  If Jesus wept, so should we.  Depend on His trustworthy word:  Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.  Matthew 5:4

By Grace and Faith alone,

Mimi