KEITH NOTES FROM NANJING

My name is Keith  Myself and my Chinese wife, live here in Nanjing. Please listen to the sermons

Please continue to lift us here in China. Please pray for our little church to grow, we are looking for a bigger flat to meet in. Please pray for security and safety of not only our church but all others in China Please pray for the gospel to go forth and reach all areas and peoples of China. Please see below, please adopt a group and pray once per week for this people, I have adopted the Ache and Ming groups. 
https://joshuaproject.net/countries/CH

PEOPLE FOCUS 
CHINA
ACHANG

https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/10146/CH

ACHANG HUSA

https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/18384/CH

KAZAK, QINGHAI
https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/18517/CH

KAZAKH

https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/12599/CH

SERMONS
THE SPIRIT OF GOD BY JOHN MACDUFF
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=125171920581

THE PATIENCE OF GOD BY JOHN MACDUFF
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=1016161817249

CHRIST AND HIS CHILDREN BY CHARLES SPURGEON ACTS 13:34

https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=fcb0118

MORE THAN MORE WORDS BY CHARLES SPURGEON
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=fcb0727

PLEASE LISTEN AND BE BLESSED BY THESE AWESOME SERMONS.. I WAS

STOP BEING RUDE TO GOD IN PRAYER BY PETER-JOHN PARISI
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=1115122037524
A VISION OF THE LOST BY WILLIAM BOOTH
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=11908653572

IT WILL END IN MERCY BY JAMES SMITH 

https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=313122250342

TREMBLING AT THE WORD OF THE LORD BY TIM CONWAY ISAIAH 66:1-2
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=5310195417

Welcome to a very special Simply Scripture

My Dearly beloved Friends

 

I have been led of the Lord to write on the most wonderful event, that is 
yet to happen in this world, and that is the wonderful second coming of Our 
Lord and Saviour.. JESUS CHRIST.

In writing this, I am not going to take a position on when the rapture will 
happen etc. I am someone who just believes that we will be raptured and am 
looking forward to that great event.

Please feel free to share this message with everyone you can, the Word of 
God needs to get out into the world. The church needs to awaken, and I just 
hope that God through His Precious Holy Spirit, uses this message to 
encourage and bless my fellow believers in their most holy faith.

All bible quotes are from the Amplified Bible.

WE DO NOT KNOW THE DAY OR THE HOUR

Mark 13

32 But of that day or that hour not a [single] person knows, not even the 
angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 
33 Be on your guard [constantly alert], and watch and pray; for you do not 
know when the time will come. 
34 It is like a man already] going on a journey; when he leaves home, he 
puts his servants in charge, each with his particular task, and he gives 
orders to the doorkeeper to be constantly alert and on the watch. 
35 Therefore watch (give strict attention, be cautious and alert), for you 
do not know when the Master of the house is coming--in the evening, or at 
midnight, or at cockcrowing, or in the morning-- 
36[Watch, I say] lest He come suddenly and unexpectedly and find you 
asleep. 
37 And what I say to you I say to everybody: Watch (give strict attention, 
be cautious, active, and alert)! 

Acts 1

6 So when they were assembled, they asked Him, Lord, is this the time when 
You will re-establish the kingdom and restore it to Israel? 
7 He said to them, It is not for you to become acquainted with and know what 
time brings [the things and events of time and their definite periods] or 
fixed years and seasons (their critical niche in time), which the Father 
has appointed (fixed and reserved) by His own choice and authority and 
personal power. 

 
My Brothers and Sisters 

In the church today, there is much debate, about the exact time Jesus will 
be coming back. Indeed some people are even saying, that they know the day 
and hour, that Jesus will return.. HAROLD CAMPING IS WRONG.. AGAIN!!!!!

Please note from the words of Jesus, that the time of his return, 
is entirely in the hands of the Father and no one else. If you hear people 
say, they know the date and time of the rapture etc, you know that they are 
talking rubbish and not according to Scripture. 

The Lord does give us clues though. If you read Mark 13 and Mathew 24, 
Jesus tells us that there will be signs that we have to look for. Nation 
shall rise against nation and the gospel will be proclaimed to all people. 

Jesus warns the disciples that many will say.. look here is Christ.
He gives us these words of warning in Matthew 24:23 

23 If anyone says to you then, Behold, here is the Christ (the Messiah)! or, 
There He is!--do not believe it. 
24 For false Christs and false prophets will arise, and they will show great 
signs and wonders so as to deceive and lead astray, if possible, even the 
elect (God's chosen ones).
25 See, I have warned you beforehand.
26 So if they say to you, Behold, He is in the wilderness (desert)--do not 
go out there; if they tell you, Behold, He is in the secret places or inner 
rooms--do not believe it. 
27 For just as the lightning flashes from the east and shines and [h]is seen 
as far as the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.  

So how is Jesus going to return to Earth? We are told in 1 Thessalonians 4: 

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud cry of summons, 
with the shout of an archangel, and with the blast of the trumpet of God. 
And those who have departed this life in Christ will rise first. 
17 Then we, the living ones who remain [on the earth], shall simultaneously 
be caught up along with [the resurrected dead] in the clouds to meet the 
Lord in the air; and so always (through the eternity of the eternities) we 
shall be with the Lord! 
18 Therefore comfort and encourage one another with these words. 
We are also told that it will take the world by surprise. Jesus says that 
it will be the same as in the time of Noah.

Mathew 24:38 -39

38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, 
marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 
39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and 
took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of 
Man.  

I Thess 5:1-4

1 But as to the suitable times and the precise seasons and dates, brethren, 
you have no necessity for anything being written to you. 
2 For you yourselves know perfectly well that the day of the [return of the] 
Lord will come [as unexpectedly and suddenly] as a thief in the night. 
3 When people are saying, all is well and secure, and, there is peace and 
safety, then in a moment unforeseen destruction (ruin and death) will come 
upon them as suddenly as labour pains come upon a woman with child; and 
they shall by no means escape, for there will be no escape. 
4 But you are not in [given up to the power of] darkness, brethren, for that 
day to overtake you by surprise like a thief. 

So in the light of all this, what is to be our attitude? So how does the 
return of Jesus affect our daily lives? Here are some principles for you… 

Firstly, we have to be always looking up.. Amen. I don't know about you, 
but I am always scanning the skies, eagerly looking for as Paul puts it.. 
the glorious appearing of our Lord. I hope your eyes are turned upwards.. 
looking for Jesus. 

Titus 2 

13 Awaiting and looking for the [fulfilment, the realization of our] 
blessed hope, even the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour 
Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One), 

Secondly, we have to be living for Him.

One of the greatest things, we can do is to share the gospel. Every day over 150,000 die, the vast majority of them are going to die in their sins and go to hell. Many will never of heard of the gospel of Jesus, why? Probably because the church is too lazy to share the gospel

Ct studd said some wish to live within the hearing of church or chapel bell, I want to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell. Time is short, people are sick and dying and you believer have the cure, if you saw someone dying and you had medicine to  cure him/her, wouldn't you give it to them?

Matthew 28:16-20 and Acts 1:8, tells us what we are to do, and it is not to debate 
and speculate on when He is coming back. To do this is to fall into a trap 
of the devil. He wants us to be sidetracked from our main task of sharing 
Christ, and so will try anything to stop us. 

Thirdly, we have to be close to the Lord. We must have a close and deep 
relationship with Him. That means spending lots of time in prayer, reading 
and studying His Word, and being in fellowship with His people. 

Many brothers and sisters all over the world are suffering terrible 
persecution and over the coming years, the western world, will start to see 
more and more persecution of the Church. We really need to be so close to 
the Father in fellowship, so that we can stand up to the coming 
persecution. Christian, you may say, that I am speaking idle words, but 
persecution is coming .

We need to grow into the very likeness of Christ - Ephesians 5:1-2 and 1 
Peter 1:13-17 

We need to have on the armour of God - Ephesians 6:10-17 
We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit - Ephesians 5:18 
We need to have our minds renewed by the Word of God - Romans 12:1-2 
and Colossians 3:16 
We need to be ready in season and out of season to share the gospel - 2 
Timothy 4:2 

Time is very short my brothers and sisters. Every day is one day nearer the 
glorious appearing of our wonderful Lord and Saviour.  

Let us not debate when Jesus is coming back but let us rejoice that He IS 
coming back to take us to be with Him - John 14:1-6. 

We need to be about our Master's business.

Matthew Henry Comments on the Apostles Question in Acts 1 - 

'They were earnest in asking about that which their master, never had 
directed or encouraged them to seek' 

You know every single prophecy about the first coming of Jesus, was 
fulfilled, and likewise, every prophecy about His second coming in power 
and glory, will be fulfilled, also. 

Christian, your job is to look forward with joy to that glorious day and to 
spend your time in fruitful service, so that you will hear the words.. well 
done thou good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord. 

If you disagree with me on what I have written about then please give 
feedback. I don't know it all. 

All I am is one who owes everything to God. I am a blood bought child of 
God who loves God, His Word, and His people. I have shared texts from the 
Holy Scriptures.. the book I reverence and love.  

I long for that day, when my Saviour I will see.. I hope you do too. 
，

Scriptures for further study 
Mark Chapter 13 
Matthew chapter 24 
Matthew 25:13 
1 Thess 4:16-18 
1 Thess 5:1-4 
2 Peter 1:20-21 
2 Peter 2:1-4 
2 Peter 3:8-12 
Titus 2:13 
God bless you! 

Your friend and fellow servant 

Keith

SPECIAL NOTE
To people who ask, who are you? I am Keith..everyone calls me KK. I am married to a wonderful Chinese lady and we both teach here in china. 
Please read what I share with you, please feel free to pass it on to your friends and place it on all social media groups such as Facebook, Ning and if you wish to tweet the links (see below) please feel free to do so.
Please listen to the sermons, all you have to do is to copy and paste the links into your browser, I have heard all the sermons and have been blessed, may you be blessed also.
Please hold China in your prayers, please use the following resources to pray for China

https://prayercast.com/china.html

http://www.operationworld.org/country/chna/owtext.html

https://www.vomcanada.com/china.htm

Below is a link to every people group in China, please adopt a group, pray for them at least once a week. If you do this, please let me know which one you are praying for. The one I have adopted is the A-che people, this has 41,000 People and No Christians, this is the case with many groups

https://joshuaproject.net/countries/CH

SERMONS
PSALM 119
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=1409191234

TELL YOUR STORY BY JOHN VAUGHN ACTS 21
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=22014158313

IT WILL COST YOU EVERYTHING BY STEVEN LAWSON

https://www.sermonaudio.com/playpopupvideo.asp?SID=122092126420

Parable of the Fishless Fishermen

(author unknown)

Now it came to pass that a group existed who
called themselves fishermen. And lo, there were
many fish in the waters all around. In fact, the
whole area was surrounded by streams and lakes
filled with fish. And the fish were hungry. 

Year after year these who called themselves
fishermen met in meetings and talked about their
call to fish, the abundance of fish, and how they
might go about fishing. 

Continually they searched for new and better
definitions of fishing. They sponsored costly
nationwide and worldwide congresses to discuss
fishing and to promote fishing and hear about all
the ways of fishing. 

These fishermen built large, beautiful buildings
called "Fishing Headquarters. " The plea was that
everyone should be a fisherman and every
fisherman should fish. One thing they didn't do,
however; they didn't fish. 

They organized a board to send out fishermen to
where there were many fish. The board was
formed by those who had the great vision and
courage to speak about fishing, to define fishing,
and to promote the idea of fishing in far-away
streams and lakes where many other fish of
different colors lived. 

Also the board hired staffs and appointed
committees and held many meetings to define
fishing, to defend fishing, and to decide what new
streams should be thought about. But the staff
and committee members did not fish. 

Expensive training centers were built to teach
fishermen how to fish. Those who taught had
doctorates in fishology, but the teachers did not
fish. They only taught fishing. Year after year,
graduates were sent to do full-time fishing, some
to distant waters filled with fish. 

Further, the fishermen built large printing houses
to publish fishing guides. A speaker' s bureau was
also provided to schedule special speakers on the
subject of fishing. 

Many who felt the call to be fishermen responded,
and were sent to fish. But like the fishermen back
home, they never fished. 

Some also said they wanted to be part of the
fishing party, but they felt called to furnish fishing
equipment. Others felt their job was to relate to
the fish in a good way so the fish would know the
difference between good and bad fishermen. 

After one stirring meeting on "The Necessity for
Fishing," a young fellow left the meeting and went
fishing. The next day he reported he had caught
two outstanding fish. He was honored for his
excellent catch and scheduled to visit all the big
meetings possible to tell how he did it. 

So he quit his fishing in order to have time to tell
about the experience to the other fishermen. He
was also placed on the Fishermen' s General Board
as a person having considerable experience. 

Now it's true that many of the fishermen sacrificed
and put up with all kinds of difficulties. Some
lived near the water and bore the smell of dead
fish every day. They received the ridicule of some
who made fun of their fishermen' s clubs and the
fact that they claimed to be fishermen yet never
fished. 

They wondered about those who felt it was of
little use to attend the weekly meetings to talk
about fishing. After all, were they not following
the Master who said, "Follow me, and I will make
you fishers of men? 

Imagine how hurt some were when one day a
person suggested that those who didn't catch fish
were really not fishermen, no matter how much
they claimed to be. Yet it did sound correct. Is a
person a fisherman if year after year he never
catches a fish?

GEM 2

Passion to Save Souls

I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.. 1 Corinthians 9:22

Paul's great object was not merely to instruct and to improve, but to save. Anything short of this would have disappointed him; he desired to see men renewed in heart, forgiven, sanctified, in fact saved. Have our Christian efforts been aimed at anything below this great objective? Then let us correct our ways, for what good will it be at the last great day to have taught and moralized men if they appear before God unsaved? If through life we have sought inferior objects and forgotten that men needed to be saved, then we will be held accountable.

Paul knew the ruin of man's natural state and did not try to educate him, but to save him; he saw men sinking to hell and did not talk of refining them, but of saving from the wrath to come. To accomplish their salvation, he gave himself up with untiring zeal to spreading the Gospel, to warning and beseeching men to be reconciled to God. His prayers were persistent and his labors incessant. His consuming passion, his ambition, his calling was to save souls. He became a servant to all men, working for them, feeling a woe within him if he did not preach the Gospel. He laid aside his preferences to prevent prejudice; he submitted his will in things indifferent, and if men would just receive the Gospel, he raised no questions about forms or ceremonies. The Gospel was the one all-important business with him. If he might save some, he would be content. This was the crown for which he extended himself, the sole and sufficient reward of all his labors and self-denials.

Dear reader, have you and I lived to win souls to this extent? Are we possessed with the same all-absorbing desire? If not, why not? Jesus died for sinners. Can we not live for them? Where is our tenderness? Where is our love for Christ, if we do not seek His honor in the salvation of men? Lord Jesus, saturate us through and through with an undying zeal for the souls of men.

GEM 3
Ten Technological Traps
(Joshua Engelsma, 2017, used with permission)
We live in a time of great technological advancement. Companies are constantly churning out new products that are hailed as smarter, more advanced, and more innovative. And in many ways we have made ourselves dependent on technology with our smartphones, tablets, and computers, too name just a few.
There is nothing inherently sinful in these things. In fact, they can be powerful tools for good in the service of God and his church, and therefore we can use them with a good conscience before God. "For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer" (1 Timothy 4:4-5).
That being said, we ought to recognize that there are many dangers that these wonders of the technological age present. These dangers ought to make us careful in our use of these good gifts.
What follows are a list of ten such dangers, "traps" of technology:
1) We can waste an unbelievable amount of time using technology. How many hours are wasted staring at the TV, pursuing pointless information on the internet, looking at pictures on Instagram, and posting on Facebook? Too many, making this one of the top traps of technology.
2) Technology makes it relatively easy to sin. This is not to say that the same sins weren't found fifty years ago, for they certainly were. But with technology there are more opportunities to sin and sinful things are more readily accessible. As a wise saint said to me recently, " When I was younger, you had to work pretty hard to get in trouble and access sinful things. Now you can get it in a few seconds on your phone."
3) We can very easily become discontent  through our use of technology. One area of discontentment is with the technology itself. We are dissatisfied with the smartphone or computer that we have and are always looking for something newer, better, and faster. It becomes an idol in our life. Another area of discontentment is with the things that we view through technology. Seeing the glamorous life of this athlete/actress/ friend, I become discontented with my seemingly boring life.
4) Technology is often the means by which we backbite and slander. One wrong move and soon the news spreads like wildfire across the gossip channels of text messaging and social media.
5) Through our use of technology we often give a poor witness to the world of our faith. We post pictures of some ungodly musician' s concert we attended. We "like" this popular drama on TV. We let everyone know how excited we are about the release of the latest Hollywood movie.
6) It is very easy through technology to fall into the trap of unreality. We see pictures of the expensive vacations and fun activities that others are doing, and think that their life must be perfect. Young people might give the impression that anyone who's anything is hanging out on Friday night, so that the one left at home feels left out and friendless.
7) In the age of instant information, it seems as if younger generations are losing the ability to read, write, listen, and think critically and deeply.
8) Our use of technology can weaken our ability to converse and thus hurt our relationships to others. It seems pretty common to go into a restaurant and see a husband and wife sitting across from one another, both staring at their phones. It seems pretty common to try and have a conversation with a teenager while their face is buried in their phone.
9) There is the danger with technology of over-sharing information. I'm all for getting to know other people better and sharing their joys and sorrows. But I don't need to know what you just ate for breakfast. I don't need to know a disagreement that you had with your spouse. I don't need to know that you're angry at your coworkers. I don't need to know (usually) that you're having an all-around bad day.
10) One of the dangers of technology is that we are able to retreat into a world without any accountability. When we are at work, we have the accountability of employers and employees. When we are at home, we have the accountability of spouses, parents, children, siblings. When we are at school, we have the accountability of teachers and classmates. But with technology we can often enter a world with little or no accountability. We can say things that we wouldn't ordinarily say. We can sneak off to our be​droom and watch all sorts of vile things. And if anyone looks over our shoulder or asks to see our device, we hide behind the vault-door of passwords.

Messages
1 PRAYER FOR CHINA
Fri Jan 11, 2019 3:45 am (PST) . Posted by: "keith hobkirk" totallylovedbygod59
UNREACHED PEOPLES CHINA

Two people groups are below, please take time to click the link or place the link in your browser. Please forward this email to all your groups and contacts. Please tweet the links to these people groups and place this email on facebook. Please if you are a pastor, adopt a group for your church, print out their picture, place it on the church notice board

Below is a link to every people group in China, please adopt a group, pray for them at least once a week. If you do this, please let me know which one you are praying for. The ones I have adopted are the A-Che people and the Ming, they both have no believers and no church. Please scroll down the list, let God lead you

https://joshuaproject.net/countries/CH

HAN CHINESE JIN
POPULATION 80 MILLION
EVANGELICAL 7%
The Jin are most prevalent in the Shanxi and Hebei provinces. They are regarded as hard working and diligent. Please pray that they would come to a true knowledge of the gospel.
Shanxi and Hebei are traditionally hard places to share the gospel. Please water these two provinces with your tearful prayers.
There are 1.2 million Jin believers, but they are 80 million people. Please pray that the Jin believers would gain a vision to reach out to their neighbours.
They have resources available such as the Jesus Film and the full Bible in their language. Please pray that these resources would be used to bring many to the Saviour.
Please pray that the church would be mature and that they would be able to withstand persecution.
https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/18477/CH

God bless you
KK

HAN CHINESE XUNPU
POPULATION 1,150
EVANGELICAL 2%

These people live in one village near Quanzhou city, in Fujian province.
There are many strong believers and churches in this city. Please pray that they would reach out to this needy group.
Please pray for the establishment of a church in this small village and that they would have resources in their own dialect/language.

https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/18485/CH

God bless you
KK

PLEASE LISTEN TO THESE GREAT SERMONS
PASTORAL COUNSELS BY JAMES MEIKLE
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=515081123415

CHARLES SPURGEON DAILY DEVOTION LUKE 22:32
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=122616137124
CHARLES SPURGEON DAILY DEVOTION SONG OF SOLOMON 5:8
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=1219162238371

THE PRAYER OF MOSES, THE MAN OF GOD BY ROBERT VINCENT DEUT 3:23-26

https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=82707938450
Reply to sender . Reply to group . Reply via Web Post . All Messages (1) . Top ^
2a PERSECUTED CHURCH NEWS
Fri Jan 11, 2019 8:27 pm (PST) . Posted by: "keith hobkirk" totallylovedbygod59
UPDATE
Please continue to lift up our church, we now have people to help us. Please pray for an increase in men attending and that the men we have would grow in faith. The church in China is 3/4 women, many of the sisters husbands are unsaved. Please pray that families would be reunited in Christ. Please pray for the young people of China, that they would hear and respond to the gospel. Below is a link to the peoples of China, please adopt a people group, take time to led by the Lord so you can pray for this group once per week, it will only take you 5 minutes per week
https://joshuaproject.net/countries/CH

| 
"Faith is the 'yes' of the heart, a conviction
on which one stakes one's life."
~ Martin Luther

IRAN: Christian Couple Arrested

Source: Middle East Concern

| 
Amir Taleipour and Mahnaz Harati
Photo: Middle East Concern
  |

Amir Taleipour and his wife Mahnaz Harati were at their home in Mashhad with their seven-year-old daughter on December 6th when several intelligence agents entered. At last report, the couple were still being held in detention and not allowed to communicate with family members. They have also been denied legal assistance. In the meantime, their daughter is being cared for by extended family.

Church leaders in Iran say that the pressures against Christians increase every year around the holiday season but this year was particularly severe. A spokesperson for Middle East Concern states, "...it seems there is definitely a coordinated and determined campaign to decimate the Christian community and spread fear and intimidation."

Please remember this couple who are being held in captivity. Also intercede for their young daughter during this time of separation from her parents. Pray that Amir and Mahnaz will be released soon so their family can be reunited. May the efforts of the Iranian authorities to destroy the church be thwarted and instead used to help continue spreading the message of the Gospel of Christ throughout the country.
 
BELARUS: No New Church Registrations Allowed

Source: Forum 18

Minsk, Belarus


Evangelical church leaders in several countries of Central Asia face the question as to whether they should register with the local government, which can lead to pressure to compromise, or refuse registration and face arrest. In Belarus, however, the option to register may not be available.

Pastor Vyacheslav Novakovsky of Your Will Be Done Churchhas attempted to register four times since 2017. "We want to comply with the law and gather for religious meetings without fear of raids, fines or detentions," he explains. However, each time the submitted registration has been rejected. When the pastor inquired about the reasons for the rejection, one official told him, "There's an order from superiors not to register any new communities." When Forum 18 heard about this and asked for clarification, the official refused to confirm.

Many church communities have given up trying to register, since the process results in inevitable rejection. One church leader admits, "Obtaining registration is a waste of time and unnecessary trouble for our people." Some such groups meet in homes or in the woods to avoid prosecution for meeting without registration.

In October, the United Nations Human Rights Committee expressed concern about the mandatory registration process which creates undue restrictions on freedom of religion for the people of Belarus.

Pray that the government officials in Belarus will come to understand the need to respect the rights and freedoms of their citizens. Pray that Christians will be free to worship and practise their faith without fear of reprisal. Remember the many church leaders who are presently facing fines and detentions. May they experience the abiding presence of God's Spirit, empowering them with His divine strength and grace so they can serve as vibrant witnesses before others in need of salvation.

PRAISE REPORT

NEPAL: Church Grows Despite Anti-Conversion Law

Source: Mission Network News

Photo: AsiaNews
  |

In August 2018, a new anti-conversion law came into effect in Nepal, including new punishments for those convicted (see this report). According to John Puidate of Bibles for the World, this has resulted in persecution as never before.

At the same time, however, God's Spirit has been moving hearts and bringing many to faith in Christ. John Puidate speaks of tremendous growth among those following the Christian faith, despite the dangers. "We've seen Nepal go from totally unreached levels (two to three percent) all the way up to three million followers of Christ. That's ten percent of the population."

Praise God for this wonderful news! Remember these new brothers and sisters in your prayers, as they face the challenges of following Christ in the midst of oppression.

If you would like to post a prayer of praise or petition on behalf of our persecuted family around the globe, visit VOMC's prayer wall.

The Persecution & Prayer Alert is a ministry of:
The Voice of the Martyrs Canada, P.O. Box 608, Streetsville, Ontario, L5M 2C1
Tel. (905) 670-9721 Website: www.vomcanada.com |

SERMONS
THE GOSPEL IN LYSTRA BY ANDY GLEISER ACTS 14
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=517181956226

THE PROMISES OF GOD BY JOHN MACDUFF
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=125171922292

CHARLES SPURGEON DAILY DEVOTION 1 COR 3:23
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=122616136193

Prayer for China

Please pray for our small little church, that we would become saturated with the word of God and prayer. Please pray that all church members would grow in faith. Please pray for the Chinese church, there is serious persecution, but the church stands strong. Please pray that the gospel would go forth in power
Please pray for the following people groups
Four people groups are below, please take time to click the link or place the link in your browser. Please forward this email to all your groups and contacts. Please tweet the links to these people groups and place this email on facebook. Please if you are a pastor, adopt a group for your church, print out their picture, place it on the church notice board

Below is a link to every people group in China, please adopt a group, pray for them at least once a week. If you do this, please let me know which one you are praying for. The ones I have adopted are the A-Che people and the Ming, they both have no believers and no church. Please scroll down the list, let God lead you

https://joshuaproject.net/countries/CH

CHINA UNREACHED PEOPLES
CHINA
AMDO HBOGPA

https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/18392/CH

AMDO RONGBA

https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/18393/CH

AMDO RONGMAHBROGPA
https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/18394/CH

AMDO RTAHU
https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/18395/CH

SERMONS
PSALM 22
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=114101850111

SIX TRUTHS CONCERNING SATAN BY STEVEN LAWSON

https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=319181711307

JESUS HEALS A LEPER BY JC RYLE LUKE 5:12-16
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=311181758393

NO DIRTY DOGS BY THOMAS BROOKS
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=913081052494

"Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from
the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us 
out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to 
you, O king, that we will not serve your gods....."
~ Daniel 3:17-18 ESV
|
INDIA & BURMA: Persecution Over Christmas

Source: Morning Star News

One of the injured believers
in Maharashtra State, India.
Photo: Morning Star News
  |

In areas throughout India, as well as Burma, Christmas was not a season of peace and joy. Christians faced violence and resulting injuries, as those opposed to the message of Christ stoned, slashed and terrorized local believers.

In the Kanta Kawn Township of Central Burma, 27 Christians had gathered together in a home for a Christmas service on December 17th. As they prayed, villagers surrounded the house and began throwing stones. They then broke into the house to vandalize it. Along with causing damages to the home, motorbikes, furniture and dishes, the perpetrator injured six of the worshippers..

At least 18 incidents were reported in four different Indian states. The worst attack was in Kowad village of Maharashtra. Around 20 men armed with sharp objects barged into the worship service of the New Life Fellowship Church on December 23rd and began slashing those in attendance. As a result, seven Christians were admitted to the intensive care unit of the hospital. The injuries could have been far worse had it not been for the quick thinking of Pastor Chavan's mother, who threw ground red pepper in the faces of the attackers to thwart the violent assault.

In Haridwar, Uttarakhand, a mob from the militant Hindu group Bajrang Dal stopped four buses that were transporting 200 children to a Christmas Day program. The militants demanded the arrest of the teacher, claiming the children were to be forcefully converted. Police were called and the teacher, a Hindu, was arrested but later released. All the children, who are Hindus from the slums, were simply going to view the Christmas program as a special seasonal outing.

Several similar allegations were made in Uttar Pradesh, where police were "exhausted" from calls alleging that children were being forcefully converted during the Christmas programs. In one station alone, police received at least 25 to 30 phone calls. The volume of the calls suggests a coordinated effort from militant Hindu organizations to disrupt Christmas activities.

Despite the coordinated efforts of those in opposition to the Gospel, we praise God that the message of 'peace on earth' is continuing to reach many spiritual seekers in both Burma and India. Pray that the victims injured in these recent attacks will recover quickly. May all who've had the opportunity to hear the message of the Promised Messiah personally experience a revelation of God's tremendous love for them and willingly respond by accepting His wonderful plan of salvation for their lives.
|
CHINA: Authorities Remove the First Commandment

Sources: Bitter Winter, ChinaAid

| 
A digital rendition of the vandalized display.
Photo: Bob Fu
  |

While much of the opposition in China is aimed at the country's unregistered churches, the efforts of the government to impose allegiance to the state affects all Christians. The legally registered Three-Self Churches have faced orders to tear down their crosses. They have been forced to instead display the state flag and a photo of President Xi Jinping at the front of their churches. "Core socialist values" are to be integrated into the services as doctrine.

The demand for a primary commitment to the political party took a more blatant and ominous twist in early November when officials in Henan Province conducted a routine inspection of a church in the village of Dongcun. The entire facility was searched before an officer stopped at the pulpit where the Ten Commandments were displayed. He demanded that the first commandment be removed, and then proceeded to wipe it out. The officials chided anyone who complained, stating that "Xi Jinping opposes this statement."

In response to this action, one of the church members complained, "They are trying to corrupt our faith and make us betray God." The government's latest sanctions make it apparent that religious citizens are being mandated to give their allegiance first to the Chinese Communist Party rather than to the Lord who is rightfully referenced in the Bible as the "King of kings" and "Lord of lords."

Pray that the Christians of this government-registered congregation and other Three-Self Churches throughout China will find their strength in Christ as they take a stand and refuse to place any other gods before Him. Also prayerfully uphold the many believers belonging to unregistered churches throughout the country as they faithfully work to support and build up God's Kingdom, despite increased animosity. As believers stand up in the midst of opposition, pray that President Xi Jinping, like King Darius in Daniel 6, will come to the realization that there is only one true God.
|

PRAISE REPORT
|
ALGERIA: Bookstore Allowed to Reopen

Source: Middle East Concern


In November 2017, the Algerian authorities shut down a church in Aïn Turk, claiming that it had been used to "illegally print Gospels and publications intended for evangelism" (for details, see this report). On June 10th, 2018, the governor of Oran Province signed an order reopening the church (click here). However, the bookstore operated by the church was not allowed to reopen at the time, with claims that it was being used for evangelistic activities.

On December 13th, a court had overridden the governor's closure order and allowed the bookstore to reopen. Praise God for this court ruling, asking Him to wonderfully bless this opportunity to spread His Word throughout the region.

If you would like to post a prayer of praise or petition on behalf of our persecuted family around the globe, visit VOMC's prayer wall.

The Persecution & Prayer Alert is a ministry of:
The Voice of the Martyrs Canada, P.O. Box 608, Streetsville, Ontario, L5M 2C1
Tel. (905) 670-9721 Website: The Voice of the Martyrs Canada - Home |

SERMONS
UNBIBLICAL GOSPEL INVITATION BY PAUL WASHER

https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=624181718394

CALVARYS STUPENDOUS SCENE BY HENRY LAW
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=8809915153

BAPTISM OF JESUS BY JC RYLE LUKE 3:21-38
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=311181754174

PLEASE LISTEN TO THESE WONDERFUL SERMONS
JUST CLICK THE LINKS
CONTENTMENT BY WILLIAM PLUMER
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=1025071312398

IS THIS YOUR RELIGION? BY JOHN JAMES
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=9130811206

MURDERED BY CHARLES SPURGEON
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=614081246413

The Wednesday Word

PASTOR MILES MCKEE
Grace! Grace! Grace! Part 1
Ephesians 2: 8-10.  
“For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”  

Ephesians has been called the Alps of the New Testament because some of the things taught in it are amazingly glorious. Here are but two of them …
1) We are saved by grace plus nothing, and
2) We are saved by grace minus nothing.”

The Greek word for grace is “Charis.” It means, ‘unmerited and undeserved favour.’ It is, ‘God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.’ 

Martyn Lloyd Jones said, “There is no more wonderful word than ‘grace.’ It means unmerited favour  or kindness shown to one who is utterly undeserving. It is a free gift to those who deserve the exact opposite, and it is given to us while we are ‘without hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12).  
We are saved by grace!

We are delivered from the wrath to come by grace (1 Thessalonians 1:10).
We are given eternal life by grace (Romans 5:21).

Religion knows nothing of grace. Religion seeks to find favour with God by doing something (Romans 10:3).  In religion, good works are a premium. But under grace, the sinner is freely declared not guilty. Have you grasped that for yourself?

But there’s more. The believer is not only forgiven he is also acquitted.  And how is this done?  It is done simply on the merits of another person, the Lord Jesus Christ (Leviticus 16; 1 Peter 3:18). Now that’s grace!

In Ephesians 2:6-9, Notice what grace isn’t!
 ‘It is not of ourselves.’

There was and is nothing we could do to deserve salvation. We may say, “What about faith? Isn’t that something I do?” No!  Faith is a gift of God. It is not of works lest anyone should boast. 

Have we then no work to do in this great matter of our justification? In a nutshell, NONE!
What work can we work to obtain personal salvation? NONE!  What work of ours can buy forgiveness or make us worthy of Divine favour? NONE! 

Has the Lord commanded that we crawl around the earth on our hands and knees? NO!
Has He decreed that we should whip ourselves and deprive ourselves of everything good? NO!

So, what work has God commanded us to do to obtain salvation?
Once more …NONE!

Romans 4:5 "To him that works not, but believes in Him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness"  There is only one work which can save us, and that work is not ours, but the work of the God/Man. And that work is finished (John 19:30).  It can never be repeated. Salvation is all Grace, Grace, Grace!

SAVED!

‘Saved’ is another great Bible word from our verse. It means deliverance. It means life in contrast to the death. It must be remembered that God is obliged to save no one. All of us have sinned and rebelled. All of us deserve death, not salvation. God was not and is not bound to come and rescue a defiant humanity.... that' s why we love GRACE!

In Ephesians 2:1 the Word says, “You has he (God), quickened (made alive), who were dead in trespasses and sin.”

He is speaking of spiritual death here and in the past tense. We were dead! But, things are different now. We have been made alive. We are saved.  We are no longer under wrath…..we are saved.  And how did we get saved? … Grace! Grace! Grace!

John Stott puts it this way: “You were saved through faith, and even this faith by which you are saved is God’s gift.” This is an essential truth. We must never think of salvation as a kind of a transaction between God and us in which He contributes grace, and we contribute faith. For we were dead and had to be brought alive before we could believe.”

And that’s the Gospel Truth!

The Wednesday Word:
Grace! Grace! Grace! Part 2
by D. G. Miles McKee
Ephesians 2: 8-10.  “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast…..” 

Matthew Henry’s commentary on our text says: “Every converted sinner is a saved sinner. Such are delivered from sin and wrath; they are brought into a state of salvation and have a right given them by grace to eternal happiness.
 “The grace that saves them is the free, underserved, goodness and favour of God; and He saves them, not by the works of the law, but through faith in Christ Jesus, by means of which they come to partake of the great blessings of the gospel; and both that faith and that salvation on which it has so great an influence are the gift of God.” 

Salvation is entirely by Grace. Paul says in Ephesians 2:1: “You has he made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins.”  We were spiritually dead. We had no spiritual understanding. What did we deserve but a good burial? …If even!

In Ephesians 2:2-3 however, as we read on, we learn the strangest thing, we discover we were dead but walking .. literally we were “walking dead men”…. We were zombies-like walking according to the world system, which is against God, and following “the prince of the power of the air,” which is Satan.

There’s a story about a graveyard in an area in Ayrshire, Scotland, where once a stranger was buried. It greatly distressed the people of that particular parish, so much so that they put a notice up on the outside of the graveyard that read, “This graveyard is reserved exclusively for the dead who are living in this parish.”  Funny!

But we were living dead people. We were alive, just like Adam was physically alive after he had sinned, but nevertheless spiritually dead. We were living  and were dead, but God made us alive.   Grace! Grace ! Grace!

Here’s a good way of looking at grace… Notice in Ephesians 1:1 the apostle calls believers saints.  However, look at what we once were. Ephesians 2:1-3..
Dead,
Walking in the devil's path,
Children of disobedience,
Children of wrath.

And what made the difference?  It was grace. 
In addition, 2 Timothy 1:9 tells us we are chosen by grace;

In Ephesians 1:7 we learn that we have redemption by grace;

We are adopted by grace Ephesians 1:5.

By that same grace we are accepted Ephesians 1:6.

By grace we have the forgiveness of sins Ephesians 1:7.

By that same grace we have been made alive together with Christ Ephesians 2:5.

He has glorified us by grace Ephesians 2:6.
 
 Nowhere in the Bible is credit given to man regarding his salvation. It is all of grace! The making alive, the undeserved favour, the faith, the union with Christ, the good works that follow after salvation are all the gifts of Almighty God!

Is it any wonder then that Paul would write in Galatians 6:14 “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”

To “glory” is “to boast”. Paul is saying that we cannot boast in anything except the cross of the Lord Jesus. That’s another way of saying that we are saved by grace. All our prosperity, all our accomplishments, all our doctrinal understanding, and even all the accumulated knowledge over our lifetime is nothing to glory about. We can boast only in the grace of God as seen in the cross, the cross of Christ! Glory to His name! 

And that’s the Gospel Truth!

 The Wednesday Word:
Grace! Grace! Grace! Part 3
by D. G. Miles McKee 

In the entire Bible there is no scripture that indicates that we can be saved without Jesus Christ!

In the Old Testament, He is the coming Messiah. He is the promise of grace. In the New Testament, He is the realized Messiah who makes us alive by grace.

Grace always leads us to Christ Jesus who by grace procured our salvation (Romans 5:8).  

He Himself is our salvation (John 11:25).

He Himself is the grace of God (Titus 2:11).

Grace is embedded in His very name, for the name of Jesus, means salvation. Do you remember this verse “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved”(Acts 4:12)? 

Grace leads the Lord’s people to Christ Jesus, and no one else.  Grace enables us to “look unto Him” by faith to be saved.

 But what about repentance brother? Yes what about it?  Is it not important? Yes it is! But let me ask you…where do we get repentance? It’s the goodness of God exhibited in His Grace that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). Dear pastor, do you want to see genuine repentance in your church, then preach Christ crucified. There is no other way! It’s Grace, Grace, Grace! Sometimes we pastors find ourselves trying to motivate our listeners by the Law and its demands instead of by the Gospel. However, it takes no spirituality whatsoever to get behind the pulpit and demand change as we warn about bad habits and lax living.  This is not Gospel preaching! 

But I digress.
We can say that grace is:
1) Free Grace---the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8)
2) Saving Grace---it brings us to eternal salvation (Ephesians 2:8).
 3) Sovereign Grace—not of ourselves, but by God’s sovereign will (Ephesians 2:8)
 4) Sustaining Grace—created in Christ Jesus unto good works. He ordained beforehand that we should walk (move forward) in them (Ephesians 2:10).

 Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
 I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind, but now I see.
 
T’was grace that taught my heart to fear
 And grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believed.
 
Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come
 ‘Tis grace that brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home  
                     
John Nelson, a preacher in the 18th century had been a stonemason before God saved him. And God used him mightily to lead people to Christ. One day he was talking to a self-righteous individual who said, “I don’t need your Saviour. I live right, and I’ve done good things. I’ll take my chances with the rest of the people.”    Mr Nelson replied, “Well look here my good man, if God let you into heaven, you’d bring discord there, because all the others would be singing ‘worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing,’ and you’d be singing ‘worthy am I, glory to me, because I lived a consistent Christian life.’   He said, “If an angel heard you sing a song like that in heaven, why he’d throw you over the wall.” And the redeemed folks will all chime in and say, “My soul shall make her boast in the Lord, and nothing else.”

There’ll be nobody in heaven singing about what they have done
It’s Grace! Grace! Grace!

God saves us because He is gracious, not because He sees any goodness inherent in us!
 It’s Grace! Grace! Grace!

Our certain hope stands on pure Grace, sovereign, unqualified Grace!
It’s Grace! Grace! Grace!

 God saves us because He is good, not because we are!
 It’s all of Grace.

And that’s the Gospel Truth!

SPECIAL NOTE
To people who ask, who are you? I am Keith..everyone calls me KK. I am married to a wonderful Chinese lady and we both teach here in china. 
Please read what I share with you, please feel free to pass it on to your friends and place it on all social media groups such as Facebook, Ning and if you wish to tweet the links (see below) please feel free to do so.
Please listen to the sermons, all you have to do is to copy and paste the links into your browser, I have heard all the sermons and have been blessed, may you be blessed also.
Please hold China in your prayers, please use the following resources to pray for China

https://prayercast.com/china.html

http://www.operationworld.org/country/chna/owtext.html

https://www.vomcanada.com/china.htm

Below is a link to every people group in China, please adopt a group, pray for them at least once a week. If you do this, please let me know which one you are praying for. The one I have adopted is the A-che people, this has 41,000 People and No Christians, this is the case with many groups

https://joshuaproject.net/countries/CH

SERMONS

PAUL GLORIES IN HIS SALVATION BY DEREK BAARS 1 TIMOTHY 1:1-17
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=61712184977

LORD SMITE MY ROCKY HEART BY THOMAS READE
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=416081340193

THE LOVE OF GOD BY JOHN MACDUFF
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=225161627308

IMPARTING GOD'S WORD TO THE NEXT GENERATION BY MILTON VINCENT DEUT 6:4-12

https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=928141029244

12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has granted me [the needed] strength and made me able for this, because He considered me faithful and trustwor thy, putting me into service [for this ministry], 13  even though I was formerly a blasphemer [of our Lord] and a persecutor [of His church] and a shameful and outrageo us and violent aggressor [toward believers]. Yet  I was shown mercy because I acted out of ignorance in unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord [His amazing, unmerited favor and blessing] flowed out in superabundance [for me, together] with the faith and love which are [realized] in Christ Jesus.

ABUNDANT FAVOR
Paul says in verse 15, that he is the chief of sinners. In several passages throughout the NT, he tells us why he was, not just here, but also in Philippians 3.
He previously abused and persecuted believers. He was the John Newton of his day, who could say 1700 years afterwards:
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

Like John Newton, Paul does not hide his sin from us; he states that he was a shameful and violent aggressor towards the church, but and here is the key word.. have you got it: YET!
He was shown mercy. God could and should have sent Paul and the rest of us to hell.. but YET.. we have obtained mercy; mercy is God not giving us what do rightfully deserve, amen. Indeed He gave what we deserved to His Son, we deserved his wrath, but so that we could be redeemed. Jesus paid the price and took the full anger of God upon His Son.
Paul's eyes were blinded by unbelief and hatred, as he said; he had a deep zeal for God, but it was completely misplaced.
I am in completely in awe of verse 14, grace you remember is receiving what you don't deserve. It is totally unmerited; we did not do anything to earn it, but we receive it and here's the best thing.. not just in abundance but in SUPERABUNDANCE.
Remember what Grace is from this little analogy
G... God's R.. . RichesA... AtC... Christ'sE. .. Expense
My favourite hymn is Amazing Grace.. probably is Paul's too.
Has the superabundant grace of God touched your life?
God bless you
Keith

1 TIMOTHY 1
15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

THE CHIEF OF SINNERS

Jesus came to seek and to save sinners, people like us, who had no hope. We who once were God's enemies are now his friends. Look at Paul; he was the enemy of the cross of Christ, but God turned him around. Maybe you haven't come from such a background as Paul. Maybe you grew up in church and thought that you aren't an enemy of God.. but you are! You are hopelessly separated from God and alienated from HIM. If you do not know Christ as your personal Saviour, the first step is to realise that you are the chief of sinners.
Jesus came and rescued us. He pulled us out of the miry clay and set us upon a rock: Psalm 40:1-4. It took the ultimate sacrifice of the spotless lamb of God to save your soul believer.
To Jesus, we are the chief sinner. If you were the only sinner in the world, then Jesus would have come to save you and die a humiliating death on the cross.
Paul knew that he was the chief of sinners, because on Jesus was laid all his sin. He took it all.. He drank the full cup of God's wrath for us.
Ephesians 2:12, it says that we were without hope and without God in the world. It is because we were without hope that Jesus came into the world. He didn't come into the world to give us a good moral example or say some nice words.
If you have never accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as you Saviour, then you need to do so today.. now is the accepted time.. now is the right time to do this. The first step is to realise that like Paul, that you are:
THE CHIEF OF SINNERS
God bless you
Keith

SPECIAL NOTE
To people who ask, who are you? I am Keith..everyone calls me KK. I am married to a wonderful Chinese lady and we both teach here in china. 
Please read what I share with you, please feel free to pass it on to your friends and place it on all social media groups such as Facebook, Ning and if you wish to tweet the links (see below) please feel free to do so.
Please listen to the sermons, all you have to do is to copy and paste the links into your browser, I have heard all the sermons and have been blessed, may you be blessed also.
Please hold China in your prayers, please use the following resources to pray for China

https://prayercast.com/china.html

http://www.operationworld.org/country/chna/owtext.html

https://www.vomcanada.com/china.htm

Below is a link to every people group in China, please adopt a group, pray for them at least once a week. If you do this, please let me know which one you are praying for. The one I have adopted is the A-che people, this has 41,000 People and No Christians, this is the case with many groups

https://joshuaproject.net/countries/CH

DEAR FRIENDS
Please see the news on China BELOW, this is very serious, this is only the start, but God will protect his people, please stand with us in prayer. Please pray that God would open the eyes of millions of Chinese to the gospel truth.

"Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us fromthe burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods....."~ Daniel 3:17-18 ESV

|
| |
| 
INDIA & BURMA: Persecution Over Christmas

Source: Morning Star News

| 
One of the injured believers
in Maharashtra State, India.
Photo: Morning Star News
  |

In areas throughout India, as well as Burma, Christmas was not a season of peace and joy. Christians faced violence and resulting injuries, as those opposed to the message of Christ stoned, slashed and terrorized local believers.

In the Kanta Kawn Township of Central Burma, 27 Christians had gathered together in a home for a Christmas service on December 17th. As they prayed, villagers surrounded the house and began throwing stones. They then broke into the house to vandalize it. Along with causing damages to the home, motorbikes, furniture and dishes, the perpetrator injured six of the worshippers..

At least 18 incidents were reported in four different Indian states. The worst attack was in Kowad village of Maharashtra. Around 20 men armed with sharp objects barged into the worship service of the New Life Fellowship Church on December 23rd and began slashing those in attendance. As a result, seven Christians were admitted to the intensive care unit of the hospital. The injuries could have been far worse had it not been for the quick thinking of Pastor Chavan's mother, who threw ground red pepper in the faces of the attackers to thwart the violent assault.

In Haridwar, Uttarakhand, a mob from the militant Hindu group Bajrang Dal stopped four buses that were transporting 200 children to a Christmas Day program. The militants demanded the arrest of the teacher, claiming the children were to be forcefully converted. Police were called and the teacher, a Hindu, was arrested but later released. All the children, who are Hindus from the slums, were simply going to view the Christmas program as a special seasonal outing.

Several similar allegations were made in Uttar Pradesh, where police were "exhausted" from calls alleging that children were being forcefully converted during the Christmas programs. In one station alone, police received at least 25 to 30 phone calls. The volume of the calls suggests a coordinated effort from militant Hindu organizations to disrupt Christmas activities.

Despite the coordinated efforts of those in opposition to the Gospel, we praise God that the message of 'peace on earth' is continuing to reach many spiritual seekers in both Burma and India. Pray that the victims injured in these recent attacks will recover quickly. May all who've had the opportunity to hear the message of the Promised Messiah personally experience a revelation of God's tremendous love for them and willingly respond by accepting His wonderful plan of salvation for their lives.
|
| 
| 

| | |

|
| |
| 
CHINA: Authorities Remove the First Commandment

Sources: Bitter Winter, ChinaAid

| 
A digital rendition of the vandalized display.
Photo: Bob Fu
  |

While much of the opposition in China is aimed at the country's unregistered churches, the efforts of the government to impose allegiance to the state affects all Christians. The legally registered Three-Self Churches have faced orders to tear down their crosses. They have been forced to instead display the state flag and a photo of President Xi Jinping at the front of their churches. "Core socialist values" are to be integrated into the services as doctrine.

The demand for a primary commitment to the political party took a more blatant and ominous twist in early November when officials in Henan Province conducted a routine inspection of a church in the village of Dongcun. The entire facility was searched before an officer stopped at the pulpit where the Ten Commandments were displayed. He demanded that the first commandment be removed, and then proceeded to wipe it out. 

In response to this action, one of the church members complained, "They are trying to corrupt our faith and make us betray God." The government's latest sanctions make it apparent that religious citizens are being mandated to give their allegiance first to the Chinese Communist Party rather than to the Lord who is rightfully referenced in the Bible as the "King of kings" and "Lord of lords."

Pray that the Christians of this government-registered congregation and other Three-Self Churches throughout China will find their strength in Christ as they take a stand and refuse to place any other gods before Him. Also prayerfully uphold the many believers belonging to unregistered churches throughout the country as they faithfully work to support and build up God's Kingdom, despite increased animosity. As believers stand up in the midst of opposition

| 
PRAISE REPORT
|
| 
ALGERIA: Bookstore Allowed to Reopen

Source: Middle East Concern


In November 2017, the Algerian authorities shut down a church in Aïn Turk, claiming that it had been used to "illegally print Gospels and publications intended for evangelism" (for details, see this report). On June 10th, 2018, the governor of Oran Province signed an order reopening the church (click here). However, the bookstore operated by the church was not allowed to reopen at the time, with claims that it was being used for evangelistic activities.

On December 13th, a court had overridden the governor's closure order and allowed the bookstore to reopen. Praise God for this court ruling, asking Him to wonderfully bless this opportunity to spread His Word throughout the region.

If you would like to post a prayer of praise or petition on behalf of our persecuted family around the globe, visit VOMC's prayer wall.
|

The Persecution & Prayer Alert is a ministry of:The Voice of the Martyrs Canada, P.O. Box 608, Streetsville, Ontario, L5M 2C1Tel. (905) 670-9721 Website: The Voice of the Martyrs Canada - Home
SERMONS
THE HOLINESS OF GOD BY JOHN MACDUFF
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=225161624535

CHILDRENS STORIES BY JC RYLE
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=122007102850

WE BURN BEFORE WE BOW BY SAM ADAMS DANIEL 3:1-30
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=1119155182878

REPENT OR PERSISH BY JC RYLE LUKE 13:1-5

https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=101918202370 |

SPECIAL NOTE
To people who ask, who are you? I am Keith..everyone calls me KK. I am married to a wonderful Chinese lady and we both teach here in china. 
Please read what I share with you, please feel free to pass it on to your friends and place it on all social media groups such as Facebook, Ning and if you wish to tweet the links (see below) please feel free to do so.
Please listen to the sermons, all you have to do is to copy and paste the links into your browser, I have heard all the sermons and have been blessed, may you be blessed also.
Please hold China in your prayers, please use the following resources to pray for China

https://prayercast.com/china.html

http://www.operationworld.org/country/chna/owtext.html

https://www.vomcanada.com/china.htm

Below is a link to every people group in China, please adopt a group, pray for them at least once a week. If you do this, please let me know which one you are praying for. The one I have adopted is the A-che people, this has 41,000 People and No Christians, this is the case with many groups

https://joshuaproject.net/countries/CH

UPDATE
Please pray for the Chinese church, please pray that despite the present persecution the church would grow and mature. Please pray for the pastors, co-workers and leaders that they would be bound to the word of God and prayer.. Please pray for our little church, that church members would deepen and grow and that we would have more men in the church. Please pray for increase in our weekly prayer, we only had 3 last week.

PEOPLE FOCUS
FRANCE
FRENCH
https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/11234/FR

ARMENIAN

https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/10429/FR

TURK IN FRANCE
https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/18274/FR

MOROCCAN ARABIC SPEAKING IN FRANCE
https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/13819/FR

SERMONS
SWEET BUY BY JC PHILPOT
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=11009102410

THE WAY TO BE LIKE JESUS BY THOMAS WATSON
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=416081341305

FEEDING SHEEP OR AMUSING GOATS BY CHARLES SPURGEON
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=416081350220

FEAR HIM BY JOHN MACDUFF
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=913081116455

SPECIAL NOTE
To people who ask, who are you? I am Keith..everyone calls me KK. I am married to a wonderful Chinese lady and we both teach here in china. 
Please read what I share with you, please feel free to pass it on to your friends and place it on all social media groups such as Facebook, Ning and if you wish to tweet the links (see below) please feel free to do so.
Please listen to the sermons, all you have to do is to copy and paste the links into your browser, I have heard all the sermons and have been blessed, may you be blessed also.
Please hold China in your prayers, please use the following resources to pray for China

https://prayercast.com/china.html
http://www.operationworld.org/country/chna/owtext.html
https://www.vomcanada.com/china.htm

Below is a link to every people group in China, please adopt a group, pray for them at least once a week. If you do this, please let me know which one you are praying for. The one I have adopted is the A-che people, this has 41,000 People and No Christians, this is the case with many groups

https://joshuaproject.net/countries/CH

SERMONS
THE JUSTICE OF GOD BY JOHN MACDUFF

https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=225161626307

THE BIBLE'S FIRST PROMISE BY CHARLES SPURGEON
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=fcb0101

A CALL TO YOUNG PEOPLE BY GERARD HEMMINGS
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=2214164805

SIX WAYS TO RUIN YOUR CHILDREN
by Jeff Robinson
I’ll never forget the day my wife and I brought our oldest son home after his birth.
It was more than 16 years ago, and he was our first child. To that point in my life, I’m not sure I’d ever held a baby, much less provided daily acute care for one. I had certainly never changed a diaper. My wife didn’t have a long resume with children either. All of a sudden, I needed to be an expert in a subject I had never even studied, not for five seconds. What were we going to do? Would this child survive . . . us?
I remember the ride home from the hospital, him snugly buckled in his backward- facing pumpkin seat, us biting our nails more with each passing mile. I was a father. She was a mother. This child was entirely dependent on the care of two people who had barely ever touched a baby. Surely this wouldn’t turn out well. Part of me wanted to turn around and return to the hospital so this child would again be safe in the arms of professionals.
Paranoid Parents
Those early days of parenting often involved paralyzing paranoia. Every time his pacifier hit the ground, we’d boil it for 30 minutes. Every time anyone even looked sick at church, we’d keep him home. The first time he projectile-vomited, I was certain he was dying. There were so many questions: /Would he ever get over his deep anxiety at the very sight of bathwater? Was that our fault? Would he ever potty train? Did he suffer from numerous permanent phobias? Would his Christology be orthodox?/
If you’ve been a parent for very long, you know of what I speak. There’s a lingering fear, a virtual psychosis, that we will permanently ruin our four children. As a father for 16 years now, I’ve come to realize that a germy pacifier or an irrational fear of thunderstorms are not signs of acute parental failure.
But there are ways you can ruin your children—subtle ways that tend to show up over time. As a parent, I’d grade myself at about a C-minus.. (My wife is definitely the valedictorian between the two of us.) So here are six ways—all of which I have been guilty—that you could ruin those who bear your last name, who will someday appear on your auto insurance policy.
1. Don’t tell them you’re a sinner.
I am at my worst as a father when I assume the role of sinless savior. That place belongs to Christ alone. When I say things like, “I didn’t act that way when I was your age” (a lie if ever there was one), then I confuse them as to why they need the gospel in the first place. And I become a whitewashed tomb.
My children need to know that my heart was once captive to sin as well and that I remain in the middle of sanctification. They need to know that I still sin, but that I have forgiveness in the sinless Savior. They need to know their sinning is inherited from their federal head Adam, yes, but also from their earthly father.
2. Don’t ask them to forgive you for sinning against them.
I once had an older man in our church tell me I should never apologize to our children. To do so would show weakness, he reasoned. I am a five-star general; they are privates.
I have sinned against my family without admitting it to them far too many times to count. But there have been times I have gone to them and said something like, “Daddy has sinned against you (or your mother) and the Lord. I have asked the Lord to forgive me; now I need to ask you to forgive me. Jesus is my Savior, but he is still changing my heart.”
My family needs to see that I am weak, that my strength is in Christalone.
The older man was actually correct about one thing: confession reveals weakness. But my family needs to see that I am weak, that my strength is in Christ alone (2 Cor. 12:10), and that repentance is a necessary part <#> of both salvation and also sanctification. Such admission of sin shows them that Jesus—not Dad (or Mom)—is the one who kept God’s law to perfection.
I am convinced my children were born with built-in Pharisee detectors (most are). If I talk about the gospel all the time and talk about repentance, and yet seem to sin with impunity, they will unmask my hypocrisy pretty quickly. Or they’ll learn to imitate it. I can tell them that the gospel transforms sinners, but they won’t believe me. They might become atheists. They might become Pharisees.
3. Don’t pray with them.
We tend to pray zealously /for/ our children, but do we often pray /with/ them? Praying with our children at least daily in our homes teaches them two things: the invitation to come to God’s throne of grace is always open, and we are entirely dependent on the Lord.
By praying with them you also model for them how to pray biblically—as Jesus did for his followers—and show that when you taught them 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (“pray without ceasing”), you really meant it and they really need it.
4. Don’t do ‘nothing’ with them.
The longer I’ve parented, the more clearly I’ve come to see a fallacy in the popular distinction between “quality time” and “quantity time.” Every hour we spend with our children should be quality time—even when it seems like we’re doing nothing of consequence. Yes, we should spend ample time teaching them Bible and theology—that’s part of training them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph. 6:4). But we can unwittingly communicate that the Christian life reaches its apex when it most closely resembles the seminary classroom.
The mundane moments are vitally important in building intimate relationshi ps with our kids—because that’s where we spend most of our time with them. My teenage son recently helped me see this more clearly when he told me, “You know, Dad, my favorite time of the day is when you and I sit downstairs before bedtime watching the MLB Network and talking baseball. That’s really fun.” Not very spiritual, I realize, but I hope those conversations about curveballs and fantasy league trades will lead to more natural talks about the resurrection of Christ and the inspiration of Scripture.
5. Don’t love their mother (or father) well.
If you have sons, the way you treat your wife gives them a subtle education in how they should treat their future wives. If you have daughters, the way you treat your wife teaches them what kind of man they want to marry—or avoid marrying—someday. Failing to love their mother as Christ loves the church (Eph. 5:25) introduces a distorted picture of the gospel into your home. The same is true for mothers, only in reverse.
If you have sons, the way you treat your wife gives them a subtleeducation in how they should treat their future wives. If you havedaughters, the way you treat your wife teaches them what kind of manthey want to marry—or avoid marrying—someday.
Failing to love their mother as Christ loves the church could well undermine the orthodox expression of the gospel you work so hard to teach.. Love their mother well, and don’t be afraid to show playful physical affection toward her in front of them.
Mothers can also distort the gospel-picturing function of the home by giving lip service to headship but living out a practical rejection of it. This teaches daughters by example to do the same and can drive sons toward sinful passivity or aggression. Faithfulness to Paul’s words in Ephesians 5 requires deep grace for both parents, particularly in a culture where the idea of gender, much less gender roles, is virulently contested .
6. Don’t continue family devotions if there are no immediate results.
It isn’t a mere cliché to say the Christian life is a marathon and not a sprint (Heb. 12:1–2). We plant the seed, but the Spirit of God grows it. In the parable of the growing seed (Mark 4:26–29), Jesus reminded hearers that a farmer sows seed and then goes to bed, only to eventually see it germinate and grow “he knows not how.” So it is with your children. So it is with every genuine Christian.
They will fidget. They will seem more interested in electronic devices or TV or Fortnite (send help please). But keep at it. God did not grow you into a mature Christian in a day, and he may not save and sanctify them at a particularly young age. Let the parable of the persistent widow serve as a refuge, that you may not lose heart (Luke 18:1–8).
And teach them God’s Word faithfully. Pray with them and for them. Write the words “patience” and “persistence” over the door of your heart. I’ve seen gospel seeds planted in a 4-year-old that suddenly bore fruit four decades later.
Relax and Trust
Whether you are a brand-new parent or have nearly grown children, you know that parenting is painfully difficult. Like marriage, it is a theater of sanctification. To my shame, I have repeatedly violated all six of these things—and many more. It sure is easier to write about parenting than to actually parent.
But I am grateful to know that I didn’t stunt their physical growth when I gave them coffee at age 5 (yep, I did), and that God gives grace for deeply flawed parents like me, and that he can lead kids to walk straight with him in spite of their parents’ clumsiness.

GEM 2
JACK BLAKE
"That&# 39;s an Idol?"1 King 11:7 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable idol of Moab, on the mountain which is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the detestable idol of the sons of Ammon. (NAS)GODS, PAGAN - Molech was the national deity of the Ammonites , whose worship was accompanied by the burning of children offered as a sacrifice by their own parents. The god Molech also appears in the Old Testament as Milcom <2 Kin. 23:13; Zeph. 1:5>; (Malcham, KJV) and in the New Testament as Moloch .
Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary - Copyright 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers
Molech and Chemosh were the work of man's hands. Stone and metal disfigured images to which the parents of that day would offer their children. Metal hands were heated to scalding red hot. Then the child was dropped on to them. The terrible pain would lead to shock and death. To most of our society it is a horrible, unthinkable act. The worship of this idol involved the worship of pleasure, not unlike the virgin goddess Athena in Paul's day.
There is little argument that these, and many other stone figures are idols.. One reason the Lord issued the command not to worship any graven images was to avoid this kind of grotesque worship. Even the alters that were made for the worship of God were to be made of uncarved stones.
Exod 20:25 And if you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your tool on it, you will profane it. (NAS)There is nothing we can do externally to improve our worship to the Lord. The simple stones were not to be 'improved&# 39; upon with carvings.. The focus was not on the stones, but on God. It is our hearts that need carving and cleaning out. God promises to replace our hearts that He calls stony, with a heart of flesh. This heart will be receptive to His commands and His will.
So, are these the only idols we can find? What made the statues idols?
People gave their time and devotion to them. In many cases, there was a philosophy of sensuality/experien tality, stoicism, or educational/ wisdom. They were ideals that moved the focus to physical, mental or emotional control, satisfaction or fulfillment. The 1960's motto, "If it feels good, do it.", elevated physical and emotional experience above all else. Free love and marriage smack of the temple worship of the Parthenon and the worship of Athena.
Matt 6:24-25 No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. 25 "For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body than clothing? (NAS)Jesus warned that the pursuit of money, for the sake of money, would be an all consuming passion. Once again, moving the focus of the person involved away from God on to the physical and self.
So, can money and pleasure become idols? Yes, but what is it about money and pleasure that can make them idols?
Heb 13:5-6 Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you," 6 so that we confidently say, "The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me?" (NAS)There is nothing wrong with money or pleasure for that matter. We must eat and have shelter for our families. There is nothing wrong with taking a day off and relaxing alone or with others. Sensuality within marriage is a special relationship and blessing reserved for marriage. Pursuit of an education is required by our society and is actually required to communicate and operate within that society. Emotions are given by God to us. It is the misuse, or abuse of any of these things that makes them idols. When anything comes between us and God, it becomes and idol.
Exod 20:3 You shall have no other gods before Me. (NAS)An idol is a false god. Whether this god is a carved statue, your credit cards, your home, your kids or spouse, your education - if it becomes more important to you than God, you have an idol in your life. I'm not saying that you don't take care of things or love your family. Love your family! Be responsible with the things God has blessed you with, be they many or few. But love God first. When God is first, everything else comes into a proper perspective.
When God is first, your love for your family will be balanced and strong. Let something else move into that top slot and everything begins to slide and shuffle in order and importance.
Matt 6:31-34 Do not be anxious then, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'With what shall we clothe ourselves?&# 39; 32 "For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. 34 "Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (NAS)GEM 3
WE´ve LOST CHRISTIANITYby Andrew Strom
Despite the thousands in our megachurches today, soaking upthe warm entertainment offered to them every week, I want to putit to you that we have lost Christianity. Despite the Christianbooks now found in every Walmart, and the "crossover&quo t; of Christianartists into the mainstream, and our Christian mega-stores andCD´s and DVD´s and Study-Bibles, I want to put it to you thatwe have lost Christianity.
Despite our lavish Cathedrals in the suburbs (`Charismatic or not)with their pastel hues and comfortable pews, their projector screensand $30,000 sound systems, I want to put it to you that we haveutterly lost Christianity.
We left it behind somewhere when we shifted our churches fromthe inner city into the "comfortable&q uot; suburbs. We left it behind whenwe stopped welcoming the bums off the street into our meetingsand started welcoming only the "respectable&q uot; people. We left itbehind when we stopped preaching "take up your cross" andturned the gospel into a success formula - `Seven Steps to yourBest Life Now.´
Somewhere in our comfortable suburban streetscape with itsmanicured lawns we lost the real thing. Somehow in our concernfor "property values" and a better `dental plan´ we left it behind.But that is not the worst part of it. The worst part is that we don´tknow how to get it back again. Or perhaps we don´t really WANTto get it back again. The cost simply doesn´t bear thinking about,does it? And so, as we drive around in our nice shiny cars withour groovy plastic toys, and attend "church" as we know it twicea week for 2 hours;- As we live a life that is about as unlikeJesus as you can get, a life of comfort and coddling undreamtof by billions around the world;- a lifestyle in the top 10% of theearth today (-in debt up to our eyeballs all the while) - the factis that we don´t really CARE that we have lost original Christianity, do we? We are too busy, man. Don´t bother us with that kind of talk.
It will all be OK, the preacher tells us. We will all make it to heavenin the end. We are all "decent" people here. We have "prayed thelittle prayer" . We have `given our heart to the Lord´.
But wait - what is this?
"Not every one who says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into thekingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father who isin heaven.Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesiedin your name? and in your name have cast out demons? and inyour name done many wonderful works?And then will I say unto them, I never knew you: depart from me,you that work iniquity."
-Mt 7:21-23.

SPECIAL NOTE
To people who ask, who are you? I am Keith..everyone calls me KK. I am married to a wonderful Chinese lady and we both teach here in china. 
Please read what I share with you, please feel free to pass it on to your friends and place it on all social media groups such as Facebook, Ning and if you wish to tweet the links (see below) please feel free to do so.
Please listen to the sermons, all you have to do is to copy and paste the links into your browser, I have heard all the sermons and have been blessed, may you be blessed also.
Please hold China in your prayers, please use the following resources to pray for China

https://prayercast.com/china.html

http://www.operationworld.org/country/chna/owtext.html

https://www.vomcanada.com/china.htm

Below is a link to every people group in China, please adopt a group, pray for them at least once a week. If you do this, please let me know which one you are praying for. The one I have adopted is the A-che people, this has 41,000 People and No Christians, this is the case with many groups

https://joshuaproject.net/countries/CH

SCIENCE CONFIRMS THE BIBLE BY KEN HAM

https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=41618538161
GENESIS AND THE GOSPEL BY PAUL TAYLOR
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=627182311562

PAUL'S SERMON IN ATHENS BY RYAN MCKEE ACTS 17
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=121131537302
THE GRACE OF GOD BY JOHN MACDUFF
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=1016161815143

GENESIS 1
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
AND GOD SAIDSo many people think that Biblical creation is a myth. Well I have news for you.. it isn't! As a born again Bible believing Christian, let me assure you that it is true.How you ever seen a bookcase with bookends?If you take one of these away, every book will fall. It is the same with creation. The creation account is one bookend on which the rest of the Bible stands. If the creation account is not perfect, then the whole Bible falls.Let us tell you some of the doctrines that are taught in the first three chapters of Genesis:The Trinity - Ch. 1:26The deity of Christ - REFERENCEOriginal sin - Ch. 3The fall - Ch. 3Man's depravity - Ch. 3The cross - Ch. 3:15Redemption of man - Ch. 3Marriage - Ch. 1-2Most importantly, it revolves around God's power and ability to do this. How He did, I don't know, I just know He did! He spoke and it was!So many in the church want to trample underfoot the God's creative power, but as for me, I stand strongly and shoulder with the amazing truths contained in the opening chapters of Genesis.Many years ago in the UK, there was a popular Christian magazine called Buzz. One month it had an article by Dwayne Gish of the Creation Research Institute. Many so called Christians wrote in the next month, stating he was wrong to defend Biblical creation, and the next month, the believers who believed in what he believed had a chance to reply, me included. I have never done this before or since; I wrote, if we don't believe the Creation account, why believe the rest of the Bible.I stand with the same conviction today nearly forty years later. Why do I believe it?BECAUSE GOD SAID ITGOD BLESS YOUKK

ACTS 17
22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription,  To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands
THE UNKNOWN GODThe story of Paul's visit to Athens is amazing. Paul is distressed over the situation in Athens; he sees the whole city given over to idolatry.He has been brought to the centre of Mars Hill, the intellectual capital of the world. He starts his short but powerful sermon, by these words.Things haven't changed a lot have they. We in the present world are seeking to reach God; we are still doing our devotions; we are still setting up our idols.Paul declares Christ unto them, and starts with creation and moves to the resurrection of Jesus.Let me ask you, on the altar of your heart, do you have the inscription. . TO THE UNKNOWN GOD?Let me use the words of Paul in verse 23, I will declare the one who you ignorantly worship.Let me tell you of my Saviour: He is my Saviour; He is my Creator and Redeemer.He is the Lord of Heaven and earth; He is the One who holds everything together.Do you know God?The God who you don't know, I declare Him unto you. He is the One who is Lord of all?Is He your Saviour and Lord?God bless you
KK

SPECIAL NOTE
To people who ask, who are you? I am Keith..everyone calls me KK. I am married to a wonderful Chinese lady and we both teach here in china. 
Please read what I share with you, please feel free to pass it on to your friends and place it on all social media groups such as Facebook, Ning and if you wish to tweet the links (see below) please feel free to do so.
Please listen to the sermons, all you have to do is to copy and paste the links into your browser, I have heard all the sermons and have been blessed, may you be blessed also.
Please hold China in your prayers, please use the following resources to pray for China

https://prayercast.com/china.html

http://www.operationworld.org/country/chna/owtext.html

https://www.vomcanada.com/china.htm

Below is a link to every people group in China, please adopt a group, pray for them at least once a week. If you do this, please let me know which one you are praying for. The one I have adopted is the A-che people, this has 41,000 People and No Christians, this is the case with many groups

https://joshuaproject.net/countries/CH

Please pray for the protection, growth and blessing of every Church in China, that they would be lighthouses for the Chinese People. Please pray for more men to come to faith esp at our little church. Please pray that persecution would refine the church, God will end it, when it has achieved it's purpose and only then.. he is in full control...amen

COUNTRY FOCUS

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE UK
The Uk is in serious trouble, not only because of Brexit, it has deserted God and is suffering his judgement. Please pray for my land that it would repent.

ENGLAND
https://prayercast.com/england.html

SCOTLAND
https://prayercast.com/scotland.html

WALES
https://prayercast.com/wales.html

NORTHERN IRELAND
https://prayercast.com/northern-ireland.html

SERMONS
THE HOLINESS OF GOD BY JOHN MACDUFF

https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=225161624535

THE ORDINANCES OF GOD BY JOHN MACDUFF
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=1251719144610

ALWAYS GROWING BY CHARLES SPURGEON JOHN 1:50
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=fcb0107

FAITH SEES THE BOW BY CHARLES SPURGEON GENESIS 9:14
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=fcb0111

SPECIAL NOTE
To people who ask, who are you? I am Keith..everyone calls me KK. I am married to a wonderful Chinese lady and we both teach here in china. 
Please read what I share with you, please feel free to pass it on to your friends and place it on all social media groups such as Facebook, Ning and if you wish to tweet the links (see below) please feel free to do so.
Please listen to the sermons, all you have to do is to copy and paste the links into your browser, I have heard all the sermons and have been blessed, may you be blessed also.
Please hold China in your prayers, please use the following resources to pray for China

https://prayercast.com/china.html

http://www.operationworld.org/country/chna/owtext.html

https://www.vomcanada.com/china.htm

Below is a link to every people group in China, please adopt a group, pray for them at least once a week. If you do this, please let me know which one you are praying for. The one I have adopted is the A-che people, this has 41,000 People and No Christians, this is the case with many groups

https://joshuaproject.net/countries/CH

SERMONS
SPIRITUAL JOYS BY THOMAS WATSON
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=917091115103

WHAT IS MOST NEEDED TODAY? BY AW PINK
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=52809171524

IF YOU DARE BY SAMUEL DAVIES
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=8210942179

DEL
A HEBREW SAGE MIGHT SAY. . .Love should be like a tree whose roots are deep in the earth, but whose branches extend into heaven.  MARK & AVOID  "Now I urge you, brethren, mark  those who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you learned and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our LORD JESUS CHRIST, but their own belly; and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple."  [Romans 16. 17 - 18]  "Who is the man who is eager for life, who desires years of good fortune? Guard your tongue from evil, your lips from deceitful speech."  [Psalms (Tehillym ) 34. 12 - 13Tanakh,  Kethuvim]  In Hebrew one would say, Shmiras ha'Loshon — Guard your tongue. Then, to mark and avoid  such persons that do not, we must appropriately use the infallible BIBLICAL standards for discernment and judgment.  Truth in judgment must be based on the doctrine which you acquired from GOD'S HOLYWRITTE N WORD OF TRUTH. " For whoever speaks thus of the Law and the message of testimony, if they do not speak according to this WORD, it is because there is no light in them." [ Isaiah (Yeshayah)  8. 20 Tanakh,  Nevi' im] " The LORD says — To such a one I will look: To him who is poor and of a contrite (smitten,  maimed, dejected) spirit, who is concerned about MY WORD."  [Isaiah (Yeshayah ) 66. 2 Tanakh, Nevi&# 39;im]  False teachers and cults need to be marked and avoided  for " someday they shall cry to the LORD, but HE will not hear nor answer them; at that time HE will even hide HISface from them, in accordance to the evil they have done. Thus says the LORD to the prophets who lead MY people astray. You shall have darkness without divination; the sun shall go down on the prophets, and the day shall be dark for them." [ Micah (Michah)  3. 4 - 5 Tanakh, Nevi&# 39;im]  Therefore,  "take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, EVEN WHAT HE HAS WILL BE TAKEN AWAY FROM HIM." [Mark  4. 24 - 25]  We must know and apply GOD'S WORD, the HOLY SCRIPTURES  faithfully to our lives. And, we must be like the Bereans who, when they heard new teachings, " receivedthe WorD with all readiness, and  searched the SCRIPTURES daily to find out whether those things were so." [Acts  17. 11]  We cannot avoid the " offense of the cross"  [Galatians  5. 11], for it marks men as hell-deserving sinners. DO NOT BE DECEIVED!!! Our only hope of salvation is a humble acknowledgment of the LORD MESSIAH Y’SHUA, the REJECTED CREATOR  and ONLYREDEEMER.  Know HiM as your personal SAVIOR & KING WHO  died for your sins, rosevictorious ly, and is coming back for us to be with HIM forever!  Sha'alu ( Pray) for the Shalom (Peace)  of JerUSAlem and all of Israel!Redeem  Israel, O ELOHIYM,  out of all their troubles!Heavenly  FathER, teach us to emulate Your own grace and mercy. Cause YOUR Truth to fall upon our hearts like seed upon fertile ground. And, may we learn to love Your Law ever more deeply and to find in it the beauty of holiness. AmenHave a wonderful day serving and growing in the wisdom and knowledge of the LORD GOD MOSTHIGH!  
GEM 2
My Manna​ ​ 

"Exalt the Lord our God; bow in worship at His footstool. He is holy." Psalm 99:5.

"No one can know the true grace of God," said the great Bible teacher A. W. Tozer, "who has not first known the fear of God." 

He continued: "Always there was about any manifestation of God something that dismayed the onlookers, that daunted and overawed them...I do not believe any lasting good can come from religious activities that are not rooted in this fear. Until we have been gripped by that nameless terror that results when an unholy creature is suddenly confronted by the One who is holiest of all, we are not likely to be affected by the doctrine of love and grace."

There was a time when the nature and character of God was a constant theme-
- in Christian pulpits, 
- but not any more. 

Generally speaking, today's preachers and writers tend to give people-
- what they want rather than 
- what they need. 

This is why we must stop every time we come across a reference to God's character in our Bibles and pause to consider it. 

No one has done anything mighty for God without a new vision of God's holiness. 

Ezekiel tells us of the "rims" in his vision that were "large and frightening. " Ezekiel 1:18. 
And Jacob, rising from his sleep, said: "What an awesome place this is!" Genesis 28:17.

We will be of little use to God unless we know how to tremble before Him-
- for otherwise our own ideas and feelings of self-sufficiency will soon take over. 

Have we lost the sense of awe when we come into God's presence-
- which seemed to characterize the saints of the past? 
​​ 
​​ I am afraid we have.

"God, I am afraid as I draw near to You. Nothing or no one can dissolve the fears that hinder me but You. Draw me closer, for in You and You alone lie both my salvation and sanctification.  ​In Jesus' Name, ​ Amen."

GEM 3
CHARLES STANLEY

The Victory of Obedience

Judges 7:9-25

God providentially orchestrated each element of His plan for Israel’s success. However, if Gideon had disobeyed even one divine command, his army would have suffered instant defeat. Although the Lord’s ways may seem risky or illogical, we can always trust His indisputable wisdom and rely on His mighty power.

God encourages the fainthearted.  When the Lord commanded Gideon to attack the enemy, He also provided a way to relieve the leader’s fears. By following God’s directions, Gideon was led to the exact location where he would hear an encouraging message that caused him to bow in worship and arise with great faith.

God removes the things we depend on. Gideon was marching to war with only 300 men armed with trumpets, pitchers, and torches. Their manpower seemed pitiful, and their weapons appeared useless for battle. With traditional means of victory removed, they could rely only upon the Lord.

God works in the enemy’s camp on our behalf. Everything is perfectly timed when God is in control—even the parts we cannot see. While Gideon was obeying each divine command, the Lord was working behind the scenes to ensure victory for Israel. In the enemy’s confusion and fear of darkness, panic led to self-destruction.

The key to a victorious Christian life is obedience. As you follow the Lord, He will faithfully supply you with instructions for each next step. His way may not be the easiest or the most comfortable, but it is always the best. Rely on Him, and He will lead you to victory.

SPECIAL NOTE
To people who ask, who are you? I am Keith..everyone calls me KK. I am married to a wonderful Chinese lady and we both teach here in china. 
Please read what I share with you, please feel free to pass it on to your friends and place it on all social media groups such as Facebook, Ning and if you wish to tweet the links (see below) please feel free to do so.
Please listen to the sermons, all you have to do is to copy and paste the links into your browser, I have heard all the sermons and have been blessed, may you be blessed also.
Please hold China in your prayers, please use the following resources to pray for China

https://prayercast.com/china.html

http://www.operationworld.org/country/chna/owtext.html

https://www.vomcanada.com/china.htm

Below is a link to every people group in China, please adopt a group, pray for them at least once a week. If you do this, please let me know which one you are praying for. The one I have adopted is the A-che people, this has 41,000 People and No Christians, this is the case with many groups

https://joshuaproject.net/countries/CH

SERMONS
CHARLES SPURGEON DAILY DEVOTION JOSHUA 5:12
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=122616155596

CHARLES SPURGEON DAILY DEVOTION SONG OF SONGS 1:4
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=122616155144

A NEW EXISTENCE BY JC RYLE
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=7230813592610

A NEW CREATURE BY HORATIUS  BONAR

https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=31409054382

From: Mary Padgett Ministries, IncA Word In Due Season NEW RESOLUTIONS Scriptur e:  Psalms 118:24 "This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalms 118 was a jubilant expression of praise and thanksgiving that was sung by the worshippers as they went up to the Temple.  The psalm spoke of the people's deliverance from the things of the past that had caused them distress and also expressed their hopes for the future.  The word "day" in this scripture is not confined in any way except to indicate a particular space of time.  It can mean either the time between sunrise and sunset or the twenty-four hour period from one sunset to next sunset.  It can also mean a week, a year, a decade, or a season.  It can even refer to a century or an entire age.
 
God creates spaces of time in our lives and each one starts with a new beginning.  Each day comes with a new sun rise offering light to escape the previous darkness and warmth to create growth on the earth.  Every new week gives us a fresh start after an appointed day of rest.  Each new season brings change and every new year births new resolutions and hope in our spirits.  We start each of these spaces of time with faith that things will be good and that we will accomplish our goals in a better fashion.
 
I start every morning agreeing with God's Word that this is the day or the space of time that the Lord has given to me and that I will rejoice and be glad in it.  It does not take long, however, for my declaration to be challenged and my hopes dashed to pieces because the day does not always go as I have planned.  My week also gets off to a rough start and the month ends too soon without the goals being met.  And the New Year with its promising resolutions to do better presents its own challenges.  Everything seems to fall to pieces little by little and I begin to wonder, if God really did create this new day, why is all this chaos happening?
 
Yet, God's Word is always true for God is not a man that He should lie.  If the Word says that He created this day or space of time we can believe it and we can also believe that He will give us strength to rejoice in it.  Being children of the Most High God does not exempt us from heartache and trouble.  The Apostle James told us to rejoice when we went through fiery trials.  Habakkuk rejoiced in the season when the fig tree did not blossom and there was no fruit on the vine.  The Apostle Paul determined that none of the tribulations that He faced would separate Him from God and he instructed us to rejoice in the Lord always.  Jesus proceeded towards the crucifixion of the Cross because of the joy that was set before Him.
 
It would benefit our souls to stand with these men of faith and declare that we too will rejoice in the Lord and be glad in the current day regardless of what it brings.  Rejoicing provides strength to endure and it is with joy that we are able to draw from the wells of salvation.  So, let us recognise this new year as a gift from God and appreciate every day.  Let us determine to rejoice and be glad in it regardless of the circumstances knowing that God made this day or period of time and He knows what surrounds it. 

CHARLES SPURGEON

Fine Clothes

I clothed you also with embroidered cloth and shod you with fine leather. I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk.Ezekiel 16:10

Consider the matchless generosity with which the Lord provides for His people's apparel. They are arrayed in this way so that the divine skill is seen producing an unrivaled "embroidered cloth," in which every attribute takes its part and every divine beauty is revealed. There is no art like the art displayed in our salvation, no skillful workmanship like that seen in the righteousness of the saints. Justification has engrossed learned pens in every age of the church and will be the theme of admiration in eternity. In all this splendor there is utility and durability, comparable to our being "shod . . . with fine leather." This skin covered the tabernacle and formed one of the finest and strongest leathers known.

The righteousness that is of God by faith endures forever, and he who is shod with this divine preparation will walk through the desert in safety. The purity and dignity of our holy vestments are brought out in "fine linen." When the Lord sanctifies His people, they are clothed as priests in pure white; the snow itself does not excel them. They are in the eyes of men and angels fair to look upon, and even in the Lord's eyes they are without spot. Meanwhile the royal apparel is delicate and rich as "silk." No expense is spared, no beauty withheld, no grandeur denied.

What, then? Can we infer nothing from this? Surely there is gratitude to be felt and joy to be expressed. Come, my heart, do not refuse your evening hallelujah! Tune your pipes! Touch your chords!

Strangely, my soul, art thou arrayed
By the Great Sacred Three!
In sweetest harmony of praise

Let all your powers agree.
PRAYER NEED MINISTRY
WHAT'S NEXT?

"Prepare your mind for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed...1 Peter 1:13." 

When you consider your future, what do you think will happen? Do you picture good things coming your way, or does the future feel somewhat bleak?  No one really knows the future. God rarely gives detailed insights into what is coming next. It seems that He wants us to rely on Him and not become fixated on what will or won't happen. This can feel disconcerting – and some become so concerned with knowing the future that they involve themselves in the occult, seeking dark powers for information about their future, as if that will bring them some sort of comfort. 

God's Kingdom approach is quite different. He promises to be with us always, never to leave us or forsake us.  His character is such that He can be trusted with our future, even though we don't know what that future will hold. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) Rather than showing us the future, God calls us to be prepared to obey Him in any and every circumstance.

"Prepare your mind for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed." (1 Peter 1:13) Be ready for Jesus when He comes at the end of the age, and when He presents His will to you through the circumstances of life. "In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work." (2 Timothy 2:20-21)

As you consider preparing for the next season of your life, is there any cleansing that ought to take place?  Do you want to be used for the noble purposes of God, or are you more concerned with your own happiness? We will be most fulfilled and happy in the paths of God, doing the things He created for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10) Prepare your mind, your heart and your body for action. God has plans for you. Your life and the lives of those around are dependent on your readiness and fitness to walk in the purposes and calling He has for you...Pastor Tom

THOMAS BROOKS
He who walks by Scripture rule

(Thomas Brooks)

"How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your Word." Psalm 119:9 

"I have hidden Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.." Psalm 119:11 

If you would not be outwitted by any of Satan's evil schemes, then walk by the rule of the Word of God.

He who walks by Scripture rule, walks most safely.
He who walks by Scripture rule, walks most honorably.
He who walks by Scripture rule, walks most sweetly. 

When men throw off the Word, then God throws them off--and then Satan takes them by the hand, and leads them into snares at his pleasure. 

He who thinks himself too good to be ruled by the Word, will be found too bad to be owned by God; and if God does not, or will not own him--then Satan will by his stratagems overthrow him. Those who walk by Scripture rule, shall be kept in the hour of temptation.

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night." Psalm 1:1-2 

"Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth." John 17:17

To people who ask, who are you? I am Keith..everyone calls me KK. I am married to a wonderful Chinese lady and we both teach here in china. Please read what I send and listen to the sermons I send. I am reformed in theology, believing in the 5 Solas of the reformation
Please hold China in your prayers, please use the following resources to pray for China

https://prayercast.com/china.html

https://joshuaproject.net/countries/CH

PRAYER- EFFECTUAL PRAYER BY BOB JONES III ISAIAH 37:15-20
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=927091114185

THE LORD WILL GUIDE YOU BY CHARLES SPURGEON ISAIAH 58:11

https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=1214162018505

EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYER BY PHIL JOHNSON JAMES 5:16-18
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=6121492433

MUCH PRAYER MUCH BLESSING BY ALAN CAIRNS 2 CHRONICLES 26

https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=22141451511

Please use these prayer requests, it will only take you a few minutes to pray

HOLD CHINA IN YOUR HEART

PLEASE SHARE THIS ON ALL SOCIAL MEDIA AND CHURCH NOTICE BOARDS

Dear Prayer Partners

Please print these prayer needs out, so you can pray for 2 minutes per day.

The situation in China is very difficult, persecution is a daily reality. Winter is here for the Chinese church, we need the prayers of our brothers and sisters. These requests are short enough for you to tweet, you may be a tweeter, if you are please tweet these daily requests. Make as many copies as you can if you are a pastor and share them with your church members. Partner with the church in China. Share this on your social media platforms, yahoo groups, ning groups and also facebook. Please send to all your contacts and share with fellow church members and your pastor.

Thank You and God bless you

KK

Daily Prayer Requests for China

Sunday

Please pray for the unregistered church, that it would grow, deepen and become  mature in its faith. Pray that the church would welcome the current persecution and that it would be purified by it.

Please pray for the preachers and church workers as they share the gospel on this the Lord's day. May the word of God not return to Him void.

Please pray for the protection of all churches. Please pray for a deep and powerful revival to touch every unregistered church in China.

Monday

Many believers are in prison for their faith. Stand with these precious believers in prayer, that they may never waver in their faith.

Please pray that the church would focus on the word of God and prayer. Many churches have early morning prayer meetings. May these become the engine room of the church.

Please pray that every Christian would become an effective witness. May they know what the gospel is and how to share it. Please pray for the many fervent witnesses who share it fervently, even on the subways and streets.
Tuesday

Please pray that Christian marriages would be strong and that they would stand out as shining lights in every community.

Many believers are in marriages where their spouses are unsaved. Please pray for the reuniting of these marriages in Christ.

Please pray that single believers would marry in the faith. There is a lack of godly men in the church. So many women marry outside the faith. Please pray for more men to come to faith.

Wednesday

Please pray that the situation in Chinese schools would change. They teach humanism/evolution. Please pray for all Christian students and teachers would stand true to the gospel. Please pray that Bible study groups would start in every University in China.

Please pray for all men in the church, as many are consumed with making money. Please pray that they would commit their lives to the gospel.

Many thousands are coming to Christ every day, and these people need to be trained . Please pray they would grow up strong in their new found faith and become soul winners themselves.

Thursday

Young people are concerned with the latest mobile phones and fashion. Please pray that these young people would respond to the gospel and grow up to lead the church. Please pray that every church would have a Sunday school.

Much of the coastal region is evangelised, but the inland areas such as Hunan, Gansu and Shanxi are unreached. Please pray for many unreached peoples such as the A-che, Pingdi and She. Please click on the link below

https://joshuaproject.net/countries/CH

Please purchase the book Operation China for more details on these people groups

Please pray for the millions trapped in Atheism, Buddhism and Confucianism, and that they would find freedom in Christ.

Friday

Please pray for the millions of Chinese studying and living overseas. They are an open door to be reached with the gospel. Thousands travel every year! Pray that the Western church would reach out to them.

Please pray for the Chinese churches outside China, that they would grow and be evangelism centres to reach out to the Chinese in their communities.

There are so many hurting people in China, please pray for the healing power of the gospel would shine brightly all over China and transform many lives.

Saturday

Please keep China in your prayers. China is becoming a major player on the world scene, so please pray that the church is kept pure and blameless.

Please pray for all Christian families. They are under severe pressure, so please pray that the Christian family unit is kept central.

Please pray for the blessing of the whole of China, and that God will use China in a great way over the next twenty years. By then the Christians may number 2-300 million, so please pray that the Chinese church would hold fast to the truths of the Bible.
KK

1a PEOPLE FOCUS
Tue Dec 25, 2018 9:24 pm (PST) . Posted by: "keith hobkirk" totallylovedbygod59
SPECIAL NOTE
To people who ask, who are you? I am Keith..everyone calls me KK. I am married to a wonderful Chinese lady and we both teach here in china. Please read what I send and listen to the sermons I send. I am reformed in theology, believing in the 5 Solas of the reformation
Please hold China in your prayers, please use the following resources to pray for China

https://prayercast.com/china.html

https://joshuaproject.net/countries/CH

NEWS
Praise God out two celebrations went well.. several people came forward for prayer. Please continue to lift up C and Husband , Rose's mother and Grandma and D and Z ( couple who are new believers). Please pray that God's protection would rest on us, many churches had celebrations .. although technically illegal.. some even had theirs in the open air. Please continue to lift us up here in China

Please pray for these dear people, please place all these links on social media, groups and send to your contacts. For those who use facebook, please place this email on your group or page.For those who tweet, please tweet each people group and sermon.
These people need your prayers, please open the links, if you don't pray for them.. who will?
PLEASE DON'T IGNORE THIS EMAIL

CHINA
http://www.operationworld.org/country/chna/owtext.html

A-HMAO
https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/18388/CH

SUAN
https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/18684/CH

BOUYEI

https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/18421/CH

HAN CHINESE MIN NAN

https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/11344/CH

SERMONS PLEASE LISTEN
LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE BY JOHN MACDUFF

https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=51508118010

PERFECT PURITY BY CHARLES SPURGEON
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=fcb0724

THE GLORIOUS GOSPEL OF CHRIST BY JAMES SMITH
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=321111446270

JESUS KNOWS BY MARIA SANDBERG

https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=320141441113

LOVE BOUND HIM TO THE CROSS AND KEPT HIM THERE BY JOHN EADIE
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=57121753362

PLEASE LISTEN TO THESE WONDERFUL SERMONS
TOTAL COMMITMENT BY PAUL STEELE
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=526101240204

THE COMPROMISING CHURCH BY MIKE GENDRON

https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=226151610440

THE GLORY OF GOD BY JOHN MACDUFF
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=116161712210

ARE YOU A CHRISTIAN BY TODD FRIEL I JOHN 1

https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=12121215151

12 QUESTIONS

Happy New year everyone. Here are 12 questions to ask ourselves. Be honest with yourself and God

Growth in grace is an ongoing thing: 2 Peter 3:18. 

Have you grown in grace this past year? It's time to examine your life: 2 Corinthians 13:5.

1. DO YOU LOVE GOD'S WORD MORE?

Psalm 119:97 - O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

Do you have a passion for the word of God? I am not asking if you read it more. Has it become like honey to you? Every time you read it, does God speak directly to you? Can you say the words above?


2.  DO  YOU LOVE SPENDING TIME IN PRAYER?

Now here is a biggie! I struggle here. I must admit. One minute spent praying is worth a hundred doing anything else. Prayer is the Christian' s vital breath; it is his lifeblood. We just talk to our heavenly Father. We talk to the ones we love.. amen! If we love God, then we will spend more and more time with Him. How much time do we spend communing with God?


3. ARE YOU MORE INVOLVED IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE?

If you hadn't noticed, the Christian is a warrior. He/she is engaged in a desperate battle. In Ephesians 6, we are told to arm ourselves with spiritual weapons that will overcome the devil,  etc. We need to be in hand to hand combat. The Roman soldiers who Paul saw, were always ready to fight. They obeyed their commanding officer and would go anywhere to fight for his cause. There is no let up brothers and sisters; let's be engaged in warfare. Let's say like Paul at the end of his life.. I HAVE FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT!!!


4. DO YOU LOVE GOD AND YOUR FELLOW BELIEVERS MORE AND MORE?

Jesus said the two greatest commandment, were to love God and love your neighbour. Is God our first love or just one of many? That was the problem with the children of Israel. They loved God, but He was just one of many loves... He wants and demands your undiluted love. Do we also have pure love for our brethren? Whoever they are? I am in China and can't understand much of what they say and likewise they also of me, but we love each other. There is a powerful and pure love between us. Do you show it to your fellow believers, not just in words but in actions?


5. DO YOU LOVE TO HEAR GOD'S VOICE?

Before Adam and Eve fell, they loved to hear God's voice. It is so sad to hear God's words in the garden.. God calls to them and they are hiding. This year when God speaks, let us not say, like Adam.. "I am afraid because of some sin," but like Samuel, who said, "Speak Lord for thy servant hears." When God speaks to us, may we have open ears and eager hearts. Jesus says My sheep hear My voice and they love to hear it.. HOW SWEET IS THE VOICE OF GOD TO THE BELIEVER.. AMEN. HOW SWEET IS IT TO YOU MY FRIEND?

6. DO YOU SHARE THE GOSPEL MORE?

The Great Commission is to share the gospel with people in our locality. Some of us, like me, have been called to China. You may not be called to some far country. You may still live in the same neighbourhood that you were born in, but the Commission remains the same. Go out and share the gospel! We are not to stay in our comfortable churches and expect people to come to us. Remember what we do is a CO-MISSION, between you and God. It is God's power filling weak vessels like us.


7. DO YOU LOVE THE WORLD LESS?

1 John 2:15 - Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Do we obey this command? To obey this command we truly need to be loving Jesus more. In the words of the chorus:

TURN YOUR EYES OPEN JESUS

LOOK FULL IN HIS WONDERFUL FACE

AND THE THINGS OF THE WORLD

WILL GROW STRANGELY DIM

IN THE LIGHT OF HUS GLORY AND GRACE.
www.casgv.org/ Hymnary/Hymnary- H509.pps）

Do we love the world less or more than we did last year?

 

8. ARE YOU IN FULL CONTROL OF YOUR WORDS?

The tongue is called an unruly evil in James 3. Are you in more control of your tongue than you were last year? One of the evidences of a growing Christian is that you are in control of your tongue. Are your words sweeter than last year?

 

9. ARE YOU MORE OBEDIENT TO GOD?

Jesus says if you love Me, you will keep My commandments. Obedience to God is one of the greatest evidences of the Christian. As we said earlier, Paul talks about the Roman soldier. These soldiers obeyed their commanding officer. Are you obeying your commander.. God himself?

 

10. DO YOU HAVE A GREATER EXCELLENCE IN ALL YOU DO?

Ephesians 6:5-9 and Colossians 3:17 give us a blueprint for living. We are to do all for the glory of God. Whether it is, washing or preaching, we are to do everything for His glory. If we are washing, we should wash up, as if Jesus was going to drink out of that cup or glass. Is our work done in an a more excellent way, than it was last year?

 

11. DO YOU WEEP FOR SOULS MORE AND IN REPENTANCE?

I love Jeremiah; he wept so much. But he is not the only one who weeps in scripture. Our Saviour weeps at the grave of Lazarus. We need to cry over our sin... we need to be in sorrow for our sin. We need to have compassion like Jesus had for a world that is dying.. He wept over Jerusalem. Look at Paul in Romans 9:1-3, and his pain for his own people, Israel. Do you have the same pain for your community and country? When was the last time you cried in repentance? When was the last time you cried to God in prayer for your family, community and country?

 

12. DO YOU HAVE A DEEPER WONDER ABOUT YOUR SALVATION?

It has been 43 years since I first trusted Christ. It is incredible to me that God loves me and that He sent His Son to die for someone like me. Has the wonder of your salvation grown in the last year? Ever wonder why God should pour his love, mercy and grace upon you? I do.

David prays that he wouldn't lose the joy of his salvation. I hope you still have the wonder of a little child when it comes to your salvation. I hope it is something that brings you joyful amazement, joyful wonder, and makes you raise your voice in praise to your Saviour.

There are other questions you can yourself, but these are a good way to start.

When we get to the end of 2019, may we be able to answer all the questions, by saying "YES I have."

God bless you,

Keith

PLEASE LISTEN TO THESE GLORIOUS SERMONS

NO ROOM FOR CHRIST AT THE  INN BY CHARLES SPURGEON

https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=310171653551

THE CUP OF WRATH BY ANDREW BONAR
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=59131618226

SUCH LESSONS BY THOMAS BROOKS
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=57121754533

SINNERS IN THE HANDS OF AN ANGRY GOD BY JONATHAN EDWARDS
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=12607144112

FISH, CHIPS AND PENALTY SHOOT OUTS
What a title, it will become clearer as we go on, so have you had a good year?
We have had an interesting year
Life here goes on, we live very quietly, here in our housing complex, we continue to teach and cook and serve God.
Another birthday passed for both of us, next year is a 0 for me, you can guess which number goes before it, and no I am not 80, although I am starting to look it!
Summer time was fun, in Nanjing, it is very hot, so we decided to go somewhere a little less hot but still in Asia. Helen's father is Indonesian Chinese and he has many relatives still there, so we decided to pay them a visit. Tony and Abbi with Mr Cool (Joe), were our gracious hosts during our time in Jakarta and then other relatives hosted us in Medan. We flew into Jakarta four hours late, actually well after midnight.
Jakarta is on Java and is the capital, we had a brilliant time here, seeing Indonesian life and tasting the food. The food  at one point was even too spicy for Helen!. Tony took us to a huge street cafe, where we had the best fish I have ever tasted.
Sunday we went to their church and met his brother, who lives in a beautiful house, complete with swimming pool.
On Monday morning we set off to Medan on Sumatra, where we were met by other relatives, this for me was the highlight of our trip, not because of Medan, but we were taken to Lake Toba.
I lived near to the Lake district in the UK, but this lake makes those lakes look like puddles!. It took 4 hours to get there, as we approaching the lake, we saw many monkey's on the sides of the road, we went to the Museum of Batak life, these are the people who live in this area, their houses are unique, please put Lake Toba and Batak Musuem in a search engine. 
Our hotel room was right by the lake, I have never been to such a quiet place, you just want to bottle up the quietness and peace of this place. breakfast was taken with a view of the lake, it was the best place that I have ever had breakfast anyway.
There is a large island right in the middle of the lake called Samosir Island, we missed the car ferry, so we went on the slow boat over to it. We went to the bazaar where all kind of souvenir' s was sold by some very eager islanders.
To find a spot for lunch, we took motorbikes to our restaurant, they told us to hold on to the back, but one Englishman decided to take videos from the back of his, this was my favourite memory of the whole year. The restaurant served English food, I of course had to have fish and chips and yes with tomato sauce. Afterwards we took a stroll down to the ferry point, we viewed the lake from comfy sofas and just relaxed, as we waited for the ferry, I could of stayed all day.. oh the peace and stillness.
All too soon, we returned to Medan, but on the way home we visited the birthplace of Baba, and saw the two active volcanoes that surround the city, we also had lunch overlooking the far end of Lake Toba, although we had to go up the rockiest road I have been on, but oh the views.. wow
Our time was up too soon, but we will return one day.
The second major event of summer was the world cup held in Russia (wait till it comes to China), for this I needed the co-operation of my fellow Brit Kris as he watched every game on Chinese TV.  We didn't understand a word the commentator said.. he got fairly excited when one side scored though.
Myself and Helen went round to his flat for England' s second group game vs Panama, two very excited Englishmen and two amazed wives, especially as at half time, it was 5-0 to England. After England scored their second goal from a penalty, we tried to high five and failed, we were so excited..
 My second visit was when England made the last 16 vs Columbia, England led 1-0 into the last minute, Columbia scored, extra time and then dread of dread penalties, thirty minutes passed, oh no it's a penalty shoot out, England Missed, Columbia missed, England goalkeeper saves, England score.. England win, at 4.31am Chinese time, one happy Englishman walked home through deserted Nanjing. 
We didn't win it, but we came 4th, that's not bad, and as one commentator put it ' where were the Germans, but who cares'.
During the year we have met some new friends, Xeres is our latest new friend, he is Norwegian but with American father and Scottish mother!, anyway we are blessed to have him and other English friends, who we have had the pleasure of welcoming to our home.
Life goes on steadily, I still receive much appreciated parcels from back hone from my dear friend BD, he was in Japan recently, he's been to Russia and now Japan, so he's getting closer, he is promising to come to China, but he may have flown to Jupiter if Jezza gets in via the UK elections!. He is very busy sorting out this Brexit mess,  he is a bit busy as his two Coffee mates's want their coffee (Boris and George)
Talking of Cooking, we now make our own shepherd' s pie, pizzas and flans, you are welcome to come and taste if you are ever in China.
Thanks also to my two dear friends in the USA, Mike who has celebrated the arrival of baby Daniel, with wife Pek Kuan,  who is of Chinese descent, they are very proud parents, although Daniel does like to cry a little bit. Also David who we will meet in 2019, thanks to you both for your wise counsel and patience.
The next year (2019), is a big one, as I mentioned earlier, it's a 0 year, my oldest friend has just celebrated his, bus pass is in the post!. On a sad note, my friend Michael, who I was blessed to serve alongside when sharing gospel in Open air in Lancaster when last in UK, died suddenly in November, his was a life that counted, a life blessed by God.
As you get older you realise how short life is, the more memories you have, you need to make every day count. Bitterness and arguments should have no place in our lives. One thing I have learned this year, is that forgiveness is a gift you can give, it's a gift to be shared.  We need to forgive quickly. That is the one thing we can do to make our lives brighter in 2019.
Some final thanks:
My Chinese brothers and sisters for loving me and accepting me, even though they don't understand meThe Chinese people and especially some very special little people, you brighten my lifeMy Chinese family especially Baba and Mama, the latter doesn't understand a word of what I say, now where's my book of Mother in law jokes!!!
Finally to my wife Helen, you are the love of my life, my inspiration, my heart. We have been together for six years as a married couple and I thank God everyday for bringing you into my life. I LOVE YOU xxxx
To my Daughter Ming, am so proud of you, you have grown into a beautiful young lady, you will graduate next year and then the world is your oyster, you have my love and prayers always..Dad xxxx
Through every minute of every day, one thing sustains me and that is my relationship with God, it is this that keeps me on an even keel, the wonder of his love never leaves me, the joy of my salvation is always with me and his strength upholds me
PSALM 18:1-3 are some of my favourite verses, it sums up what God means to me:
I love you, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
    my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
    and I am saved from my enemies.

Thanks to each and everyone of you
Have a happy and blessed Christmas and joyous 2019
God bless you
KK and Family

UPDATE
Please pray for the Chinese church especially over Christmas, many churches are having celebrations this Sunday, please pray for God's protection, the level of persecution is severe, the devil is seeking to destroy the church. Please pray for more men to be reached and called of God.
PLEASE THIS IS NOT A GAME.. DO NOT IGNORE THIS
Post this where you can.. stand with the Chinese church
The links below are to the Han Chinese majority, they are the largest language group in the world, it is in them, that God has worked, but there are millions to be touched by the gospel. Please take time to pray and also listen to the four short sermons
HAN CHINESE MANDARIN 
https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/12051/CH

HAN CHINESE WU
https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/11345/CH

HAN CHINESE JIN
https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/18477/CH

HAN CHINESE CANTONESE

https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/12057/CH

SERMONS

SALVATION IS BY FREE GRACE ALONE BY JAMES SMITH

https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=101912152119

YOUR ENEMY BY JOSEPH ALLEINE

https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=617092234214

THEIR MOTTO BY HORATIUS BONAR
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=3140918336

THIS IS A GOLD RULE INDEED BY JC RYLE

https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=11009101961

1a CHRISTMAS NOONDAY DEVOTIONS
Tue Dec 11, 2018 5:09 pm (PST) . Posted by: "keith hobkirk" totallylovedbygod59

PLEASE LISTEN TO THESE BEAUTIFUL AND GLORIOUS SERMONS.. I HAVE AND BE BEEN SO BLESSED. PLEASE READ THESE DEVOTIONS, THEY HAVE CHALLENGED MY HEART, MAY THEY CHALLENGE YOURS

MEDITATIONS FROM PROVERBS
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=22709102451

PAUL'S PRAYER FOR THE COLOSSIANS BY KEVIN MOORE CHAPTER 1:1-18
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=424111922338

ARE YOU REALLY A CHILD OF GOD? BY JOHN PIPER ROMANS 8
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=823181355381

A MAN WITHOUT FEAR BY CHARLES SPURGEON
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=fcb0117

MATTHEW 1 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
GOD IS WITH ME
It was nearly 700 years since Isaiah's prophecy, and the Jewish people were still waiting. Generation after generation passed and still God remained silent.
But now, God steps into human history in a new way, in the form of a man: Jesus, God's only Son, who came down to earth to dwell with us.
This was and IS the turning point of history! History revolves on this axis. God the Son came down to earth in the form of a man, as fully God and yet fully man.
He had all the bodily functions we have, experienced all the emotions we do and yet was without any sin or fault.
To be living in Bible times and to have actually seen Jesus in the flesh, must of been incredible! Do you wonder what it was like? Did people realize who He was?
He lived a normal life for thirty years. HE was a carpenter in Nazareth. Can you imagine Jesus making something for you? It must of been the most beautiful piece of furniture ever made, perfect in every detail.
He walked around Nazareth; He went to the synagogue every Sabbath, as a faithful Jew. He lived thirty years in obscurity, and the three years He lived in public view changed the world forever.
In everything He did, there was perfection and now like that first Christmas, Jesus wants to come and live with you in your heart.
I hope this Christmas time, of all the people you receive into your home and all the presents you get, that you will receive Jesus as your Saviour and Lord by faith alone and that you will be able to say:
GOD IS WITH ME
Jesus is my Saviour and My Lord!
God bless you,
Keith MATTHEW 1 21 And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins.
WHY JESUS CAME?
Here's an interesting question.
Why did He come?
Did He come to show us the right way to live?
Did He come to show up the religious leaders of the day?
Did He come to do the most shattering miracles ever seen on the earth?
He did all these things, but the main reason was: He came to die.
Sin is man's problem and he can do nothing to eradicate it. The stain of sin remained even with a series of animal sacrifices in the Old Testament that ultimately pointed to Jesus. But these animal sacrifices did not remove and could not remove the penalty of sin from man's record.
For that to happen a perfect sacrifice had to be provided, and that was the Son of God. He was born supernaturally, lived perfectly and died and rose again victorious over sin and death.
Jesus came for one reason and one reason only. Sure, He was the greatest teacher who ever lived; the greatest worker of miracles ever and the greatest critic of religious hypocrisy who ever walked the planet.
But this fact is paramount： HE IS THE ONLY SAVIOUR. He and He alone through His death on calvary and His resurrection, can and does save sinful man, when someone trusts in Him.
The only medicine that can heal sin is the precious blood of Jesus, who died for you.
Let's make this personal: He came to save and has, praise God, saved Keith Hobkirk from his sin. He came to save (your name) from his/her sin, and to give them eternal life.
Jesus is waiting for you. What will you do to find Jesus, this Christmas?
God bless you,
Keith

Please continue to lift up our little independent church. Please pray for all the co-workers that they would be in unity and pray that all sin would be exposed in the church. Please pray for the preaching of the word each Sunday and Wednesday, that it would bear much fruit. Please continue to pray for the few men in the church that they would grow in faith and be more active. Please pray for the many husbands of sisters who aren't saved to come to faith and for the sisters to live lives of grace before them. Please continue to pray for revival in the Chinese church and that the gospel would be proclaimed in every place in China.
Many of you received people focus recently, please continue to pray for these two people, both untouched by the gospel

MING
https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/18597/CH

A-CHE
https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/18385/CH

SERMONS
TWENTY FOUR HOURS IN HELL BY JAMES SMITH

https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=32111154410

THE GRACE OF GOD BY JOHN MACDUFF
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=1016161815143




CHRISTMAS GEMS
PLEASE LISTEN TO THESE BEAUTIFUL AND GLORIOUS SERMONS.. I HAVE AND BE BEEN SO BLESSED. PLEASE READ THESE DEVOTIONS, THEY HAVE CHALLENGED MY HEART, MAY THEY CHALLENGE YOURS

THE PROMISES OF GOD BY JOHN MACDUFF
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=125171922292

TO GLORIFY CHRIST JESUS BY CHARLES SPURGEON
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=fcb0929
THE LOVELINESS OF CHRIST PURITAN DEVOTIONALS
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=5709114360

UNBIBLICAL GOSPEL INVITATION BY PAUL WASHER

https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=624181718394

DAVID ETTINGER

Unexpected Visitors

We can only imagine Joseph and Mary’s amazement when a contingent of eastern visitors known as “Magi” paid them a visit at their humble abode in Bethlehem. “Stunned” is likely the most accurate word to describe them as they would have been astonished to see these distinguished men from the East drop to their knees and pay homage to the Christ Child.
Who were these Magi?

 
The Magi were members of a priestly caste of ancient Persia who studied the stars to gain insight into the workings of the world. Many of these learned men would leave their Persian homes to form communities throughout the ancient world, some settling as far as Egypt. Some of these “wandering Magi” would find their way to Babylon where they became a vital part of King Nebuchadnezzar’s inner-circle of advisors.

 
While in Babylon, they came under the jurisdiction of a Hebrew exile named Daniel, who was “appointed … chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners” (Daniel 5:11). Daniel’s influence likely had an enormous impact on their interest in seeking out the child king of the Jews.

 
Why is this important?

 
By the time of Jesus there was already a well-developed notion among Jews and heathens of a Hebrew child who would usher in a “golden age” upon the earth and would save men and women from the ravages of evil upon the earth.

Where do you think this idea came from?

 
The Holy Scriptures

For believers in the divine sovereignty of God, the answer is clear. When the Hebrews were exiled to Babylon (and later migrated further east to Persia), they took with them their holy writings and scrolls – the Old Testament to that point. Though the Israelites were sinful, disobedient, and idolatrous, they learned their lesson while in exile and became what they were created to be, a monotheistic (one-God) people.

 
Also while in exile, they clung to those scriptures which pointed to the promised golden age, primarily Isaiah chapters 9 and 11. How could they not? In describing the Ruler who would lead His people in the golden age, Isaiah writes:

 
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked (11:3-4).

The kingdom He will lead will be characterized by peace: “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them” (Isaiah 11:6).

 
As leader of the Magi, Daniel would have shared these truths with his colleagues. The Magi were a monotheistic group adhering to the teachings of the sixth-century B.C. spiritual leader Zoroaster, who himself believed in but one god, whom he called Ahura Mazda. Daniel most likely introduced the Magi to the true identity of this one God. In so doing, Daniel may well have also taught them about the precise time when this new King would arrive. Daniel 9:20-27 outlines the time of His coming. Over the next 500 years, these prophecies would be handed down among the Magi.

 
The “Shekinah Glory”

By the time of Christ’s birth, the Magi were already looking for the King. Then, on one unforgettable night, a “star” appeared in the sky. What was this star? Quite possibly, it was what is known as the “Shekinah Glory” of God that first appeared to Israel during their desert wanderings when the Lord led the nation in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night (Exodus 13:21). God’s “Shekinah,” from the Hebrew phrase “he caused to dwell,” signified a divine visit. The “star” the Magi beheld may well have been the “Shekinah” glory of God made visible only to them.

 
Add to this some divine “prompting” from the Lord, and the Magi set out to find the One “born king of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2) while the “Shekinah” of God guided them. Most likely, the contingent that left Persia for Israel was huge. Banish the thought of “three kings.” This is a determination based on the three gifts given to Jesus. Travel in those days – especially for a journey of one to two years, as theirs was believed to have been – was dangerous. A literal small army was required to navigate the Near East safely. Therefore, it is not out of the realm of possibility that the traveling party of Magi could well have numbered in the hundreds.

 
A Toddler, Not an Infant

When at last these weary travelers arrived in Bethlehem and beheld the Christ-Child, they bowed before the two-year-old Jesus, not “the baby Jesus.” How do we know this? For one thing, King Herod asked the Magi when they had first seen the “star.” Based on their reply, Herod issued his satanic decree to kill all boys in Bethlehem two years old and younger. In addition, Matthew 2:11 refers to Jesus as a “child,” the Greek word indicating a toddler, while the Greek word used in Luke 2:12 for “baby” refers to an infant.

 
While worshiping Jesus, the Magi honored Him with three gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Aside from being expensive commodities fit for a king, they were also common means of exchange in that day, to be used as are traveler’s checks and credit cards today. During Jesus, Joseph, and Mary’s travels to Egypt and then up to Nazareth, these precious items would have purchased food, clothing, and lodging.

 
Men of Honor

Though the word “Magi” is associated with magic, we should not think ill of these distinguished searchers. On the contrary, they were a group of deeply religious men who sought God’s will, obeyed His command, diligently searched for the Christ Child, and, upon finding Him, fell to their faces in worship. In so doing, they have set a superb example of true worship to all who follow Christ.

。
 
Though there is much misunderstanding concerning the Magi and who they were – with some of this misunderstanding even making its way into song (i.e., “We Three Kings”) – history has properly honored these men as they deserve. They were among the first to seek the new Messiah, and recognized His deity and purpose from the beginning.

The Magi have earned their esteemed place in Christian history and deserve to be lauded. That which was said about these ancient sages who lived more than 2,000 years ago is still true for us today … wise men seek Jesus!

GEM 2
MILES MCKEE

Gold, Frankinsense and Myrrh - Deity, Devotion and Death.


Matthew 2:11; “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”


We may not know much about the Wise Men who journeyed to give gifts to Christ, but their generosity tells us much about the young child.

The first thing they gave was gold and gold speaks of Deity.  We see this in the Old Testament where the boards of the Tabernacle were covered with this precious metal.  The Ark of the Covenant was overlaid with gold. Also, when heathens made images of their gods they usually fashioned them out of gold.

The essential symbol identifying a king was a golden crown on his head. Christ is the King of Kings (Revelation 17:14). Being the King of Kings, it means simply that Christ is God. He is King of all. Gold, therefore, was a fittingly appropriate gift.


Yes indeed, gold spoke of majestic Deity. How telling that these Medes and Persians should bring gold to the Young Child. I think these sages knew the ancient prophecy which foretold that this baby should be offered the gold of Sheba. I suspect they comprehended that kings should bring the young Messiah the riches of the Gentiles (Psalm 72:15). How fitting that He who is God manifest in the flesh should be given gold.


The next precious thing they gave Him was Frankincense … All through scripture, frankincense was used in worship, especially in the daily Temple worship.  (Exodus 30:34, Leviticus 2:1-2, 14-16).


The Wise Men came to Jesus and worshiped.  What an opportunity we have to worship our majestic priest upon His throne.  May we learn to sing in our hearts, "Unto us a child is born; unto us a son is given and the government shall be upon His shoulder and His name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God the Everlasting Father."

”

The third gift they gave was Myrrh. Myrrh speaks of death.  What a strange gift to give a child!  Myrrh was a spice used in embalming. The Wise Men gave Him Myrrh because the young child came to die. Babies are usually born to live, but the Christ Child was born to die.

John Stott in his book, ‘The Cross of Christ’ reminds us that Holman Hunt has a famous picture of Jesus. It depicts Him at the door of the carpenter' s shop in Nazareth. He has come to the door to stretch his limbs which no doubt had grown cramped over the bench. He stands there in the doorway with arms outstretched, and behind him, on the wall, the setting sun throws his shadow, and it is the shadow of a cross.

Holman Hunt was correct: Christ lived in the shadow of the cross. Here, at His birth, the Wise Men brought Him myrrh …a picture of His suffering and death.
There is much to learn from the gifts of these Magi.  They gave Him gold… a sign of His Deity. May we never forget that the young child was God with us, Emmanuel!   They gave Him Frankincense, a symbol of their devotion. And they gave him Myrrh…a prophetic picture of His Death.

 
Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh…Deity, Devotion and Death 

When we understand who it was that came …..The eternal God.  And when we grasp that he came to redeem us with His precious blood, we are transformed into devoted worshipers.  When our devotion dries up it is usually because we have forgotten Christ’s Deity and His Death.

And that’s the Gospel Truth!

Sun Dec 2, 2018: "keith  totallylovedbygod59
Please continue to pray for our small church that more men would be committed to the work of the gospel. Please pray for protection for us, a church of old sisters were visited by the authorities, continue to pray for protection and care from the Father. Please pray for revival and the outpouring of the Holy spirit all over china
Please pray for the following requests, are you willing to intercede for these people and countries, please click the links

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTRIES AND PEOPLE GROUPS, PLEASE LIFT THEM BEFORE THE LORD IN PRAYER, IF YOU WONT WHO WILL
NORTH KOREA
https://prayercast.com/north-korea.html

FRANCE
https://prayercast.com/france.html

LISU IN CHINA
https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/13076/CH

BOUYEI IN CHINA
https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/18421/CH

Prisoner's One Request

Source(s): VOM Australia, Release International, VOM USADate: 29 November 2018
Photo: VOM USA
Twen Theodros has spent 13 years behind bars in Eritrea. Despite having suffered brutal treatment, this young woman, who is described as a "precious, lovely Christian" by those who know her, is more concerned about others than for her own well-being. Those familiar with Helen Berhane may know Twen as "Esther."

Imprisoned in the same shipping container, Twen would care for Helen, washing her wounds, feeding her, even taking beatings in her place. VOMC's ministry partner, Release International, had recently managed to find out through contacts how she is doing in prison and request specific ways we can pray for her. Twen's reply was simple yet deeply humbling. She had only one prayer request, and that was for God to be glorified in Eritrea!

Twen, who is in her 30s, as well as other Eritrean prisoners of faith, need our prayers. Pray for their release, but also that they would remain in unity while awaiting freedom from imprisonment. At times, there can be conflict among the prisoners, simply for being locked up together in such a confined space for 24 hours, day after day, while enduring inhumane conditions.

SERMONS
GETTING OUT OF THE BOAT BY TIM CONWAY
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=8171894210

SELF DENIAL IN SANTIFICATION BY GAVIN BEERS
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=3251683147

1 GEMS
 "keith hobkirk" totallylovedbygod59
PLEASE CLICK THE LINKS TO LISTEN TO THE SERMONS

NEHEMIAH SERIES BY KEVIN MOORE
READY TO PARDON CHAPTER 9:5-38
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=83015234684

ENGAGING ALIENATION CHAPTER 10
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=96152154406
THE BEGINNING OF PERSERVANCE CHAPTER 11:1-3
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=9131522234410

DISSECTING A GREAT WORK CHAPTER 12:27-43
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=920152157490
REMEMBER US, O LORD FOR GOD CHAPTER 13
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=927152046375

The Wednesday Word

PASTOR MILES MCKEE
Grace! Grace! Grace! Part 1
Ephesians 2: 8-10.  
“For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”  

Ephesians has been called the Alps of the New Testament because some of the things taught in it are amazingly glorious. Here are but two of them …
1) We are saved by grace plus nothing, and
2) We are saved by grace minus nothing.”

The Greek word for grace is “Charis.” It means, ‘unmerited and undeserved favour.’ It is, ‘God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.’ 

Martyn Lloyd Jones said, “There is no more wonderful word than ‘grace.’ It means unmerited favour  or kindness shown to one who is utterly undeserving. It is a free gift to those who deserve the exact opposite, and it is given to us while we are ‘without hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12).  
We are saved by grace!

We are delivered from the wrath to come by grace (1 Thessalonians 1:10).
We are given eternal life by grace (Romans 5:21).

Religion knows nothing of grace. Religion seeks to find favour with God by doing something (Romans 10:3).  In religion, good works are a premium. But under grace, the sinner is freely declared not guilty. Have you grasped that for yourself?

But there’s more. The believer is not only forgiven he is also acquitted.  And how is this done?  It is done simply on the merits of another person, the Lord Jesus Christ (Leviticus 16; 1 Peter 3:18). Now that’s grace!

In Ephesians 2:6-9, Notice what grace isn’t!
 ‘It is not of ourselves.’

There was and is nothing we could do to deserve salvation. We may say, “What about faith? Isn’t that something I do?” No!  Faith is a gift of God. It is not of works lest anyone should boast. 

Have we then no work to do in this great matter of our justification? In a nutshell, NONE!
What work can we work to obtain personal salvation? NONE!  What work of ours can buy forgiveness or make us worthy of Divine favour? NONE! 

Has the Lord commanded that we crawl around the earth on our hands and knees? NO!
Has He decreed that we should whip ourselves and deprive ourselves of everything good? NO!

So, what work has God commanded us to do to obtain salvation?
Once more …NONE!

Romans 4:5 "To him that works not, but believes in Him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness"  There is only one work which can save us, and that work is not ours, but the work of the God/Man. And that work is finished (John 19:30).  It can never be repeated. Salvation is all Grace, Grace, Grace!

SAVED!

‘Saved’ is another great Bible word from our verse. It means deliverance. It means life in contrast to the death. It must be remembered that God is obliged to save no one. All of us have sinned and rebelled. All of us deserve death, not salvation. God was not and is not bound to come and rescue a defiant humanity.... that' s why we love GRACE!

In Ephesians 2:1 the Word says, “You has he (God), quickened (made alive), who were dead in trespasses and sin.”

He is speaking of spiritual death here and in the past tense. We were dead! But, things are different now. We have been made alive. We are saved.  We are no longer under wrath…..we are saved.  And how did we get saved? … Grace! Grace! Grace!

John Stott puts it this way: “You were saved through faith, and even this faith by which you are saved is God’s gift.” This is an essential truth. We must never think of salvation as a kind of a transaction between God and us in which He contributes grace, and we contribute faith. For we were dead and had to be brought alive before we could believe.”

And that’s the Gospel Truth!

The Wednesday Word:
Grace! Grace! Grace! Part 2
by D. G. Miles McKee
Ephesians 2: 8-10.  “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast…..” 

Matthew Henry’s commentary on our text says: “Every converted sinner is a saved sinner. Such are delivered from sin and wrath; they are brought into a state of salvation and have a right given them by grace to eternal happiness.
 “The grace that saves them is the free, underserved, goodness and favour of God; and He saves them, not by the works of the law, but through faith in Christ Jesus, by means of which they come to partake of the great blessings of the gospel; and both that faith and that salvation on which it has so great an influence are the gift of God.” 

Salvation is entirely by Grace. Paul says in Ephesians 2:1: “You has he made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins.”  We were spiritually dead. We had no spiritual understanding. What did we deserve but a good burial? …If even!

In Ephesians 2:2-3 however, as we read on, we learn the strangest thing, we discover we were dead but walking .. literally we were “walking dead men”…. We were zombies-like walking according to the world system, which is against God, and following “the prince of the power of the air,” which is Satan.

There’s a story about a graveyard in an area in Ayrshire, Scotland, where once a stranger was buried. It greatly distressed the people of that particular parish, so much so that they put a notice up on the outside of the graveyard that read, “This graveyard is reserved exclusively for the dead who are living in this parish.”  Funny!

But we were living dead people. We were alive, just like Adam was physically alive after he had sinned, but nevertheless spiritually dead. We were living  and were dead, but God made us alive.   Grace! Grace ! Grace!

Here’s a good way of looking at grace… Notice in Ephesians 1:1 the apostle calls believers saints.  However, look at what we once were. Ephesians 2:1-3..
Dead,
Walking in the devil's path,
Children of disobedience,
Children of wrath.

And what made the difference?  It was grace. 
In addition, 2 Timothy 1:9 tells us we are chosen by grace;

In Ephesians 1:7 we learn that we have redemption by grace;

We are adopted by grace Ephesians 1:5.

By that same grace we are accepted Ephesians 1:6.

By grace we have the forgiveness of sins Ephesians 1:7.

By that same grace we have been made alive together with Christ Ephesians 2:5.

He has glorified us by grace Ephesians 2:6.
 
 Nowhere in the Bible is credit given to man regarding his salvation. It is all of grace! The making alive, the undeserved favour, the faith, the union with Christ, the good works that follow after salvation are all the gifts of Almighty God!

Is it any wonder then that Paul would write in Galatians 6:14 “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”

To “glory” is “to boast”. Paul is saying that we cannot boast in anything except the cross of the Lord Jesus. That’s another way of saying that we are saved by grace. All our prosperity, all our accomplishments, all our doctrinal understanding, and even all the accumulated knowledge over our lifetime is nothing to glory about. We can boast only in the grace of God as seen in the cross, the cross of Christ! Glory to His name! 

And that’s the Gospel Truth!

 The Wednesday Word:
Grace! Grace! Grace! Part 3
by D. G. Miles McKee 

In the entire Bible there is no scripture that indicates that we can be saved without Jesus Christ!

In the Old Testament, He is the coming Messiah. He is the promise of grace. In the New Testament, He is the realized Messiah who makes us alive by grace.

Grace always leads us to Christ Jesus who by grace procured our salvation (Romans 5:8).  

He Himself is our salvation (John 11:25).

He Himself is the grace of God (Titus 2:11).

Grace is embedded in His very name, for the name of Jesus, means salvation. Do you remember this verse “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved”(Acts 4:12)? 

Grace leads the Lord’s people to Christ Jesus, and no one else.  Grace enables us to “look unto Him” by faith to be saved.

 But what about repentance brother? Yes what about it?  Is it not important? Yes it is! But let me ask you…where do we get repentance? It’s the goodness of God exhibited in His Grace that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). Dear pastor, do you want to see genuine repentance in your church, then preach Christ crucified. There is no other way! It’s Grace, Grace, Grace! Sometimes we pastors find ourselves trying to motivate our listeners by the Law and its demands instead of by the Gospel. However, it takes no spirituality whatsoever to get behind the pulpit and demand change as we warn about bad habits and lax living.  This is not Gospel preaching! 

But I digress.
We can say that grace is:
1) Free Grace---the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8)
2) Saving Grace---it brings us to eternal salvation (Ephesians 2:8).
 3) Sovereign Grace—not of ourselves, but by God’s sovereign will (Ephesians 2:8)
 4) Sustaining Grace—created in Christ Jesus unto good works. He ordained beforehand that we should walk (move forward) in them (Ephesians 2:10).

 Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
 I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind, but now I see.
 
T’was grace that taught my heart to fear
 And grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believed.
 
Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come
 ‘Tis grace that brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home  
                     
John Nelson, a preacher in the 18th century had been a stonemason before God saved him. And God used him mightily to lead people to Christ. One day he was talking to a self-righteous individual who said, “I don’t need your Saviour. I live right, and I’ve done good things. I’ll take my chances with the rest of the people.”    Mr Nelson replied, “Well look here my good man, if God let you into heaven, you’d bring discord there, because all the others would be singing ‘worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing,’ and you’d be singing ‘worthy am I, glory to me, because I lived a consistent Christian life.’   He said, “If an angel heard you sing a song like that in heaven, why he’d throw you over the wall.” And the redeemed folks will all chime in and say, “My soul shall make her boast in the Lord, and nothing else.”

There’ll be nobody in heaven singing about what they have done
It’s Grace! Grace! Grace!

God saves us because He is gracious, not because He sees any goodness inherent in us!
 It’s Grace! Grace! Grace!

Our certain hope stands on pure Grace, sovereign, unqualified Grace!
It’s Grace! Grace! Grace!

 God saves us because He is good, not because we are!
 It’s all of Grace.

And that’s the Gospel Truth!

CHRISTMAS NOONDAY DEVOTIONS

PLEASE CLICK THE LINKS AND BE BLESSED
THREE WICKED WOMEN IN CHRIST'S LINEAGE BY  GORDON DANE MATTHEW 1

https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=121121322223

CHARLES SPURGEON DAILY DEVOTION 
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=1214162037500

WE SHALL SEE HIM AS HE IS BY THOMAS BOSTON
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=71161535495
FOLLOW THE SHEPHERDS BY J MARK FOX

https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=121817162384

DELIVERING YOUR  REPORT
 ISAIAH 53
 1.Who has believed  (trusted in,  relied upon,  and clung to)  our message  [of that which  was revealed  to us]? And  to whom has  the arm of the  Lord been disclose d?
 When I was thinking  about a verse  to share with  you, this one  didn' t immediately  come to mind  and when the  Lord shared  it with me, I thought, 'Lord it&# 39;s not a Christmas verse'.  But as I have pondered  and thought  about it, I  have come to see it&# 39;s relevance  to Christmas.
 Isaiah was written  700 years before  Christ was  born, and there were many  prophecies  in the OT about  the birth of  Jesus. Micah the prophet  said Jesus  would be born  in Bethlehem,  so why wasn&# 39;t that town  being watched  night and day  by the people  and indeed  the rulers?
 No one truly believed  the report  of Isaiah. The only people  God spoke to  were the wise  men and the  shepherds.  He alerted  people from  modern day  Iran/Iraq  and some of  the lowliest  people in the Kingdom of Israel.
 The arm of the Lord  has been revealed  to man, but  is man interested?  Well, no. The  birth of Jesus  was announced  by thousands  upon thousands  of angels,  but no one else  heard them  apart from  the shepherds.
 As it was with His  first coming,  so it will be  with His second  coming, no  one will believe  us when we tell  them that Jesus  is coming again.  Indeed Jesus  said that when  He comes a second  time, it will  be like in the  time of Noah.
 You will be a voice  crying in the  wilderness.  That is the  role of the  church and of the individual  believer.
 Even if people  do not believe  our report, we have to tell  it. We have  to tell people  that Jesus  has come to  deal with sin,  because that  is why He came. He did not come to show  us how to live  a good life  (although He did) or to give  us a good moral  example (which He also did), but  to deal with  the main problem  that man has  and that he  is a sinner  cut off from  his God and  Jesus came  to die for a  world where  the majority  rejects HIM.
 This Christmas,  let us give  our report,  whether or  not people  believe it  or not; let us open our  mouths boldly  and share the  true meaning  of Christmas.
 Too many believers  and churches  say, people have heard it all  before... But there is no option to say that! You are ordered  by Jesus Himself  to share His  story, the  story of what  happened at  that first  Christmas.
Jesus left the  glory of heaven. HE exchanged being  worshipped  every minute  of every day  by millions  of angels for  the cold of  a Bethlehem  stable and  and the cruel  torture of  the Cross of Calvary. I think  the least we  can do is to  share His story, don't you?
 God bless you,
 Keith      SHARE JESUS THIS  CHRISTMAS
 MICAH 5
 2 But you, Bethlehem  Ephratah,  you are little  to be among  the clans of  Judah; [yet]  out of you shall  One come forth  for Me Who is  to be Ruler  in Israel,  Whose goings  forth have  been from of  old, from ancient  days (eternity) .3 Therefore  shall He give  them up until  the time that  she who travails  has brought  forth; then  what is left  of His brethren  shall return  to the children  ofIsrael. 4 And He shall  stand and feed  His flock in  the strength  of the Lord,  in the majesty  of the name  of the Lord  His God; and  they shall  dwell [secure] , for then shall  He be great  [even] to the  ends of the  earth.
  The birth of Jesus  is probably  the most foretold  event in history, as there are many  prophecies  stating various  details about  his birth.
 One of the greatest  is about his  birthplace  and this is  in the prophet  Micah. Surely He was going to  be born in Jerusale m. After all that  was God' s city, the  home of the Temple, but the  privilege  went to Bethlehem.
 The birth of Jesus  was planned  in meticulous  detail. Everything was  done in order.
 The choice of Bethlehe m tells us somethin g about what  God uses. It is not the biggest  that gets used,  it is not always  the loudest  and most glamorous  thatgets chosen. 
Bethlehem was  a backwater village. It was somewhere  that people  passed through, when we are on the  freeway/motorway , we go past  towns and say, “ Well there  is nothing  there. It is of no relevance.” In that day, there were 2 Bethlehem' s and God was very specific which one was going to have the blessing of the Messiah' s birth. 

Your town sometimes  has plaques  placed up for  its most famous  residents  or people who  were born there,  and so has Bethlehe m. It was the birthplace  of the ONE, the one true Saviour/ Messiah/Redeemer . The sign in  Bethlehem  today is JESUS  WAS BORN HERE.
 So if you think  your life is  a backwater,  that no one  else notices,  take heart. The sign on your  life is JESUS  LIVES HERE, and by Him living  in you, you  can share Him  with others.
 Jesus was born  in Bethlehem  and that town  has shared  Him with the  world. They have shared  the Saviour.  Now it' s your turn.
 Who are you going to  share Jesus  with this Christma s?
 God Bless you,
 Keith