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KEITH NOTES FROM NANJING
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Re: KEITH NOTES FROM NANJING
[size=18]Every groan of your wounded heart!
(Thomas Guthrie, 1803-1873)
If Jesus was only a man--then how could He guard the interests, and manage all the affairs of all His redeemed people scattered far and wide over the face of the habitable globe?
What heart were large enough to embrace them all?
What eyes could see them all?
What ears could hear them all?
Think of the ten thousand prayers pronounced in a hundred different tongues that go up at once, and all together, to His ear! Yet there is no confusion; none are lost; none are missed in the crowd. Nor are they heard by Him as, standing on yonder lofty crag, we hear the din of the city that lies stretched out far beneath us, with all its separate sounds of cries, and rumbling wheels, and human voices, mixed up into one deep, confused, hollow roar--like the boom of the sea's distant breakers.
No! Every believer may feel as if he were alone with Jesus--enjoying a private audience of the King in His presence-chamber!
Be of good cheer. Every groan of your wounded heart, your every sigh, and cry, and prayer--falls as distinctly on Jesus' ear as if you stood beside His throne; or, nearer still, lay with John on His bosom, and felt the beating of His heart against your own.
How full of encouragement and comfort is this to those, like us, who have sins to confess, sorrows to tell Him, and many a heavy care to cast upon His sympathy and kindness.
Believer, let Him sustain your cares. Your case cannot be too difficult, nor can your burden be too heavy for the One who guides the rolling planets on their course, and bears on His unwearied arm the weight of the universe.
[/size]
(Thomas Guthrie, 1803-1873)
If Jesus was only a man--then how could He guard the interests, and manage all the affairs of all His redeemed people scattered far and wide over the face of the habitable globe?
What heart were large enough to embrace them all?
What eyes could see them all?
What ears could hear them all?
Think of the ten thousand prayers pronounced in a hundred different tongues that go up at once, and all together, to His ear! Yet there is no confusion; none are lost; none are missed in the crowd. Nor are they heard by Him as, standing on yonder lofty crag, we hear the din of the city that lies stretched out far beneath us, with all its separate sounds of cries, and rumbling wheels, and human voices, mixed up into one deep, confused, hollow roar--like the boom of the sea's distant breakers.
No! Every believer may feel as if he were alone with Jesus--enjoying a private audience of the King in His presence-chamber!
Be of good cheer. Every groan of your wounded heart, your every sigh, and cry, and prayer--falls as distinctly on Jesus' ear as if you stood beside His throne; or, nearer still, lay with John on His bosom, and felt the beating of His heart against your own.
How full of encouragement and comfort is this to those, like us, who have sins to confess, sorrows to tell Him, and many a heavy care to cast upon His sympathy and kindness.
Believer, let Him sustain your cares. Your case cannot be too difficult, nor can your burden be too heavy for the One who guides the rolling planets on their course, and bears on His unwearied arm the weight of the universe.
[/size]
Re: KEITH NOTES FROM NANJING
A HEBREW SAGE MIGHT SAY. . .
Some things have to be believed to be seen!
VOICE FROM HEAVEN
"Now MY soul is troubled, and what shall I say? FATHER, save ME from this hour? But for this purpose I came to this hour. FATHER, glorify YOUR NAME. Then a VOICE came from heaven, saying— "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again." [John 12. 27 - 28]
This was the last of three remarkable times during the earthly ministry of MESSIAH Y’SHUA when GOD THE FATHER spoke directly from heaven concerning HIS ONLY-BEGOTTEN SON. The first was when John baptized Y’SHUA in the Jordan River — "When HE had been baptized, JESUS came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to HIM, and HE saw the SPIRIT OF GOD descending like a dove and alighting upon HIM. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying—This is MY BELOVED SON, in whom I am well pleased." [Matthew 3:16–17; also,Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22]
This was primarily given to John, who was the forerunner of MESSIAH in the likeness of Elijah, who said— "I saw the SPIRIT descending from heaven like a dove, and HE remained upon HIM. I did not know HIM, but HE WHO sent me to baptize with water said to me— Upon whom you see the SPIRIT descending, and remaining on HIM, this is HE WHObaptizes with the HOLY SPIRIT. And I have seen and testified that this is the SON OF GOD." [John 1. 32 - 34]
The second time the VOICE spoke concerning the SON was to three chosen disciples, Peter, James and John at MESSIAH’S transfiguration. And behold, "a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying— This is MY BELOVED SON, in WHOM I am well pleased. Hear HIM!" [Matthew 17. 5] In later years, Peter recalled and wrote of this experience — "For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our LORD JESUSCHRIST, but were eyewitnesses of HIS majesty. For HE received from GOD THE FATHER honor and glory when such a VOICE came to HIM from the EXCELLENT GLORY: "This is MY BELOVED SON, in WHOM I am well pleased." And we heard this VOICE which came from heaven when we were with HIM on the holy mountain." [2 Peter 1. 16 - 19]
The last illustrious words from the FATHER were in direct response to the prayer of HIS BELOVED SON, at the beginning of the final week before HEwas crucified. The message was to HIS SON, yet at the same time it wasfor the people. Y’SHUA said, "This VOICE did not come because of ME,but for your sake. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to MYSELF." This HE said signifying by what death HE would die." [John 12. 19 – 30, 33]
When GOD THE FATHER spoke from heaven, the message was to assure and encourage all HIS dear saints for all time. The LORD Y’SHUA ha’MASHIACH is the SON in whom GOD is glorified. Now, it’s your choice, will you be obedient to the MASTER and hear HIM? Your eternal life depends on it.
Sha'alu (Pray) for the Shalom (Peace) of Jerusalem and all of Israel!
”The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be serious and watchful in your prayers.”1 Peter 4:7
Good Sabbath — the rest of love freely given — a rest of truth and sincerity — a rest in peace and tranquility, in quiet and safety — a perfect rest in which you find favor.
Shabbos of Ekev – “Because" [Reading: Deuteronomy 7:12 - 11:25; Isaiah 49:14 – 51:3; Matthew 16:13-20]
We bow the head and bend the knee and magnify the KING of kings, WHO gave HIS life to redeem us from all our sins, blessed and praised be HE. O FATHER, forgive us, for foolishly we have strayed from YOU. O KING, pardon us for our sins are many. LORD OF HOSTS, WHOdwells above, YOU alone are GOD. Draw us nearer to YOU, for we seek repentance. Remember us unto life, be gracious to us according to YOUR abundant mercy. Thank YOU for your hand that is stretched out to receive all who repent, therefore we seek you early.
O RIGHTEOUS ONE of mercy, glorify and cleanse us from sin and guilt. Forgive us our trespasses, though they are many, hear us, GOD of our fathers. Let not the gates of repentance be closed, bring us near to YOU, O GOD. For YOUR forgiveness, YOUR love, long-suffering, abundant kindness, infinite goodness and governing the whole world in mercy we desire and wait for. Make us again, YOUR heritage. Thank YOU for the honor of being YOURS; we truly are humbled and ever grateful for. Amen!
Have a peaceful, enriching Shabbat by blessing others.
Some things have to be believed to be seen!
VOICE FROM HEAVEN
"Now MY soul is troubled, and what shall I say? FATHER, save ME from this hour? But for this purpose I came to this hour. FATHER, glorify YOUR NAME. Then a VOICE came from heaven, saying— "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again." [John 12. 27 - 28]
This was the last of three remarkable times during the earthly ministry of MESSIAH Y’SHUA when GOD THE FATHER spoke directly from heaven concerning HIS ONLY-BEGOTTEN SON. The first was when John baptized Y’SHUA in the Jordan River — "When HE had been baptized, JESUS came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to HIM, and HE saw the SPIRIT OF GOD descending like a dove and alighting upon HIM. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying—This is MY BELOVED SON, in whom I am well pleased." [Matthew 3:16–17; also,Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22]
This was primarily given to John, who was the forerunner of MESSIAH in the likeness of Elijah, who said— "I saw the SPIRIT descending from heaven like a dove, and HE remained upon HIM. I did not know HIM, but HE WHO sent me to baptize with water said to me— Upon whom you see the SPIRIT descending, and remaining on HIM, this is HE WHObaptizes with the HOLY SPIRIT. And I have seen and testified that this is the SON OF GOD." [John 1. 32 - 34]
The second time the VOICE spoke concerning the SON was to three chosen disciples, Peter, James and John at MESSIAH’S transfiguration. And behold, "a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying— This is MY BELOVED SON, in WHOM I am well pleased. Hear HIM!" [Matthew 17. 5] In later years, Peter recalled and wrote of this experience — "For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our LORD JESUSCHRIST, but were eyewitnesses of HIS majesty. For HE received from GOD THE FATHER honor and glory when such a VOICE came to HIM from the EXCELLENT GLORY: "This is MY BELOVED SON, in WHOM I am well pleased." And we heard this VOICE which came from heaven when we were with HIM on the holy mountain." [2 Peter 1. 16 - 19]
The last illustrious words from the FATHER were in direct response to the prayer of HIS BELOVED SON, at the beginning of the final week before HEwas crucified. The message was to HIS SON, yet at the same time it wasfor the people. Y’SHUA said, "This VOICE did not come because of ME,but for your sake. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to MYSELF." This HE said signifying by what death HE would die." [John 12. 19 – 30, 33]
When GOD THE FATHER spoke from heaven, the message was to assure and encourage all HIS dear saints for all time. The LORD Y’SHUA ha’MASHIACH is the SON in whom GOD is glorified. Now, it’s your choice, will you be obedient to the MASTER and hear HIM? Your eternal life depends on it.
Sha'alu (Pray) for the Shalom (Peace) of Jerusalem and all of Israel!
”The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be serious and watchful in your prayers.”1 Peter 4:7
Good Sabbath — the rest of love freely given — a rest of truth and sincerity — a rest in peace and tranquility, in quiet and safety — a perfect rest in which you find favor.
Shabbos of Ekev – “Because" [Reading: Deuteronomy 7:12 - 11:25; Isaiah 49:14 – 51:3; Matthew 16:13-20]
We bow the head and bend the knee and magnify the KING of kings, WHO gave HIS life to redeem us from all our sins, blessed and praised be HE. O FATHER, forgive us, for foolishly we have strayed from YOU. O KING, pardon us for our sins are many. LORD OF HOSTS, WHOdwells above, YOU alone are GOD. Draw us nearer to YOU, for we seek repentance. Remember us unto life, be gracious to us according to YOUR abundant mercy. Thank YOU for your hand that is stretched out to receive all who repent, therefore we seek you early.
O RIGHTEOUS ONE of mercy, glorify and cleanse us from sin and guilt. Forgive us our trespasses, though they are many, hear us, GOD of our fathers. Let not the gates of repentance be closed, bring us near to YOU, O GOD. For YOUR forgiveness, YOUR love, long-suffering, abundant kindness, infinite goodness and governing the whole world in mercy we desire and wait for. Make us again, YOUR heritage. Thank YOU for the honor of being YOURS; we truly are humbled and ever grateful for. Amen!
Have a peaceful, enriching Shabbat by blessing others.
Re: KEITH NOTES FROM NANJING
Guest Devotion
[size=26]The Job Description For a Jesus Follower
The basis of a good working relationship is a clear job description. All of the good management people will tell you that. When you take a job, you should be able to get an answer to the question, "So what do you expect me to do?" When you're in college, they give you this syllabus with all that's going to be expected of you. Now, here's when the papers are due, here's all the reading you have to do. And even though it's a little overwhelming, it's sort of a job description for a college student. Here's what we're going to expect of you. When you go to football practice and you work on the plays, the coach lets you know that we're in this situation, this is your job; this is where you're supposed to be. That's your job description.
Now, knowing what you are supposed to do is vital when it comes to being employed. You're going to have the best working relationship when your employer has written your job description very clearly. One guy said, "I found out what my job description was the day I was fired." "Okay, that's what I was supposed to be doing, huh?" Well, a lot of people carry out their most important assignment without ever consulting their job description.
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Mark 3. I'm going to begin reading at verse 13. "Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to Him those He wanted and they came to Him. He appointed twelve, designating them apostles..." Now, stand by; here comes the job description. Three responsibilities: "...that they might be with Him, that He might send them out to preach, and to have authority to drive out demons." Okay, I think this job description really applies to anyone who really wants to follow Jesus closely as a modern day disciple. If you want to be the kind of person whom God can use, this is that kind of job description.
Notice the first part. Isn't that a surprising first assignment? "All right, guys, your first job is (drum roll please): Be with Me. Not to do anything. Spend time with Me." That's your first responsibility, to be with Jesus. You get in the huddle as a football player before you make any plays. You get in the huddle with your Lord, Jesus Christ, on a daily basis before you head out to the field. That's where the power comes from. You fill up with Jesus before you head into your responsibilities. That sums up your number one priority for this job, "Be with Me." Jesus said. "I chose you to be with Me."
Then He says, "I want you to go and tell people. I want you to go and preach." That's the second responsibility you and I have: To leave the safety of our little Christian cocoon and literally go and tell people verbally, not just with our lives, but verbally tell them that what happened on that middle cross was for them. Tell them what He told you when you were with Him.
And then the third responsibility it talks about is exercising authority over the devil. So the third part in our day-to-day is to push back the darkness. Jesus said, "I'm in the business of reclaiming lives and pushing back the darkness, and I want you with the way you live to do the same thing."
See, there are people that you know that are lives that Satan has. They don't know that. They don't intend for that. But he is having his way with them. So go in Jesus' power. Bring your Jesus into every situation and push back the darkness, and challenge Him that he cannot keep lives he now controls. And as you tell them about Jesus, you are part of the liberating of that life.
The job description for us as followers of Christ isn't rules, going to meetings, offices to hold, activities to go to. It's three exciting lifetime assignments: Be with Jesus, go and tell about Jesus, and push back the darkness with the power of Jesus. If you're doing those, you're doing the job and your Master is ready to say these precious words to you, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
Copyright Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
2Ch 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
[/size]
[size=26]The Job Description For a Jesus Follower
The basis of a good working relationship is a clear job description. All of the good management people will tell you that. When you take a job, you should be able to get an answer to the question, "So what do you expect me to do?" When you're in college, they give you this syllabus with all that's going to be expected of you. Now, here's when the papers are due, here's all the reading you have to do. And even though it's a little overwhelming, it's sort of a job description for a college student. Here's what we're going to expect of you. When you go to football practice and you work on the plays, the coach lets you know that we're in this situation, this is your job; this is where you're supposed to be. That's your job description.
Now, knowing what you are supposed to do is vital when it comes to being employed. You're going to have the best working relationship when your employer has written your job description very clearly. One guy said, "I found out what my job description was the day I was fired." "Okay, that's what I was supposed to be doing, huh?" Well, a lot of people carry out their most important assignment without ever consulting their job description.
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Mark 3. I'm going to begin reading at verse 13. "Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to Him those He wanted and they came to Him. He appointed twelve, designating them apostles..." Now, stand by; here comes the job description. Three responsibilities: "...that they might be with Him, that He might send them out to preach, and to have authority to drive out demons." Okay, I think this job description really applies to anyone who really wants to follow Jesus closely as a modern day disciple. If you want to be the kind of person whom God can use, this is that kind of job description.
Notice the first part. Isn't that a surprising first assignment? "All right, guys, your first job is (drum roll please): Be with Me. Not to do anything. Spend time with Me." That's your first responsibility, to be with Jesus. You get in the huddle as a football player before you make any plays. You get in the huddle with your Lord, Jesus Christ, on a daily basis before you head out to the field. That's where the power comes from. You fill up with Jesus before you head into your responsibilities. That sums up your number one priority for this job, "Be with Me." Jesus said. "I chose you to be with Me."
Then He says, "I want you to go and tell people. I want you to go and preach." That's the second responsibility you and I have: To leave the safety of our little Christian cocoon and literally go and tell people verbally, not just with our lives, but verbally tell them that what happened on that middle cross was for them. Tell them what He told you when you were with Him.
And then the third responsibility it talks about is exercising authority over the devil. So the third part in our day-to-day is to push back the darkness. Jesus said, "I'm in the business of reclaiming lives and pushing back the darkness, and I want you with the way you live to do the same thing."
See, there are people that you know that are lives that Satan has. They don't know that. They don't intend for that. But he is having his way with them. So go in Jesus' power. Bring your Jesus into every situation and push back the darkness, and challenge Him that he cannot keep lives he now controls. And as you tell them about Jesus, you are part of the liberating of that life.
The job description for us as followers of Christ isn't rules, going to meetings, offices to hold, activities to go to. It's three exciting lifetime assignments: Be with Jesus, go and tell about Jesus, and push back the darkness with the power of Jesus. If you're doing those, you're doing the job and your Master is ready to say these precious words to you, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
Copyright Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
2Ch 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
[/size]
Re: KEITH NOTES FROM NANJING
THINK ON THESE THINGS AND BE JOYFUL
From: Charles Dean
“In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat upon it…Matthew 28:1-2.”
Death comes to visit us all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, the prince and the pauper. None escapes death’s grasp. When Jesus was crucified, tears were shed. Many did not remember His telling them that He would rise from the grave. All they could see was the natural, He was gone. He was carried away and placed in the tomb.. Death had taken a great man, but God was coming out of that tomb.
The thing that blocked the entrance of that tomb was a great stone. It was not placed to keep things from coming out, but from tomb robbers from coming in. The great Roman Army in conjunction with religious leaders of that day had placed a strong watch to ensure no one broke into the tomb. Why they even mentioned that he had prophesied he would rise after three days. They wanted to ensure no one took his body. It became a symbol of the power and authority of the evil forces; Satanic forces that had the world in his grasp and the evil forces he manipulated, the Roman Army and false religious leaders. They had made it impossible for things to break in, but not from one coming out.
When it was time, Jesus rose from the slab of rock where he lay and came towards that stone. An angel from heaven descended and moved that offending symbol and did not just move it, he sat on it. Jesus went on to appear to his disciples and others, the angel sat on the stone. He sat to show the victory of Jesus over the evil forces in this world both spiritual and physical.
With this one act God has shown that if Jesus can defeat the greatest of man’s enemies, that being death and the grave, he can help us overcome any problem we face while we live. “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (John 14:13) However, we realize we need to ask things in accordance to his will and his will can be found in his word (1 John 5:14-15). “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us. And if we know that he hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary approached the tomb of Jesus with sadness, but they went away with Joy. They came with a broken heart, but they left with their joy fulfilled and their cup overflowing with happiness. So shall it be for those that grieve over their loved ones when they die in Christ? For those that die shall rise from the grave too as Jesus did. Death will put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, and then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory”. (1 Co. 15:54) Those loved ones we have lost, who were Christians, we will see again. We will rejoice again and our joy will be overflowing just like Mary Magdalene and the other Mary.
When the enemy tries to cloud your mind with doubt about this, look back at Matthew 28 verse 2. The stone was rolled away; the angel did sit on the stone. Death was defeated, Jesus did rise from the grave, and we will see our loved ones again. Look towards that happy time and remember these words found in Philippians 4:8: “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest; whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; think on these things..” Think about these things and be joyful, we will all have a big reunion one day.
I Think I Can't
One of the first books I remember hearing my parents read to me, and actually one of the first books my kids remember us reading to them, is that famous little classic, "The Little Engine That Could." You probably remember the story of that load of toys that no train was able to pull up the mountain to get those poor little children their toys on the other side. Well, no train that is, until this unlikely little engine volunteered to give it a try. And against all odds, he made it, puffing out those four inspiring words - listen, if you remember them, say them with me now: "I think I can! I think I can!" (Yeah, you got it!) And he inspired us to believe that we could do anything if we had that same confidence. Unfortunately, I have a scandalous secret to tell you. The little engine lied to us!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "I Think I Can't."
In a strange way, "I think I can't" turns out to be much more powerful than "I think I can." I know, the book had a good point. But what I'm saying is this: You start to understand that as you bring your life under the leadership of the Lord, Jesus Christ, you begin to understand the powerful things that can happen when you're finally ready to say to God, "I think I can't, and only You can!"
Listen to one of the most highly trained, highly skilled, highly motivated men in all of the Bible, the great Apostle Paul. He's speaking in our word for today from the Word of God in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, and he starts with God's answer to his prayer for deliverance from his "thorn in the flesh" - some frustrating, incurable condition he could not get rid of. He says, "But the Lord said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness'." Then he reports this startling discovery he made when he faced something he couldn't fix and he couldn't control, "When I am weak, then I am strong."
Paul said that when he reached the point of "I can't." God's power flooded in, in a way that made him stronger than he had ever been when he was strong. In Paul's strength that is. Some of us are inveterate "little engines that could." We always have a plan, we can always make a way, and we can always solve it. (Sounds like somebody I know who has a radio program.)
And while we'll ask God to help us, we still hang onto control. Until it reaches the point of being seemingly hopeless, the point where we're ready to totally take our hands off of it, wave the white flag and say, "God, it's all Yours. I release it completely. Only You can do this!" And God says, "I've been waiting so long for you to say that. Now fasten your seat belt."
Of course, you don't have to wait until you're at the end. You could realize that reality that you can't long before you're forced to conclude that. When you don't know what to do, you claim God's promise that "if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously" (James 1:5). Sometimes, I sit at my desk and I literally say out loud, "God, I lack wisdom here. I have no idea what to do." And soon I've got insight I never had before. Remember that Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit (that means totally dependent, the ones who admit they're 'broke'), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3).
When you're out of strength, Isaiah 40:29 says, "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak." But you have to admit that's you. You've got to [size=16]admit you're the weary, you're the weak. I learned it when I was a little kid, that song "Jesus Loves Me." And I learned the words to that when I was about six years old, but it took me decades to finally live them. These words, "they are weak, but He is strong." When you're at the end of you, you're at the beginning of the awesome power of God.
When you know Christ, you are never more powerful than when you're powerless.
Copyright Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
2Ch 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
[/size]
From: Charles Dean
“In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat upon it…Matthew 28:1-2.”
Death comes to visit us all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, the prince and the pauper. None escapes death’s grasp. When Jesus was crucified, tears were shed. Many did not remember His telling them that He would rise from the grave. All they could see was the natural, He was gone. He was carried away and placed in the tomb.. Death had taken a great man, but God was coming out of that tomb.
The thing that blocked the entrance of that tomb was a great stone. It was not placed to keep things from coming out, but from tomb robbers from coming in. The great Roman Army in conjunction with religious leaders of that day had placed a strong watch to ensure no one broke into the tomb. Why they even mentioned that he had prophesied he would rise after three days. They wanted to ensure no one took his body. It became a symbol of the power and authority of the evil forces; Satanic forces that had the world in his grasp and the evil forces he manipulated, the Roman Army and false religious leaders. They had made it impossible for things to break in, but not from one coming out.
When it was time, Jesus rose from the slab of rock where he lay and came towards that stone. An angel from heaven descended and moved that offending symbol and did not just move it, he sat on it. Jesus went on to appear to his disciples and others, the angel sat on the stone. He sat to show the victory of Jesus over the evil forces in this world both spiritual and physical.
With this one act God has shown that if Jesus can defeat the greatest of man’s enemies, that being death and the grave, he can help us overcome any problem we face while we live. “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (John 14:13) However, we realize we need to ask things in accordance to his will and his will can be found in his word (1 John 5:14-15). “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us. And if we know that he hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary approached the tomb of Jesus with sadness, but they went away with Joy. They came with a broken heart, but they left with their joy fulfilled and their cup overflowing with happiness. So shall it be for those that grieve over their loved ones when they die in Christ? For those that die shall rise from the grave too as Jesus did. Death will put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, and then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory”. (1 Co. 15:54) Those loved ones we have lost, who were Christians, we will see again. We will rejoice again and our joy will be overflowing just like Mary Magdalene and the other Mary.
When the enemy tries to cloud your mind with doubt about this, look back at Matthew 28 verse 2. The stone was rolled away; the angel did sit on the stone. Death was defeated, Jesus did rise from the grave, and we will see our loved ones again. Look towards that happy time and remember these words found in Philippians 4:8: “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest; whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; think on these things..” Think about these things and be joyful, we will all have a big reunion one day.
I Think I Can't
One of the first books I remember hearing my parents read to me, and actually one of the first books my kids remember us reading to them, is that famous little classic, "The Little Engine That Could." You probably remember the story of that load of toys that no train was able to pull up the mountain to get those poor little children their toys on the other side. Well, no train that is, until this unlikely little engine volunteered to give it a try. And against all odds, he made it, puffing out those four inspiring words - listen, if you remember them, say them with me now: "I think I can! I think I can!" (Yeah, you got it!) And he inspired us to believe that we could do anything if we had that same confidence. Unfortunately, I have a scandalous secret to tell you. The little engine lied to us!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "I Think I Can't."
In a strange way, "I think I can't" turns out to be much more powerful than "I think I can." I know, the book had a good point. But what I'm saying is this: You start to understand that as you bring your life under the leadership of the Lord, Jesus Christ, you begin to understand the powerful things that can happen when you're finally ready to say to God, "I think I can't, and only You can!"
Listen to one of the most highly trained, highly skilled, highly motivated men in all of the Bible, the great Apostle Paul. He's speaking in our word for today from the Word of God in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, and he starts with God's answer to his prayer for deliverance from his "thorn in the flesh" - some frustrating, incurable condition he could not get rid of. He says, "But the Lord said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness'." Then he reports this startling discovery he made when he faced something he couldn't fix and he couldn't control, "When I am weak, then I am strong."
Paul said that when he reached the point of "I can't." God's power flooded in, in a way that made him stronger than he had ever been when he was strong. In Paul's strength that is. Some of us are inveterate "little engines that could." We always have a plan, we can always make a way, and we can always solve it. (Sounds like somebody I know who has a radio program.)
And while we'll ask God to help us, we still hang onto control. Until it reaches the point of being seemingly hopeless, the point where we're ready to totally take our hands off of it, wave the white flag and say, "God, it's all Yours. I release it completely. Only You can do this!" And God says, "I've been waiting so long for you to say that. Now fasten your seat belt."
Of course, you don't have to wait until you're at the end. You could realize that reality that you can't long before you're forced to conclude that. When you don't know what to do, you claim God's promise that "if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously" (James 1:5). Sometimes, I sit at my desk and I literally say out loud, "God, I lack wisdom here. I have no idea what to do." And soon I've got insight I never had before. Remember that Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit (that means totally dependent, the ones who admit they're 'broke'), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3).
When you're out of strength, Isaiah 40:29 says, "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak." But you have to admit that's you. You've got to [size=16]admit you're the weary, you're the weak. I learned it when I was a little kid, that song "Jesus Loves Me." And I learned the words to that when I was about six years old, but it took me decades to finally live them. These words, "they are weak, but He is strong." When you're at the end of you, you're at the beginning of the awesome power of God.
When you know Christ, you are never more powerful than when you're powerless.
Copyright Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
2Ch 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
[/size]
Re: KEITH NOTES FROM NANJING
If anyone would like to receive my devotions directly, please email me at keitherichobkirk@hotmail.com
SUFFICIENT GRACE
“And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness…2 Corinthians 12:9.”
This passage in 2 Corinthians 12:9 is God’s response to the Apostle Paul after he prayed three times for the Lord to take away his thorn in the flesh. Paul wanted God to take the thorn away but God wanted the thorn to stay. Why would God refuse to remove this affliction from Paul’s life? The Apostle answers this question in 2 Corinthians 12:7:
“Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself!”
This answer is true and adequate. We know God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. But I believe by the Lord telling Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” He intended to accomplish much more in Paul’s life and ministry than a lesson in humility. The Lord was teaching Paul of His all-sufficient grace, so Paul’s affliction would work for him and not against him. Through the grace of God, Paul learned his affliction was not a liability but a gift from the Father of Lights.
Yet, Paul had to trust God and accept his affliction as a gift so God could accomplish His purposes with it through his life. Paul found he could draw near with confidence to the throne of grace so that he might receive mercy and find grace to help in his time of need.. (Hebrews 4:16) and with his pastor’s heart, he wanted the believers at Corinth to know that grace is God’s provision for their every need when they need it. Paul learned through his afflictions the Lord would cover his weakness with His power. Therefore, he could say with confidence, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13)
The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:7-9: “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” God knows this treasure we have can only be seen by others when our vessel is broken and cracked so His light can shine through. The power of God is the miracle of others seeing in us, in the midst of our pressures and trials, the character and the life of Jesus coming out.
Knowing God’s grace is sufficient for us, for power is perfected in weakness means God can use the weak. Accepting, acknowledging, and allowing God to use our infirmities make it possible for God’s grace to accomplish its work in and through our lives. We are not super people but people serving a super God. God’s grace, therefore, means physical affliction need not be a barrier to effective Christian service. God doesn’t accomplish His work in spite of our weaknesses but because of our weaknesses when given in faith to Him. He wants to demonstrate that there is an obvious love and joy and peace about our life that can never be explained in terms of us, but always in terms of God at work in and through our lives.
Paul, through his many difficult experiences, witnessed the perfecting power of Christ turning his infirmities into assets for God's Glory. We can do the same! We have only to trust in the One who always has our best interest at heart. The Bible says, “But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him glorify God.” (1 Pet. 4:16) The Apostle Paul trusted God’s word and it allowed God to mold and shape him into the image of His Beloved Son. We too can trust when God is working, He will cause all things, even our infirmities, to work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)
From: Mary Padgett Ministries, Inc.
A Word In Due Season
WHERE ART THOU?
Scripture: Genesis 3:9 "The Lord God called unto Adam, and said to him, Where art thou?"
When God first created Adam and Eve, He created them in His own image. They were surrounded with His glory and never took notice that they were naked. When they sinned it destroyed the glory that surrounded them and revealed their nakedness. When they saw themselves exposed, fear infiltrated their hearts and the guilt and shame that overpowered them caused them to run and hide from God. God searched the garden diligently and His voice called to them like a loving Father searching for His lost children. After a long conversation with them about the sin that they had committed, God again clothed Adam and Eve, but this time it was with coats from the skins of animals. God then forced them to leave the Garden of Eden.
God's voice is still sounding in the world today. Have you noticed how loud God's voice seems when you have disobeyed Him in some area of your life? You may pray a hundred prayers and wonder if God has heard you. But the minute you use those same lips to say something that is not good, you feel God's Spirit of conviction and hear His voice of correction speaking to you. It's like thunder in your ears. You stand there stripped in His presence, and like Adam and Eve, you want to hide. However, you soon learn that you cannot hide from God, for He knows the garden too well. His eyes run to and fro until He locates you. He brings you to a place that you must acknowledge where you are and what you have done. Because God is full of mercy, He offers you repentance, and because of His faithfulness and grace, He forgives.
God's grace and mercy is never a license to sin. When the woman who was caught in the act of adultery was brought to Jesus, He not only said, "I forgive you," He also confronted her sin and said, "Go, and sin no more." God's forgiveness always demands change within our heart and in our actions. It would be great if we obeyed God's every command and never sinned, but God knows that we are frail humanity and that this is never going to happen. Jesus was the only one who has ever lived on this earth without sin. He alone is holy and fully moral. Jesus understands our temptations, and as the Good Shepherd, He will leave the ninety-nine good sheep and search for the one that has strayed out of the sheepfold.
If you have failed in some point and are hiding under a shroud of guilt and shame, allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the secrets of your heart to your loving Father. God is calling your name and asking, "Where are you?" He is diligently searching for you because He wants to forgive you, restore you, and clothe you in His righteousness. +++
SUFFICIENT GRACE
“And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness…2 Corinthians 12:9.”
This passage in 2 Corinthians 12:9 is God’s response to the Apostle Paul after he prayed three times for the Lord to take away his thorn in the flesh. Paul wanted God to take the thorn away but God wanted the thorn to stay. Why would God refuse to remove this affliction from Paul’s life? The Apostle answers this question in 2 Corinthians 12:7:
“Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself!”
This answer is true and adequate. We know God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. But I believe by the Lord telling Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” He intended to accomplish much more in Paul’s life and ministry than a lesson in humility. The Lord was teaching Paul of His all-sufficient grace, so Paul’s affliction would work for him and not against him. Through the grace of God, Paul learned his affliction was not a liability but a gift from the Father of Lights.
Yet, Paul had to trust God and accept his affliction as a gift so God could accomplish His purposes with it through his life. Paul found he could draw near with confidence to the throne of grace so that he might receive mercy and find grace to help in his time of need.. (Hebrews 4:16) and with his pastor’s heart, he wanted the believers at Corinth to know that grace is God’s provision for their every need when they need it. Paul learned through his afflictions the Lord would cover his weakness with His power. Therefore, he could say with confidence, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13)
The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:7-9: “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” God knows this treasure we have can only be seen by others when our vessel is broken and cracked so His light can shine through. The power of God is the miracle of others seeing in us, in the midst of our pressures and trials, the character and the life of Jesus coming out.
Knowing God’s grace is sufficient for us, for power is perfected in weakness means God can use the weak. Accepting, acknowledging, and allowing God to use our infirmities make it possible for God’s grace to accomplish its work in and through our lives. We are not super people but people serving a super God. God’s grace, therefore, means physical affliction need not be a barrier to effective Christian service. God doesn’t accomplish His work in spite of our weaknesses but because of our weaknesses when given in faith to Him. He wants to demonstrate that there is an obvious love and joy and peace about our life that can never be explained in terms of us, but always in terms of God at work in and through our lives.
Paul, through his many difficult experiences, witnessed the perfecting power of Christ turning his infirmities into assets for God's Glory. We can do the same! We have only to trust in the One who always has our best interest at heart. The Bible says, “But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him glorify God.” (1 Pet. 4:16) The Apostle Paul trusted God’s word and it allowed God to mold and shape him into the image of His Beloved Son. We too can trust when God is working, He will cause all things, even our infirmities, to work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)
From: Mary Padgett Ministries, Inc.
A Word In Due Season
WHERE ART THOU?
Scripture: Genesis 3:9 "The Lord God called unto Adam, and said to him, Where art thou?"
When God first created Adam and Eve, He created them in His own image. They were surrounded with His glory and never took notice that they were naked. When they sinned it destroyed the glory that surrounded them and revealed their nakedness. When they saw themselves exposed, fear infiltrated their hearts and the guilt and shame that overpowered them caused them to run and hide from God. God searched the garden diligently and His voice called to them like a loving Father searching for His lost children. After a long conversation with them about the sin that they had committed, God again clothed Adam and Eve, but this time it was with coats from the skins of animals. God then forced them to leave the Garden of Eden.
God's voice is still sounding in the world today. Have you noticed how loud God's voice seems when you have disobeyed Him in some area of your life? You may pray a hundred prayers and wonder if God has heard you. But the minute you use those same lips to say something that is not good, you feel God's Spirit of conviction and hear His voice of correction speaking to you. It's like thunder in your ears. You stand there stripped in His presence, and like Adam and Eve, you want to hide. However, you soon learn that you cannot hide from God, for He knows the garden too well. His eyes run to and fro until He locates you. He brings you to a place that you must acknowledge where you are and what you have done. Because God is full of mercy, He offers you repentance, and because of His faithfulness and grace, He forgives.
God's grace and mercy is never a license to sin. When the woman who was caught in the act of adultery was brought to Jesus, He not only said, "I forgive you," He also confronted her sin and said, "Go, and sin no more." God's forgiveness always demands change within our heart and in our actions. It would be great if we obeyed God's every command and never sinned, but God knows that we are frail humanity and that this is never going to happen. Jesus was the only one who has ever lived on this earth without sin. He alone is holy and fully moral. Jesus understands our temptations, and as the Good Shepherd, He will leave the ninety-nine good sheep and search for the one that has strayed out of the sheepfold.
If you have failed in some point and are hiding under a shroud of guilt and shame, allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the secrets of your heart to your loving Father. God is calling your name and asking, "Where are you?" He is diligently searching for you because He wants to forgive you, restore you, and clothe you in His righteousness. +++
Re: KEITH NOTES FROM NANJING
From: Mary Padgett Ministries, Inc.
A Word In Due Season
PERSEVERE IN FAITH
Scripture: Hebrews 10:36 (Living Bible) "You need to persevere (or have patience) so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised."
You must keep on patiently doing the will of God if you want Him to do all that He has promised to do for you. God's promise is simple. If you persevere and do your part, He will do His part. You must endure to the end. You cannot stop short of the goal that is set before you because the prize will only be awarded to those who cross the finish line. Jesus endured the cross until the end, and then He said, "It is finished." Paul continued serving the Lord through various trials until one day he could say, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course.."
Paul also said, "Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not" (Galatians 6:9). It is very easy to give up right when you are on the edge of a miracle. Look at the situation with God's people, Israel. God led them out of Egypt with signs and wonders and did mighty miracles in their midst. God protected them and provided for all of their needs, yet they would not persevere in faith. It is amazing that they saw Him do such magnificent things, yet they could not maintain their faith in this miracle working God. And because of their unbelief, they gave up and never received His promise. God could not do His part simply because they did not do their part.
Joshua and Caleb, along with the younger generation, were the only ones that entered into the Promised Land. Numbers 14:24 tells us that because Caleb had another spirit and followed the Lord fully, he was able to possess the land. He persevered in faith. At the age of eighty-five, Caleb was still declaring that he was strong enough to possess God's promise. In Joshua 14:12 Caleb said, "Give me this mountain ... I shall be able to drive my enemies out, as the Lord has said." He went to battle, drove out the giants, and conquered his mountain.
God waits for you to persevere in faith like Caleb. Regardless of your age or what has happened in your life, the promise that God gave to you is still alive and is still yours. Put your trust in God and He will help you take the mountain and defeat the giants that stand in your way. If you persevere in faith and do your part, God will do His part. +++
[size=48]My Manna
"Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you." Hosea 10:12.
Revival is that sovereign work of God-
- in which He visits His own people,
- restoring and releasing them into the fullness of His blessing.
Over the years I've often gotten emails asking-
"Do you think revival will ever come to our country?,
When do you think it will come?"
A key aspect of world revival is revival within ourselves.
Revival must begin within each of us.
It's not just a one time event but an ongoing process of desiring to be closer to Him.
Once, a lady asked Billy Sunday "Why do you keep having revival meetings?"
And he quickly retorted, "Why do you always take a bath?"
Revival is an ongoing transformation of our hearts-
to be constantly moved by the Spirit of God.
We need to be daily breaking up our fallow ground-
- those places in our hearts which we've allowed to grow hard.
How?
We have to first ask the Lord to reveal those hard places-
- pray that He would forgive us and
- ask Him to heal all our rough edges that we might be soft before Him and sensitive to His leading.
Only then will we be changed and be in a place-
- where we can contribute to revival around us.[/size]
A Word In Due Season
PERSEVERE IN FAITH
Scripture: Hebrews 10:36 (Living Bible) "You need to persevere (or have patience) so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised."
You must keep on patiently doing the will of God if you want Him to do all that He has promised to do for you. God's promise is simple. If you persevere and do your part, He will do His part. You must endure to the end. You cannot stop short of the goal that is set before you because the prize will only be awarded to those who cross the finish line. Jesus endured the cross until the end, and then He said, "It is finished." Paul continued serving the Lord through various trials until one day he could say, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course.."
Paul also said, "Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not" (Galatians 6:9). It is very easy to give up right when you are on the edge of a miracle. Look at the situation with God's people, Israel. God led them out of Egypt with signs and wonders and did mighty miracles in their midst. God protected them and provided for all of their needs, yet they would not persevere in faith. It is amazing that they saw Him do such magnificent things, yet they could not maintain their faith in this miracle working God. And because of their unbelief, they gave up and never received His promise. God could not do His part simply because they did not do their part.
Joshua and Caleb, along with the younger generation, were the only ones that entered into the Promised Land. Numbers 14:24 tells us that because Caleb had another spirit and followed the Lord fully, he was able to possess the land. He persevered in faith. At the age of eighty-five, Caleb was still declaring that he was strong enough to possess God's promise. In Joshua 14:12 Caleb said, "Give me this mountain ... I shall be able to drive my enemies out, as the Lord has said." He went to battle, drove out the giants, and conquered his mountain.
God waits for you to persevere in faith like Caleb. Regardless of your age or what has happened in your life, the promise that God gave to you is still alive and is still yours. Put your trust in God and He will help you take the mountain and defeat the giants that stand in your way. If you persevere in faith and do your part, God will do His part. +++
[size=48]My Manna
"Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you." Hosea 10:12.
Revival is that sovereign work of God-
- in which He visits His own people,
- restoring and releasing them into the fullness of His blessing.
Over the years I've often gotten emails asking-
"Do you think revival will ever come to our country?,
When do you think it will come?"
A key aspect of world revival is revival within ourselves.
Revival must begin within each of us.
It's not just a one time event but an ongoing process of desiring to be closer to Him.
Once, a lady asked Billy Sunday "Why do you keep having revival meetings?"
And he quickly retorted, "Why do you always take a bath?"
Revival is an ongoing transformation of our hearts-
to be constantly moved by the Spirit of God.
We need to be daily breaking up our fallow ground-
- those places in our hearts which we've allowed to grow hard.
How?
We have to first ask the Lord to reveal those hard places-
- pray that He would forgive us and
- ask Him to heal all our rough edges that we might be soft before Him and sensitive to His leading.
Only then will we be changed and be in a place-
- where we can contribute to revival around us.[/size]
Re: KEITH NOTES FROM NANJING
Sermons
Your Sanctification by Al Albano.. 4 sermons to challenge your life 1 Thess 4;1-2
part 1
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=81406213536
part 2
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=61806114817
part 3
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=61706192845
part 4
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=6190620259
Guest Devotion
What A Wonder
It’s a wonder beyond measure why You love us,
I’ve tried to reason now for many years;
It’s a wonder that You cared, and especially You shared,
Years of earth’s time even joining in our tears.
It’s a wonder that You loved the lonely ~ grieving;
Mistreated persons here had Strong Defense.
We surely didn’t ever want to lose You ~
It was for those kind of folks Your back was bent.
You taught us, and You carried out ~ exampled ~
To forgive the ones who hurt us so;
Even when You rode the colt mid hallelujahs ~
In mind’s eye I can see Your head bowed low.
Lord, I have no gold or silver for Your coffers,
But I have a song for You while I have breath…
So touch the ears and let them hear it clearly
This song of Love for You in deeper depth.
Jesus, Love of God, the greatest Wonder of the World ~
Son of God, yet Lover of men’s souls…
Frail and wounded, blind, deceived, unworthy though we be,
Help us see Your sacrifice and reach our goal!
Joan Clifton Costner
Your Sanctification by Al Albano.. 4 sermons to challenge your life 1 Thess 4;1-2
part 1
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=81406213536
part 2
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=61806114817
part 3
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=61706192845
part 4
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=6190620259
Guest Devotion
What A Wonder
It’s a wonder beyond measure why You love us,
I’ve tried to reason now for many years;
It’s a wonder that You cared, and especially You shared,
Years of earth’s time even joining in our tears.
It’s a wonder that You loved the lonely ~ grieving;
Mistreated persons here had Strong Defense.
We surely didn’t ever want to lose You ~
It was for those kind of folks Your back was bent.
You taught us, and You carried out ~ exampled ~
To forgive the ones who hurt us so;
Even when You rode the colt mid hallelujahs ~
In mind’s eye I can see Your head bowed low.
Lord, I have no gold or silver for Your coffers,
But I have a song for You while I have breath…
So touch the ears and let them hear it clearly
This song of Love for You in deeper depth.
Jesus, Love of God, the greatest Wonder of the World ~
Son of God, yet Lover of men’s souls…
Frail and wounded, blind, deceived, unworthy though we be,
Help us see Your sacrifice and reach our goal!
Joan Clifton Costner
Re: KEITH NOTES FROM NANJING
Grapevine relationship
When I became a believer, someone patted me on the shoulder and said, “Do the best you can,” which is neither biblical nor helpful advice.
A while later, I was discipled by some faithful saints, who taught me the truth about believers.
Pardoned!
A believer is identified as a child of God.
Through prayer, we have access to our Father at any time, and we can expect that He will be faithful to every one of His promises.
What’s more, we are no longer classified as “sinners,” a term describing those who have not received Jesus Christ as Saviour.
We've been transformed into saints—holy persons saved by grace and set apart for God’s purposes.
Sin and temptation will continue to be realities for us as long as we’re on earth.
But our transgressions are forgiven, and our new identity cannot change.
Positioned!
A believer is positioned in Christ.
God’s Spirit dwells in us so we can live righteously, as Jesus did.
John 15 uses a grapevine metaphor to describe this relationship.
It tells us the Lord is the vine and we are the branches connected to Him and drawing on His power.
Preconditioned!
A believer’s mission is to show Christ to the world.
Our vine is to bear the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Gal. 5:22-23.
When our character and conduct reflect these aspects of Jesus’ nature, we help others to see the beauty of a relationship with the Lord.
The truth about believers is that we don’t have to “do the best we can.”
God works through His children to accomplish His purposes.
When I became a believer, someone patted me on the shoulder and said, “Do the best you can,” which is neither biblical nor helpful advice.
A while later, I was discipled by some faithful saints, who taught me the truth about believers.
Pardoned!
A believer is identified as a child of God.
Through prayer, we have access to our Father at any time, and we can expect that He will be faithful to every one of His promises.
What’s more, we are no longer classified as “sinners,” a term describing those who have not received Jesus Christ as Saviour.
We've been transformed into saints—holy persons saved by grace and set apart for God’s purposes.
Sin and temptation will continue to be realities for us as long as we’re on earth.
But our transgressions are forgiven, and our new identity cannot change.
Positioned!
A believer is positioned in Christ.
God’s Spirit dwells in us so we can live righteously, as Jesus did.
John 15 uses a grapevine metaphor to describe this relationship.
It tells us the Lord is the vine and we are the branches connected to Him and drawing on His power.
Preconditioned!
A believer’s mission is to show Christ to the world.
Our vine is to bear the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Gal. 5:22-23.
When our character and conduct reflect these aspects of Jesus’ nature, we help others to see the beauty of a relationship with the Lord.
The truth about believers is that we don’t have to “do the best we can.”
God works through His children to accomplish His purposes.
Re: KEITH NOTES FROM NANJING
From: Mary Padgett Ministries, Inc.
A Word In Due Season
STRENGTH IN ADVERSITY
Scripture: Proverbs 24:10 "If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small."
The scriptures teach us that once we are born again, we enter into a major warfare with the enemy, for Satan goes about as a roaring lion seeking to devour us. His intentions are not goodtowards the children of God who shine as lights upon his darkness and who bring the message of God's peace and hope to a troubled world. John 10:10 says that Satan's purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy. The more you try to serve God, the greater Satan's attack, or as one minister says, "New Level - New Devil."
Yet, God does not leave His people helpless against this spiritual adversary. Through the Apostle Paul, God instructs us that we are to stand against the devil and having done all to stand. God provides us with spiritual armor and weapons consisting of truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God (Ephesians 6:13-18). God then exhorts us to pray at all times with all manner of prayer. The armor protects us and prayer empowers us for the battle. Our battle is not won on the battlefield, but on our knees in our prayer closet..
Just before His toughest battle, Jesus spent His time in prayer in the garden of Gethsemane. His disciples could not stay awake and pray with Him. Sleep overtook them and when adversity came, the disciples forsook Jesus and fled. Their faith became weak and their strength fainted. When Jesus had found them sleeping earlier, He warned them, "Watch and pray, so that you do not enter into temptation." But they were too tired to pray. "Their spirits were willing, but their flesh was weak" (Matthew 26:41).
Weariness is a great hindrance to prayer, but prayer is the only way to maintain spiritual strength when the day of battle comes. If we find ourselves too weary and too tired to pray, we will find ourselves too weak to fight the enemy. Hebrews 12:3 tells us to look at Jesus, who was able to endure, so that we do not become weary and faint in our minds. Our strength comes from the Lord. And if Jesus found it necessary to spend much time in prayer and communion with the Heavenly Father, shouldn't we? In the day of adversity, we will not faint if our strength is not small and our strength will not be small if we have been empowered by the Lord's presence in prayer. +++
Behold your God!
“He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young” (Isaiah 40:11).
Pause a while and think of this verse. It gives us a wonderful picture of the Lord Jesus. Let’s unfold some of its treasures word for word.
‘He’
Who is this ‘He’?
He is the Messiah (Matthew 1:1).
He is Immanuel; God with us (Matthew 1:23).
He is God manifest in the flesh ( I Timothy 3:16).
He is the one Who is revealed in the Word of God under a vast array of titles, names, characters and offices. For example, He is,
Our Hope – 1 Timothy 1:1
Our Peace – Ephesians 2:14
Our Prophet – Hebrews 1:1-3
Our Redeemer – Job 19:25, Galatians 3:13
Our Rock – 1 Corinthians 10:4
Our Sacrifice - 1 John 4:10
Our Saviour – Luke 2:11
The Supreme Creator Over All - 1 Corinthians 1:16-17
The Resurrection and the Life - John 11:25
The Door – John 10:9
The Way – John 14:6
The Eternal Word – John 1:1
The True Vine - John 15:1
The Truth – " John 8:32
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace – Isaiah 9:6
‘Shall’ – Without doubt, or fear, or uncertainty.
‘Feed’ – Nourish, provide for, sustain.
‘His Flock’ ––His own, peculiar, personal, property. The Flock is given by the Father (John 6:37), redeemed by the Son (Ephesians 1:7) and brought alive by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5; Ephesians 2:1); therefore, the flock is ‘His’ by gift – by purchase and by the conquest of grace.
‘Like a Shepherd’ In verse 10 it says, “Behold your God who shall come.” Do you really want to see what God is like? The 11th verse gives us the answer. Did you notice it? Look at the 11th verse. It says, “He shall feed His flock like a shepherd:” He’s a shepherd. This is our God. This is His portrait. He goes before His sheep, removing hindrances and difficulties; to shield us from danger and protect us from enemies. He seeks us when we go astray and provides the best pasture for us.
‘He shall Gather.’ That’s what a shepherd does. He gathers. He doesn’t scatter. No ‘shape up or ship out’ message comes from His lips.
‘The Lambs’ – He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them in his bosom; these are strong arms. Verse 10 says ‘The Lord will come with strong hand and His arm shall rule for Him.’ The Father’s arms neither grow tired nor weary carrying His children.
“What have I to dread,
What have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed peace
With my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.”
Leaning, Leaning,
Safe and secure from all alarms
Leaning, leaning,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.”
Remember how Jesus told it? He said, “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11). He also declared, “I am the door. By Me if any man enters in, he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture” (John 10:9). He is also the Great Shepherd. That is why we read in Hebrews 13:20, “Now the God of peace who brought again from the dead, that Great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant.”
Our Lord is the Good, Chief and Great Shepherd.
Behold your God!
He is pictured as a shepherd with little lambs in his arms.
Behold your God!
He is the shepherd with lambs in his bosom.
Behold your God!
He gently leads those that are with young.
Behold your God!
Our God is our Shepherd. What a Shepherd! He encircles His flock with tender care and love. He loses none of us. I want to shout, Hallelujah! This is our God. He is the God who comes as a shepherd with the lambs in His arm.
And that’s the Gospel Truth!
A Word In Due Season
STRENGTH IN ADVERSITY
Scripture: Proverbs 24:10 "If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small."
The scriptures teach us that once we are born again, we enter into a major warfare with the enemy, for Satan goes about as a roaring lion seeking to devour us. His intentions are not goodtowards the children of God who shine as lights upon his darkness and who bring the message of God's peace and hope to a troubled world. John 10:10 says that Satan's purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy. The more you try to serve God, the greater Satan's attack, or as one minister says, "New Level - New Devil."
Yet, God does not leave His people helpless against this spiritual adversary. Through the Apostle Paul, God instructs us that we are to stand against the devil and having done all to stand. God provides us with spiritual armor and weapons consisting of truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God (Ephesians 6:13-18). God then exhorts us to pray at all times with all manner of prayer. The armor protects us and prayer empowers us for the battle. Our battle is not won on the battlefield, but on our knees in our prayer closet..
Just before His toughest battle, Jesus spent His time in prayer in the garden of Gethsemane. His disciples could not stay awake and pray with Him. Sleep overtook them and when adversity came, the disciples forsook Jesus and fled. Their faith became weak and their strength fainted. When Jesus had found them sleeping earlier, He warned them, "Watch and pray, so that you do not enter into temptation." But they were too tired to pray. "Their spirits were willing, but their flesh was weak" (Matthew 26:41).
Weariness is a great hindrance to prayer, but prayer is the only way to maintain spiritual strength when the day of battle comes. If we find ourselves too weary and too tired to pray, we will find ourselves too weak to fight the enemy. Hebrews 12:3 tells us to look at Jesus, who was able to endure, so that we do not become weary and faint in our minds. Our strength comes from the Lord. And if Jesus found it necessary to spend much time in prayer and communion with the Heavenly Father, shouldn't we? In the day of adversity, we will not faint if our strength is not small and our strength will not be small if we have been empowered by the Lord's presence in prayer. +++
[size=32]The Wednesday Word:[/size]
Behold your God!
“He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young” (Isaiah 40:11).
Pause a while and think of this verse. It gives us a wonderful picture of the Lord Jesus. Let’s unfold some of its treasures word for word.
‘He’
Who is this ‘He’?
He is the Messiah (Matthew 1:1).
He is Immanuel; God with us (Matthew 1:23).
He is God manifest in the flesh ( I Timothy 3:16).
He is the one Who is revealed in the Word of God under a vast array of titles, names, characters and offices. For example, He is,
Our Hope – 1 Timothy 1:1
Our Peace – Ephesians 2:14
Our Prophet – Hebrews 1:1-3
Our Redeemer – Job 19:25, Galatians 3:13
Our Rock – 1 Corinthians 10:4
Our Sacrifice - 1 John 4:10
Our Saviour – Luke 2:11
The Supreme Creator Over All - 1 Corinthians 1:16-17
The Resurrection and the Life - John 11:25
The Door – John 10:9
The Way – John 14:6
The Eternal Word – John 1:1
The True Vine - John 15:1
The Truth – " John 8:32
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace – Isaiah 9:6
‘Shall’ – Without doubt, or fear, or uncertainty.
‘Feed’ – Nourish, provide for, sustain.
‘His Flock’ ––His own, peculiar, personal, property. The Flock is given by the Father (John 6:37), redeemed by the Son (Ephesians 1:7) and brought alive by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5; Ephesians 2:1); therefore, the flock is ‘His’ by gift – by purchase and by the conquest of grace.
‘Like a Shepherd’ In verse 10 it says, “Behold your God who shall come.” Do you really want to see what God is like? The 11th verse gives us the answer. Did you notice it? Look at the 11th verse. It says, “He shall feed His flock like a shepherd:” He’s a shepherd. This is our God. This is His portrait. He goes before His sheep, removing hindrances and difficulties; to shield us from danger and protect us from enemies. He seeks us when we go astray and provides the best pasture for us.
‘He shall Gather.’ That’s what a shepherd does. He gathers. He doesn’t scatter. No ‘shape up or ship out’ message comes from His lips.
‘The Lambs’ – He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them in his bosom; these are strong arms. Verse 10 says ‘The Lord will come with strong hand and His arm shall rule for Him.’ The Father’s arms neither grow tired nor weary carrying His children.
“What have I to dread,
What have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed peace
With my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.”
Leaning, Leaning,
Safe and secure from all alarms
Leaning, leaning,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.”
Remember how Jesus told it? He said, “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11). He also declared, “I am the door. By Me if any man enters in, he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture” (John 10:9). He is also the Great Shepherd. That is why we read in Hebrews 13:20, “Now the God of peace who brought again from the dead, that Great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant.”
Our Lord is the Good, Chief and Great Shepherd.
Behold your God!
He is pictured as a shepherd with little lambs in his arms.
Behold your God!
He is the shepherd with lambs in his bosom.
Behold your God!
He gently leads those that are with young.
Behold your God!
Our God is our Shepherd. What a Shepherd! He encircles His flock with tender care and love. He loses none of us. I want to shout, Hallelujah! This is our God. He is the God who comes as a shepherd with the lambs in His arm.
And that’s the Gospel Truth!
Re: KEITH NOTES FROM NANJING
From: Mary Padgett Ministries, Inc.
A Word In Due Season
OPEN MY EYES
Scripture: II Kings 6:17 "Open his eyes, that he may see."
A great army had surrounded the city where the prophet Elisha and his servant were staying. When the servant saw that they were surrounded, He became distressed and sought comfort from Elisha. Elisha told his servant not to fear and declared that there were more for them than against them, but the servant still could not see what the prophet of God saw. Elisha then prayed this simple prayer asking God to open the eyes of the servant. When God opened the servant's eyes and allowed him to see beyond the natural, he saw that the mountains were full of horses and chariots of fire, which were there to protect them.
Before my grandchild was born, we experienced a great blessing, for we were allowed to see an amazing video of her while she was still in the womb of her mother. As the doctor scanned the baby with the sonogram, we were able to see many of her features, which included her heart beating and a perfect view of her mouth making definite sucking motions. It was awesome to grasp this wonderful blessing. Modern technology had made it possible for our eyes to see beyond our natural capabilities and allowed us to view a miracle. Yet, if we had not been able to see the child with our own eyes, the fact remained that she was there and full of life.
This is a life lesson for us in the spiritual. Too often, it seems that evil surrounds us, and like the situation with Elisha and his servant, our vision is limited. We are only able to see the opposition and we experience fear because we cannot see what is happening in the spirit. However, God is surrounding us with His forces. Without God opening our spiritual eyes, we cannot see a way of escape any more than we could see the baby in the womb without the help of a sonogram. Yet regardless of our limited vision, God is quietly working undercover on our behalf and has a plan and a time to bring all things into fruition.
I pray for you today, as the prophet prayed for his servant, that God would open your eyes supernaturally and allow you to see the heavenly forces that are fighting for you in the battles of life. I pray that you will get a glimpse of the blood of Jesus that was shed for your sins so that you could receive eternal life. I pray that you would come to understand the significance of the stripes that were laid upon Jesus' back, for Isaiah says that "by His stripes you are healed." I pray that God's peace that passes all understanding would flood your spirit as you envision the crown of thorns that was placed upon Jesus' brow, for "He took the chastisement of your peace upon Himself" (Isaiah 53:5). And finally, I pray that your spiritual eyes would be opened to know God's heartbeat. I pray that you would be assured that He is surrounding you with His love. I encourage you to pray the same simple prayer that the prophet prayed, "Open my eyes that I may see," so that you may rest in God's promise of provisions and protection. +++
My Manna
"Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.Praise the Lord, my soul,and forget not all his benefits who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s." Psalm 103:1-5.
We all want to live each day fully.
To do that, we need to maintain a youthful attitude instead of letting ourselves grow old and useless to the kingdom.
Here are some suggestions for staying young all our life.
First-
Laughing!
We need to keep laughing. We are never more like children than when we are having fun with our friends.
Yet in order to laugh-
- we at times must let go of emotional baggage.
Some people have been hurt deeply, and their laughter is buried under old pains.
But clutching past bitterness and feelings of rejection will age us quickly.
Jesus Christ is willing to remove all that ugliness when we lay it down-
- which we do by forgiving ourselves and others—perhaps repeatedly.
Every day is a fresh start and another chance for our indwelling God to help us smile and laugh.
Second-
Longing!
We should keep longing.
That means we ought to keep chasing our dreams and working toward goals.
When a person wakes up with something to accomplish or a friend to aid, he or she experiences more of the joy life has to offer.
As soon as we settle for watching the world go by, we start to age.
Finally-
Leaning!
Most importantly, we must keep leaning on the Lord.
If we live with childlike trust-
God will bless our life and use us to bring blessing upon others.
He will give a sense of contentment so deep that no trial or spiritual attack can shake us.
As believers, we have the opportunity to take part in the Lord’s work every day of our life.
A Word In Due Season
OPEN MY EYES
Scripture: II Kings 6:17 "Open his eyes, that he may see."
A great army had surrounded the city where the prophet Elisha and his servant were staying. When the servant saw that they were surrounded, He became distressed and sought comfort from Elisha. Elisha told his servant not to fear and declared that there were more for them than against them, but the servant still could not see what the prophet of God saw. Elisha then prayed this simple prayer asking God to open the eyes of the servant. When God opened the servant's eyes and allowed him to see beyond the natural, he saw that the mountains were full of horses and chariots of fire, which were there to protect them.
Before my grandchild was born, we experienced a great blessing, for we were allowed to see an amazing video of her while she was still in the womb of her mother. As the doctor scanned the baby with the sonogram, we were able to see many of her features, which included her heart beating and a perfect view of her mouth making definite sucking motions. It was awesome to grasp this wonderful blessing. Modern technology had made it possible for our eyes to see beyond our natural capabilities and allowed us to view a miracle. Yet, if we had not been able to see the child with our own eyes, the fact remained that she was there and full of life.
This is a life lesson for us in the spiritual. Too often, it seems that evil surrounds us, and like the situation with Elisha and his servant, our vision is limited. We are only able to see the opposition and we experience fear because we cannot see what is happening in the spirit. However, God is surrounding us with His forces. Without God opening our spiritual eyes, we cannot see a way of escape any more than we could see the baby in the womb without the help of a sonogram. Yet regardless of our limited vision, God is quietly working undercover on our behalf and has a plan and a time to bring all things into fruition.
I pray for you today, as the prophet prayed for his servant, that God would open your eyes supernaturally and allow you to see the heavenly forces that are fighting for you in the battles of life. I pray that you will get a glimpse of the blood of Jesus that was shed for your sins so that you could receive eternal life. I pray that you would come to understand the significance of the stripes that were laid upon Jesus' back, for Isaiah says that "by His stripes you are healed." I pray that God's peace that passes all understanding would flood your spirit as you envision the crown of thorns that was placed upon Jesus' brow, for "He took the chastisement of your peace upon Himself" (Isaiah 53:5). And finally, I pray that your spiritual eyes would be opened to know God's heartbeat. I pray that you would be assured that He is surrounding you with His love. I encourage you to pray the same simple prayer that the prophet prayed, "Open my eyes that I may see," so that you may rest in God's promise of provisions and protection. +++
My Manna
"Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.Praise the Lord, my soul,and forget not all his benefits who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s." Psalm 103:1-5.
We all want to live each day fully.
To do that, we need to maintain a youthful attitude instead of letting ourselves grow old and useless to the kingdom.
Here are some suggestions for staying young all our life.
First-
Laughing!
We need to keep laughing. We are never more like children than when we are having fun with our friends.
Yet in order to laugh-
- we at times must let go of emotional baggage.
Some people have been hurt deeply, and their laughter is buried under old pains.
But clutching past bitterness and feelings of rejection will age us quickly.
Jesus Christ is willing to remove all that ugliness when we lay it down-
- which we do by forgiving ourselves and others—perhaps repeatedly.
Every day is a fresh start and another chance for our indwelling God to help us smile and laugh.
Second-
Longing!
We should keep longing.
That means we ought to keep chasing our dreams and working toward goals.
When a person wakes up with something to accomplish or a friend to aid, he or she experiences more of the joy life has to offer.
As soon as we settle for watching the world go by, we start to age.
Finally-
Leaning!
Most importantly, we must keep leaning on the Lord.
If we live with childlike trust-
God will bless our life and use us to bring blessing upon others.
He will give a sense of contentment so deep that no trial or spiritual attack can shake us.
As believers, we have the opportunity to take part in the Lord’s work every day of our life.
Re: KEITH NOTES FROM NANJING
Is there any hope?
Death carries with it a certain dread.
From the day that Abel was killed, people have dreaded death.
It has been the enemy, the great, mysterious monster, that makes people quake with fear.
The Bible always links sin and death. It says “the sting of death is sin” (1 Corinthians 15:56) and “through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).
Death stalks the rich and the poor, the educated and the uneducated.
Death is no respecter of race, colour or creed.
Its shadow haunts us day and night..
We never know when the moment of death will come for us.
Is there any hope?
Is there a possibility of immortality?
In the resurrection of Jesus Christ we have the answer to the great question of the ages: “If mortals die, can they live again?”
"Dear Lord, because of Jesus, we can have hope when our lives on earth come to an end. Thank You for sending Your Son to this world, thank You for the cross, and thank You for the resurrection and the empty tomb. May we confidently tell of this hope wherever we go. In Jesus’ Name. Amen."
From: Mary Padgett Ministries, Inc.
A Word In Due Season
GOD HONORS OUR EFFORTS
Scripture: Matthew 7:7 "Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock, and it shall be open to you."
God is sitting on His throne in Heaven desiring to accomplish His work in our life. Jesus is sitting there beside Him interceding in prayer for us and the Holy Spirit is hovering around the throne waiting for instructions. Even the angels are waiting to do God's bidding on our behalf and hearken to the voice of His Word (Psalms 103:20).. They are all involved in bringing solutions to our problems and helping us in our situations, but everything is on hold because they are waiting for their work orders to come through before they proceed. They are waiting for a heart that is full of faith to draw upon Heaven's resources. They are listening for the words of our prayers and are watching to see if anyone is searching for them. And, they are hoping that someone will knock at their door.
All too often we do not involve God in our daily needs even though He is our loving Father and He wants to give us answers and to provide for us. He wants us to search for Him so that we can find Him and experience His awesome presence. He wants to open doors for us that no man can shut and He delights to show us great and mighty things that we have never seen before. He desires to lead us to the green pastures and beside the still waters. God is ready to respond to us but the delay rest in the fact that we need to make an effort in His direction. We need to ask for our provisions if we want God to provide them. We must seek Him with all of our hearts if we ever expect to be drawn into His presence. If we want to see the great and mighty things that are promised, we must call upon Him (Jeremiah 33:3). If we want to be led to the green pastures and still waters, we must follow Him wherever He leads. If we desire God to draw near to us, we must first draw near to Him.
Psalms 78:41 says that God's chosen people limited the Holy One of Israel. God wanted to do great and mighty things for them but they never received God's promise because of their own unbelief. It takes faith to ask, faith to seek, and faith to knock. Yet, the scripture says that everyone that asks will receive an answer, will find what they are searching for, and that doors will be open to them (Matthew 7:8). You only have to take one step towards God for Him to begin to move in your direction. He will meet you at your level of faith and take care of all of your needs. He will come to you with His love, comfort, healing, direction, and provision. So, instead of fretting over your needs, make a decision to simply approach God in faith and on His terms. He will honor your efforts and you will receive your answers. +++
Death carries with it a certain dread.
From the day that Abel was killed, people have dreaded death.
It has been the enemy, the great, mysterious monster, that makes people quake with fear.
The Bible always links sin and death. It says “the sting of death is sin” (1 Corinthians 15:56) and “through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).
Death stalks the rich and the poor, the educated and the uneducated.
Death is no respecter of race, colour or creed.
Its shadow haunts us day and night..
We never know when the moment of death will come for us.
Is there any hope?
Is there a possibility of immortality?
In the resurrection of Jesus Christ we have the answer to the great question of the ages: “If mortals die, can they live again?”
"Dear Lord, because of Jesus, we can have hope when our lives on earth come to an end. Thank You for sending Your Son to this world, thank You for the cross, and thank You for the resurrection and the empty tomb. May we confidently tell of this hope wherever we go. In Jesus’ Name. Amen."
From: Mary Padgett Ministries, Inc.
A Word In Due Season
GOD HONORS OUR EFFORTS
Scripture: Matthew 7:7 "Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock, and it shall be open to you."
God is sitting on His throne in Heaven desiring to accomplish His work in our life. Jesus is sitting there beside Him interceding in prayer for us and the Holy Spirit is hovering around the throne waiting for instructions. Even the angels are waiting to do God's bidding on our behalf and hearken to the voice of His Word (Psalms 103:20).. They are all involved in bringing solutions to our problems and helping us in our situations, but everything is on hold because they are waiting for their work orders to come through before they proceed. They are waiting for a heart that is full of faith to draw upon Heaven's resources. They are listening for the words of our prayers and are watching to see if anyone is searching for them. And, they are hoping that someone will knock at their door.
All too often we do not involve God in our daily needs even though He is our loving Father and He wants to give us answers and to provide for us. He wants us to search for Him so that we can find Him and experience His awesome presence. He wants to open doors for us that no man can shut and He delights to show us great and mighty things that we have never seen before. He desires to lead us to the green pastures and beside the still waters. God is ready to respond to us but the delay rest in the fact that we need to make an effort in His direction. We need to ask for our provisions if we want God to provide them. We must seek Him with all of our hearts if we ever expect to be drawn into His presence. If we want to see the great and mighty things that are promised, we must call upon Him (Jeremiah 33:3). If we want to be led to the green pastures and still waters, we must follow Him wherever He leads. If we desire God to draw near to us, we must first draw near to Him.
Psalms 78:41 says that God's chosen people limited the Holy One of Israel. God wanted to do great and mighty things for them but they never received God's promise because of their own unbelief. It takes faith to ask, faith to seek, and faith to knock. Yet, the scripture says that everyone that asks will receive an answer, will find what they are searching for, and that doors will be open to them (Matthew 7:8). You only have to take one step towards God for Him to begin to move in your direction. He will meet you at your level of faith and take care of all of your needs. He will come to you with His love, comfort, healing, direction, and provision. So, instead of fretting over your needs, make a decision to simply approach God in faith and on His terms. He will honor your efforts and you will receive your answers. +++
Re: KEITH NOTES FROM NANJING
[size=16][size=16]ONGKOR[/size]
[size=16]POPULATION: LESS THAN 50[/size]
[size=16]NO CHRISTIANS!![/size]
[size=16]The few in this group are part of the Ewenki people and live in Xingjiang province.[/size]
[size=16]This is one of the least evangelised places on earth and they have never heard the Gospel, nor had a Christian witness. Please pray that they would hear the Gospel. Their best chance is through Gospel radio broadcasts.[/size]
[size=16]However small this people group, please pray for them, as they are precious to God.[/size]
[size=19][size=16][size=16][size=16]https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/18649/CH[/size][/size][/size][/size]
Sermons[/size]
For to me, to live is Christ by Thomas Watson 4 minutes
[size=16]https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=1124091149187
[/size]
Communion with Jesus by John Fawcett 5 minutes
[size=16]https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=913081141310
[/size]
Complaining Christian by James smith 3 minutes
[size=16]https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=112101047365
[/size]
my new testament Joseph by Alexander Smellie 6 minutes
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=71161534434
Guest Devotion
[size=16][size=48][size=16]My Manna[/size][/size]
Some time ago, two Chinese women shared their father’s story with me.
He was arrested in a roundup of house church members and given a choice—to deny Christ or go to jail.
The man spent 20 years imprisoned for his faith.
I was moved to tears by this brother’s godly testimony.
He understood that God was in control of his life, and that realization gave him the courage to please his Father regardless of the repercussions.
Romans 8:28 teaches that-
“God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him.”
But relying on that guarantee gets tough when we’re in the midst of trials.
The first few words of the verse—“And we know” —provide a hint about how Christians are to trust that the Lord will keep His promise.
We can face adversity courageously when we make a habit of finding God’s fingerprints on prior situations in our life.
While God causes good to come from our experiences-
He doesn't necessarily initiate trials.
Psalm 103:19 says, “His sovereignty rules over all”.
Other forces are at work in the world, but the Father’s power reigns supreme.
Satan may touch our life with pain, but only because the Lord allows him to do so..
And God gives permission-
-only when a situation fits His ultimate purpose.
Regardless of the tragedies we face-
God’s commitment remains the same;
He makes good out of bad, just as He has always done.
Paul knew the promise was true, and so do I.
Examine your life for evidence of the Lord at work.
And you will be assured as well.[/size]
[size=16]POPULATION: LESS THAN 50[/size]
[size=16]NO CHRISTIANS!![/size]
[size=16]The few in this group are part of the Ewenki people and live in Xingjiang province.[/size]
[size=16]This is one of the least evangelised places on earth and they have never heard the Gospel, nor had a Christian witness. Please pray that they would hear the Gospel. Their best chance is through Gospel radio broadcasts.[/size]
[size=16]However small this people group, please pray for them, as they are precious to God.[/size]
[size=19][size=16][size=16][size=16]https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/18649/CH[/size][/size][/size][/size]
Sermons[/size]
For to me, to live is Christ by Thomas Watson 4 minutes
[size=16]https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=1124091149187
[/size]
Communion with Jesus by John Fawcett 5 minutes
[size=16]https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=913081141310
[/size]
Complaining Christian by James smith 3 minutes
[size=16]https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=112101047365
[/size]
my new testament Joseph by Alexander Smellie 6 minutes
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=71161534434
Guest Devotion
[size=16][size=48][size=16]My Manna[/size][/size]
Some time ago, two Chinese women shared their father’s story with me.
He was arrested in a roundup of house church members and given a choice—to deny Christ or go to jail.
The man spent 20 years imprisoned for his faith.
I was moved to tears by this brother’s godly testimony.
He understood that God was in control of his life, and that realization gave him the courage to please his Father regardless of the repercussions.
Romans 8:28 teaches that-
“God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him.”
But relying on that guarantee gets tough when we’re in the midst of trials.
The first few words of the verse—“And we know” —provide a hint about how Christians are to trust that the Lord will keep His promise.
We can face adversity courageously when we make a habit of finding God’s fingerprints on prior situations in our life.
While God causes good to come from our experiences-
He doesn't necessarily initiate trials.
Psalm 103:19 says, “His sovereignty rules over all”.
Other forces are at work in the world, but the Father’s power reigns supreme.
Satan may touch our life with pain, but only because the Lord allows him to do so..
And God gives permission-
-only when a situation fits His ultimate purpose.
Regardless of the tragedies we face-
God’s commitment remains the same;
He makes good out of bad, just as He has always done.
Paul knew the promise was true, and so do I.
Examine your life for evidence of the Lord at work.
And you will be assured as well.[/size]
Re: KEITH NOTES FROM NANJING
[size=16][size=16]ONGKOR[/size]
[size=16]POPULATION: LESS THAN 50[/size]
[size=16]NO CHRISTIANS!![/size]
[size=16]The few in this group are part of the Ewenki people and live in Xingjiang province.[/size]
[size=16]This is one of the least evangelised places on earth and they have never heard the Gospel, nor had a Christian witness. Please pray that they would hear the Gospel. Their best chance is through Gospel radio broadcasts.[/size]
[size=16]However small this people group, please pray for them, as they are precious to God.[/size]
[size=19][size=16][size=16][size=16]https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/18649/CH[/size][/size][/size][/size]
Sermons[/size]
For to me, to live is Christ by Thomas Watson 4 minutes
[size=16]https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=1124091149187
[/size]
Communion with Jesus by John Fawcett 5 minutes
[size=16]https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=913081141310
[/size]
Complaining Christian by James smith 3 minutes
[size=16]https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=112101047365
[/size]
my new testament Joseph by Alexander Smellie 6 minutes
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=71161534434
Guest Devotion
[size=16][size=48][size=16]My Manna[/size][/size]
Some time ago, two Chinese women shared their father’s story with me.
He was arrested in a roundup of house church members and given a choice—to deny Christ or go to jail.
The man spent 20 years imprisoned for his faith.
I was moved to tears by this brother’s godly testimony.
He understood that God was in control of his life, and that realization gave him the courage to please his Father regardless of the repercussions.
Romans 8:28 teaches that-
“God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him.”
But relying on that guarantee gets tough when we’re in the midst of trials.
The first few words of the verse—“And we know” —provide a hint about how Christians are to trust that the Lord will keep His promise.
We can face adversity courageously when we make a habit of finding God’s fingerprints on prior situations in our life.
While God causes good to come from our experiences-
He doesn't necessarily initiate trials.
Psalm 103:19 says, “His sovereignty rules over all”.
Other forces are at work in the world, but the Father’s power reigns supreme.
Satan may touch our life with pain, but only because the Lord allows him to do so..
And God gives permission-
-only when a situation fits His ultimate purpose.
Regardless of the tragedies we face-
God’s commitment remains the same;
He makes good out of bad, just as He has always done.
Paul knew the promise was true, and so do I.
Examine your life for evidence of the Lord at work.
And you will be assured as well.[/size]
[size=16]POPULATION: LESS THAN 50[/size]
[size=16]NO CHRISTIANS!![/size]
[size=16]The few in this group are part of the Ewenki people and live in Xingjiang province.[/size]
[size=16]This is one of the least evangelised places on earth and they have never heard the Gospel, nor had a Christian witness. Please pray that they would hear the Gospel. Their best chance is through Gospel radio broadcasts.[/size]
[size=16]However small this people group, please pray for them, as they are precious to God.[/size]
[size=19][size=16][size=16][size=16]https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/18649/CH[/size][/size][/size][/size]
Sermons[/size]
For to me, to live is Christ by Thomas Watson 4 minutes
[size=16]https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=1124091149187
[/size]
Communion with Jesus by John Fawcett 5 minutes
[size=16]https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=913081141310
[/size]
Complaining Christian by James smith 3 minutes
[size=16]https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=112101047365
[/size]
my new testament Joseph by Alexander Smellie 6 minutes
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=71161534434
Guest Devotion
[size=16][size=48][size=16]My Manna[/size][/size]
Some time ago, two Chinese women shared their father’s story with me.
He was arrested in a roundup of house church members and given a choice—to deny Christ or go to jail.
The man spent 20 years imprisoned for his faith.
I was moved to tears by this brother’s godly testimony.
He understood that God was in control of his life, and that realization gave him the courage to please his Father regardless of the repercussions.
Romans 8:28 teaches that-
“God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him.”
But relying on that guarantee gets tough when we’re in the midst of trials.
The first few words of the verse—“And we know” —provide a hint about how Christians are to trust that the Lord will keep His promise.
We can face adversity courageously when we make a habit of finding God’s fingerprints on prior situations in our life.
While God causes good to come from our experiences-
He doesn't necessarily initiate trials.
Psalm 103:19 says, “His sovereignty rules over all”.
Other forces are at work in the world, but the Father’s power reigns supreme.
Satan may touch our life with pain, but only because the Lord allows him to do so..
And God gives permission-
-only when a situation fits His ultimate purpose.
Regardless of the tragedies we face-
God’s commitment remains the same;
He makes good out of bad, just as He has always done.
Paul knew the promise was true, and so do I.
Examine your life for evidence of the Lord at work.
And you will be assured as well.[/size]
Re: KEITH NOTES FROM NANJING
Dear friends
Here is the simply scripture and guest devotion in both Chinese and English, now you may not have any chinese friends, but you can place this on Facebook or send it to your contacts as they may have. We need to get the gospel out to the millions of chinese in the west
thanks
kk
[size=16]The Salvation Army was founded by a Methodist Preacher by the name of William Booth. Its mission was to share the message of repentance and salvation through Jesus Christ alone. Booth sent many people all over England burdened to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He sent two women Kate and Mary Jackson to Leeds to oversee a mission there. They laboured in Leeds for a couple of years and nothing happened. These young ladies toiled every day giving all they had without any return. Then one day they wrote to William Booth, “Would you kindly move us to another station? We’re so tired and disheartened. We’ve tried everything that we’ve been taught to do. Please move us to another location”
[size=16]救世军是由一位名叫威廉·布斯的卫理公会牧师创立的。它的使命是单单通过耶稣基督来分享悔改和得救的信息。布斯派了很多人到英格兰各地去传扬耶稣基督的福音。他派凯特·杰克逊和玛丽·杰克逊两名妇女去利兹执行任务。他们在利兹干了几年,什么事也没发生。这些年轻的女士们每天辛苦地付出她们的一切,却没有任何回报。有一天,他们给威廉·布斯写信说:“劳驾您把我们移到另一站好吗?”我们又累又沮丧。我们已经尝试了教我们做的所有事情。请把我们转移到另一个地方"[/size]
Booth sent a telegram back with two words written: “Try tears!”
[size=16]布斯回了一封电报,上面写着两个字:“试试流泪祷告!”[/size]
Those two sisters began to pray and travail for souls and they finally experienced real revival. Kate and Mary did just as General Booth said, and God moved mightily. The Leeds Salvation Army church soon became the largest outside of London.
[size=16]这两姐妹开始为灵魂而祷告和劳苦做工,最后她们经历了真正的复兴。凯特和玛丽 按照布斯说的去做了,上帝非常感动。利兹救世军教堂很快成为伦敦以外最大的教堂。[/size]
William Booth was a man like Nehemiah who knew the power of prayer. He also knows the power of tears; he had unlocked the missing link in today's church. We preach, we share, we have events, but something is missing, he knew the truth of Psalm 126:
[size=16]威廉布思是一个像尼希米一样的人,他知道祷告的力量。他也知道眼泪的力量;他打开了今天教堂里缺失的一环。我们传道,我们分享,我们有事情,但是缺少了一些,他知道诗篇126篇的真理:[/size]
5 Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!
6 He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.
5[size=16]流泪撒种的,必欢呼收割![/size]
6[size=16]那带种流泪出去的,必要欢欢乐乐地带禾捆回来![/size]
We sow, and we do not reap.. I wonder why? All through the Bible, we have people who wept and cried openly, for whatever reason: Jeremiah, David, Paul, Peter, and Jesus Himself.
[size=16]我们撒种,去没有收获。我想知道为什么? 在整个圣经中,我们看到有人公开哭泣,无论出于什么原因:耶利米,大卫,保罗,彼得,还有耶稣本人。[/size]
I want to focus on the man Nehemiah. He was an amazing man! He was a man of power, a man of prayer; I love Nehemiah. If you are building a work for God, this is a "how to book”, but it starts with tears and it starts with power.
[size=16]我想把重点放在尼希米身上。他是个了不起的人!他是一个有能力的人,一个委身祷告的人;我爱尼希米。如果你正在为神建造做工,这就是一本指导书,但它从眼泪开始,从力量开始。[/size]
Nehemiah was a unique man. Let me say some things about him. It says he was the kings' cupbearer, but he was much more than that; he was one of the kings' inner circle, a trusted friend. Look at chapter 2. He had the ear of the king, and the king notices his manner and wanted to know how long he would be away.
[size=16]尼希米是一个独一无二的人。让我来谈谈他。据说他是诸王的酒政,但他的作用远不止于此。他是国王的亲信,一个值得信赖的朋友。请看第二章。国王听到了他的声音,国王注意到了他的举止,想知道他要离开多久。[/size]
Let’s see Nehemiah's reaction was to the news coming from Jerusalem:
[size=16]让我们看看尼希米对来自耶路撒冷的消息的反应:[/size]
He was interested in the work vs. 2
[size=16]他对这个工作感兴趣 2节[/size]
He could have kept doing his job for the king... after all Jerusalem wasn't his problem. But his heart was still in his homeland. I suppose it's a bit like me. Although I am far away from the UK, my heart and my prayers are still there for my beloved homeland. It's like Paul in Romans 9:1-4. He's the apostle to the gentiles, but his heart still yearns for his own people. How interested are you in God's work? Not just in your own church, but do you know what's going on around the world and how God is working?
[size=16]他本可以继续为国王做他的工作……毕竟耶路撒冷不是他的问题。但是他的心仍然在他的家乡。我想这有点像我。虽然我远离英国,但我的心和我的祈祷仍然在我心爱的祖国。就像罗马书9:1-4中的保罗。他是外邦人的使徒,但他的心仍然渴望自己的子民。你对神的工作有多感兴趣?不只是在你自己的教会,你知道世界上正在发生什么,神是如何工作的吗?[/size]
He made an immediate response vs. 4
[size=16]他立即做出了回应 4节[/size]
It says as soon as he heard these words; these words obviously struck a chord deep within him. So often when we hear something, we put our response off. Nehemiah didn't just hear these words, but he acted immediately. In a race, the athlete’s reaction time to the starter’s gun is all important. Let me ask you Christian: What’s your reaction time like? When something comes to your attention or needs to get done, how long does it take you to get involved?
[size=16]文中说,是他在听到这些话一瞬间(做出的反应),这些话显然引起了他内心的共鸣。所以,当我们听到一些事情时,我们往往会推迟我们的回应。尼希米不仅听到了这些话,他还立即采取行动。在比赛中,运动员对发令枪的反应时间非常重要。让我问你,信徒 :你的反应时间是怎样的?当某件事引起你的注意或需要完成时,你会花多长时间去参与?[/size]
He had incredible passion for prayer vs. 4 c/f Ezra 9
[size=16]他对祷告有着极高的热情 4节/以斯拉记9章[/size]
Both Ezra and Nehemiah were people who knew their God and were able to exploit. See also Daniel 11:32. We go to prayer meetings and we have private prayer, but do we pray like these guys did? You and me think we pray, but we don't really pray? Do we weep, do we mourn for days on end? No wonder Nehemiah had not only the kings favour, but also more importantly God's... and now you can understand why.
[size=16]以斯拉和尼希米都是认识他们的神并且能够为神所用。又见但以理书11:32。我们参加祷告会,我们有个人祈祷,但是我们像这些人一样祷告吗? 你和我以为我们祷告,但实际上我们并不真正地祷告?我们会流泪祷告吗? 我们会连续几天哀悼吗?难怪尼希米不仅得到了国王的宠爱,更重要的是得到了神的(垂听)……现在你明白为什么了吧。[/size]
He interceded for Israel vs. 5-6
[size=16]他为以色列求情 5-6节[/size]
To stand in the gap means to intercede like Moses did in Exodus 17 when Joshua fought Amalek, the children of Israel at Jerusalem who were either unable or unwilling to pray for themselves, so Nehemiah took on that responsibility. He took it on and prayed passionately and fervently. How is your intercession for your fellow believers? Who are you standing in the gap for?
[size=16]站在破口上 (堵住破口)意味着像摩西在出埃及记第17章中那样求情,当时约书亚在耶路撒冷与亚玛力人争战,他们要么是没能力,要么是不乐意 为自己祷告,所以尼希米承担了这个责任。他接受了它,热情而狂热地祷告。你如何为你的信徒祷告? 你在为了谁站在破口上 堵住破口?[/size]
He implicated himself in Israel's sin vs. 6-7
[size=16]他使自己卷入了以色列的罪行 6-7节[/size]
He didn't absolve himself from the sin of the people of Israel. He didn't say, "Well I've been here, so you can't blame me!” He blames himself for being part of the problem! Judah had rebelled and he had rebelled also. He didn't put himself on a pedestal, but he admitted his sin.
[size=16]他没有赦免以色列人的罪。他没有说:“好吧,我一直在这里,所以你不能怪我!”“他责怪自己是问题的一部分!”犹大背叛了,他也背叛了。他并不崇拜自己,但他承认了自己的罪过。[/size]
He invoked God's promises vs. 8-9
[size=16]他祈求上帝的应许 8-9节[/size]
Remember back to Joshua 24, Deuteronomy 6 and 28, God said to the children of Israel, "You had a choice. You can choose to serve Me or not, but here is what will happen if you don't serve Me.” Nehemiah reminds God of His promise. Look at the promise at the end of verse 9; although the people were outcasts and scattered, God had promised to bring them back. Remember if God promises something, He will always bring it to pass... amen
[size=16]记得在约书亚记第24章,申命记第6章和28节,神对以色列人说,“你们有一个选择。你可以选择服侍我或不服侍我,但以下是如果你不服侍我的后果。尼希米提醒神 他的应许。看看第9节末尾的应许;虽然这些人被赶散了,神应许要把他们领回来。记住,如果神应许了什么,他一定会实现的…阿门[/size]
He had an intimacy in prayer vs. 5-11
[size=16]他在祷告中有一种亲密的感觉 5-11节[/size]
Nehemiah was a man of prayer and therefore a man of power. We get a glimpse into his prayer life here in this prayer. It is so intimate, so full of power; you ask how should we pray for God's work? His prayer is the blueprint. Do we pray like this[size=16]??[/size]
[size=16]尼希米是一个祷告的人,因此是一个有能力的人。在这篇祷告中,我们可以看见他的祷告生活。它是那么亲密,那么充满力量; 你会问我们应该怎样为神的工作祷告? 他的祷告是蓝图。我们这样祈祷吗?[/size]
He was instant in prayer ch1:4 and ch2:4
[size=16]他会立即祷告 1章4节和2章4节[/size]
Paul says in 1 Thess 5:18 to pray without stopping. That doesn't mean you pray 24/7, but that your first reaction to any given situation is like Nehemiah's. In Chapter 2:4, he was asked by the king, "What is your request?” He could have said what he wanted, but before he spoke, he prayed. If we prayed before we speak, how different the outcome would be.
[size=16]保罗在帖前5:18说,要不停地祷告。这并不意味着你7天24小时不间断地祷告,而是你对任何情况的第一反应就像尼希米一样。在2章4节,王问他:“你有什么要求?”他本来可以想说什么就说什么,但在开口之前,他做了祷告。如果我们说话之前先祈祷,结果会有多么不同。[/size]
He had a godly influence on those around him
[size=16]他对他周围的人有一种虔诚的影响[/size]
Nehemiah was a trusted adviser to the king. The king wanted to know in chapter 2 how long Nehemiah would be away for. Why was he concerned about this? Because he knew that Nehemiah gave good advice. He was truly the salt and light in the court of the king. Let me ask you... if you left your place of work or school for a period, how much would you be missed? Look at verse 6 of chapter 2; it pleased the king to send me, what a testimony of Nehemiah's character.
[size=16]尼希米是国王信任的参谋。在第二章,王想知道尼希米要离开多久。他为什么关心这个呢?因为他知道尼希米的谋略是好的。他真是国王宫廷里的盐和光。让我问你…如果你离开你的工作或学校一段时间,你会错过多少? 请看第二章第6节;王很乐意差遣我来,这是尼希米品格的好见证。[/size]
He had integrity
[size=16]他有信誉[/size]
The king gave things into the hand of Nehemiah because he knew that he could be trusted. He knew that he wasn't going to run off and build another city somewhere else, Nehemiah was a man who could be trusted. Can You? The king granted him what he asked, for the good hand of the Lord was upon him, the hand of the Lord doesn't bless those who cant be trusted.
[size=16]王就把这些东西交在尼希米手里,因为他知道尼希米是可以信赖的人。他知道他不会逃跑在别的地方建造另一座城,尼希米是一个值得信赖的人。你能吗?国王答应了他的请求,因为上帝的手保佑他,上帝的手不会保佑那些不能信任的人[/size]
He inspected the damage and dealt with the main issue ch 2:11-16
[size=16]他检查了损毁情况并处理了主要问题 2章11-16[/size]
Nehemiah is now in Jerusalem and one of the first things he does is to go and inspect the walls. Before he can put anything right, he had to see what had to be done. He was a reformer, who did reform Israel, but he saw the main problem and that was that the wall was broken down. Look at his words in Chapter 2:17. Sometimes we need to address the main issue and leave the rest till later.
[size=16]尼希米现在在耶路撒冷,他做的第一件事就是去查看城墙。在他把事情摆正之前,他得先看看该做些什么。他是个改革者,改革了以色列,但他看到了主要的问题,那就是城墙被破坏了。请看他在第2章17节所说的话。有时我们需要解决主要问题,把其他问题留待以后处理。[/size]
He inspired others ch 2:18
[size=16]他鼓舞了其他人 2章18[/size]
In vs. 18, he gives a rallying call to the workers. These workers are totally demoralised. They have given up building the wall, but here comes Nehemiah and he just totally inspires them to the point that they say, "Let's build the wall!” What an inspiration he was! Do you inspire others by your actions and your words?
[size=16]在18节 他向工人们发出号召。这些工人完全丧失了斗志。他们已经放弃建造城墙了,但是尼希米来了,他完全激励了他们,以至于他们说:“让我们建造城墙吧!”“他是多么鼓舞人心啊!”你会用你的行动和言语激励别人吗?[/size]
He ignored persecution ch 2:18-20
[size=16]他不顾被迫害 2章18-20[/size]
Sanballat and Tobiah are two of the nastiest characters in the whole Bible. They were persistent through the whole book of Nehemiah. Don't they remind you or anyone? Yes the devil. These tactics they use are the ones he uses; from open ridicule, to discouragement, to seeking to plant corrupt officials within the Jewish people. His reaction is, and look at the end of verse 20, our God is going to prosper and you two and I use these words carefully, YOU CAN GO AWAY, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BE HERE.
[size=16]参巴拉和托比雅是整个圣经中最恶毒的两个人物。他们存在于尼希米记的全卷。他们有没有让你想到谁? 是的,魔鬼。他们所使用的策略就是魔鬼所使用的;从公开的嘲笑,到阻碍,到寻求在犹太人内部植入腐败的官员。而尼希米的回应是,看20节的结尾,我们的神必使我们亨通,而你们两个,我小心地使用这些话,你们可以离开,你们没有权利在这里。[/size]
Maybe next time we suffer ridicule and discouragement, you should tell the devil, to go away; he has no right to be here... amen.
[size=16]也许下次我们遭受嘲笑和挫折时,你应该告诉魔鬼,走开;他无权待在这里……阿们。[/size]
This all happened because one man wept and took prayerful action. He wept and prayed.
We sow in tears and we reap in joy.
The Lord wants you all to know this... you cannot reap without weeping.
Before you can start to do a work for God, you have to weep over the state of man.
[size=16]这一切的发生,都是因着一个人哭泣和祷告。他哭着祷告。[/size]
[size=16]我们流泪播种,欢呼收割。[/size]
[size=16]主要你们都知道这一点……不流泪就不能收获。[/size]
[size=16]在你开始为上帝工作之前,你必须为人类的境况哭泣。[/size]
William Booth was asked what training he would give his officers. He replied that he would hold them over the flames of hell to smell the torment of the unsaved.
[size=16]威廉·布斯被问到他会给他的军官们什么训练。他回答说,他会把他们放在地狱的火焰上,闻一闻未得救者的痛苦。[/size]
Finally, we have the reason why all this happened.
[size=16]最后,我们知道了这一切发生的原因。[/size]
God intervened!
[size=16]上帝介入[/size]
At this point of history, he raised up a man like Nehemiah to rebuild the walls and to reform the people of Israel. The walls of our Churches are as broken down as in Nehemiah's day. God is looking for men and women who he can use to rebuild and reform.
[size=16]在这个历史时期,他兴起了一个像尼希米一样的人来重建城墙,改造以色列人。我们教堂的城墙像尼希米的时代一样被破坏。神正在寻找他可以用来重建和改造的男人和女人。[/size]
Are you that man or women?
[size=16]你愿意成为这些人中的一员吗[/size]
God bless you
[size=16]上帝祝福你[/size]
[size=16]Sermons[/size]
[size=16]Chinese[/size]
[size=16]1 John 2:1-2 by Moses Zhang 45 minutes[/size]
[size=16]https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=711201845135349
[/size]
Genesis 14 by Brother tang
[size=16]Genesis 14.1-24 创世记 第14章1-24
[/size]
[/size]
[size]
Chinese/English
God is great part 4 by Paul Washer 51 minutes
[size=16]https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=52219651411854
[/size]
English
John 10:28 by Charles Spurgeon
[size=16]https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=1220161718135[/size]
Guest Devotion
CHARLES SPURGEON
查尔斯•司布真
"My beloved." — Song of Songs 2:8
“我的良人。” (雅歌 2:8)2:8
This was a golden name which the ancient Church in her most joyous moments was accustomed to give to the Anointed of the Lord. When the time of the singing of birds was come, and the voice of the turtle-dove was heard in her land, her love-note was sweeter than either, as she sang, "My beloved is mine—and I am His!" Ever in her song of songs, does she call Him by that delightful name, "My beloved!" Even in the long winter, when idolatry had withered the garden of the Lord, her prophets found space to lay aside their burden for a little season, and to say, as Elijah did, "Now will I sing to my well-beloved, a song of my beloved." Though the saints had never seen His face, though as yet He was not made flesh, nor had dwelt among us, nor had man beheld His glory—yet He was the consolation of Israel, the hope and joy of all the chosen, the "beloved" of all those who were upright before the Most High God.
这个金贵的称呼,是古代教会在其最鼎盛的时候惯于授予主的受膏者的称号。当到了鸟儿歌唱的时候,斑鸠的叫声遍布四周,她的求偶叫声比前者更甜美,因为她唱的是“我的良人是我的,我是他的!”在她的雅歌中,有一个令人愉快的称呼,“我的良人”。即使在漫长的冬天,当偶像崇拜使上帝的乐园凋零时,先知们找到了这个称呼,可以暂时放下他们的负担,就像以利亚所说的那样,“我现在可以向我的良人歌唱,献给我的良人的歌“。虽然圣徒从未见过神的脸,虽然他没有肉身,没有居住在我们中间,也没有人看见他的荣耀 - 但他是以色列的安慰,是被拣选之人的希望和喜乐,是那些在最高神面前正直的人的“良人”。
We, in the summer days of the Church, are also accustomed to speak of Christ as the best beloved of our soul, and to feel that He is very precious, the "chief among ten thousand, and the altogether lovely one." So true is it, that the Church loves Jesus, and claims Him as her beloved, that the apostle dares to defy the whole universe to separate her from the love of Christ, and declares that neither persecutions, distress, affliction, peril, or the sword have been able to do it! Nay, he joyously boasts, "In all these things—we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us!"
我们在教会的鼎盛时期,也习惯于说基督是我们灵魂的最佳良人,感到他是非常宝贵的,“万人之中的首领,总是可爱的人”。真的是这样,教会爱耶稣,并且称他作良人,使徒们敢于藐视整个宇宙,整个 宇宙也不能将教会与基督的爱相分离,并且宣告,无论是迫害,痛苦,苦难,危险,或刀剑均不能逼教会与基督的爱分离!不,他高兴地夸耀说,“靠着爱我们的主,在这一切的事上已经得胜有余了。“(罗马书 8:37)
O that we knew more of You, O ever precious one! My sole possession is Your love! In earth beneath, or heaven above—I have no other treasure! I ask for nothing more.
噢,让我们更认识你,永远珍贵的主!我唯一拥有的是你的爱!不论在地下,还是在天上,我没有其他的宝藏!我也别无所求。[/size]
Here is the simply scripture and guest devotion in both Chinese and English, now you may not have any chinese friends, but you can place this on Facebook or send it to your contacts as they may have. We need to get the gospel out to the millions of chinese in the west
thanks
kk
[size=16]The Salvation Army was founded by a Methodist Preacher by the name of William Booth. Its mission was to share the message of repentance and salvation through Jesus Christ alone. Booth sent many people all over England burdened to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He sent two women Kate and Mary Jackson to Leeds to oversee a mission there. They laboured in Leeds for a couple of years and nothing happened. These young ladies toiled every day giving all they had without any return. Then one day they wrote to William Booth, “Would you kindly move us to another station? We’re so tired and disheartened. We’ve tried everything that we’ve been taught to do. Please move us to another location”
[size=16]救世军是由一位名叫威廉·布斯的卫理公会牧师创立的。它的使命是单单通过耶稣基督来分享悔改和得救的信息。布斯派了很多人到英格兰各地去传扬耶稣基督的福音。他派凯特·杰克逊和玛丽·杰克逊两名妇女去利兹执行任务。他们在利兹干了几年,什么事也没发生。这些年轻的女士们每天辛苦地付出她们的一切,却没有任何回报。有一天,他们给威廉·布斯写信说:“劳驾您把我们移到另一站好吗?”我们又累又沮丧。我们已经尝试了教我们做的所有事情。请把我们转移到另一个地方"[/size]
Booth sent a telegram back with two words written: “Try tears!”
[size=16]布斯回了一封电报,上面写着两个字:“试试流泪祷告!”[/size]
Those two sisters began to pray and travail for souls and they finally experienced real revival. Kate and Mary did just as General Booth said, and God moved mightily. The Leeds Salvation Army church soon became the largest outside of London.
[size=16]这两姐妹开始为灵魂而祷告和劳苦做工,最后她们经历了真正的复兴。凯特和玛丽 按照布斯说的去做了,上帝非常感动。利兹救世军教堂很快成为伦敦以外最大的教堂。[/size]
William Booth was a man like Nehemiah who knew the power of prayer. He also knows the power of tears; he had unlocked the missing link in today's church. We preach, we share, we have events, but something is missing, he knew the truth of Psalm 126:
[size=16]威廉布思是一个像尼希米一样的人,他知道祷告的力量。他也知道眼泪的力量;他打开了今天教堂里缺失的一环。我们传道,我们分享,我们有事情,但是缺少了一些,他知道诗篇126篇的真理:[/size]
5 Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!
6 He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.
5[size=16]流泪撒种的,必欢呼收割![/size]
6[size=16]那带种流泪出去的,必要欢欢乐乐地带禾捆回来![/size]
We sow, and we do not reap.. I wonder why? All through the Bible, we have people who wept and cried openly, for whatever reason: Jeremiah, David, Paul, Peter, and Jesus Himself.
[size=16]我们撒种,去没有收获。我想知道为什么? 在整个圣经中,我们看到有人公开哭泣,无论出于什么原因:耶利米,大卫,保罗,彼得,还有耶稣本人。[/size]
I want to focus on the man Nehemiah. He was an amazing man! He was a man of power, a man of prayer; I love Nehemiah. If you are building a work for God, this is a "how to book”, but it starts with tears and it starts with power.
[size=16]我想把重点放在尼希米身上。他是个了不起的人!他是一个有能力的人,一个委身祷告的人;我爱尼希米。如果你正在为神建造做工,这就是一本指导书,但它从眼泪开始,从力量开始。[/size]
Nehemiah was a unique man. Let me say some things about him. It says he was the kings' cupbearer, but he was much more than that; he was one of the kings' inner circle, a trusted friend. Look at chapter 2. He had the ear of the king, and the king notices his manner and wanted to know how long he would be away.
[size=16]尼希米是一个独一无二的人。让我来谈谈他。据说他是诸王的酒政,但他的作用远不止于此。他是国王的亲信,一个值得信赖的朋友。请看第二章。国王听到了他的声音,国王注意到了他的举止,想知道他要离开多久。[/size]
Let’s see Nehemiah's reaction was to the news coming from Jerusalem:
[size=16]让我们看看尼希米对来自耶路撒冷的消息的反应:[/size]
He was interested in the work vs. 2
[size=16]他对这个工作感兴趣 2节[/size]
He could have kept doing his job for the king... after all Jerusalem wasn't his problem. But his heart was still in his homeland. I suppose it's a bit like me. Although I am far away from the UK, my heart and my prayers are still there for my beloved homeland. It's like Paul in Romans 9:1-4. He's the apostle to the gentiles, but his heart still yearns for his own people. How interested are you in God's work? Not just in your own church, but do you know what's going on around the world and how God is working?
[size=16]他本可以继续为国王做他的工作……毕竟耶路撒冷不是他的问题。但是他的心仍然在他的家乡。我想这有点像我。虽然我远离英国,但我的心和我的祈祷仍然在我心爱的祖国。就像罗马书9:1-4中的保罗。他是外邦人的使徒,但他的心仍然渴望自己的子民。你对神的工作有多感兴趣?不只是在你自己的教会,你知道世界上正在发生什么,神是如何工作的吗?[/size]
He made an immediate response vs. 4
[size=16]他立即做出了回应 4节[/size]
It says as soon as he heard these words; these words obviously struck a chord deep within him. So often when we hear something, we put our response off. Nehemiah didn't just hear these words, but he acted immediately. In a race, the athlete’s reaction time to the starter’s gun is all important. Let me ask you Christian: What’s your reaction time like? When something comes to your attention or needs to get done, how long does it take you to get involved?
[size=16]文中说,是他在听到这些话一瞬间(做出的反应),这些话显然引起了他内心的共鸣。所以,当我们听到一些事情时,我们往往会推迟我们的回应。尼希米不仅听到了这些话,他还立即采取行动。在比赛中,运动员对发令枪的反应时间非常重要。让我问你,信徒 :你的反应时间是怎样的?当某件事引起你的注意或需要完成时,你会花多长时间去参与?[/size]
He had incredible passion for prayer vs. 4 c/f Ezra 9
[size=16]他对祷告有着极高的热情 4节/以斯拉记9章[/size]
Both Ezra and Nehemiah were people who knew their God and were able to exploit. See also Daniel 11:32. We go to prayer meetings and we have private prayer, but do we pray like these guys did? You and me think we pray, but we don't really pray? Do we weep, do we mourn for days on end? No wonder Nehemiah had not only the kings favour, but also more importantly God's... and now you can understand why.
[size=16]以斯拉和尼希米都是认识他们的神并且能够为神所用。又见但以理书11:32。我们参加祷告会,我们有个人祈祷,但是我们像这些人一样祷告吗? 你和我以为我们祷告,但实际上我们并不真正地祷告?我们会流泪祷告吗? 我们会连续几天哀悼吗?难怪尼希米不仅得到了国王的宠爱,更重要的是得到了神的(垂听)……现在你明白为什么了吧。[/size]
He interceded for Israel vs. 5-6
[size=16]他为以色列求情 5-6节[/size]
To stand in the gap means to intercede like Moses did in Exodus 17 when Joshua fought Amalek, the children of Israel at Jerusalem who were either unable or unwilling to pray for themselves, so Nehemiah took on that responsibility. He took it on and prayed passionately and fervently. How is your intercession for your fellow believers? Who are you standing in the gap for?
[size=16]站在破口上 (堵住破口)意味着像摩西在出埃及记第17章中那样求情,当时约书亚在耶路撒冷与亚玛力人争战,他们要么是没能力,要么是不乐意 为自己祷告,所以尼希米承担了这个责任。他接受了它,热情而狂热地祷告。你如何为你的信徒祷告? 你在为了谁站在破口上 堵住破口?[/size]
He implicated himself in Israel's sin vs. 6-7
[size=16]他使自己卷入了以色列的罪行 6-7节[/size]
He didn't absolve himself from the sin of the people of Israel. He didn't say, "Well I've been here, so you can't blame me!” He blames himself for being part of the problem! Judah had rebelled and he had rebelled also. He didn't put himself on a pedestal, but he admitted his sin.
[size=16]他没有赦免以色列人的罪。他没有说:“好吧,我一直在这里,所以你不能怪我!”“他责怪自己是问题的一部分!”犹大背叛了,他也背叛了。他并不崇拜自己,但他承认了自己的罪过。[/size]
He invoked God's promises vs. 8-9
[size=16]他祈求上帝的应许 8-9节[/size]
Remember back to Joshua 24, Deuteronomy 6 and 28, God said to the children of Israel, "You had a choice. You can choose to serve Me or not, but here is what will happen if you don't serve Me.” Nehemiah reminds God of His promise. Look at the promise at the end of verse 9; although the people were outcasts and scattered, God had promised to bring them back. Remember if God promises something, He will always bring it to pass... amen
[size=16]记得在约书亚记第24章,申命记第6章和28节,神对以色列人说,“你们有一个选择。你可以选择服侍我或不服侍我,但以下是如果你不服侍我的后果。尼希米提醒神 他的应许。看看第9节末尾的应许;虽然这些人被赶散了,神应许要把他们领回来。记住,如果神应许了什么,他一定会实现的…阿门[/size]
He had an intimacy in prayer vs. 5-11
[size=16]他在祷告中有一种亲密的感觉 5-11节[/size]
Nehemiah was a man of prayer and therefore a man of power. We get a glimpse into his prayer life here in this prayer. It is so intimate, so full of power; you ask how should we pray for God's work? His prayer is the blueprint. Do we pray like this[size=16]??[/size]
[size=16]尼希米是一个祷告的人,因此是一个有能力的人。在这篇祷告中,我们可以看见他的祷告生活。它是那么亲密,那么充满力量; 你会问我们应该怎样为神的工作祷告? 他的祷告是蓝图。我们这样祈祷吗?[/size]
He was instant in prayer ch1:4 and ch2:4
[size=16]他会立即祷告 1章4节和2章4节[/size]
Paul says in 1 Thess 5:18 to pray without stopping. That doesn't mean you pray 24/7, but that your first reaction to any given situation is like Nehemiah's. In Chapter 2:4, he was asked by the king, "What is your request?” He could have said what he wanted, but before he spoke, he prayed. If we prayed before we speak, how different the outcome would be.
[size=16]保罗在帖前5:18说,要不停地祷告。这并不意味着你7天24小时不间断地祷告,而是你对任何情况的第一反应就像尼希米一样。在2章4节,王问他:“你有什么要求?”他本来可以想说什么就说什么,但在开口之前,他做了祷告。如果我们说话之前先祈祷,结果会有多么不同。[/size]
He had a godly influence on those around him
[size=16]他对他周围的人有一种虔诚的影响[/size]
Nehemiah was a trusted adviser to the king. The king wanted to know in chapter 2 how long Nehemiah would be away for. Why was he concerned about this? Because he knew that Nehemiah gave good advice. He was truly the salt and light in the court of the king. Let me ask you... if you left your place of work or school for a period, how much would you be missed? Look at verse 6 of chapter 2; it pleased the king to send me, what a testimony of Nehemiah's character.
[size=16]尼希米是国王信任的参谋。在第二章,王想知道尼希米要离开多久。他为什么关心这个呢?因为他知道尼希米的谋略是好的。他真是国王宫廷里的盐和光。让我问你…如果你离开你的工作或学校一段时间,你会错过多少? 请看第二章第6节;王很乐意差遣我来,这是尼希米品格的好见证。[/size]
He had integrity
[size=16]他有信誉[/size]
The king gave things into the hand of Nehemiah because he knew that he could be trusted. He knew that he wasn't going to run off and build another city somewhere else, Nehemiah was a man who could be trusted. Can You? The king granted him what he asked, for the good hand of the Lord was upon him, the hand of the Lord doesn't bless those who cant be trusted.
[size=16]王就把这些东西交在尼希米手里,因为他知道尼希米是可以信赖的人。他知道他不会逃跑在别的地方建造另一座城,尼希米是一个值得信赖的人。你能吗?国王答应了他的请求,因为上帝的手保佑他,上帝的手不会保佑那些不能信任的人[/size]
He inspected the damage and dealt with the main issue ch 2:11-16
[size=16]他检查了损毁情况并处理了主要问题 2章11-16[/size]
Nehemiah is now in Jerusalem and one of the first things he does is to go and inspect the walls. Before he can put anything right, he had to see what had to be done. He was a reformer, who did reform Israel, but he saw the main problem and that was that the wall was broken down. Look at his words in Chapter 2:17. Sometimes we need to address the main issue and leave the rest till later.
[size=16]尼希米现在在耶路撒冷,他做的第一件事就是去查看城墙。在他把事情摆正之前,他得先看看该做些什么。他是个改革者,改革了以色列,但他看到了主要的问题,那就是城墙被破坏了。请看他在第2章17节所说的话。有时我们需要解决主要问题,把其他问题留待以后处理。[/size]
He inspired others ch 2:18
[size=16]他鼓舞了其他人 2章18[/size]
In vs. 18, he gives a rallying call to the workers. These workers are totally demoralised. They have given up building the wall, but here comes Nehemiah and he just totally inspires them to the point that they say, "Let's build the wall!” What an inspiration he was! Do you inspire others by your actions and your words?
[size=16]在18节 他向工人们发出号召。这些工人完全丧失了斗志。他们已经放弃建造城墙了,但是尼希米来了,他完全激励了他们,以至于他们说:“让我们建造城墙吧!”“他是多么鼓舞人心啊!”你会用你的行动和言语激励别人吗?[/size]
He ignored persecution ch 2:18-20
[size=16]他不顾被迫害 2章18-20[/size]
Sanballat and Tobiah are two of the nastiest characters in the whole Bible. They were persistent through the whole book of Nehemiah. Don't they remind you or anyone? Yes the devil. These tactics they use are the ones he uses; from open ridicule, to discouragement, to seeking to plant corrupt officials within the Jewish people. His reaction is, and look at the end of verse 20, our God is going to prosper and you two and I use these words carefully, YOU CAN GO AWAY, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BE HERE.
[size=16]参巴拉和托比雅是整个圣经中最恶毒的两个人物。他们存在于尼希米记的全卷。他们有没有让你想到谁? 是的,魔鬼。他们所使用的策略就是魔鬼所使用的;从公开的嘲笑,到阻碍,到寻求在犹太人内部植入腐败的官员。而尼希米的回应是,看20节的结尾,我们的神必使我们亨通,而你们两个,我小心地使用这些话,你们可以离开,你们没有权利在这里。[/size]
Maybe next time we suffer ridicule and discouragement, you should tell the devil, to go away; he has no right to be here... amen.
[size=16]也许下次我们遭受嘲笑和挫折时,你应该告诉魔鬼,走开;他无权待在这里……阿们。[/size]
This all happened because one man wept and took prayerful action. He wept and prayed.
We sow in tears and we reap in joy.
The Lord wants you all to know this... you cannot reap without weeping.
Before you can start to do a work for God, you have to weep over the state of man.
[size=16]这一切的发生,都是因着一个人哭泣和祷告。他哭着祷告。[/size]
[size=16]我们流泪播种,欢呼收割。[/size]
[size=16]主要你们都知道这一点……不流泪就不能收获。[/size]
[size=16]在你开始为上帝工作之前,你必须为人类的境况哭泣。[/size]
William Booth was asked what training he would give his officers. He replied that he would hold them over the flames of hell to smell the torment of the unsaved.
[size=16]威廉·布斯被问到他会给他的军官们什么训练。他回答说,他会把他们放在地狱的火焰上,闻一闻未得救者的痛苦。[/size]
Finally, we have the reason why all this happened.
[size=16]最后,我们知道了这一切发生的原因。[/size]
God intervened!
[size=16]上帝介入[/size]
At this point of history, he raised up a man like Nehemiah to rebuild the walls and to reform the people of Israel. The walls of our Churches are as broken down as in Nehemiah's day. God is looking for men and women who he can use to rebuild and reform.
[size=16]在这个历史时期,他兴起了一个像尼希米一样的人来重建城墙,改造以色列人。我们教堂的城墙像尼希米的时代一样被破坏。神正在寻找他可以用来重建和改造的男人和女人。[/size]
Are you that man or women?
[size=16]你愿意成为这些人中的一员吗[/size]
God bless you
[size=16]上帝祝福你[/size]
[size=16]Sermons[/size]
[size=16]Chinese[/size]
[size=16]1 John 2:1-2 by Moses Zhang 45 minutes[/size]
[size=16]https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=711201845135349
[/size]
Genesis 14 by Brother tang
[size=16]Genesis 14.1-24 创世记 第14章1-24
[/size]
[/size]
|
Chinese/English
God is great part 4 by Paul Washer 51 minutes
[size=16]https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=52219651411854
[/size]
English
John 10:28 by Charles Spurgeon
[size=16]https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=1220161718135[/size]
Guest Devotion
CHARLES SPURGEON
查尔斯•司布真
"My beloved." — Song of Songs 2:8
“我的良人。” (雅歌 2:8)2:8
This was a golden name which the ancient Church in her most joyous moments was accustomed to give to the Anointed of the Lord. When the time of the singing of birds was come, and the voice of the turtle-dove was heard in her land, her love-note was sweeter than either, as she sang, "My beloved is mine—and I am His!" Ever in her song of songs, does she call Him by that delightful name, "My beloved!" Even in the long winter, when idolatry had withered the garden of the Lord, her prophets found space to lay aside their burden for a little season, and to say, as Elijah did, "Now will I sing to my well-beloved, a song of my beloved." Though the saints had never seen His face, though as yet He was not made flesh, nor had dwelt among us, nor had man beheld His glory—yet He was the consolation of Israel, the hope and joy of all the chosen, the "beloved" of all those who were upright before the Most High God.
这个金贵的称呼,是古代教会在其最鼎盛的时候惯于授予主的受膏者的称号。当到了鸟儿歌唱的时候,斑鸠的叫声遍布四周,她的求偶叫声比前者更甜美,因为她唱的是“我的良人是我的,我是他的!”在她的雅歌中,有一个令人愉快的称呼,“我的良人”。即使在漫长的冬天,当偶像崇拜使上帝的乐园凋零时,先知们找到了这个称呼,可以暂时放下他们的负担,就像以利亚所说的那样,“我现在可以向我的良人歌唱,献给我的良人的歌“。虽然圣徒从未见过神的脸,虽然他没有肉身,没有居住在我们中间,也没有人看见他的荣耀 - 但他是以色列的安慰,是被拣选之人的希望和喜乐,是那些在最高神面前正直的人的“良人”。
We, in the summer days of the Church, are also accustomed to speak of Christ as the best beloved of our soul, and to feel that He is very precious, the "chief among ten thousand, and the altogether lovely one." So true is it, that the Church loves Jesus, and claims Him as her beloved, that the apostle dares to defy the whole universe to separate her from the love of Christ, and declares that neither persecutions, distress, affliction, peril, or the sword have been able to do it! Nay, he joyously boasts, "In all these things—we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us!"
我们在教会的鼎盛时期,也习惯于说基督是我们灵魂的最佳良人,感到他是非常宝贵的,“万人之中的首领,总是可爱的人”。真的是这样,教会爱耶稣,并且称他作良人,使徒们敢于藐视整个宇宙,整个 宇宙也不能将教会与基督的爱相分离,并且宣告,无论是迫害,痛苦,苦难,危险,或刀剑均不能逼教会与基督的爱分离!不,他高兴地夸耀说,“靠着爱我们的主,在这一切的事上已经得胜有余了。“(罗马书 8:37)
O that we knew more of You, O ever precious one! My sole possession is Your love! In earth beneath, or heaven above—I have no other treasure! I ask for nothing more.
噢,让我们更认识你,永远珍贵的主!我唯一拥有的是你的爱!不论在地下,还是在天上,我没有其他的宝藏!我也别无所求。[/size]
Re: KEITH NOTES FROM NANJING
From: Mary Padgett Ministries, Inc.
A Word In Due Season
TREASURES OF THE DARKNESS
Scripture: Isaiah 45:3 "I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord, which call you by your name am the God of Israel."
Dark places can be frightening. I can walk the streets of my neighborhood in the midday sun without any anxiety, but if I were to travel these same streets in the darkness of midnight I would be attacked with the torments of fear. I have experienced this without even leaving my yard as I simply took the trash out to the curb after dark. There was no apparent danger or evil lurking in the shadows but because I did not have clear vision in the darkness that surrounded me, fear flooded my soul. My mind could not handle the uncertainty of the situation.
We would like to be in the light at all times regarding our spiritual life as well as our natural life. Yet, there are times that we must walk in physical darkness and there will also be times when it seems there is a veil over our spiritual life. We have no idea what is happening and it is as though we are walking alone on a dark street at midnight with no certain direction. All we can see are the shadows that are mocking us. It can be fearful to face financial difficulty and not know if you are going to have enough funds to meet your needs. It can be more frightening when your medical report comes back with negative information and you have to trust God with your very life. It seems that we cannot stop fear and perplexity from attacking our minds when our children stray from the narrow path of God's plan. Yet, the Lord never forsakes us and He gives us hope in all of the dark and lonely places that me must pass through.
God promised to give us treasures in the darkness and hidden riches of the secret places so that we would know that He is God and that He has called us by our name. Some of the most precious times that we will ever spend with the Lord will be when we are passing through the dark places. We may have read a scripture a thousand times, but it will come alive when we are in the secret place of the Most High. It will give us hope when we are hiding under the shelter of His wings. His Word will give us light that cannot be quenched by the darkness. It will give revelation and shine like the natural lights of the heavens. God's Word is always there but it is often hidden like the stars in the midday sun. The stars are always out and the moon is always shinning, but their light is hidden in the daylight. It takes the darkness of the night to reveal their enormous glory. In the light, we can only see what is near, but in the darkness, we can see the lights of the galaxies that are millions of miles away from us. In our darkness, God is magnified and He gives us enormous vision.
If you are experiencing a dark season, do not be afraid. My darkest moments have birthed the greatest light into my soul. The hardest seasons that I walked through have produced the greatest faith that cannot be taken from me. I encourage you to embrace the darkness that surrounds you with anticipation and search for God's light. Ask Him to show you the treasures that are in the darkness that you are experiencing and seek out the hidden riches of the secret places. God will illuminate His Word and speak a personal word to your heart and soul. When He does, you will never be the same for that Word will produce light to your soul and create life in your spirit. You will have no doubt that God is God and that He knows you by name. +++
[size=16]DAILY PRAYER
Lord we Thank and Praise you for all you do each day to guide, protect, provide, and answer every petition as they make their needs, wants, and the desires of their hearts known to you.
Lord please bless, keep, guide, and provide each person this message reaches. Throughout each day, bless them with perfect health, healing, and the abundant supply to fulfill all they need, want or desire. Keep each of them safe and secure, no matter the weather, temperatures, or other circumstances that should try to cause their body, mind or our spirits to be tried and tested! Guide each of them as they pray, ask, and require. (2 Corinthians 5:18-21; Ephesians 6:10-20;Luke 1:1-4; Luke 18:1-8; Colossians 1:9-23; Romans 8:26-30)
Dear Lord in sharing the words of prayers and words of wisdom from history, I hope to encourage all my readers of these messages, to show that we are not experiencing anything that others have not, and to show that you always provide. Let the readers also reflect on the time and circumstances of these prayers and words of wisdom, so they may draw strength and insight from them. Amen
God knows us through and through. Not the most secret thought, which we must hide from ourselves, is hidden from him. As then we come to know ourselves through and through, we come to see ourselves more as God sees us, and then we catch some little glimpse of his designs with us, how each ordering of his providence, each check to our desires, each failure of our hopes, is just fitted for us, and for something in our own spiritual state, which others know not of, and which, till then, we knew not. Until we come to this knowledge, we must take all in faith, believing, though we know not, the goodness of God toward us.
Edward Bouberie Pusey (1800–1882)
Have a wonderfully blessed and prosperous day in the Lord today!
TODAYS DEVOTIONS
(It is not my intent to be a salesperson, just send uplifting and encouraging devotions, so all links are removed, linked items are in bold print, the attached PDF still has hot links or you can follow the link at the bottom to view the devotion online)
America The Home I Love
by Katy Kauffman
I’ve hiked in the Alps and jumped waves in the French Riviera. I’ve been to the top of the Eiffel Tower and peered into the Roman Coliseum. I’ve walked in the “favelas” (poor neighborhoods) of Brazil and avoided the potholes in Ukraine. But even with all these international adventures, something special ignited in my heart every time my family landed on American soil. Whatever airport we stepped into—in New York, Atlanta, Dallas, or Miami—my heart knew I was home.
What makes America home to you?
To me, America is the place that freedom lives. The place where we still crave independence from oppression. It’s home to family and friends who love God and strive to make the world a better place. America is hope in the midst of tragedy, of good people reaching out to others who need shelter, healing, or a voice.
America is Caucasian police officers bringing candy and toys to predominantly African-American neighborhoods and building a rapport with the children of those communities. It’s an African-American grandmother stopping in the park to pray for a local fair-skinned cop. America is churches of different denominations gathering together for worship and prayer. America is retired nurses and doctors driving hours across state lines to take care of COVID-19 patients. To me, the true “American” spirit is a spirit of strength, kindness, and sacrifice.
On this July Fourth weekend, we may not be able to celebrate as we normally would, gathering in huge crowds to watch fireworks or sing anthems. But we can celebrate in our hearts, homes, and elsewhere what makes America home to us. I celebrate the good I see Americans doing, and “good” is exactly what God has directed us to do.
“As we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:10 NKJV)
God’s call to “do good” is tailored for every generation. Some “good” never changes, like showing love, spreading kindness, and sharing the gospel. But how we do those good things is tailored for our present-day circumstances. Today we have resources that America’s first leaders didn’t have, like radio, television, and the internet. Our reach today is broader, and that means our light can shine farther than ever before. We can do good with the resources we have and adapt our message for every person seeking independence.
The founding fathers saw it as good to declare independence from tyranny and oppression. Today let us declare independence from the tyranny of fear and prejudice. Let us declare independence from worry and despair. We can seek God’s help to stay free from harmful habits or detrimental ways of thinking. We can strive to make a difference so others may experience freedom in Christ. And God calls us to never stop doing good.
“Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” (Galatians 6:9 NKJV)
Don’t lose heart, America. Let’s be a part of the good that we want to see happen in this country that we call home. Let’s declare that our hearts belong to Jesus and we want everyone possible to know Him as Savior and Lord. Jesus is the greatest good we can share at home and around the world. If we are faithful in our generation, with God’s help we can reap a harvest of great good.
Copyright :copyright: 2020 Katy Kauffman, used with permission.[/size]
A Word In Due Season
TREASURES OF THE DARKNESS
Scripture: Isaiah 45:3 "I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord, which call you by your name am the God of Israel."
Dark places can be frightening. I can walk the streets of my neighborhood in the midday sun without any anxiety, but if I were to travel these same streets in the darkness of midnight I would be attacked with the torments of fear. I have experienced this without even leaving my yard as I simply took the trash out to the curb after dark. There was no apparent danger or evil lurking in the shadows but because I did not have clear vision in the darkness that surrounded me, fear flooded my soul. My mind could not handle the uncertainty of the situation.
We would like to be in the light at all times regarding our spiritual life as well as our natural life. Yet, there are times that we must walk in physical darkness and there will also be times when it seems there is a veil over our spiritual life. We have no idea what is happening and it is as though we are walking alone on a dark street at midnight with no certain direction. All we can see are the shadows that are mocking us. It can be fearful to face financial difficulty and not know if you are going to have enough funds to meet your needs. It can be more frightening when your medical report comes back with negative information and you have to trust God with your very life. It seems that we cannot stop fear and perplexity from attacking our minds when our children stray from the narrow path of God's plan. Yet, the Lord never forsakes us and He gives us hope in all of the dark and lonely places that me must pass through.
God promised to give us treasures in the darkness and hidden riches of the secret places so that we would know that He is God and that He has called us by our name. Some of the most precious times that we will ever spend with the Lord will be when we are passing through the dark places. We may have read a scripture a thousand times, but it will come alive when we are in the secret place of the Most High. It will give us hope when we are hiding under the shelter of His wings. His Word will give us light that cannot be quenched by the darkness. It will give revelation and shine like the natural lights of the heavens. God's Word is always there but it is often hidden like the stars in the midday sun. The stars are always out and the moon is always shinning, but their light is hidden in the daylight. It takes the darkness of the night to reveal their enormous glory. In the light, we can only see what is near, but in the darkness, we can see the lights of the galaxies that are millions of miles away from us. In our darkness, God is magnified and He gives us enormous vision.
If you are experiencing a dark season, do not be afraid. My darkest moments have birthed the greatest light into my soul. The hardest seasons that I walked through have produced the greatest faith that cannot be taken from me. I encourage you to embrace the darkness that surrounds you with anticipation and search for God's light. Ask Him to show you the treasures that are in the darkness that you are experiencing and seek out the hidden riches of the secret places. God will illuminate His Word and speak a personal word to your heart and soul. When He does, you will never be the same for that Word will produce light to your soul and create life in your spirit. You will have no doubt that God is God and that He knows you by name. +++
[size=16]DAILY PRAYER
Lord we Thank and Praise you for all you do each day to guide, protect, provide, and answer every petition as they make their needs, wants, and the desires of their hearts known to you.
Lord please bless, keep, guide, and provide each person this message reaches. Throughout each day, bless them with perfect health, healing, and the abundant supply to fulfill all they need, want or desire. Keep each of them safe and secure, no matter the weather, temperatures, or other circumstances that should try to cause their body, mind or our spirits to be tried and tested! Guide each of them as they pray, ask, and require. (2 Corinthians 5:18-21; Ephesians 6:10-20;Luke 1:1-4; Luke 18:1-8; Colossians 1:9-23; Romans 8:26-30)
Dear Lord in sharing the words of prayers and words of wisdom from history, I hope to encourage all my readers of these messages, to show that we are not experiencing anything that others have not, and to show that you always provide. Let the readers also reflect on the time and circumstances of these prayers and words of wisdom, so they may draw strength and insight from them. Amen
God knows us through and through. Not the most secret thought, which we must hide from ourselves, is hidden from him. As then we come to know ourselves through and through, we come to see ourselves more as God sees us, and then we catch some little glimpse of his designs with us, how each ordering of his providence, each check to our desires, each failure of our hopes, is just fitted for us, and for something in our own spiritual state, which others know not of, and which, till then, we knew not. Until we come to this knowledge, we must take all in faith, believing, though we know not, the goodness of God toward us.
Edward Bouberie Pusey (1800–1882)
Have a wonderfully blessed and prosperous day in the Lord today!
TODAYS DEVOTIONS
(It is not my intent to be a salesperson, just send uplifting and encouraging devotions, so all links are removed, linked items are in bold print, the attached PDF still has hot links or you can follow the link at the bottom to view the devotion online)
America The Home I Love
by Katy Kauffman
I’ve hiked in the Alps and jumped waves in the French Riviera. I’ve been to the top of the Eiffel Tower and peered into the Roman Coliseum. I’ve walked in the “favelas” (poor neighborhoods) of Brazil and avoided the potholes in Ukraine. But even with all these international adventures, something special ignited in my heart every time my family landed on American soil. Whatever airport we stepped into—in New York, Atlanta, Dallas, or Miami—my heart knew I was home.
What makes America home to you?
To me, America is the place that freedom lives. The place where we still crave independence from oppression. It’s home to family and friends who love God and strive to make the world a better place. America is hope in the midst of tragedy, of good people reaching out to others who need shelter, healing, or a voice.
America is Caucasian police officers bringing candy and toys to predominantly African-American neighborhoods and building a rapport with the children of those communities. It’s an African-American grandmother stopping in the park to pray for a local fair-skinned cop. America is churches of different denominations gathering together for worship and prayer. America is retired nurses and doctors driving hours across state lines to take care of COVID-19 patients. To me, the true “American” spirit is a spirit of strength, kindness, and sacrifice.
On this July Fourth weekend, we may not be able to celebrate as we normally would, gathering in huge crowds to watch fireworks or sing anthems. But we can celebrate in our hearts, homes, and elsewhere what makes America home to us. I celebrate the good I see Americans doing, and “good” is exactly what God has directed us to do.
“As we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:10 NKJV)
God’s call to “do good” is tailored for every generation. Some “good” never changes, like showing love, spreading kindness, and sharing the gospel. But how we do those good things is tailored for our present-day circumstances. Today we have resources that America’s first leaders didn’t have, like radio, television, and the internet. Our reach today is broader, and that means our light can shine farther than ever before. We can do good with the resources we have and adapt our message for every person seeking independence.
The founding fathers saw it as good to declare independence from tyranny and oppression. Today let us declare independence from the tyranny of fear and prejudice. Let us declare independence from worry and despair. We can seek God’s help to stay free from harmful habits or detrimental ways of thinking. We can strive to make a difference so others may experience freedom in Christ. And God calls us to never stop doing good.
“Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” (Galatians 6:9 NKJV)
Don’t lose heart, America. Let’s be a part of the good that we want to see happen in this country that we call home. Let’s declare that our hearts belong to Jesus and we want everyone possible to know Him as Savior and Lord. Jesus is the greatest good we can share at home and around the world. If we are faithful in our generation, with God’s help we can reap a harvest of great good.
Copyright :copyright: 2020 Katy Kauffman, used with permission.[/size]
Re: KEITH NOTES FROM NANJING
Wed, Jul 22 at 7:30 AM
Everlasting Love from Ancient Days
. . . Whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.
Micah 5:2
The Lord Jesus had purposes for His people as their representative before the throne, long before they appeared upon the stage of time. It was "from ancient days" that He signed the contract with His Father that He would pay blood for blood, suffering for suffering, agony for agony, and death for death on behalf of His people; it was "from ancient days" that He gave Himself up without a murmuring word.
From the crown of His head to the sole of His foot, He sweat great drops of blood; He was spat upon, pierced, mocked, torn, and crushed beneath the pains of death. All of this was "from ancient days." Let our souls pause in wonder at God's purposes from of old. Not only when you were born into the world did Christ love you, but His delights were with the sons of men before there were any sons of men! He often thought of them; from everlasting to everlasting He had set His affection upon them.
Since He has been so long about your salvation, will not He accomplish it? Has He from everlasting been going forth to save me, and will He lose me now? It is inconceivable that having carried me in His hand, as His precious jewel, He would let me now slip from between His fingers. Did He choose me before the mountains were brought forth or the channels of the ocean were formed, and will He reject me now? Impossible! I am sure He would not have loved me for so long if He had not been a faithful Lover. If He could grow weary of me, He would have been tired of me long before now. If He had not loved me with a love as deep as hell and as strong as death, He would have turned from me long ago. What joy above all joys to know that I am His everlasting and inalienable inheritance, given to Him by His Father before the earth was formed! Everlasting love shall be the pillow on which I rest my head tonight.
From: Mary Padgett Ministries, Inc.
A Word In Due Season
GUARD YOUR HEART
Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."
We all have material things that we treasure and try to protect. Even though our personal belongings may be sparse and worthless in the eyes of others, we still lock them up when we leave our homes. We would never allow an intruder to come into our presence and take our possessions from us or allow our acquaintances to abuse them. As meager as our "stuff" is, it is important to our livelihood, so we guard it, maintain it, and try to preserve it as much as possible. Even though we trust God, we try to be cautious.
Likewise, in the spiritual, we are to trust God but we are also supposed to guard our own hearts. There are two sides to guarding and protecting your heart. First, it is very important to be careful about the things that you allow to come into your heart. You are to guard your heart against any intruding thoughts that the devil would plan against you. The things you hear, see, read, or think about in your mind eventually make their way to your heart and begin to fashion your inner spirit. Romans 12:2 confirms this. It says that you either conform to this world, or you are transformed by the renewing of your mind through God's Word. You make the choice. Solomon said, "Pay attention and listen closely to the Words of God's wisdom" (Proverbs 20:4).
Second, it is important to be careful to protect the things that God imparts to you. You must not allow the devil to steal them out of your heart. Solomon said, "Don't let God's Word out of your sight. Keep it in your heart." You keep it by guarding it. Just as you would hide your valuables or lock them up in a safe place, you must do the same with God's Word, so that it will be there when you need it. God's Word is a precious treasure that needs to be protected, for He declared that His Words are a wellspring of life and health.
John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came that we may have life, and have it to the full." You must understand the strategies and motives of the devil, for he will attempt to force God's Word out of your heart. No wonder Solomon, the wisest man of his time, said, "Guard your heart." Solomon understood that the heart is the center of everything that you are and everything you hope to be. It is your wellspring of life. +++
Everlasting Love from Ancient Days
. . . Whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.
Micah 5:2
The Lord Jesus had purposes for His people as their representative before the throne, long before they appeared upon the stage of time. It was "from ancient days" that He signed the contract with His Father that He would pay blood for blood, suffering for suffering, agony for agony, and death for death on behalf of His people; it was "from ancient days" that He gave Himself up without a murmuring word.
From the crown of His head to the sole of His foot, He sweat great drops of blood; He was spat upon, pierced, mocked, torn, and crushed beneath the pains of death. All of this was "from ancient days." Let our souls pause in wonder at God's purposes from of old. Not only when you were born into the world did Christ love you, but His delights were with the sons of men before there were any sons of men! He often thought of them; from everlasting to everlasting He had set His affection upon them.
Since He has been so long about your salvation, will not He accomplish it? Has He from everlasting been going forth to save me, and will He lose me now? It is inconceivable that having carried me in His hand, as His precious jewel, He would let me now slip from between His fingers. Did He choose me before the mountains were brought forth or the channels of the ocean were formed, and will He reject me now? Impossible! I am sure He would not have loved me for so long if He had not been a faithful Lover. If He could grow weary of me, He would have been tired of me long before now. If He had not loved me with a love as deep as hell and as strong as death, He would have turned from me long ago. What joy above all joys to know that I am His everlasting and inalienable inheritance, given to Him by His Father before the earth was formed! Everlasting love shall be the pillow on which I rest my head tonight.
From: Mary Padgett Ministries, Inc.
A Word In Due Season
GUARD YOUR HEART
Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."
We all have material things that we treasure and try to protect. Even though our personal belongings may be sparse and worthless in the eyes of others, we still lock them up when we leave our homes. We would never allow an intruder to come into our presence and take our possessions from us or allow our acquaintances to abuse them. As meager as our "stuff" is, it is important to our livelihood, so we guard it, maintain it, and try to preserve it as much as possible. Even though we trust God, we try to be cautious.
Likewise, in the spiritual, we are to trust God but we are also supposed to guard our own hearts. There are two sides to guarding and protecting your heart. First, it is very important to be careful about the things that you allow to come into your heart. You are to guard your heart against any intruding thoughts that the devil would plan against you. The things you hear, see, read, or think about in your mind eventually make their way to your heart and begin to fashion your inner spirit. Romans 12:2 confirms this. It says that you either conform to this world, or you are transformed by the renewing of your mind through God's Word. You make the choice. Solomon said, "Pay attention and listen closely to the Words of God's wisdom" (Proverbs 20:4).
Second, it is important to be careful to protect the things that God imparts to you. You must not allow the devil to steal them out of your heart. Solomon said, "Don't let God's Word out of your sight. Keep it in your heart." You keep it by guarding it. Just as you would hide your valuables or lock them up in a safe place, you must do the same with God's Word, so that it will be there when you need it. God's Word is a precious treasure that needs to be protected, for He declared that His Words are a wellspring of life and health.
John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came that we may have life, and have it to the full." You must understand the strategies and motives of the devil, for he will attempt to force God's Word out of your heart. No wonder Solomon, the wisest man of his time, said, "Guard your heart." Solomon understood that the heart is the center of everything that you are and everything you hope to be. It is your wellspring of life. +++
Re: KEITH NOTES FROM NANJING
[size=16]Proverbs 12
16
The vexation of a fool is known at once,
but the prudent ignores an insult.
BLOWING YOUR TOP
I am an emotional guy, one of my former pastors, said that he didn't have to ask me, how I felt...he just looked at my face.
Dealing with my emotions, is my deepest struggle; some days I am able to handle things, and other days I experience defeat. The church which is the Body of Christ is made up of redeemed sinners. Sinners like you and me. And as sinners, we get upset, and sometimes we get angry. When we are offended, we make sure people know about it. However, we should be just as eager to pray and forgive those who offend us. Controlling our emotions is difficult. A good start is to reflect on questions such as the ones below:
Are you a foolish person, who blows your top at every insult or offence?
Do you wear your emotions on your sleeve?
When we are offended it is in our old nature to fight back, but now we have a new nature along with the Holy Spirit, who gives us the strength to keep our cool.
Also, we have the example of Jesus. Look at the insults that he went through, during his life, but most prominently at the cross. The soldiers, the Roman and Jewish authorities said things that were so terrible, it defies belief. As followers of Christ, let us strive to keep our emotions in check. It is hard to be a witness for Christ, when you cannot handle criticism or lose your cool at every turn…think about it.
God bless you
kk
Sermons
[/size]
by Dennis Lyle
Thyatira the false church Revelation 2 40 minutes
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=92610633222
Sardis the feeble Church Revelation 3 40 minutes
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=103110735290
[size=16]Philadelphia - The Faithful Church Revelation 3 38 minutes
[/size]
[size=16]https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=1171063213
[/size]
Laodicea the Fashionable church Revelation 3 39 minutes
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=111410626480
Coffee Break
"Water To Wine"
"Jesus saith unto them, Fill the water pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim." John 2:7
When Jesus puts His hand on something, there is a change that takes place- water becomes wine as at the marriage in Cana. When Jesus is involved, nothing stays the same. The ordinary is changed into the extraordinary. What is weak becomes strong. What is natural becomes supernatural.
When He touches our lives, the same happens. There is a change that takes place in us- or should. We can no longer be the same. We have gone from death to life, from sinner to saint, from outcasts to accepted, from darkness to light.
If Jesus has touched your life there should be something different about you- water and wine are two completely different substances. The purpose of wine at the wedding was to give the guests something to drink- it wasn't intended to sit in a cellar somewhere. There is a purpose for the change and transformation that Jesus desires to do in our lives-- and that change is not always about us. It is about others. It's about others being able to "see" and "taste" something from our lives that will make them sit up on take notice. "When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom. And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now." (Verses 9,10) And when they take notice, it will be Jesus that they see.
We are like those empty clay pots- vessels that hold something and are intended to be filled. Without Jesus we are empty vessels, with Him we are vessels full of water, when we receive the Holy Spirit, we are vessels holding wine. "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. For these are not drunken, as ye suppose." (Acts 2:1-4,13,15) These "vessels of water"- those in the Upper Room- were changed into vessels holding wine- the Holy Spirit. The purpose of the Holy Spirit is so that we, Jesus' disciples, can receive power to be His "witnesses" to others and help bring about the transformation process in us. "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (Acts 1:8)
What do others "taste" from your life? Are they tasting something that will make them take note of Jesus?
Have a great day. Are you an empty vessel? A vessel holding water? A vessel holding wine?
For further reading:
John 2:1-11
2 Corinthians 5:17
Acts 2
Lorraine Nations Ezell
16
The vexation of a fool is known at once,
but the prudent ignores an insult.
BLOWING YOUR TOP
I am an emotional guy, one of my former pastors, said that he didn't have to ask me, how I felt...he just looked at my face.
Dealing with my emotions, is my deepest struggle; some days I am able to handle things, and other days I experience defeat. The church which is the Body of Christ is made up of redeemed sinners. Sinners like you and me. And as sinners, we get upset, and sometimes we get angry. When we are offended, we make sure people know about it. However, we should be just as eager to pray and forgive those who offend us. Controlling our emotions is difficult. A good start is to reflect on questions such as the ones below:
Are you a foolish person, who blows your top at every insult or offence?
Do you wear your emotions on your sleeve?
When we are offended it is in our old nature to fight back, but now we have a new nature along with the Holy Spirit, who gives us the strength to keep our cool.
Also, we have the example of Jesus. Look at the insults that he went through, during his life, but most prominently at the cross. The soldiers, the Roman and Jewish authorities said things that were so terrible, it defies belief. As followers of Christ, let us strive to keep our emotions in check. It is hard to be a witness for Christ, when you cannot handle criticism or lose your cool at every turn…think about it.
God bless you
kk
Sermons
[/size]
by Dennis Lyle
Thyatira the false church Revelation 2 40 minutes
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=92610633222
Sardis the feeble Church Revelation 3 40 minutes
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=103110735290
[size=16]Philadelphia - The Faithful Church Revelation 3 38 minutes
[/size]
[size=16]https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=1171063213
[/size]
Laodicea the Fashionable church Revelation 3 39 minutes
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=111410626480
Coffee Break
"Water To Wine"
"Jesus saith unto them, Fill the water pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim." John 2:7
When Jesus puts His hand on something, there is a change that takes place- water becomes wine as at the marriage in Cana. When Jesus is involved, nothing stays the same. The ordinary is changed into the extraordinary. What is weak becomes strong. What is natural becomes supernatural.
When He touches our lives, the same happens. There is a change that takes place in us- or should. We can no longer be the same. We have gone from death to life, from sinner to saint, from outcasts to accepted, from darkness to light.
If Jesus has touched your life there should be something different about you- water and wine are two completely different substances. The purpose of wine at the wedding was to give the guests something to drink- it wasn't intended to sit in a cellar somewhere. There is a purpose for the change and transformation that Jesus desires to do in our lives-- and that change is not always about us. It is about others. It's about others being able to "see" and "taste" something from our lives that will make them sit up on take notice. "When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom. And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now." (Verses 9,10) And when they take notice, it will be Jesus that they see.
We are like those empty clay pots- vessels that hold something and are intended to be filled. Without Jesus we are empty vessels, with Him we are vessels full of water, when we receive the Holy Spirit, we are vessels holding wine. "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. For these are not drunken, as ye suppose." (Acts 2:1-4,13,15) These "vessels of water"- those in the Upper Room- were changed into vessels holding wine- the Holy Spirit. The purpose of the Holy Spirit is so that we, Jesus' disciples, can receive power to be His "witnesses" to others and help bring about the transformation process in us. "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (Acts 1:8)
What do others "taste" from your life? Are they tasting something that will make them take note of Jesus?
Have a great day. Are you an empty vessel? A vessel holding water? A vessel holding wine?
For further reading:
John 2:1-11
2 Corinthians 5:17
Acts 2
Lorraine Nations Ezell
Re: KEITH NOTES FROM NANJING
DAILY PRAYER
Lord we Thank and Praise you for all you do each day to guide, protect, provide, and answer every petition as they make their needs, wants, and the desires of their hearts known to you.
Lord please bless, keep, guide, and provide each person this message reaches. Throughout each day, bless them with perfect health, healing, and the abundant supply to fulfill all they need, want or desire. Keep each of them safe and secure, no matter the weather, temperatures, or other circumstances that should try to cause their body, mind or our spirits to be tried and tested! Guide each of them as they pray, ask, and require. (2 Corinthians 5:18-21; Ephesians 6:10-20;Luke 1:1-4; Luke 18:1-8; Colossians 1:9-23; Romans 8:26-30)
Dear Lord in sharing the words of prayers and words of wisdom from history, I hope to encourage all my readers of these messages, to show that we are not experiencing anything that others have not, and to show that you always provide. Let the readers also reflect on the time and circumstances of these prayers and words of wisdom, so they may draw strength and insight from them. Amen
God knows us through and through. Not the most secret thought, which we most hide from ourselves, is hidden from him. As then we come to know ourselves through and through, we come to see ourselves more as God sees us, and then we catch some little glimpse of his designs with us, how each ordering of his providence, each check to our desires, each failure of our hopes, is just fitted for us, and for something in our own spiritual state, which others know not of, and which, till then, we knew not. Until we come to this knowledge, we must take all in faith, believing, though we know not, the goodness of God toward us.
Edward Bouberie Pusey (1800–1882)
Have a wonderfully blessed and prosperous day in the Lord today!
TODAYS DEVOTIONS
(It is not my intent to be a salesperson, just send uplifting and encouraging devotions, so all links are removed, linked items are in bold print, the attached PDF still has hot links or you can follow the link at the bottom to view the devotion online)
Hope for the Long Days
by (in)courage
The secret counsel of the Lord
is for those who fear him,
and he reveals his covenant to them.
Psalm 25:14 (CSB)
I take a deep breath and lean the handle of the mop against the counter top. I feel the stiffness and soreness in my shoulders and back from the vigorous scrubbing I’ve given the floor. I look at the clock on the stove and can hardly believe it. It blinks a mere 8:23 a.m.
How long ago did I wake to my seven-year-old’s urgent whispering to me, “Mommy, Mommy! Paw-Paw peed all over the floor!”? I rolled over in the gray morning light, hurried down the stairs, and stopped on the final step. The first puddles were under the window. Then I noticed a trail that trickled around — all the way around — the loop that connects the living room, kitchen, and dining room of the open-concept downstairs.
My father-in-law, who is in the final stage of Alzheimer’s disease, had wandered downstairs sometime in the middle of the night and fallen. Unhurt but unable to lift himself from a sitting position, he scooted around the downstairs in his overly-saturated nighttime diaper.
I woke my husband. He lifted, changed, and cared for his dad while I mopped. I washed the feet of my three early-rising daughters who had accidentally stepped in some of the mess.
We’re almost two years into full-time care-taking for my father-in-law. We’ve witnessed many losses of personality and ability. Several times we thought surely we were in the valley of the shadow of death. Yet somehow my father-in-law would recover to a new “normal.” For a time. We never know what to expect. There are many levels of grieving and frustration to wade through.
It’s only 8:23 a.m.. Deep breath.
My husband and I share a sad smile as he passes me to go clean himself up. I begin making his coffee. Coffee beans in the grinder, I press down and the churning and chopping begins. The thoughts, the temptations, come quietly now, like a blanket offering sympathetic comfort. But I recognize this scheme. If I let that “sympathetic blanket” drop around my shoulders, I’ll be weighed down with self-focus, not free to run my race this day like the Lord wants me to. I need my eyes fixed on Jesus.
I pray: [size=16]Lord, I appeal to You. My God, I trust in You. I pour water in the coffee pot and ask the Living Water to pour Himself into me, for “No one who waits for you will be disgraced” (Psalm 25:3).[/size]
The tempter continues to try to wrap his blanket around my heart by directing me to the logistics of the day: [size=16]It’s 8:23 a.m. and you’re already exhausted, physically and emotionally. You didn’t get enough sleep. Again. Now you have to rush to finish breakfast, nurse the baby, get all five kids dressed and to Bible study. No time to do your hair or makeup. You’ll look exhausted and ragged. Again. But it’s okay. Everyone will understand and empathize with you if they know about your morning. You can legitimately “quit” for the day. Puddles of pee and the entire downstairs mopped before breakfast is enough to justify this. Quit. It’s okay. You can quit.[/size]
I refuse to quit. Again. To surrender another day, or even part of a day, again. [size=16]My hope is in you Lord — all day long. I wait for the other Voice I know will come. I preach to myself: In Christ alone my hope is found.[/size]
Light seeps in through the slatted window blinds onto the clean floor. I wait. I want the promise. I work on memorizing the words that speak life: “The secret counsel of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he reveals his covenant to them” (Psalm 25:14).
The Lord has taught me that to fear Him, in a practical and tangible sense, looks like obedience.. Ordinary faithfulness. So I ask to receive: [size=16]Please counsel me, Lord. His light comes in this thought: Pray to confuse people. As I obey His secret counsel — my hope is found.[/size]
So I pray: [size=16]Lord, help me confuse people. No matter what my circumstances are, no matter what my feelings are, fill me so full with joy and peace that people have to question the Source. My hope is in You. Not in productivity. Not in enough sleep. Not in my own limited energy and ability. In You alone I trust. [/size]
This is a beautiful truth. If we fear the Lord, He will secretly counsel us. He will show us the way we should choose. May you embrace the peace that passes understanding as you wait for more of Him. No one who waits for the Lord will be disgraced.
Spit out the sweet morsels of sin!
(Thomas Brooks, "The Crown and Glory of Christianity, or, HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness", 1662)
"When He comes, He will convict the world about sin." John 16:8
A man never comes . .. .
to see his sins,
nor to be sick of his sins,
nor to loathe his sins,
nor to arraign his sins,
nor to condemn his sins,
nor to judge himself for his sins--
until he comes to be possessed by the Holy Spirit.
A man never comes . . .
to spit out the sweet morsels of sin,
to make a sacrifice of his only Isaac,
to hack his trembling Agag in pieces,
to strangle his Delilah,
and in good earnest to set upon an utter extirpation of his most cherished sins--until the Spirit of holiness comes upon him. Until the Holy Spirit falls upon the hearts of sinners, they will never be turned out of . . .
their pride,
their formality,
their carnality,
their sensuality,
their security.
To make a man holy--is greater than to create a world! It can be done by none but by the Holy Spirit. It is the great work of the Spirit to shape and form holiness in all the vessels of glory.
The Spirit sweetly and strongly moves His people . . .
to mind holiness,
to fall in love with holiness,
to press after holiness,
to leave off their sins,
to turn to God,
to embrace Christ,
to tremble at threatenings,
to embrace promises.
Lord we Thank and Praise you for all you do each day to guide, protect, provide, and answer every petition as they make their needs, wants, and the desires of their hearts known to you.
Lord please bless, keep, guide, and provide each person this message reaches. Throughout each day, bless them with perfect health, healing, and the abundant supply to fulfill all they need, want or desire. Keep each of them safe and secure, no matter the weather, temperatures, or other circumstances that should try to cause their body, mind or our spirits to be tried and tested! Guide each of them as they pray, ask, and require. (2 Corinthians 5:18-21; Ephesians 6:10-20;Luke 1:1-4; Luke 18:1-8; Colossians 1:9-23; Romans 8:26-30)
Dear Lord in sharing the words of prayers and words of wisdom from history, I hope to encourage all my readers of these messages, to show that we are not experiencing anything that others have not, and to show that you always provide. Let the readers also reflect on the time and circumstances of these prayers and words of wisdom, so they may draw strength and insight from them. Amen
God knows us through and through. Not the most secret thought, which we most hide from ourselves, is hidden from him. As then we come to know ourselves through and through, we come to see ourselves more as God sees us, and then we catch some little glimpse of his designs with us, how each ordering of his providence, each check to our desires, each failure of our hopes, is just fitted for us, and for something in our own spiritual state, which others know not of, and which, till then, we knew not. Until we come to this knowledge, we must take all in faith, believing, though we know not, the goodness of God toward us.
Edward Bouberie Pusey (1800–1882)
Have a wonderfully blessed and prosperous day in the Lord today!
TODAYS DEVOTIONS
(It is not my intent to be a salesperson, just send uplifting and encouraging devotions, so all links are removed, linked items are in bold print, the attached PDF still has hot links or you can follow the link at the bottom to view the devotion online)
Hope for the Long Days
by (in)courage
The secret counsel of the Lord
is for those who fear him,
and he reveals his covenant to them.
Psalm 25:14 (CSB)
I take a deep breath and lean the handle of the mop against the counter top. I feel the stiffness and soreness in my shoulders and back from the vigorous scrubbing I’ve given the floor. I look at the clock on the stove and can hardly believe it. It blinks a mere 8:23 a.m.
How long ago did I wake to my seven-year-old’s urgent whispering to me, “Mommy, Mommy! Paw-Paw peed all over the floor!”? I rolled over in the gray morning light, hurried down the stairs, and stopped on the final step. The first puddles were under the window. Then I noticed a trail that trickled around — all the way around — the loop that connects the living room, kitchen, and dining room of the open-concept downstairs.
My father-in-law, who is in the final stage of Alzheimer’s disease, had wandered downstairs sometime in the middle of the night and fallen. Unhurt but unable to lift himself from a sitting position, he scooted around the downstairs in his overly-saturated nighttime diaper.
I woke my husband. He lifted, changed, and cared for his dad while I mopped. I washed the feet of my three early-rising daughters who had accidentally stepped in some of the mess.
We’re almost two years into full-time care-taking for my father-in-law. We’ve witnessed many losses of personality and ability. Several times we thought surely we were in the valley of the shadow of death. Yet somehow my father-in-law would recover to a new “normal.” For a time. We never know what to expect. There are many levels of grieving and frustration to wade through.
It’s only 8:23 a.m.. Deep breath.
My husband and I share a sad smile as he passes me to go clean himself up. I begin making his coffee. Coffee beans in the grinder, I press down and the churning and chopping begins. The thoughts, the temptations, come quietly now, like a blanket offering sympathetic comfort. But I recognize this scheme. If I let that “sympathetic blanket” drop around my shoulders, I’ll be weighed down with self-focus, not free to run my race this day like the Lord wants me to. I need my eyes fixed on Jesus.
I pray: [size=16]Lord, I appeal to You. My God, I trust in You. I pour water in the coffee pot and ask the Living Water to pour Himself into me, for “No one who waits for you will be disgraced” (Psalm 25:3).[/size]
The tempter continues to try to wrap his blanket around my heart by directing me to the logistics of the day: [size=16]It’s 8:23 a.m. and you’re already exhausted, physically and emotionally. You didn’t get enough sleep. Again. Now you have to rush to finish breakfast, nurse the baby, get all five kids dressed and to Bible study. No time to do your hair or makeup. You’ll look exhausted and ragged. Again. But it’s okay. Everyone will understand and empathize with you if they know about your morning. You can legitimately “quit” for the day. Puddles of pee and the entire downstairs mopped before breakfast is enough to justify this. Quit. It’s okay. You can quit.[/size]
I refuse to quit. Again. To surrender another day, or even part of a day, again. [size=16]My hope is in you Lord — all day long. I wait for the other Voice I know will come. I preach to myself: In Christ alone my hope is found.[/size]
Light seeps in through the slatted window blinds onto the clean floor. I wait. I want the promise. I work on memorizing the words that speak life: “The secret counsel of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he reveals his covenant to them” (Psalm 25:14).
The Lord has taught me that to fear Him, in a practical and tangible sense, looks like obedience.. Ordinary faithfulness. So I ask to receive: [size=16]Please counsel me, Lord. His light comes in this thought: Pray to confuse people. As I obey His secret counsel — my hope is found.[/size]
So I pray: [size=16]Lord, help me confuse people. No matter what my circumstances are, no matter what my feelings are, fill me so full with joy and peace that people have to question the Source. My hope is in You. Not in productivity. Not in enough sleep. Not in my own limited energy and ability. In You alone I trust. [/size]
This is a beautiful truth. If we fear the Lord, He will secretly counsel us. He will show us the way we should choose. May you embrace the peace that passes understanding as you wait for more of Him. No one who waits for the Lord will be disgraced.
Spit out the sweet morsels of sin!
(Thomas Brooks, "The Crown and Glory of Christianity, or, HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness", 1662)
"When He comes, He will convict the world about sin." John 16:8
A man never comes . .. .
to see his sins,
nor to be sick of his sins,
nor to loathe his sins,
nor to arraign his sins,
nor to condemn his sins,
nor to judge himself for his sins--
until he comes to be possessed by the Holy Spirit.
A man never comes . . .
to spit out the sweet morsels of sin,
to make a sacrifice of his only Isaac,
to hack his trembling Agag in pieces,
to strangle his Delilah,
and in good earnest to set upon an utter extirpation of his most cherished sins--until the Spirit of holiness comes upon him. Until the Holy Spirit falls upon the hearts of sinners, they will never be turned out of . . .
their pride,
their formality,
their carnality,
their sensuality,
their security.
To make a man holy--is greater than to create a world! It can be done by none but by the Holy Spirit. It is the great work of the Spirit to shape and form holiness in all the vessels of glory.
The Spirit sweetly and strongly moves His people . . .
to mind holiness,
to fall in love with holiness,
to press after holiness,
to leave off their sins,
to turn to God,
to embrace Christ,
to tremble at threatenings,
to embrace promises.
|
Re: KEITH NOTES FROM NANJING
From: Mary Padgett Ministries, Inc.
A Word In Due Season
SMALL BEGINNINGS
Scripture: I Samuel 17:28 "And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness?"
David's father sent him to the front line of the battle to take food to his brothers. When David got there, he heard Goliath, the giant, defying the armies of God. David inquired concerning the rewards that were offered to the man who could conquer this giant. The very thought that David considered challenging the giant angered his brother, Eliab. Eliab questioned David about the sheep and his motives for coming to the battlefront. He accused David of having pride and of just wanting to watch the battle. Eliab purposely insulted David by asking him about his meager assignment, which was to care for a few sheep. He wanted to remind David that his place in life was of little importance.
David, however, had already been anointed by the prophet Samuel to be the King of Israel (I Samuel 16:13). David had been chosen over Eliab and his other brothers, but he continued to tend the sheep. Have you ever felt that God had called and anointed you to do a special work for Him, but at present you find yourself in a place of little importance? Your current responsibilities have nothing to do with the calling that God has placed within your heart. Nothing in your life seems to be going in the direction to fulfill God's ultimate purposes. You may be locked into a job, family situation, or other circumstances, and feel that your destiny is passing you by. You may have concluded that there seems to be little hope of doing anything significant for the kingdom of God.
David must have had these same thoughts, as day after day, he led the sheep from pasture to pasture. Although he could not see what God was doing, God was training him for the battle with the giant. Alone on the hills and in the valleys, he entertained himself by practicing with his sling and stones until he became very accurate. Eventually, David had to face a lion and a bear in order to protect the sheep that he was caring for. I Samuel 17:34-35 says that he went after a lion that took a lamb out of the flock. He caught the lion by the beard and killed him, and then later killed a bear.
Can you imagine this small boy holding a lion by the beard or coming against a bear? This was his combat training. God was training him to come against a "bear sized" giant that he would later encounter. And as fierce as the roar of the giant was, it was probably still not as frightening as the roar of the lion that David had already conquered. The lion's fierce roar had prepared him for the frightening roar and insults of Goliath, the giant. God's deliverance in these battles built David's confidence and gave him assurance that God could and would bring him victory again.
The position you are in today is not insignificant. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing today, God is training you for tomorrow's purposes. So be diligent in all that you do. "Whatsoever you do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord" (Colossians 3:23). And do not "despise the day of small beginnings" (Zechariah 4:10). Let this day prepare you for tomorrow. Your divine destiny is just ahead and God's appointed time will come. +++
From: Mary Padgett Ministries, Inc.
A Word In Due Season
PROVISIONS FROM GOD
Scripture: Nehemiah 9:15 "The Lord gave them bread from heaven for their hunger, and brought forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst."
God is so awesome. Just when we think we have things figured out, God does something new. He amazes us with His creativity and surprises us with the unexpected. Look at the Israelites as they came out of Egypt. They were hungry and had need of food and they were thirsty and had need of water. To meet these vital needs, God provided them with manna from an open heaven and water from a rock. Who would have ever thought that you could secure water from a rock in the desert by simply speaking to it? Or who could have ever imagined that enough bread could fall out of the heavens every morning for forty years to feed six million people? God is truly awesome.
God's provision for His people came with such simple instructions, "speak to the rock" and "gather the manna daily." God speaks to us in this same simple way today. He is the Rock of our refuge (Psalms 94:22), and He tells us to speak to this Rock. He said, "Call upon Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things that you have not known before" (Jeremiah 33:3). When you pray, He will create solutions that are just as amazing as water coming from a rock. If you have a need of any kind, He says, "Come to Me in the Name of Jesus ... Ask and it will be given, seek and you shall find, knock and it will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7). Your Rock, Christ Jesus, is waiting for you to speak to Him.
God also told us to gather our manna daily just as He did the Israelites. Jesus said our prayers are to be "Give us this day our daily bread." We are not to worry and fret over future provisions. Jesus told us not to be anxious about what we are going to eat, drink, or wear. We are to "Seek the kingdom of God first and all these things will be added to us" (Matthew 6:31-34). God does notdepend upon our resources but supplies all of our needs according to His own riches. He opens the windows of Heaven and pours out blessings that we are incapable of receiving. We serve the same God that Moses and the Israelites served, and He is just as interested in meeting our needs today as He was in meeting their needs. What He did for them, He will do for you. Trust Him. God's resources are awesome and unlimited. +++
A Word In Due Season
SMALL BEGINNINGS
Scripture: I Samuel 17:28 "And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness?"
David's father sent him to the front line of the battle to take food to his brothers. When David got there, he heard Goliath, the giant, defying the armies of God. David inquired concerning the rewards that were offered to the man who could conquer this giant. The very thought that David considered challenging the giant angered his brother, Eliab. Eliab questioned David about the sheep and his motives for coming to the battlefront. He accused David of having pride and of just wanting to watch the battle. Eliab purposely insulted David by asking him about his meager assignment, which was to care for a few sheep. He wanted to remind David that his place in life was of little importance.
David, however, had already been anointed by the prophet Samuel to be the King of Israel (I Samuel 16:13). David had been chosen over Eliab and his other brothers, but he continued to tend the sheep. Have you ever felt that God had called and anointed you to do a special work for Him, but at present you find yourself in a place of little importance? Your current responsibilities have nothing to do with the calling that God has placed within your heart. Nothing in your life seems to be going in the direction to fulfill God's ultimate purposes. You may be locked into a job, family situation, or other circumstances, and feel that your destiny is passing you by. You may have concluded that there seems to be little hope of doing anything significant for the kingdom of God.
David must have had these same thoughts, as day after day, he led the sheep from pasture to pasture. Although he could not see what God was doing, God was training him for the battle with the giant. Alone on the hills and in the valleys, he entertained himself by practicing with his sling and stones until he became very accurate. Eventually, David had to face a lion and a bear in order to protect the sheep that he was caring for. I Samuel 17:34-35 says that he went after a lion that took a lamb out of the flock. He caught the lion by the beard and killed him, and then later killed a bear.
Can you imagine this small boy holding a lion by the beard or coming against a bear? This was his combat training. God was training him to come against a "bear sized" giant that he would later encounter. And as fierce as the roar of the giant was, it was probably still not as frightening as the roar of the lion that David had already conquered. The lion's fierce roar had prepared him for the frightening roar and insults of Goliath, the giant. God's deliverance in these battles built David's confidence and gave him assurance that God could and would bring him victory again.
The position you are in today is not insignificant. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing today, God is training you for tomorrow's purposes. So be diligent in all that you do. "Whatsoever you do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord" (Colossians 3:23). And do not "despise the day of small beginnings" (Zechariah 4:10). Let this day prepare you for tomorrow. Your divine destiny is just ahead and God's appointed time will come. +++
From: Mary Padgett Ministries, Inc.
A Word In Due Season
PROVISIONS FROM GOD
Scripture: Nehemiah 9:15 "The Lord gave them bread from heaven for their hunger, and brought forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst."
God is so awesome. Just when we think we have things figured out, God does something new. He amazes us with His creativity and surprises us with the unexpected. Look at the Israelites as they came out of Egypt. They were hungry and had need of food and they were thirsty and had need of water. To meet these vital needs, God provided them with manna from an open heaven and water from a rock. Who would have ever thought that you could secure water from a rock in the desert by simply speaking to it? Or who could have ever imagined that enough bread could fall out of the heavens every morning for forty years to feed six million people? God is truly awesome.
God's provision for His people came with such simple instructions, "speak to the rock" and "gather the manna daily." God speaks to us in this same simple way today. He is the Rock of our refuge (Psalms 94:22), and He tells us to speak to this Rock. He said, "Call upon Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things that you have not known before" (Jeremiah 33:3). When you pray, He will create solutions that are just as amazing as water coming from a rock. If you have a need of any kind, He says, "Come to Me in the Name of Jesus ... Ask and it will be given, seek and you shall find, knock and it will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7). Your Rock, Christ Jesus, is waiting for you to speak to Him.
God also told us to gather our manna daily just as He did the Israelites. Jesus said our prayers are to be "Give us this day our daily bread." We are not to worry and fret over future provisions. Jesus told us not to be anxious about what we are going to eat, drink, or wear. We are to "Seek the kingdom of God first and all these things will be added to us" (Matthew 6:31-34). God does notdepend upon our resources but supplies all of our needs according to His own riches. He opens the windows of Heaven and pours out blessings that we are incapable of receiving. We serve the same God that Moses and the Israelites served, and He is just as interested in meeting our needs today as He was in meeting their needs. What He did for them, He will do for you. Trust Him. God's resources are awesome and unlimited. +++
Re: KEITH NOTES FROM NANJING
Playing With All Your Heart
Our boys were blessed with some great football coaches when they were in high school. They worked their players hard. Let me tell you, they conditioned them well, and they produced champions. One lesson the coaches taught our team certainly went against their natural instincts. I mean, no one is real anxious to get injured. A player's natural tendency is to hold back a little when they're making a hit on another player, or when they're blocking, or when they're tackling so they won't get hurt. You know, you want to be careful so you're not injured. Well, the coaches tell you that's a mistake; that's the best way to get hurt is to play tentatively, play half-heartedly. Here's how they put it, "Either give it all you've got or don't play." Okay.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Playing With All Your Heart."
Our word for today from the Word of God is a verse that actually could be a life principle. It's a motto that you could repeat to yourself often at work, playing sports, studying, doing dirty work, listening to someone, trying to finish a difficult job. Here's the principle from God's Word. It's in Ecclesiastes 9:10, "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might."
The coach would like that.. Whatever position you're playing in life, don't play tentatively. Throw yourself into it with everything you've got. In the words of Colossians 3:23, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart." Whatever you do! If you asked our kids something that they heard over and over again growing up from their parents, they might very well tell you those four words that we tried to make a life motto, "with all your heart." Jim Elliott, the martyred missionary and actually one of my personal heroes, said it this way, "Wherever you are, be all there!"
If you have to do something anyway, why not do it with everything you've got? If you have to be somewhere, why not be all there? I saw a little slice of wisdom on a kitchen wall plaque. It said, "Lord, help me do with a smile the things I have to do anyway." That's good.
God's call to all of us who belong to Him is to be a 100-percenter in anything and everything we do. So when someone is talking with you, you listen with all your heart, as if they are the only person on earth and the only thing you have to do. When you work, you focus...you do it with all your heart. When it's time to pray, you pray with all your heart. You play with all your heart. You study with all your heart. You help out with all your heart.
That's the attitude of someone who knows that ultimately he or she is living a God-planned life. Now you might say, "Well, I don't like the situation I'm in." That shouldn't be what determines your attitude. You make every situation the best it can be when you tackle it like the Bible says, "with all your might," "with all your heart."
Remember, God said whatever you do, do it with all your heart. And not just the things you feel like doing. There's something actually very intoxicating, something magnetic about a person who enters into everything they do passionately and wholeheartedly. If you've ever known one of those kind of people, those "with all your heart" people, you know that kind of passion is a magnet that draws people.
Everything your hand finds to do, would you do it with intensity? In football, in everyday life, playing tentatively invites injury and it surely invites defeat. So like the coach says, "Either give it all you've got, or don't play!"
Copyright Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
2Ch 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Pithy gems from Thomas Watson #3
What good will it do a man when he is in Hell, that others think he has gone to Heaven?
~ ~ ~ ~
Godliness consists in a harmony between holy principles and holy practices.
~ ~ ~ ~
How can the unrepentant sinner be merry, who is heir to all God's curses, and does not know how soon he may take up his lodgings among the damned?
~ ~ ~ ~
The more bitterness we taste in sin, the more sweetness we shall taste in Christ!
~ ~ ~ ~
Christ is never sincerely loved, until sin is sincerely loathed!
~ ~ ~ ~
He a fool, who minds his recreation more than his salvation!
~ ~ ~ ~
The greatest judgment God lays upon a man in this life, is to let him sin without hindrance.
~ ~ ~ ~
He who hides one rebel in his house is a traitor to the Crown.
Just so, he who indulges one sin is a traitorous hypocrite.
~ ~ ~ ~
It is better to go with difficulty to Heaven, than with ease to Hell! "Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able!" Luke 13:24
~ ~ ~ ~
True happiness consists not in beauty, honor, riches (the world's trinity)--but in the forgiveness of sin. "How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered!" Psalm 32:1
Our boys were blessed with some great football coaches when they were in high school. They worked their players hard. Let me tell you, they conditioned them well, and they produced champions. One lesson the coaches taught our team certainly went against their natural instincts. I mean, no one is real anxious to get injured. A player's natural tendency is to hold back a little when they're making a hit on another player, or when they're blocking, or when they're tackling so they won't get hurt. You know, you want to be careful so you're not injured. Well, the coaches tell you that's a mistake; that's the best way to get hurt is to play tentatively, play half-heartedly. Here's how they put it, "Either give it all you've got or don't play." Okay.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Playing With All Your Heart."
Our word for today from the Word of God is a verse that actually could be a life principle. It's a motto that you could repeat to yourself often at work, playing sports, studying, doing dirty work, listening to someone, trying to finish a difficult job. Here's the principle from God's Word. It's in Ecclesiastes 9:10, "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might."
The coach would like that.. Whatever position you're playing in life, don't play tentatively. Throw yourself into it with everything you've got. In the words of Colossians 3:23, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart." Whatever you do! If you asked our kids something that they heard over and over again growing up from their parents, they might very well tell you those four words that we tried to make a life motto, "with all your heart." Jim Elliott, the martyred missionary and actually one of my personal heroes, said it this way, "Wherever you are, be all there!"
If you have to do something anyway, why not do it with everything you've got? If you have to be somewhere, why not be all there? I saw a little slice of wisdom on a kitchen wall plaque. It said, "Lord, help me do with a smile the things I have to do anyway." That's good.
God's call to all of us who belong to Him is to be a 100-percenter in anything and everything we do. So when someone is talking with you, you listen with all your heart, as if they are the only person on earth and the only thing you have to do. When you work, you focus...you do it with all your heart. When it's time to pray, you pray with all your heart. You play with all your heart. You study with all your heart. You help out with all your heart.
That's the attitude of someone who knows that ultimately he or she is living a God-planned life. Now you might say, "Well, I don't like the situation I'm in." That shouldn't be what determines your attitude. You make every situation the best it can be when you tackle it like the Bible says, "with all your might," "with all your heart."
Remember, God said whatever you do, do it with all your heart. And not just the things you feel like doing. There's something actually very intoxicating, something magnetic about a person who enters into everything they do passionately and wholeheartedly. If you've ever known one of those kind of people, those "with all your heart" people, you know that kind of passion is a magnet that draws people.
Everything your hand finds to do, would you do it with intensity? In football, in everyday life, playing tentatively invites injury and it surely invites defeat. So like the coach says, "Either give it all you've got, or don't play!"
Copyright Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
2Ch 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Pithy gems from Thomas Watson #3
What good will it do a man when he is in Hell, that others think he has gone to Heaven?
~ ~ ~ ~
Godliness consists in a harmony between holy principles and holy practices.
~ ~ ~ ~
How can the unrepentant sinner be merry, who is heir to all God's curses, and does not know how soon he may take up his lodgings among the damned?
~ ~ ~ ~
The more bitterness we taste in sin, the more sweetness we shall taste in Christ!
~ ~ ~ ~
Christ is never sincerely loved, until sin is sincerely loathed!
~ ~ ~ ~
He a fool, who minds his recreation more than his salvation!
~ ~ ~ ~
The greatest judgment God lays upon a man in this life, is to let him sin without hindrance.
~ ~ ~ ~
He who hides one rebel in his house is a traitor to the Crown.
Just so, he who indulges one sin is a traitorous hypocrite.
~ ~ ~ ~
It is better to go with difficulty to Heaven, than with ease to Hell! "Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able!" Luke 13:24
~ ~ ~ ~
True happiness consists not in beauty, honor, riches (the world's trinity)--but in the forgiveness of sin. "How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered!" Psalm 32:1
Re: KEITH NOTES FROM NANJING
~PEP OR POWER?~
Bro. Michael Guido, D.D., tells of a deacon who said to his preacher one morning, "We need a revival. The blower is blowing, but the fire is out." Guido said, "this is like many churches in this day and age. They have form but no force, motion but no devotion, the shove but not the love, the spire but not the fire. Many modern day churches are beautiful in foliage but barren in fruit, rich in tradition, but poor in submission. Many give their silver to the Lord but not their souls."
The old time religion of our forefathers was not just a form of religiosity, but a burning desire for God's passion and power that they might live holy and help win others to Him. If our churches are to enjoy survival, we Christians must seek and experience personal revival. We need to ask God to come fill hearts that we all might grow and glow, as reflectors of His glory. We cannot afford to be workless worshippers or saltless saints while here on this earth.
God has not called us to be keepers of an Aquarium, but to get out of the fish bowl and be fishers of men. If we catch them, He will clean them. The only spiritual hook and bait that catches fish in the sea of life is the true gospel message. Good singing may snag souls for a season, fellowship may befriend them, entertainment may excite them, but only the Holy Spirit who invites and draws them to salvation can accomplish the work within, that changes hearts and lives for all eternity. By God's help and power, we can be a going church for a coming Lord! Share his love and gospel every opportunity, as time is short, and He's coming soon!
Blessings in Christ,
+(¯`v´¯)+
.`•.¸.•´ ★
¸.•´.•´¨) ¸..•¨)
(¸.•´(¸.•´ (¸..•¨¯`* +ღ++
Jo Ann Kelly
J. P's Inspirations-2016
¸.•´.•´¨) ¸.•¨)¸.•´.•´¨) ¸.•¨)(¸.•´(¸.•´ (¸.•¨
Illustration-Seeds From The Sower
[size=14][ltr]~HIS GRACE ABOUNDS~[/ltr]
[ltr]Where sin and sorrow dwelled[/ltr]
[ltr]in the darkness of despair[/ltr]
[ltr]God's grace was greater still[/ltr]
[ltr]His mercy found me there.[/ltr]
[ltr]God's hand reached further down[/ltr]
[ltr]than I could ever reach up,[/ltr]
[ltr]His love is the greatest of all[/ltr]
[ltr]as we drink from salvation's cup.[/ltr]
[ltr]We can partake of His living waters[/ltr]
[ltr]to find rest for our weary soul,[/ltr]
[ltr]When we look up to the Savior,[/ltr]
[ltr]His marvelous grace we'll behold.[/ltr]
[ltr]His grace is all sufficient[/ltr]
[ltr]as abundantly He gives,[/ltr]
[ltr]His blood shall never lose it's power,[/ltr]
[ltr]Because of Christ, we live.[/ltr]
[ltr]God's grace is still amazing[/ltr]
[ltr]as His favor He bestows[/ltr]
[ltr]Although we are unworthy,[/ltr]
[ltr]He forgives and makes us whole.[/ltr]
[ltr]His love reaches to the highest mountain[/ltr]
[ltr]His blood to the lowest valley flows,[/ltr]
[ltr]Reach up to the Savior,[/ltr]
[ltr]His grace is so freely bestowed.[/ltr]
[ltr]Blessings In Christ,[/ltr]
[ltr]Jo Ann Kelly :copyright: 6/2005[/ltr]
[ltr]J. P.'s Inspirations[/ltr]
[/size]
Bro. Michael Guido, D.D., tells of a deacon who said to his preacher one morning, "We need a revival. The blower is blowing, but the fire is out." Guido said, "this is like many churches in this day and age. They have form but no force, motion but no devotion, the shove but not the love, the spire but not the fire. Many modern day churches are beautiful in foliage but barren in fruit, rich in tradition, but poor in submission. Many give their silver to the Lord but not their souls."
The old time religion of our forefathers was not just a form of religiosity, but a burning desire for God's passion and power that they might live holy and help win others to Him. If our churches are to enjoy survival, we Christians must seek and experience personal revival. We need to ask God to come fill hearts that we all might grow and glow, as reflectors of His glory. We cannot afford to be workless worshippers or saltless saints while here on this earth.
God has not called us to be keepers of an Aquarium, but to get out of the fish bowl and be fishers of men. If we catch them, He will clean them. The only spiritual hook and bait that catches fish in the sea of life is the true gospel message. Good singing may snag souls for a season, fellowship may befriend them, entertainment may excite them, but only the Holy Spirit who invites and draws them to salvation can accomplish the work within, that changes hearts and lives for all eternity. By God's help and power, we can be a going church for a coming Lord! Share his love and gospel every opportunity, as time is short, and He's coming soon!
Blessings in Christ,
+(¯`v´¯)+
.`•.¸.•´ ★
¸.•´.•´¨) ¸..•¨)
(¸.•´(¸.•´ (¸..•¨¯`* +ღ++
Jo Ann Kelly
J. P's Inspirations-2016
¸.•´.•´¨) ¸.•¨)¸.•´.•´¨) ¸.•¨)(¸.•´(¸.•´ (¸.•¨
Illustration-Seeds From The Sower
[size=14][ltr]~HIS GRACE ABOUNDS~[/ltr]
[ltr]Where sin and sorrow dwelled[/ltr]
[ltr]in the darkness of despair[/ltr]
[ltr]God's grace was greater still[/ltr]
[ltr]His mercy found me there.[/ltr]
[ltr]God's hand reached further down[/ltr]
[ltr]than I could ever reach up,[/ltr]
[ltr]His love is the greatest of all[/ltr]
[ltr]as we drink from salvation's cup.[/ltr]
[ltr]We can partake of His living waters[/ltr]
[ltr]to find rest for our weary soul,[/ltr]
[ltr]When we look up to the Savior,[/ltr]
[ltr]His marvelous grace we'll behold.[/ltr]
[ltr]His grace is all sufficient[/ltr]
[ltr]as abundantly He gives,[/ltr]
[ltr]His blood shall never lose it's power,[/ltr]
[ltr]Because of Christ, we live.[/ltr]
[ltr]God's grace is still amazing[/ltr]
[ltr]as His favor He bestows[/ltr]
[ltr]Although we are unworthy,[/ltr]
[ltr]He forgives and makes us whole.[/ltr]
[ltr]His love reaches to the highest mountain[/ltr]
[ltr]His blood to the lowest valley flows,[/ltr]
[ltr]Reach up to the Savior,[/ltr]
[ltr]His grace is so freely bestowed.[/ltr]
[ltr]Blessings In Christ,[/ltr]
[ltr]Jo Ann Kelly :copyright: 6/2005[/ltr]
[ltr]J. P.'s Inspirations[/ltr]
[/size]
Re: KEITH NOTES FROM NANJING
CHINA: Hundreds of Crosses Removed Sources: ChinaAid, Bitter Winter, Christian Post
The demolition orders are representative of many similar state-sanctioned operations. In the state of Anhui, crosses were removed from at least 250 government-approved churches during the first four months of 2020 alone. "All Christian symbols are ordered to be removed," declares one state employee. Similar action is being taken against symbols of other religions as well. The ongoing crackdown against Christians in China has been described as the most intense in decades. If you have not yet watched VOMC's video interview with Bob Fu of ChinaAid, we encourage you to do so. Please continue to lift up China's Christians in your prayers, asking God to minister His grace, healing, spiritual encouragement and renewed hope in the midst of the government-imposed restrictions and the resulting harm it has caused so many. May He also work in the lives of state authorities and members of the security forces, so that they too will become keenly aware of the Lord's presence and sovereignty. Overall, pray that the continued outreach of churches throughout the country will be mightily used to bring multitudes from all walks of life to a saving faith in Christ. | |
IRAN: Seven Iranians Sentenced Sources: Iran Human Rights Monitor, Middle East Concern, Article18, Mission Network News, Morning Star News
The sentences varied widely. Brothers Sam and Sasan Khosravi received a one-year prison term, followed by two years in exile. They have also been banned from resuming their work in the hospitality sector. Habib Heydari also received one year in prison but with no additional penalties. Pooriya Peyma received a 91-day prison sentence; the minimum required to ensure a criminal record. Sam and Sasan's wives, Maryam and Marjan, received fines of three to four months the average wage in salary. Maryam was also given a lifetime ban from working at any national institution -- a severe blow after two decades of service at a local hospital. Finally, Pooriya's wife Fatemeh was also fined. Thankfully, new changes to Iran's criminal code were not applied in these cases. The recent amendment would have meant that those found guilty of "propaganda contrary to Islam" or "deviant psychological manipulation" could be labelled as 'members of a sect.' Such membership may result in more severe terms of imprisonment, fines, or even death. Additionally, these new changes target online ministries and virtual church meetings. The new wording of the law appears to be an attempt to make such charges sound less religious in hopes of quelling international outrage. To learn more about the persecution of Christians in Iran, go to our country report. Remember these seven Christians in your prayers as they face the challenges posed by these sentences, including their painful separation from loved ones and fellow believers. As their appeals are presented before the courts, may the Holy Spirit mediate on their behalf -- at the same time, working in the hearts of the country's governmental and judicial authorities. Intercede also for the many other followers of Christ who are serving time in prison or living in exile because of their faith. May their lives serve as vibrant testimonies for Christ wherever they happen to be located, assured that His presence will always be with them. | |
PRAISE REPORT | |
SUDAN: Apostasy Laws Abolished Sources: Release International, BBC, Mission Network News, Barnabas Fund
"We will drop all the laws violating human rights in Sudan," claims Justice Minister Nasredeen Abdulbari, signalling that other changes may yet be coming. He further states that these changes are a way of safeguarding the rights of non-Muslims, who make up approximately three percent of the population. These changes reflect significant steps forward in the continuation of reforms announced this past April (read more). For an overview on the persecution encountered by Christians in Sudan, including access to previously posted reports, go to our country report. Praise God for these encouraging changes to Sudan's legal system! Pray that these reforms will truly be a major step towards freedom of religion for all citizens. As the changes are being implemented in Sudanese society, and gradually in the lives of the people, continue to pray for Christians who still encounter opposition from their leaders and neighbours. May these believers be encouraged by the fact that though positive reforms are a 'work in progress,' they will eventually achieve greater freedoms and enhanced unity. 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 |
|
Re: KEITH NOTES FROM NANJING
From: Mary Padgett Ministries, Inc.
A Word In Due Season
ORDAINED TO BRING FORTH FRUIT
Scripture: John 15:16 "You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain."
God has ordained different places and missions for each of us to fulfill. When we are in the place that He has ordained for us, we bring forth fruit and our fruit remains or continues to produce. God blesses our efforts and our works do not return unto Him void but accomplish what He desires. When God sends us forth, He meets every need for our journey, and regardless of the hardships, He provides a joy and a peace that passes all understanding. This explains why ministers work so very hard for so very little, how pastors are able to cope with church politics, and why missionaries forsake all to travel to foreign fields and live in austere conditions. It also explains why doctors and health care workers choose to sacrifice their lives to care for others and why policemen and soldiers put their lives in danger each day. They are chosen and ordained for such a work and are joyful in it.
It is very important to find the place that God has ordained for you because you must be planted in the right place to thrive and bring forth fruit. Trying to fit into someone else's chosen place will only bring frustration and lack because God's gifts and His anointing is not there to sustain you. God may choose to plant you in a large field or a small field but He makes no mistakes. Wherever He places you, it will be a good plan for your life (Jeremiah 29:11). Your particular calling includes a future and a hope and that future includes fruit that will remain throughout eternity.
Daniel 11:32 declares that in these last days, "The people who know their God shall be strong, and do exploits." This is a different day and a new season. God has chosen you and brought you to the kingdom for such a time as this and He wants you to fulfill Daniel's prophecy. The Lord wants you to be strong and do mighty exploits in His Name. This will only happen as you totally surrender your life to the Lord and allow Him to plant you in His chosen field. When you yield yourself to His design, the fruit that He has ordained for your life will come forth and it will remain. +++
From: Mary Padgett Ministries, Inc.
A Word In Due Season
SUFFERING FOR A SEASON
Scripture: I Peter 5:10 "But the God of all grace, Who has called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered awhile, make you perfect, established, strengthen, and settle you."
Our Heavenly Father is the God of all grace. There is nothing too big for Him to handle and no situation that outweighs His measure of grace. There is no mountain too high, no valley too low, and no river too deep that will cause His grace to fail. God's grace is and always will be sufficient for every need. However, grace is only needed when there is a lack. The scripture above tells us that God has called us unto His eternal glory, but His glory will only come to us as we pass through the process of suffering.
We all want to experience God's glory but we do not relish the thought of suffering to get there. Like a piece of clay that must suffer through the process of being shaped into something useful, it is through suffering that God is able to mold us into the vessels that He wants us to be. Peter said that the God of all grace deals with us until we are perfect or mature and complete in every way. God does not leave the clay unfinished. He completes our beings through fiery trials and adverse situations. He also uses our seasons of suffering to establish us or make us resolute and steadfast in our direction, for when we suffer through various situations, we come out vowing never to be in those places again. Through suffering, we are also strengthened in power as our thoughts toward God are confirmed in spiritual knowledge. Seasons of suffering also settle our hearts and make sure our foundation.
You may wonder why God is so slow in turning your situation around. The previous scriptures tell you what you should do during your season of suffering. First, you must "humble yourself under the mighty hand of God" (I Peter 5 verse 6). By demoting yourself, you allow God to rule and have dominion over you. As you completely yield yourself to Him, He is able to finish His work within you. Second, you are to "cast all of your cares upon Him" (Vs. 7). He knows that you are in a tough place, but as you learn to let Him take all of your anxieties, worries, and concerns, it releases you from the power of the evil one. You must also "be sober and vigilant" (Vs. 8). Watching for the snares of the devil will keep you well-balanced and temperate. Caution must be exercised at all times because the devil will try to use your suffering situation to destroy your faith. Finally, you must realize that you are not alone and that suffering should not be considered something strange for those in the Kingdom of God. "The same afflictions are happening with your brothers throughout the world" (Vs.9).
You have an adversary that is going about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He is a desperate foe, but you can take refuge in the knowledge that God is the God of all grace, favor, and blessing. So be encourage to know that God has called you into His eternal glory and He is in control. He has designed your destiny and made sure that your suffering will only be for a season. +++
A Word In Due Season
ORDAINED TO BRING FORTH FRUIT
Scripture: John 15:16 "You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain."
God has ordained different places and missions for each of us to fulfill. When we are in the place that He has ordained for us, we bring forth fruit and our fruit remains or continues to produce. God blesses our efforts and our works do not return unto Him void but accomplish what He desires. When God sends us forth, He meets every need for our journey, and regardless of the hardships, He provides a joy and a peace that passes all understanding. This explains why ministers work so very hard for so very little, how pastors are able to cope with church politics, and why missionaries forsake all to travel to foreign fields and live in austere conditions. It also explains why doctors and health care workers choose to sacrifice their lives to care for others and why policemen and soldiers put their lives in danger each day. They are chosen and ordained for such a work and are joyful in it.
It is very important to find the place that God has ordained for you because you must be planted in the right place to thrive and bring forth fruit. Trying to fit into someone else's chosen place will only bring frustration and lack because God's gifts and His anointing is not there to sustain you. God may choose to plant you in a large field or a small field but He makes no mistakes. Wherever He places you, it will be a good plan for your life (Jeremiah 29:11). Your particular calling includes a future and a hope and that future includes fruit that will remain throughout eternity.
Daniel 11:32 declares that in these last days, "The people who know their God shall be strong, and do exploits." This is a different day and a new season. God has chosen you and brought you to the kingdom for such a time as this and He wants you to fulfill Daniel's prophecy. The Lord wants you to be strong and do mighty exploits in His Name. This will only happen as you totally surrender your life to the Lord and allow Him to plant you in His chosen field. When you yield yourself to His design, the fruit that He has ordained for your life will come forth and it will remain. +++
From: Mary Padgett Ministries, Inc.
A Word In Due Season
SUFFERING FOR A SEASON
Scripture: I Peter 5:10 "But the God of all grace, Who has called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered awhile, make you perfect, established, strengthen, and settle you."
Our Heavenly Father is the God of all grace. There is nothing too big for Him to handle and no situation that outweighs His measure of grace. There is no mountain too high, no valley too low, and no river too deep that will cause His grace to fail. God's grace is and always will be sufficient for every need. However, grace is only needed when there is a lack. The scripture above tells us that God has called us unto His eternal glory, but His glory will only come to us as we pass through the process of suffering.
We all want to experience God's glory but we do not relish the thought of suffering to get there. Like a piece of clay that must suffer through the process of being shaped into something useful, it is through suffering that God is able to mold us into the vessels that He wants us to be. Peter said that the God of all grace deals with us until we are perfect or mature and complete in every way. God does not leave the clay unfinished. He completes our beings through fiery trials and adverse situations. He also uses our seasons of suffering to establish us or make us resolute and steadfast in our direction, for when we suffer through various situations, we come out vowing never to be in those places again. Through suffering, we are also strengthened in power as our thoughts toward God are confirmed in spiritual knowledge. Seasons of suffering also settle our hearts and make sure our foundation.
You may wonder why God is so slow in turning your situation around. The previous scriptures tell you what you should do during your season of suffering. First, you must "humble yourself under the mighty hand of God" (I Peter 5 verse 6). By demoting yourself, you allow God to rule and have dominion over you. As you completely yield yourself to Him, He is able to finish His work within you. Second, you are to "cast all of your cares upon Him" (Vs. 7). He knows that you are in a tough place, but as you learn to let Him take all of your anxieties, worries, and concerns, it releases you from the power of the evil one. You must also "be sober and vigilant" (Vs. 8). Watching for the snares of the devil will keep you well-balanced and temperate. Caution must be exercised at all times because the devil will try to use your suffering situation to destroy your faith. Finally, you must realize that you are not alone and that suffering should not be considered something strange for those in the Kingdom of God. "The same afflictions are happening with your brothers throughout the world" (Vs.9).
You have an adversary that is going about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He is a desperate foe, but you can take refuge in the knowledge that God is the God of all grace, favor, and blessing. So be encourage to know that God has called you into His eternal glory and He is in control. He has designed your destiny and made sure that your suffering will only be for a season. +++
Re: KEITH NOTES FROM NANJING
More GREAT QUOTES
-SermonIndex
"I would rather teach one man to pray than ten men to preach."
- J. H. Jowett
"Continuing instant in prayer (Rom. 12:12). The Greek is a
metaphor taken from hunting dogs that never give over the game
till they have their prey." - Thomas Brooks
"There is no power like that of prevailing prayer, of Abraham
pleading for Sodom, Jacob wrestling in the stillness of the night,
Moses standing in the breach, Hannah intoxicated with sorrow,
David heartbroken with remorse and grief, Jesus in sweat of blood.
Add to this list from the records of the church your personal
observation and experience, and always there is the cost of
passion unto blood. Such prayer prevails. It turns ordinary mortals
into men of power. It brings power. It brings fire. It brings rain. It
brings life. It brings God." - Samuel Chadwick
"I ought to pray before seeing any one. Often when I sleep long, or
meet with others early, it is eleven or twelve o'clock before I begin
secret prayer." - Robert Murray M'Cheyne
"The men who have done the most for God in this world have been
early on their knees." - E. M. Bounds
"A man can not lead others where he is not willing to go himself.
Therefore, beware of the prayerless church leader who no longer
readily admits his own need for more of the person and power of
Jesus Christ. Only a seeking, praying heart can truly encourage
spiritual HUNGER in others!" - David Smithers
From: Mary Padgett Ministries, Inc.
A Word In Due Season
GOD'S WORD TALKS
Scripture: Proverbs 6:22 "God's commandments and laws "shall talk with you."
When God's Word talks, it is not an audible sound in the air, but the still small voice of His Spirit speaking to your inner being. It is thoughts that come from God's Word that are written within your heart. How many times have you started to do something questionable and a scripture or a thought from God came to your mind? It brought correction so that you could discern right from wrong and also helped you to make the right choice. That was God's Word talking. King Solomon, who wrote this proverb, also said, "Bind the commandments and laws of God upon your heart and tie them around your neck." When you have spiritually tied God's Word about your neck, it is like a yoke that will keep you going in the direction that God wants you to go.
This morning, as I was washing dishes, I started remembering an injustice that had been done to me several months ago. I started having a mock conversation with the person who had treated me unjustly. I said all the things that I never got to say when the situation occurred. I was really telling the person off and they were not even around to hear it. I finished the dishes and my complaining about the same time. I then turned the page of my kitchen Bible scripture calendar for the day, and God's Word was there to talk to me. The scripture on the calendar for the day was Psalms 39:1, "I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth."
God is awesome and His Word talked to me. In just a moment of time His Spirit spoke to me through that simple word. In my darkness, God's Word became light and He let me know that He did not want those meditations to consume my heart or those words to be spoken from my mouth. God was not pleased with my murmuring and spoke frankly to my spirit suggesting that if necessary, I should put a muzzle on my mouth. God wanted me to start the day in a joyful mood with fresh thanksgivings in my heart and praise upon my lips. His Word corrected me and became a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. It restored my joy and gave me beauty for ashes. God can work with us in this manner when our hearts are full of His Word. Make an effort to deposit His Words into your heart so that He can withdraw it and talk to you personally throughout the day. When His Word talks to you, your life will be changed
PROVERBS 12:15
15
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
but a wise man listens to advice.
WHATS' YOUR VIEW?
A recurring theme in the book of Proverbs is the contrast, between the foolish man and wise man. In every case, the way of the fool leads to regret, but the way of the wise leads to blessing.
In this passage, we learn that a fool is a person who will not listen to godly counsel; unfortunately, we see this attitude in the church far too often. Especially when it comes to the matter of sin. To rebuke or correct someone has become an issue of contention among the people of God. One of the reasons is the fact that those who enjoy “correcting" their fellow believers are in no moral position to do so. The other reason is that correction can be painful. However, if we cannot receive correction, we will never grow to maturity in our faith. Proverbs 12:1 says, “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid."
Sin blinds us to the truth. Often people come to us, and give advice and in most cases we do not receive it well. We all like to protect ourselves, me included. We see ourselves right in our own eyes.
Are we open to people giving us advice, or are we so blind that we are constantly refusing it? We need to have a reverence for God, an awareness of our frailty, and an openness to receive correction, no matter how much it hurts. It is one thing to fall into sin; it is another to refuse instruction so that we can continue to live in it. Show me a Christian that refuses correction, and I will show you a Christian that is on their way to "God’s woodshed.” A place of divine chastening that is far more painful than the instruction they rejected. My advice: Stay away from the woodshed!! Receive Correction!!
Giving heed to Biblical correction is a sign of true Christian maturity.
God bless you
KK
SERMONS
By Dennis Lyle
The lord of the Lampstands Revelation 1 37 minutes
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=7251070540
Ephesus the formal church Revelation 2:1-7 44 minutes
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=8110630290
Smyrna the fearful church Revelation 2:8-12
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=8810651522
Pergamos the faltering Church Revelation 2
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=8221063400
Guest devotion
The religion of the Bible!
(Samuel Davies, "The Divine Authority and Sufficiency of the Christian Religion")
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17
The Scriptures give us sufficient instructions what we should believe.
They are a sufficient rule of faith.
The Holy Scriptures give us complete directions in matters of practice.
They are a sufficient rule of life.
In short, in the sacred writings manifests the only worthy principles and vigorous springs of a suitable conduct . . .
towards God,
towards one another,
and towards ourselves.
The religion of the Bible has the direct tendency to promote true piety and solid virtue in the world.
It is such a religion as befits a God to reveal. It is such a religion as we might expect from Him if ever He instituted any.
It is a religion intended and adapted to regulate self-love, and to diffuse the love of God and man through the world.
It is a religion productive of every humane, social, and divine virtue, and directly calculated to banish sin out of the world.
It is a religion which transforms . . .
impiety, into devotion;
injustice and oppression, into equity and universal benevolence;
and sensuality, into sobriety!
It is a religion infinitely preferable to any that has been contrived by the wisest and best of mortals.
And whence do you think could this godlike religion proceed? Does not its nature prove its origin to be divine? Does it not evidently bear the lineaments of its heavenly Author? Can you ever imagine that such a pure, such a holy, such a perfect system--could be the contrivance of wicked, infernal spirits, of selfish, artful priests, or politicians, or of a group of daring impostors, or wild enthusiasts?
"The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.
They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward!" Psalm 19:7-11
-SermonIndex
"I would rather teach one man to pray than ten men to preach."
- J. H. Jowett
"Continuing instant in prayer (Rom. 12:12). The Greek is a
metaphor taken from hunting dogs that never give over the game
till they have their prey." - Thomas Brooks
"There is no power like that of prevailing prayer, of Abraham
pleading for Sodom, Jacob wrestling in the stillness of the night,
Moses standing in the breach, Hannah intoxicated with sorrow,
David heartbroken with remorse and grief, Jesus in sweat of blood.
Add to this list from the records of the church your personal
observation and experience, and always there is the cost of
passion unto blood. Such prayer prevails. It turns ordinary mortals
into men of power. It brings power. It brings fire. It brings rain. It
brings life. It brings God." - Samuel Chadwick
"I ought to pray before seeing any one. Often when I sleep long, or
meet with others early, it is eleven or twelve o'clock before I begin
secret prayer." - Robert Murray M'Cheyne
"The men who have done the most for God in this world have been
early on their knees." - E. M. Bounds
"A man can not lead others where he is not willing to go himself.
Therefore, beware of the prayerless church leader who no longer
readily admits his own need for more of the person and power of
Jesus Christ. Only a seeking, praying heart can truly encourage
spiritual HUNGER in others!" - David Smithers
From: Mary Padgett Ministries, Inc.
A Word In Due Season
GOD'S WORD TALKS
Scripture: Proverbs 6:22 "God's commandments and laws "shall talk with you."
When God's Word talks, it is not an audible sound in the air, but the still small voice of His Spirit speaking to your inner being. It is thoughts that come from God's Word that are written within your heart. How many times have you started to do something questionable and a scripture or a thought from God came to your mind? It brought correction so that you could discern right from wrong and also helped you to make the right choice. That was God's Word talking. King Solomon, who wrote this proverb, also said, "Bind the commandments and laws of God upon your heart and tie them around your neck." When you have spiritually tied God's Word about your neck, it is like a yoke that will keep you going in the direction that God wants you to go.
This morning, as I was washing dishes, I started remembering an injustice that had been done to me several months ago. I started having a mock conversation with the person who had treated me unjustly. I said all the things that I never got to say when the situation occurred. I was really telling the person off and they were not even around to hear it. I finished the dishes and my complaining about the same time. I then turned the page of my kitchen Bible scripture calendar for the day, and God's Word was there to talk to me. The scripture on the calendar for the day was Psalms 39:1, "I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth."
God is awesome and His Word talked to me. In just a moment of time His Spirit spoke to me through that simple word. In my darkness, God's Word became light and He let me know that He did not want those meditations to consume my heart or those words to be spoken from my mouth. God was not pleased with my murmuring and spoke frankly to my spirit suggesting that if necessary, I should put a muzzle on my mouth. God wanted me to start the day in a joyful mood with fresh thanksgivings in my heart and praise upon my lips. His Word corrected me and became a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. It restored my joy and gave me beauty for ashes. God can work with us in this manner when our hearts are full of His Word. Make an effort to deposit His Words into your heart so that He can withdraw it and talk to you personally throughout the day. When His Word talks to you, your life will be changed
PROVERBS 12:15
15
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
but a wise man listens to advice.
WHATS' YOUR VIEW?
A recurring theme in the book of Proverbs is the contrast, between the foolish man and wise man. In every case, the way of the fool leads to regret, but the way of the wise leads to blessing.
In this passage, we learn that a fool is a person who will not listen to godly counsel; unfortunately, we see this attitude in the church far too often. Especially when it comes to the matter of sin. To rebuke or correct someone has become an issue of contention among the people of God. One of the reasons is the fact that those who enjoy “correcting" their fellow believers are in no moral position to do so. The other reason is that correction can be painful. However, if we cannot receive correction, we will never grow to maturity in our faith. Proverbs 12:1 says, “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid."
Sin blinds us to the truth. Often people come to us, and give advice and in most cases we do not receive it well. We all like to protect ourselves, me included. We see ourselves right in our own eyes.
Are we open to people giving us advice, or are we so blind that we are constantly refusing it? We need to have a reverence for God, an awareness of our frailty, and an openness to receive correction, no matter how much it hurts. It is one thing to fall into sin; it is another to refuse instruction so that we can continue to live in it. Show me a Christian that refuses correction, and I will show you a Christian that is on their way to "God’s woodshed.” A place of divine chastening that is far more painful than the instruction they rejected. My advice: Stay away from the woodshed!! Receive Correction!!
Giving heed to Biblical correction is a sign of true Christian maturity.
God bless you
KK
SERMONS
By Dennis Lyle
The lord of the Lampstands Revelation 1 37 minutes
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=7251070540
Ephesus the formal church Revelation 2:1-7 44 minutes
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=8110630290
Smyrna the fearful church Revelation 2:8-12
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=8810651522
Pergamos the faltering Church Revelation 2
https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=8221063400
Guest devotion
The religion of the Bible!
(Samuel Davies, "The Divine Authority and Sufficiency of the Christian Religion")
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17
The Scriptures give us sufficient instructions what we should believe.
They are a sufficient rule of faith.
The Holy Scriptures give us complete directions in matters of practice.
They are a sufficient rule of life.
In short, in the sacred writings manifests the only worthy principles and vigorous springs of a suitable conduct . . .
towards God,
towards one another,
and towards ourselves.
The religion of the Bible has the direct tendency to promote true piety and solid virtue in the world.
It is such a religion as befits a God to reveal. It is such a religion as we might expect from Him if ever He instituted any.
It is a religion intended and adapted to regulate self-love, and to diffuse the love of God and man through the world.
It is a religion productive of every humane, social, and divine virtue, and directly calculated to banish sin out of the world.
It is a religion which transforms . . .
impiety, into devotion;
injustice and oppression, into equity and universal benevolence;
and sensuality, into sobriety!
It is a religion infinitely preferable to any that has been contrived by the wisest and best of mortals.
And whence do you think could this godlike religion proceed? Does not its nature prove its origin to be divine? Does it not evidently bear the lineaments of its heavenly Author? Can you ever imagine that such a pure, such a holy, such a perfect system--could be the contrivance of wicked, infernal spirits, of selfish, artful priests, or politicians, or of a group of daring impostors, or wild enthusiasts?
"The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.
They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward!" Psalm 19:7-11
Re: KEITH NOTES FROM NANJING
[size=40][size=40]'Lord, Grant Me Divine Communion'[/size][/size]
Ezekiel 33:22 wrote:Now the hand of the Lord had been upon me the evening before . . .
But the hand of the Lord may also be felt in another manner, strengthening the soul and lifting the spirit upward toward eternal things. O that I may in this sense feel the Lord dealing with me! A sense of the divine presence and indwelling bears the soul toward heaven as upon the wings of eagles.
At such times we are full to the brim with spiritual joy, and forget the cares and sorrows of earth; the invisible is near, and the visible loses its power over us. Servant-body waits at the foot of the hill, and the master-spirit worships upon the summit in the presence of the Lord. O that a hallowed season of divine communion may be granted to me this evening! The Lord knows that I need it very greatly.
My graces languish, my corruptions rage, my faith is weak, my devotion is cold; all these are reasons why His healing hand should be laid upon me. His hand can cool the heat of my burning brow and calm the turmoil of my palpitating heart. That glorious right hand that molded the world can renew my mind; the unwearied hand that bears the earth's huge pillars can sustain my spirit; the loving hand that encloses all the saints can cherish me; and the mighty hand that breaks in pieces the enemy can subdue my sins.
Why should I not feel that hand touching me this evening? Come, my soul, address God with the potent plea that Jesus' hands were pierced for your redemption, and you shall surely feel that same hand upon you that once touched Daniel and set him upon his knees that he might see visions of God.
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