January 16, 2009

The Lord Our Maker

"O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker." (Psalm 95:6)

Psalms 95-100 seem to form a unit with several common themes running through them, all involving praise to the Lord.

One of these major themes is the recognition of the Lord as Maker of heaven and earth.  For example, consider Psalm 95:5. "The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land." Thus, God made the earth, including both land and sea.  But He also made the heavens!  "For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens" (Psalm 96:5).

Higher and far more complex than any planet of the solar system or any star in the heavens, are the living organisms found only on planet earth--especially human beings--and He made these too.  "Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture" (Psalm 100:3).

It is significant that these verses all emphasize the activities of God as Maker, rather than as Creator.  In the first chapter of Genesis, both types of activity are stressed, the account finally concluding with the summary: "All his work which God created and made" (Genesis 2:3).

The two types of work are almost synonymous when referring to the divine activity, but not quite (otherwise "created and made" would be redundant).  Specifically, the three acts of true creation in Genesis are the creation of the physical elements of the cosmos, the entity of biological life, and the spiritual image of God in man (Genesis 1:1, 21, 27).  These entities God simply called into being, ex nihilo, by His omnipotent Word.

Everything else He made, or formed or let be, out of the three basic entities that were specially created.  He is both Creator and Maker of all things, and we should worship Him as such.  HMM


http://www.icr.org/article/lord-our-maker/

O come,let us worship and bow down.let us kneel before the Lord OUR maker.O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.fear before Him,all the earth.The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord,at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.Make a joyful noise unto the Lord,ALL the earth.make a loud noise,and rejoice,and sing praise.Exalt the Lord our God,and worship at His holy hill,for the Lord our God is holy.Know ye that the Lord He is God.It is He that hath made us,and not we ourselves. We are His people,and the sheep of His pasture.All glory be to you Lord.

Image123:

O come,let us worship and bow down.let us kneel before the Lord OUR maker.O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.fear before Him,all the earth.The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord,at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.Make a joyful noise unto the Lord,ALL the earth.make a loud noise,and rejoice,and sing praise.Exalt the Lord our God,and worship at His holy hill,for the Lord our God is holy.Know ye that the Lord He is God.It is He that hath made us,and not we ourselves. We are His people,and the sheep of His pasture.All glory be to you Lord.

Halleluyah, glory to God in the highest. Amen.

Image123:

O come,let us worship and bow down.let us kneel before the Lord OUR maker.O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.fear before Him,all the earth.The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord,at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.Make a joyful noise unto the Lord,ALL the earth.make a loud noise,and rejoice,and sing praise.Exalt the Lord our God,and worship at His holy hill,for the Lord our God is holy.Know ye that the Lord He is God.It is He that hath made us,and not we ourselves. We are His people,and the sheep of His pasture.All glory be to you Lord.

AMEN! ! ! God bless broda

@ Gamine
I got some info. 4 u pls contact me aicomiare@yahoo.com

January 17, 2009

Running to Christ

"The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe." (Proverbs 18:10)

When one realizes that he is lost and that only Christ can save him, he should not delay a moment, but come immediately to Christ.  There are, in fact, several men in the New Testament who actually ran to Him.

There was the man possessed with a whole legion of demons.  "But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him" (Mark 5:6), and Jesus set him free.

Then there was a young man who wanted to learn of Christ.  When he found that Jesus was going away, he came "running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" (Mark 10:17).  Unfortunately, his sincerity failed when he realized the cost.  Zeal without sacrifice is dead, as is faith without works.

There was another wealthy man who was willing to pay the price.  "And |Zacchaeus[i]| ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way[/i]" (Luke 19:4).  The conversion of Zacchaeus was genuine, and he demonstrated it by a changed and sacrificial life.

In the midst of Christ's suffering on the cross, He spoke of His awful thirst, and an unknown observer "ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink" (Mark 15:36). Christ will not forget this expression of concern and sympathy.

After His burial, Mary Magdalene came back to tell Peter and John that the tomb was open. "So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. . . . and he saw, and believed" (John 20:4-.

All who hasten wholeheartedly to Christ, sincerely seeking to know and serve Him, will find salvation in His name, for "the name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe." HMM


http://www.icr.org/article/4224/

January 18, 2009

The Way and the Glory

"Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people." (Exodus 33:13)

"Moses the man of God" (Deuteronomy 33:1) was surely one of the greatest men who ever lived.  He was the leader of a great nation, he received the tablets of the law from God, and he compiled and wrote the Pentateuch.  It was said that "there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face" (Deuteronomy 34:10).  Yet, "the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth" (Numbers 12:3).

It was such a man as this who made two remarkable requests of God.  The first was, as above: "Shew me now thy way." The second, just a moment later, was: "Shew me thy glory" (Exodus 33:18).

These were not selfish requests.  Moses desired the way of the Lord on behalf of his people.  God answered this request with the gracious promise: "My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest" (Exodus 33:14).

But then he also asked to see the glory of God.  So God placed Moses "in a clift of the rock," covering him with His hand as His glory passed by, allowing him to see the remnants of His glory, as it were (Exodus 33:22-23), since he could not have endured any more.  With such a vision of God's glory, Moses was then able to lead the Israelite multitude for 40 years in a terrible wilderness, transforming them from a mob of slaves into God's chosen nation, ready to bring God's Word, and God's Son, into the world.

We also can see His way and His glory.  Jesus said: "I am the way" (John 14:6).  Then He prayed: "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory" (John 17:24).  HMM

http://www.icr.org/article/way-glory/

January 19, 2009

The Tree of Science

"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." (Genesis 2:17)

In this age of science, it is well to remember that the basic meaning of "science" (Latin, scientia) is "knowledge."  Thus, it is instructive to substitute "science" whenever the word "knowledge" is used in Scripture.  For example: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of science" (Proverbs 1:7).

It is significant that the first mention of knowledge in the Bible is in connection with the "tree of knowledge of good and evil" (Genesis 2:9).  God warned Adam not to partake of that which would become in him "the science of good and evil" (Genesis 2:17).  Adam already was familiar with good science, because everything God had made was "very good" (Genesis 1:31).  But Satan tempted Eve with the humanistic lie that "ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:5), and ever since, "science" has been both good and evil.  Real science, properly applied, is good and beneficial to mankind, but "science falsely so called" (1 Timothy 6:20)--that is, pseudo-sciences, such as evolution and the humanistic social sciences--is both useless and harmful.

There are many references to knowledge in the Bible, and it is good to remember that in Christ "are hid all the treasures of wisdom and science" (Colossians 2:3). And it is very significant that the last mention of knowledge, or science, in the Bible is in the last verse written by the apostle Peter before his martyrdom: "But grow in grace, and in the science of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18).

One can be ever so learned in all the sciences and the various intellectual disciplines of mankind, but if he does not know the Lord Jesus Christ, he has failed in the one science that yields everlasting life.  He has eaten of the tree of science but has ignored the tree of life.  HMM

http://www.icr.org/article/tree-science/

Let Go of Legalism and Embrace Grace

Wendy Pope



"I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:14 (NIV)

         

Devotion:

New Year's resolutions: we all make them and most of us fail or give up on them, usually by the end of February.
I believe the reason we fail or give up on these resolutions is because we don't give ourselves any grace to slip.
We set goals with a pass/fail mentality. We become so focused on the goal "I am going to ," determined not to fail,
that the obsession sets up the failure. We become so legalistically determined to meet the goal we forget about giving
ourselves grace as we strive towards it.



So I say this year let's let go of the old tradition of pass/fail legalistic-minded resolutions, and embrace grace in setting God-driven,
Spirit-inspired goals for 2009.



How do we that? First, we need to seek God in setting the goals. Many times we set goals that are not intended for us.
We are made in the image of God and the goals we set should be made with the purpose of becoming like Him.
Ask God what you can do in 2009 to become more like Him. Perhaps it is spending more time in His Word, or praying for others.
Maybe, like me, you forget your body is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit and you don't treat it as the temple that it is.
Perhaps God wants you to be more evangelism or mission minded in 2009.


Second, go to God's Word for support for your goal. Websites like Crosswalk.com and Biblegateway.com are excellent resources
for researching scriptures on specific topics. Record the scriptures along with your corresponding goal in a spiral index card notebook.
This notebook will be your quick scripture support when you need it, and it is small enough for your purse.



Third, enlist accountability. This doesn't necessarily mean announce your goals to your entire Sunday School class or
put them on the class prayer list, unless God tells you to. These goals have been prayed over and inspired by God.
Ask God to lead you to those who will pray for you, as well as hold you accountable to your goal.
Keep in mind that God might lead you to someone other than your best girlfriends.
Allow Him to surprise you and work in new ways in your life.



Fourth, embrace grace. Give yourself a break if you slip back a bit. Keep your eyes on the big picture,
the end goal of becoming more like Christ. Remember God inspired your goals. When He calls you to do something,
He supplies all you need to accomplish it, even grace. Showing yourself grace does not mean you are giving yourself
permission to continue to slip. It means that if you slip, you admit it, step up the prayer, and keep pressing forward.

Lastly, set a monthly or quarterly check point with your accountability partner(s) and allow for the Holy Spirit to work in tweaking the goal.
Setting long-term goals is difficult for me. If I tell myself that I only have to make it until next month, I am more likely not to slip.


Sounds so easy doesn't it? Probably not. Obtainable? Most definitely. Ready, get set, pray. Start praying today.
He has amazing things waiting ahead in 2009.


Dear Lord, thank you for the hope of a New Year. Will You help me to set the goals that You would have me set?
I want to become more like You in 2009. I know this is Your plan for me. Thank You in advance for supplying all my needs to meet
the goals You will lead me to accomplish. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

January 20, 2009

Love In Action

"Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up." (1 Corinthians 13:4)

It is well known that "charity" in this famous "love chapter" is the Greek agape, which is translated "love" three times as often as it is translated "charity," even in the King James Version.  Why then did the scholarly translators prefer to use "charity" in this chapter, of all places?

Possibly it is because 1 Corinthians 13 emphasizes what love does, rather than what love is.  Love is described in this chapter, not with adjectives or adverbs, but with verbs! "Charity," in the Old English sense, was not merely giving to feed the poor (note v. 3), but meant agape love--an unselfish, enduring, and active concern on behalf of others.

In this passage (vv. 4-8, 13) are listed 17 actions which love, or charity, does or does not engage in. Love acts with patience and kindness; it does not envy others or seek to impress others, neither does it exhibit arrogance or conceit.  Love is never rude, does not seek its own way, is slow to take offense, and bears no malice or resentment.  Love does not gloat over the sins of others and is delighted when truth prevails.  Love will bear up under any trial and will never lose faith; it is always hopeful and unlimited in its endurance.

Finally, genuine love will be eternal.  Even faith will cease when it is replaced by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7), and hope will finally be fulfilled (Romans 8:24), but love will abide forever.  Love, of course, is eternal because Christ is eternal, and Christ is God, and God is love.

This classic passage, describing genuine Christian love, could in fact be read as a beautiful description of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.  That is, "Christ suffereth long, and is kind," and so on, finally climaxing in the great truth, "Christ never faileth."  Jesus Christ is, indeed, love in action! HMM


http://www.icr.org/article/love-action/

Special Study:

THE BLESSEDNESS OF PURITY OF HEART
Matthew 5:8; Psalm 24:3,4; Revelation 22:3-5

The heart is the centre of life; out of it are the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). The surrounding may be clean but as a man thinks in his heart so is he (Proverbs 23:7). We need to have a clean, pure and perfect heart towards God (Matthew 12:34). The condition of the heart determines what we say with our tongues, what we do with our hands, where we go with our feet. It is the heart that moves or directs other parts of the body, including the brain. It is the heart, not other parts of the body that harbours guilt resulting from deeds done by other parts of the body like hands, feet, tongue, etc. Also, what we treasure within tells who we are (Luke 6:45; 1 Samuel 16:7). The Lord searches the heart. Heart righteousness and not head religion, is what will take us to heaven. Knowledge of divine revelation, Christian doctrines, good activities and Christian services are not enough to take us to heaven unless there is heart righteousness (Psalm 15:1,2).

1. THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING PURE IN HEART
Matthew 5:8; 2 Kings 20:3-6; Acts 15:8,9; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 Thessalonians 2:4-10; Genesis 5:22-24; Daniel 6:3,22; Psalm 24:3,4; Revelation 7:9-17.

Purity of heart is possible. There are people who had lived before us who were pure in heart though they had temptations like we are having. If it was possible for them to be pure, it is possible for us today. If God did it for them, He will do it for us too. One of them, Hezekiah, at the point of death, prayed without fear of condemnation, “I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight” and God answered because he truly had a perfect heart.  From the prayer of Hezekiah, it is clear that the married and the unmarried, the leaders and the led can be pure in heart.  Management position or administration should not be an excuse for nursing an impure heart.  If it was possible for early apostles like John and Peter who were once boisterous, violent, boastful and self-confident to have their nature so changed so much that they turned out to be the ones advocating love, gentleness, humility and meekness, then it is possible for anyone.  Early believers including Cornelius, a military officer, also had their hearts purified by faith. “And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.”  Therefore, whatever province, state or country you live in, it is possible to be pure in heart.  Before Paul the apostle was born again, he had  murderous, violent character.  But after salvation occasioned by Christ and purity of heart, he became so gentle and loving like a nurse.  What a change the grace of God can make in a man’s life!  Pure heart implies a pure mind, conscience, a purified affection, pure submissive will to the truth of the Word of God and to the righteousness of God in the inner man, in the inward part.

2. THE PROVISION OF PURITY OF HEART
Matthew 5:8; Deuteronomy 30:6; Ezekiel 36:25-28; Psalm 51:6-10; Romans 2:29; Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 5:25-27; John 17:6-23; Hebrews 8:6,10; Hebrews 9:13,14; 10:16-23;13:12-14,20,21.

God has made sufficient provision for the purification of our hearts.  But we have to make use of this provision so that the blessing of purity of heart can be our experience.  Beside the provision, God has power to change man and any of His creatures.  Thus, the Word of God says, “And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live” (Deuteronomy 30:6).  Both negative and positive miracles in scriptures show us that God can circumcise our hearts.  If He changed the heart of Nebuchadnezzar from that of a man to an animal that ate grass for seven years, if He turned him to his natural, human senses afterwards, He can change our nature – mind, soul and spirit – so we can love Him with a pure heart.  If God could open the eyes of Balaam’s ass – the most stupid and dullest of animals – to see an angel, if He could open its mouth to speak human language distinctly with understanding, can He not so transform a life yielded to His hands to possess a circumcised heart?  If God could suspend the carnivorous and ferocious nature of many lions such that they could not do any harm to Daniel, it is not hard for Him to change human attitude, life and nature.  If God could perform these miracles on men and animals, He can and will change us if we allow Him.  There is no excuse then for remaining uncircumcised at heart. 

Knowledge of things that God has done in scriptures activates our faith to believe that He can cleanse us completely from moral impurity.  That God could make the clothes Christ wore on the Mount of Transfiguration to be as white as no earthly dry cleaner could make should encourage us to believe that He, according to His promise and provision, can “sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:25, 26). 

3. THE PROMISE FOR THE PURE IN HEART
Matthew 5:8; Job 33:25,26; Numbers 12:5-8; Exodus 33:11; Deuteronomy 34:10;  Isaiah 33:15-17; Hebrews 12:14; 1 John 3:2,3;  Job 19:25-27; Revelation 22:3-5.

The privilege that we have of seeing God face to face is great.  There are normal requirements and conditions to be fulfilled before seeing great leaders in this world.  People find it easy fulfilling those conditions because of the benefits they will enjoy.  God’s own condition to be fulfilled before we can see His face is holiness of heart and life.  To interact with God here on earth at the time of prayer, on hospital beds, during persecution, trials and at death, what an incomparable privilege and joy will it be!  But if you leave this world without a pure heart with which to see God, how miserable will you be all through eternity.  Death is a glorious experience for the pure in heart.  At death, John Wesley said, “the best and the greatest that can ever happen is to see God”; D. L. Moody said, “glorious day of coronation”; and another saint said, “I see them, I see them, myriads of angels”.

God defends the pure in heart.  He spoke with Moses face to face because he was pure in heart.  God commands us to possess and maintain a pure and holy heart so as to enjoy this privilege of seeing Him face to face on earth and in heaven.  When Christ shall return on that glorious day of rapture and resurrection, we shall see Him face to face.  What a glorious hope and expectation for the pure in heart!  “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8 ).  To be among the number that will see God, ask the Lord to purify your heart now.



*  *  *  *  *  *  *
Congregational Songs:   

SEARCH  ME,  O  GOD

1. Search me, O God, and know my heart today;
Try me, O Lord, and know my thoughts I pray;
See if there be some wicked way in me,
Cleanse me from ev’ry sin and set me free.

2. I praise Thee Lord, for cleansing me from sin;
Fulfil Thy Word, and make me pure within;
Fill me with fire, where once I burned with shame
Grant my desire to magnify Thy name.

3. Lord, take my life, and make it wholly Thine;
Fill my poor heart with Thy great love divine;
Take all my will, my passion, self and pride;
I now surrender - Lord, in me abide.

4. O Holy Ghost, revival comes from Thee;
Send a revival - start the work in me:
Thy Word declares Thou wilt supply our need;
For blessing now, O Lord, I humbly plead.


MORE LIKE THE MASTER

1. More like the Master I would ever be,
More of His meekness more humility;
More zeal to labour, more courage to be true,
More consecration for work He bids me do.

Take thou my heart, — I would be Thine alone;
Take Thou my heart and make it all Thine own;
Purge me from sin, O Lord, I now implore,
Wash me and keep me Thine forever more.

2. More like the Master, is my daily prayer;
More strength to carry crosses I must bear;
More earnest effort to bring His kingdom in;
More of His Spirit, the wanderer to win.

3. More like the Master I would live and grow;
More of His love to others I would show;
More self-denial, like His in Galilee,
More like the Master I long to ever be.

For the free downloading of the audio and video message click on the link below and go into the "current Bible Study" hyperlink.

http://www.dclm.org/Resources/ResourcesDirectory/tabid/130/Default.aspx

January 21, 2009

A Soon Departure

"Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me." (2 Peter 1:14)

Peter was writing to the scattered believers, persecuted from without and badgered from within by false teachers.  He wrote to "put [them] always in remembrance of these things" which they had been taught, and so that they would "be established in the present truth" (v. 12).  As he wrote, he viewed his impending "decease" (v. 15, literally "exodus" as merely putting off his earthly tent and putting on another as one would change clothes (2 Corinthians 5:1-2).  But this would, perhaps, be his last opportunity to strengthen the lives of the believers.

Once before, Peter had faced the prospect of death.  The church was under attack (Acts 12:1).  Of the three who had been in Jesus’ "inner circle," James had been killed (v. 2), and Peter had been imprisoned and was under heavy guard (vv. 3-6).  However, an angel of the Lord (v. 7) escorted him out of prison and out of harm’s way (vv. 8-10).  We can only surmise the full impact this made on Peter and his ministry, but we do know he was not afraid to die for his Lord.

Actually, as mentioned in our text, the resurrected Lord Himself had predicted Peter’s brutal death at the hands of the enemy (John 21:19).  Tradition has it that Peter was crucified upside down during the persecution of the church at the hands of Nero, no doubt glorifying God in and through his death.

But his main concerns in this passage were the believers to whom he wrote.  He even revealed that he had a plan to "have these things always in remembrance" (2 Peter 1:15).  This would be through his diligent teaching, through his letters, and evidently also through the ministry of his own disciple, Mark (1 Peter 5:13), who would carry on after his death.

May God grant each of us a similarly fearless, fruitful, and lasting ministry.  JDM

http://www.icr.org/article/soon-departure/

Amen brother.thanks

I'm happy some1 out there is preaching the word. We allm need God more than ever especially in this endtime. Jesus is coming soon.

January 22, 2009

The Provision of God

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19)

Psalm 136 gives three key examples of God's sovereign provision.  He protects and shelters during our times in the "wilderness."  He makes possible victories over great "enemies."  And he gives "food to all flesh."  God's detailed provision and the many examples thereof in the Scriptures are inexhaustible.  Yet, in these three areas, we may find hope for any situation "in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).

Our "wanderings" are compared to hard hearted Israel (1 Corinthians 10) and the many physical and spiritual sins of a people in rebellion to God's control in their lives.  Jesus warned that the "cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things" would "choke the word" and make us unfruitful (Mark 4:19).  Yet, even though we may be like the younger son in the story of the prodigal (Luke 15:11-32) and would waste our "substance in riotous living," God was still the Provider of the inheritance that was wasted.  God was still waiting for the son to come "to himself" and return home.  God still has compassion, and He forgives and restores to fellowship all who come home.

And were it not for the promises of deliverance from our enemies that are so replete throughout the Scriptures, were it not for the hope that we would see deliverance "in the land of the living" (Psalm 27:13), and were it not for the confident knowledge that "evildoers shall be cut off" (Psalm 37:9), we would be in constant fear and torment.  God promises to bring us victory!  We are told that He will fight for us, and that we are not left to our own devices!  Jesus said, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. . . . and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.  Amen" (Matthew 28:18-20). HMM III


http://www.icr.org/article/provision-god/

God bless Nigeria

January 23, 2009

Sit Still

"Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day." (Ruth 3:18)

This was the instruction given to Ruth by Naomi in hopes that her kinsman, Boaz, would be willing to perform his family duty and marry Ruth, whose Jewish husband had died in Moab.  Ruth's behavior had been honorable, and she had done what she could to let Boaz know she was willing to be his wife, but now she could do nothing except to sit still and wait.

This lesson needs to be remembered by Christians today.  All too often we rush ahead of the Lord, fearful that things won't work out unless we take matters into our own hands.  When the Jews were being invaded by the Assyrian armies and felt they needed an alliance with Pharaoh, God warned: "The Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strength is to sit still. . . . In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength" (Isaiah 30:7-15).

Long before, when the children of Israel were in even more desperate circumstances, with the Egyptian armies pursuing them and the Red Sea in front of them, Moses had said: "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord" (Exodus 14:13).  Soon, the chariots of Pharaoh were at the bottom of the sea, just as, in due time, Boaz did marry Ruth, and as, 600 year later, the hosts of the Assyrians were slain by the angel of the Lord (Isaiah 37:36).

There is, certainly, a time to work--and work hard--in the service of the Lord.  There are spiritual battles to be fought and races to be run.  But when we have done the best we know how, according to the Scriptures, and still don't see the answer, there comes a time when we must simply sit still, and wait for the Lord.  He would have us "be still, and know that |He is| God" (Psalm 46:10).  HMM


http://www.icr.org/article/sit-still/

January 24, 2009

Fitly Framed Together

"In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord." (Ephesians 2:21)

This verse is at the heart of Paul's beautiful exposition of the growth, one by one, of the great body of believers who will eventually comprise "the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven" (Hebrews 12:23).  Here the figure of a great building is used, "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone" (Ephesians 2:20).

Upon this strong foundation the building is erected, with each stone being selected and prepared by God for its own specific place in the beautiful edifice.  The stones, of course, are individual believers. These "lively stones, are built up a spiritual house" (1 Peter 2:5), and like the beautiful temple of Solomon, where "the glory of the Lord filled the house" (2 Chronicles 7:1), these "also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit" (Ephesians 2:22).

Each stone must be exquisitely chiseled and polished, so that all will be "fitly framed together" when placed in the building.  The stones may well be of varied sizes, shapes, and hues in order to display the architectural pattern and message planned and designed by the divine builder, but each is necessary for the integrity of the building.  Some may be large stones, highly visible and ornate; others may be small and scarcely noticed, but all are essential, and must be "fitly framed together," so that the finished structure indeed can serve appropriately as "an holy temple in the Lord."

Every true Christian is a stone for the spiritual temple, now being cut and carefully dimensioned for a specific role, then polished and adorned for that precise location in the heavenly building (or ministry in the work of God), where he or she can best serve God (Revelation 22:3) in the eternal ages to come.  HMM

http://www.icr.org/article/4231/

Inspiring story of how the melody of the song Amazing Grace was inspired by the black slaves. By Wintley Phipps.

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=db6442f57606c6fedd54

http://www.godtube.com/shalominYeshua

African Americans are so attached to the song

Pepeye:

African Americans are so attached to the song

Listening to the amazing story puts it on another emotional level when you sing it.

January 25, 2009

Elijah's Prayer

"Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit." (James 5:17-18)

"Elias" is the New Testament name for Elijah, the great prophet who lived during the darkest days of Israel's apostasy, when Ahab and Jezebel ruled the land and had turned it over to the worship of the demonic god Baal.  "Elijah" means "Jehovah is God," a most appropriate name for a prophet of the true God in a nation and time given over to paganism.

Elijah suddenly appeared before King Ahab with the ominous prophecy: "As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these year, but according to my word" (1 Kings 17:1). This was not presumptuous.  In his commentary, James said Elijah "prayed earnestly" before he spoke, and that "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16).

This remarkable prophecy was miraculously fulfilled.  There was no rain in all the land of Israel for 3.5 years (as also confirmed by Christ in Luke 4:25) until Elijah defeated all the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:17-45).

Yet James reminds us that Elijah was "a man of like passions as we," and that both ends of the miracle--the onset and termination of the long, nationwide drought--were simply answers to Elijah's two fervent prayers.  James has much to say about how we also can receive wonderful answers to prayer.  In addition to praying fervently, we must "ask in faith, nothing wavering" (James 1:6). But faith must be expressed by action (as when Elijah confronted Ahab), for "faith without works is dead" (James 2:20).  Finally, if we "ask, and receive not," it may be that we "ask amiss," wanting the answer only for ourselves (James 4:3).  HMM


http://www.icr.org/article/4232/

January 26, 2009

Evidence of the Spirit's Filling

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit." (Ephesians 5:18)

This classic verse on the filling of the Holy Spirit can be rendered as follows: "And don't begin to be drunk with wine, which involves profligacy, but be continually being filled with the Spirit." That is, one cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit (which implies complete control by the Holy Spirit) if he has come to even the slightest degree under the control of wine (or anything else, for that matter).

Being fully controlled and guided by the Spirit is not just a one-time experience.  It should be a continual experience--a moment-by-moment control of one's thoughts and actions by God.  In practice, however, it is at best a repeated experience, whereas most Christians experience it quite rarely, if at all.

But how does one have such an experience? And what is the evidence that it is the real thing? To be controlled by the Holy Spirit, one must yield control to Him, and not let himself be controlled by anything or anyone else.  In practice, this means believing and obeying the Word which He inspired, consciously yielding one's self as often as necessary.  Jesus promised that "when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13).

It should be noted that the filling of the Spirit is not necessarily marked by any particular feeling or ecstatic experience.  The real proof is in the life, manifested by such characteristics as are described in the context of the passages referring to the Spirit's filling.  In our text, it is obvious that such a filling is accompanied by

[list]
[li]redeeming one's time (v. 16),[/li]
[/list]
[list]
[li]understanding God's will (v. 17), [/li]
[/list]
[list]
[li]a happy and Bible-centered conversation (v. 19), [/li]
[/list]
[list]
[li]a continuously thankful heart (v. 20), and [/li]
[/list]
[list]
[li]a right attitude and relationship with one's spouse (vv. 22-25). [/li]
[/list]
[list]
[li]It is also evidenced by boldness in witnessing and in standing up for God's truth (Acts 4:31, 13:9-10).[/li]
[/list]
HMM


http://www.icr.org/article/4233/

Be careful with your credit cards

Via email

Be sure to read Scene 3.

Quite interesting.

SCENE 1.

People sure stay busy trying to cheat us, don't they?

A friend went to the local gym and placed his belongings in the locker.

After the workout and a shower, he came out, saw the locker open, and thought to himself, 'Funny, I thought I locked the locker. Hmm.' He dressed and just flipped the wallet to make sure all was in order.

Everything looked okay - all cards were in place.

A few weeks later his credit card bill came - a whooping bill of $14,000!

He called the credit card company and started yelling at them, saying that he did not make the transactions.

Customer care personnel verified that there was no Mistake in the system and asked if his card had been stolen.
'No,' he said, but then took out his wallet, pulled out the credit card, and yep - you guessed it - a switch had been made.
An expired similar credit card from the same bank was in the wallet.

The thief broke into his locker at the gym and switched cards.

Verdict:

Thecredit card issuer said since he did not report the card missing
earlier, he would have to pay the amount owed to them.

How much did he have to pay for items he did not buy?

$9,000! Why were there no calls made to verify the amount swiped?
Small amounts rarely trigger a 'warning bell' with some credit card companies.

It just so happens that all the small amounts added up to one big one!


SCENE 2.

A man at a local restaurant paid for his meal with his credit card.
The bill for the meal came, he signed it, and the waitress folded the receipt and passed the credit card along.
Usually, he would just take it and place it in his wallet or pocket.
Funny enough, though, he actually took a look at the card and, lo and
behold, it was the expired card of another person.
He called the waitress and she looked perplexed.

She took it back, apologized, and hurried back to the counter under the watchful eye of the man.

All the waitress did while walking to the counter was wave the wrong
expired card to the counter cashier, and the counter cashier immediately looked down and took out the real card.

No exchange of words --- nothing! She took it and came back to the man with an apology.

Verdict:

Make sure the credit cards in your wallet are yours.
Check the name on the card every time you sign for something and/or the card is taken away for even a short period of time.

Many people just take back the credit card without even looking at it, 'assuming' that it has to be theirs.


FOR YOUR OWN SAKE, DEVELOP THE HABIT OF CHECKING YOUR CREDIT CARD EACH TIME IT IS RETURNED TO YOU AFTER A TRANSACTION!


SCENE 3:

Yesterday I went into a pizza restaurant to pick up an order that I had called in.

I paid by using my Visa Check Card which, of course, is linked directly to my checking account.

The young man behind the counter took my card, swiped it, then laid it on the counter as he waited for the approval, which is pretty standard procedure.
While he waited, he picked up his cell phone and started dialing.

I noticed the phone because it is the same model I have, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Then I heard a click that sounded like my phone sounds when I take a picture,

He then gave me back my card but kept the phone in his hand as
if he was still pressing buttons.

Meanwhile, I'm thinking: I wonder what he is taking a picture of,
oblivious to what was really going on.
It then dawned on me: the only thing there was my credit card, so now I'm paying close attention to what he is doing.

He set his phone on the counter, leaving it open.

About five seconds later, I heard the chime that tells you that the
picture has been saved.

Now I'm standing there struggling with the fact that this boy just took a picture of my credit card.

Yes, he played it off well, because had we not had the same kind of
phone, I probably would never have known what happened.

Needless to say, I immediately canceled that card as I was walking out of the pizza parlor.

All I am saying is, be aware of your surroundings at all times

Whenever you are using your credit card take caution and don't be careless.
Notice who is standing near you and what they are doing when you use your card,

Be aware of phones, because many have a camera phone these days.

When you are in a restaurant and the waiter/waitress brings your card and receipt for you to sign, make sure you scratch the number off.

Some restaurants are using only the last four digits, but a lot of them are still putting the whole thing on there.

I have already been a victim of credit card fraud and, believe me, it is not fun. The truth is that they can get you even when you are careful, but don't make it easy for them.


FORWARD THIS TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN THINK OF. LET'S GET THE WORD OUT! JUST BE AWARE

Sermon: When God regrets His blessings

My father used to say, when you have N50 in your pocket, you walk differently from when you have N50,000 in your pocket. With the N50 you walk quietly and watch yourself so you don’t spoil anything along the way, knowing you can’t afford to incur any damages. But when you have N50,000, you throw your legs about freely, you swing your arms, there’s a bounce in your step and people know your coming.

So it is with us. When we’re seeking blessings from the Lord, we’re quiet and humble. We’re in church regularly, we pray dutifully and we fast too. Then the blessings start pouring in from God and we begin to bounce, prayer becomes like a drain on our time and going to church doesn't seem necessary any more. We forget how we came about our blessings. Instead we begin to oppress, humiliate and sin with our blessings, forgetting that the Lord who gave can also take away.


1 Samuel 15 - God regrets blessing Saul:

The Blessing: [vs. 1] -Samuel said to Saul, "The LORD has sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel. "
The Commandment: [vs. 2] - This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys."
The Sin: [vs. 9] - But Saul and the army spared Agag (the Amalek King) and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs—everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely…
God regrets: [vs. 10, 11] - Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel: "I regret that I made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions."
The Consequences: [vs. 28] - Samuel said to him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you.


Lesson 1 – You can not hide your sin from God.
When Samuel went to confront Saul, Saul attempted to distort the truth twice. First he claimed he had done all that God had commanded (vs. 13). Now if the Lord hadn’t appeared to Samuel and told him what Saul had done, Saul may have gotten away with deceiving Samuel. But what of the all-seeing and ever-present God? You can deceive humans, even yourself, but God is never mocked (Galatians:6:7). When that didn’t work, Saul then confessed that he had disobeyed, but only a little bit, and even then it was for the Lord’s sake that he had disobeyed (vs. 15). When you attempt to lie or downplay your sins, you deceive only yourself. Our Lord knows the thoughts behind our every action. He sees our hearts before we even commit our crimes.

Lesson 2 – Sin can never honor God.
When Samuel challenged him, Saul said he and his men had disobeyed God, in order to honor God (vs. 21). Again God is not mocked. You can not sin and say it was for His benefit. You can not steal and say you needed the money to build God a church. How do you dishonor God in order to honor him? Where’s the reasoning behind that. What’s the rationale behind stealing from your workplace and then buying your pastor a car? You can’t bribe God.

Lesson 3 – The Creator before the created
Finally Saul told the truth as to why he had disobeyed God (vs. 24). “I have sinned: for I have disobeyed the LORD, because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.”
God is God! He is our creator; you can not honor his creations - humans (bone and flesh and eventually dust!) above him. But because the wrath of God is not immediate, we often feel we can get away with it. If God had told Saul He would strike him dead if he disobeyed, I doubt he would have been swayed by the voice of the people. Many of us find it easy to succumb to those that are ‘in our face’ at the moment, thinking ‘I will make it right with God later’. And then when we say our prayers we say ‘But God it was not my fault, you saw the way they were harassing/taunting/provoking me,  I just had to…’ But if the Lord told you “if you hit that maid one more time, I will reverse my blessings upon you”, you would treat your housemaid like a queen.

Lesson 4 – Obedience is better than sacrifice.
Samuel said in vs. 22. “Do you think sacrifice is more important to God than obedience? To obey is better than sacrifice.”
Sometimes we psyche ourselves into thinking God will understand. We defraud people saying we need the money and then take 1/10 to the Lord as tithes, and expect that to correct things. Obedience is actually a form of sacrifice; because you deny your inner sinful cravings and obey God instead. Deny the need to be richer and don’t take that bribe. Deny the need to become richer and don’t date that rich married man. Deny yourself the need to be seen as a no-nonsense boss and don’t oppress and humiliate your workers. Deny yourself the need to be feared and seen as ‘hard’ and don’t join a cult. Obedience is the ultimate sacrifice you can give to God.

Lesson 5 – Sin can reverse blessings and leave you open to attack from the enemy.
In the end God regretted blessing Saul and took away his blessing. Not just that, God stopped fighting Saul’s enemies on his behalf. His enemies taunted him. In the end it took the Lord’s new anointed to deliver them from the hands of Goliath.
The Lord had lifted Saul up, anointed him, empowered him and made him king over Israel, yet in a moment of weakness Saul forgot who it was that he owed his blessings to and instead chose to obey the people. Saul was not voted in as King, no one rigged elections for him to get there, he had no political ‘godfather’… he had no foreign allies doing the underground maneuverings. It was no man but God who brought him from obscurity and made him King over Israel. Yet this same God was put last on his list to please.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

In Summary:
Watch yourself, don’t let God regret blessing you, or take away his blessings, or stop fighting your battles or reject you. Give God His due. Let Him be number one in your life.

If your progress in life has made you wealthy financially but poorer spiritually and morally, then you need to either ask close friends and family how you’ve changed or sit yourself down and put pen to paper and honestly analyze yourself and your weak points - why have you changed? Is it the company you’re keeping (e.g. friends or business partners)? Or is it the company you’re not keeping (e.g. church)?. Work on each of them, and I pray that the Lord continues to look upon you with favour and strengthen you.

Stay Blessed. http://www.nigerianchurchonline.com

January 27, 2009

What God Requires

"And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?" (Deuteronomy 10:12-13)

This sounds simple enough, and the people of Israel readily agreed with Moses to do these things. Modern religious liberals cite such a lifestyle as all that is necessary to satisfy God.  But the rub is this: Who dares claim to "walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord |his| God with all |his| heart?" Anyone who makes such a claim would be breaking God’s commandment against lying.

Solomon reached a conclusion of like kind: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man" (Ecclesiastes 12:13).  Indeed so, but who can "keep his commandments"? "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" (James 2:10).

Another favorite verse of the liberals is Micah 6:8: "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" Yes, but the problem is that[i] "there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not"[/i] (Ecclesiastes 7:20).

There was one such man, of course! The Lord Jesus Christ[i] "did no sin,"[/i] yet was willing to "bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness" (1 Peter 2:22-24).  What we could never do, He has done for us.  Now, through faith in the finished work of Christ, we have been set free from the bondage of sin and can indeed "have |our[i]| fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life"[/i] (Romans 6:22). HMM


http://www.icr.org/article/what-god-requires/

GREAT IDEA. i support it, it can work out very great.

January 28, 2009

Every Creature Under Heaven

"If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister." (Colossians 1:23)

Before the Lord ascended back to heaven, He commanded His disciples to "preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15), and one might receive the impression from the words of our text that this had already been accomplished, just 30 years after the command was given.

Yet, it is hardly plausible to infer from this that Christian missionaries had already reached the entire globe. The problem may be our far-too-limited appreciation of God's witness in the creation. The phrase "to every creature" in our text could better be read "in everything created." That is, the gospel which was now being brought in explicit terms to the Colossians, was consistent with what they already should have known from God's great witness in the very structure and behavior of everything He had created.

This is the testimony of such familiar verses as Psalm 19:1 ("the heavens declare . . ."; Romans 1:20 ("the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen"; Acts 14:17 ("he left not himself without witness"; and Acts 17:28 ("in him we live, and move, and have our being". In the verses just preceding our text (Colossians 1:16-22), Paul had defined this universal gospel as embracing the creation, salvation, and consummation of "all things" by Christ (vv. 16-17, 20). The essence of this truth can be seen (if one's eyes are willing to see it) in "all the world" (v. 6) in the beauty, complexity, unity in diversity, purposefulness, continuance of energy, and process, as found in "every creature which is under heaven." Every aspect of God's creation has been designed to reveal Christ as maker and Savior. HMM


http://www.icr.org/article/4235/

January 29, 2009

Worship and Praise

"I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name." (Psalm 138:2)

Praise and worship are widely taught in Scripture, but are seldom used to describe the same actions.  "Worship" describes an attitude of obeisance and reverence (usually by bowing or prostrating) during a formal act of sacrifice or some other structured observance.  "Praise," especially this word used in Psalm 138, emphasizes joyous thanksgiving, recognizing God's specific blessing or God's worthiness in character, power, deed, or authority.

There are only two events recorded in Scripture where the people of God both "worshipped" and "praised" at the same time.  The first was at the dedication of the great temple of Solomon.  When the prayer of dedication was finished, the fire of God's glory descended on the temple and entered the Holy of Holies.  That awesome event drove everyone to their knees "with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord" (2 Chronicles 7:3).

The other occurred right after Ezra led a remnant back from Babylon.  As the people heard the Word read to them for the first time in many decades, they became so convicted of their disobedience, that they began to cry and confess their sin.  They stood for about three hours and "confessed |same word as 'praise'|, and worshipped the Lord their God" (Nehemiah 9:3).

In neither case did the people jump up and down, clap, or otherwise demonstrate exuberance.  They were so overwhelmed at the presence of God that they fell down on their faces!  Then they poured out their heart in intimate worship and praise for His lovingkindness, His truth, His name, His being, His attributes, and because God has magnified His Word above all His Name.  HMM III

http://www.icr.org/article/worship-praise/

Special Study          

PROFITING FROM PERSECUTION
Matthew 5:9-12; 2 Corinthians 12:9,10; 1 Timothy 4:15,16

In the sermon on the Mount, the Lord Jesus paints the picture of the blessed man. From one milestone to another, He outlines the path of the blessed one. In the beatitudes, blessed means happy, fortunate, favoured, etc. He makes it plain that the blessedness being talked about is reserved for the poor in spirit, people who mourn, the meek, people who hunger and thirst after righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart and the peacemakers. Ordinarily, these character traits are supposed to be endearing qualities for a heaven-bound believer. But ironically these gracious virtues are rarely appreciated by the society. Rather than being appreciated, possessors of them are hated and subjected to persecution. But the heaven-bound believer is not to fear or cringe before persecution but to rejoice for being counted worthy of being in the company of the persecuted saints.

When He talks about peacemakers, the Lord does not mean organisations that make or settle personal or national conflicts as a profession. Rather, He means citizens of the kingdom who had received comfort after mourning, who had had their broken fellowship and relationship with God mended; He means those who have become meek and gentle; those whose thirst after righteousness had been satisfied and whose chief pursuit is still purity of life. Now as true children of God, they have become so merciful and peaceful that even persecution, conflict, pressure cannot change their spiritual state of love, peace of mind or compassion for others. Appreciation or persecution does not change their peace-loving and peace-making nature. All said and done, reliance on God’s grace and determination/willingness to mediate on God’s Word remain the only way by which a believer/seeker can profit from the Word in times of challenges, trials and persecution.

1. THE PRACTICE OF PEACE-MAKING CHILDREN OF GOD
Matthew 5:9; Romans 12:17-21; 14:19; Genesis 13:8-12; 1 Samuel 19:1,4-7; Judges 8:1-3; Proverbs 15:1; Philemon 10-20.

The true child of God is a peacemaker. He not only loves peace, wants peace, promotes peace, works for peace, prays for peace, he also does everything to maintain peace among people; he abhors completely all strives, discords and contentions. He hates war because it engenders killings and if there is anything he can do, it is to make peace. He labours with all might to prevent the fire of contention from being kindled and, where the fire is already kindled, he endeavours to calm the stormy spirits of men and, to quieten the turbulent passion, to soften the minds of the contending parties and reconcile them with each other. That is the ministry of peacemaking.

To be a peacemaker demands that we “recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” It demands that we make up our minds to be the source of peace in the community. Make it a principle to allow the Prince of peace to control everything you do or say to make for peace like Abraham who took the initiative to make peace with Lot rather than promote conflict. He had a willingness to be cheated in the situation. If everyone fights for his right, there will never be peace. Even when you are not personally involved in a conflict, you can also make peace between the warring parties like Jonathan did between Saul and David. Like Jonathan, you should study to know when there is conflict between people and ensure your language promotes peace so that you will be able to reconcile men with men to ensure peace reigns between them “as in times past.” The explanation and peace-making effort of Gideon teaches that sometimes, being logical, showing people their fault does not necessarily solve problems. Like Gideon, exalt the qualities which the opposing party has which you lack and sincerely appreciate his good qualities and see how to quieten the stormy spirit in the hearts of men with soft answer.

In making peace, you reconcile others too. When there was conflict between Philemon and Onesimus, Paul the apostle was so committed to ensuring that there was peace between them. Likewise, when there is conflict between people, don’t take sides but work towards making peace between them.

2. THE PERSECUTION OF PEACEFUL CHILDREN OF GOD
Matthew 5:10,11; Galatians 4:29; 2 Timothy 3:12,13; John 15:18-21; 17:14; 1 Peter 3:14-17; Psalm 7:10-17; 1 Peter 1:6,7; 4:12-16; Matthew 10:22-31;  Philippians 1:27-30.

Peaceful children of God are abused, belittled, degraded because those in the flesh will always war against those in the Spirit. Those who are born after the flesh will always persecute those who are born after the Spirit. The unrighteous will persecute the righteous. It happened like that before and it continues to happen and will continue to happen: “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” The children of God are persecuted because they are not part of the sinful system of the world. When you dissociate yourself from the madding crowd of sinners, when you distinguish yourself from the world they will persecute you. After all, it is far better to suffer for righteousness than for sins, therefore, it calls for rejoicing. We are not to fight the persecutors; God, in His economy, knows best how to do that. The Lord has assured us that there will be persecution; therefore, He does not expect us to be surprised when they come.

But ensure that you are not suffering for your ignorance or unrighteousness. Yes, there is persecution for peaceful children of God but you remain peaceful in the persecution; be unruffled, unoffended, non-retaliating nor change your pattern of peace. The Prince of peace should still live within you in the midst of the persecution. You should not be influenced by their violent attitude or nature; still maintain your Christian stand in the midst of the persecution. Only then will the persecution profit you.

3. THE PROFIT OF PERSECUTED CHILDREN OF GOD
Matthew 5:10-12; 2 Corinthians 4:14-18; Exodus 1:12; Genesis 50:20;                               2 Thessalonians 1:3,4; 1 Peter 4:12-14; 1 Peter 5:10; Romans 8:28; 2 Corinthians 12:9,10.

To profit from persecution, ensure that you have a Bible definition of persecution: that it is “for righteousness’ sake” and not that you are suffering from rebuke resulting from your carelessness, foolishness, iniquity or backsliding. If you are disciplined by the church, you are not being persecuted; you are being corrected. But if you are persecuted for righteousness’ sake and you endure it, you will be rewarded. Whatever the persecutors say or do to you, be resilient in the faith, “for our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” Your persecution will not destroy you as it could not destroy the children of Israel; your persecution will bring promotion across your way. God will turn every negative thing in your life for your own good. “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

*  *  *  *  *  *  *
Congregational Songs:

HE WHO WOULD VALIANT BE

1. He who would valiant be
’Gainst all disaster,
Let him in constancy
Follow the Master.
There’s no discouragement
Shall make him once relent
His first avowed intent
To be a pilgrim.

2. Who so beset him round
With dismal stories,
Do but themselves confound -
His strength the more is.
No foes shall stay his might,
Though he with giants fight:
He will make good his right
To be a pilgrim.

3. Since, Lord, thou dost defend
Us with Thy Spirit,
We know we at the end
Shall life inherit.
Then fancies flee away!
I’ll fear not what men say,
I’ll labour night and day
To be a pilgrim.


A LIFE OF OVERCOMING

1. A life of overcoming,
A life of ceaseless praise,
Be this thy blessed portion
Throughout the coming days.
The victory was purchased
On Calv’ry’s cross for thee,
Sin shall not have dominion,
The Son hath made thee free.

2. And would’st thou know the secret
Of constant victory?
Let in the Overcomer,
And He will conquer thee!
Thy broken spirit taken
In sweet captivity,
Shall glory in His triumph
And share His victory.

3. Though all the path before thee
The host of darkness fill,
Look to thy Father’s promise,
And claim the victory still.
Faith sees the heavenly legions,
Where doubt sees naught but foes,
And through the very conflict
Her life the stronger grows.

4. More stern will grow the conflict
As nears our King’s return,
And they alone can face it
Who this great lesson learn:-
That from them God asks nothing
But to unlatch the door
Admitting Him who through them,
Will conquer evermore.

For the free downloading of the audio and video message click on the link below and go into the "current Bible Study" hyperlink.

http://www.dclm.org/Resources/ResourcesDirectory/tabid/130/Default.aspx

January 30, 2009

Praying for Faith

"Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." (1 Thessalonians 5:24)

Many centuries ago, a desperate father brought his son to the Lord Jesus with an appeal for healing. The boy was demon-possessed from childhood and tormented physically and spiritually.  The agony was awful.  His father had brought him to Jesus' disciples, and they were unable to do anything. Nothing worked (Mark 9:17-21).

Jesus told the father, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth" (v. 23).  The urgent and tearful cry of that hurting father was, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief" (v. 24).  No doubt we often need to plea for such help.  Join me in this prayer that the Lord will grant us greater faith in Him.

[b]Oh Lord, God, we cannot know the end of a thing.  We do not have certainty about the plans of our days.  Forgive us when we try without consulting You.  Forgive our blundering efforts to make something happen.  We love You, and we want to please You, but our lives are so caught up in the things of this world.  Help us, Lord.  Help us to know how much we need You.  Help us to see the real values of eternal things.  Give us a greater awareness of Your Holy Spirit.  Give us a holy awe of Your Word.  Drive us to our knees more often, Lord.  Keep us close.

Oh, our Father, purge us from the ungodly.  Separate us from the sins that hinder and blind us.  Meet us in the halls of our heart, and sanctify us there.  And then, Lord Jesus, embolden us for the work ahead.  Provide our daily bread.  Cleanse us of our sins and enrich our fellowship with the saints.  Clothe us in the armor of God and place us where we must stand.  Enable us to resist the enemy in the faith, that we may see his strongholds crumble and his minions flee.  Grant us a fruitful harvest and an effective ministry, in Jesus' name.  Amen. [/b]  HMM III


http://www.icr.org/article/praying-for-faith/

Be your neighbour's keeper by passing this emergency situation around.
 
via email

Really terrifying

Three women turned up at hospitals over a 5-day period, all with the same symptoms.
Fever, chills, and vomiting, followed by muscular collapse, paralysis and finally, death, 
There were no outward signs of trauma.

Autopsy results showed toxicity in the blood. These women did not know each other and seemed to have nothing in common. It was discovered, however, that they had all visited the same Restaurant (Olive Garden , Western Cape ) within days of their deaths. The Health Department descended on the restaurant , shutting it down. The food, water, and air conditioning were all inspected and tested, to no avail.

The big break came when a waitress at the restaurant was rushed to the hospital with similar symptoms. She told doctors that she had been on vacation, and had only went to the restaurant to pick up her check.

She did not eat or drink while she was there, but had used the restroom
That is when one toxicologist, remembering an article he had read, drove out to the restaurant, went into the restroom and lifted the toilet seat

Under the seat, out of normal view, was a small spider. The spider was captured and brought back to the lab, where it was determined to be the Two-Striped Telamonia (Telamonia dimidiata), so named because of its reddened flesh color.&nb sp; This spider's venom is extremely toxic, but can take several days to take effect. They live in cold, dark, damp climates, and toilet rims provide just the right atmosphere, 

Several days later a lawyer from Jacksonville showed up at a hospital emergency room. Before his death, he told the doctor, that he had been away on business, had taken a flight from Indonesia , changing planes in Singapore , before returning home He did NOT visit (Olive Garden), while there. He did (as did all of the other victims) have what was determined to be a puncture wound, on his right buttock. Investigators discovered that the flight he was on had originated in India .

The Civilian Aeronautics Board (CAB) ordered an immediate inspection of the toilets of all flights from India and discovered the Two-Striped Telamonia (Telamonia dimidiata) spider's nests on 4 different planes!

It is now believed that these spiders can be anywhere in the country.
So please, before you use a public toilet, lift the seat to check for spiders. It can save your life!

And please pass this on to everyone you care about.
Do unto others what you wish others to do unto you.Do your best to satisfy your customers as i will do my part.