Just sharing.

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Feeling Dry? "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. Isaiah 55:1-2 NIV __________________ On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. John 3:37-39 NIV __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“And they rose up the same hour, and returned Jerusalem ... and they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them.”

Luke 24:33,35

When the two disciples had reached Emmaus, and were refreshing themselves at the evening meal, the mysterious stranger who had so enchanted them upon the road, took bread and brake it, made himself known to them, and then vanished out of their sight. They had constrained him to abide with them, because the day was far spent; but now, although it was much later, their love was a lamp to their feet, yea, wings also; they forgot the darkness, their weariness was all gone, and forthwith they journeyed back the threescore furlongs to tell the gladsome news of a risen Lord, who had appeared to them by the way.

They reached the Christians in Jerusalem, and were received by a burst of joyful news before they could tell their own tale. These early Christians were all on fire to speak of Christ's resurrection, and to proclaim what they knew of the Lord; they made common property of their experiences. This evening let their example impress us deeply. We too must bear our witness concerning Jesus. John's account of the sepulchre needed to be supplemented by Peter; and Mary could speak of something further still; combined, we have a full testimony from which nothing can be spared.

We have each of us peculiar gifts and special manifestations; but the one object God has in view is the perfecting of the whole body of Christ. We must, therefore, bring our spiritual possessions and lay them at the apostle's feet, and make distribution unto all of what God has given to us. Keep back no part of the precious truth, but speak what you know, and testify what you have seen. Let not the toil or darkness, or possible unbelief of your friends, weigh one moment in the scale. Up, and be marching to the place of duty, and there tell what great things God has shown to your soul.

 

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Honor Thy Mom and Dad



Listen ... to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching" (Proverbs 1:8).

Sally could hardly stand living in the same house with her parents for the summer. College could not come soon enough. Her parents were still setting what she thought was a too early curfew. She felt accused of things she had never done. At times, they would prohibit her from attending church activities because it interfered with family activities. Sally was beginning to resent her parents.

Sally wondered how she could possibly obey the command to honor her mother and father. Although she knew her parents loved her and were committed to protecting her from making some of the same mistakes they had made, she felt they were being completely unfair.

For most of us the road from childhood to adulthood is quite bumpy. We are trying to become independent people, but our parents seemingly treat us as if we were still eight years old.

We will experience turbulence (self-doubt, tension with our parents, peer pressure) as we spread our wings and learn to fly on our own. Maturing requires that we learn the balance between our personal freedom and our responsibilities toward God, others, and ourselves. As we grow toward independence and maturity, the Lord wants us to continue honoring and respecting our parents.

Sadly, some parents don't seem to deserve that honor. They may be addicted to drugs or alcohol, or they may be abusive. Scripture says we need to honor them. But how? We may need to ask for a counselor's or teacher's advice on how to hold our parents accountable for their actions. If we love Christ and know the immensity of His grace, we won't allow anyone to repeatedly abuse us.

Honoring our parents means that we willingly submit to their God-given authority by loving them, and by encouraging them to be more like Christ. Obeying their rules, listening to their wisdom gained from life experience, and respectfully expressing our viewpoints to them are all ways of honoring our parents who are committed to us and who love us.

 

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Without God? Without Hope! At that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. Ephesians 2:12 KJV __________________ All have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one. Psalm 53:3 __________________ There is no fear of God before their eyes. Psalm 36:1 __________________ Yet we do have hope... Opening his mouth, Peter said: "I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him. Acts 10:34-35 __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“Continue in the faith.”

Acts 14:22

Perseverance is the badge of true saints. The Christian life is not a beginning only in the ways of God, but also a continuance in the same as long as life lasts. It is with a Christian as it was with the great Napoleon: he said, “Conquest has made me what I am, and conquest must maintain me.” So, under God, dear brother in the Lord, conquest has made you what you are, and conquest must sustain you. Your motto must be, “Excelsior.” He only is a true conqueror, and shall be crowned at the last, who continueth till war's trumpet is blown no more.

Perseverance is, therefore, the target of all our spiritual enemies. The world does not object to your being a Christian for a time, if she can but tempt you to cease your pilgrimage, and settle down to buy and sell with her in Vanity Fair. The flesh will seek to ensnare you, and to prevent your pressing on to glory. “It is weary work being a pilgrim; come, give it up. Am I always to be mortified? Am I never to be indulged? Give me at least a furlough from this constant warfare.”

Satan will make many a fierce attack on your perseverance; it will be the mark for all his arrows. He will strive to hinder you in service: he will insinuate that you are doing no good; and that you want rest. He will endeavour to make you weary of suffering, he will whisper, “Curse God, and die.” Or he will attack your steadfastness: “What is the good of being so zealous? Be quiet like the rest; sleep as do others, and let your lamp go out as the other virgins do.” Or he will assail your doctrinal sentiments: “Why do you hold to these denominational creeds? Sensible men are getting more liberal; they are removing the old landmarks: fall in with the times.” Wear your shield, Christian, therefore, close upon your armour, and cry mightily unto God, that by his Spirit you may endure to the end.

 

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Wonderfully Made


I was supposed to be nothing. That was the plan. At nine years old, my father screamed into my face: "YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A FAILURE! YOU WILL NEVER BE ANYTHING! YOU'LL NEVER BE ANYTHING BUT A NOTHING, AS LONG AS YOU LIVE!!!" And I believed him. I forgot that I was created by a Great Loving God, Who "knit me together in my mother's womb." Psalm 139:13
Not wanting to disappoint my father, I worked hard at being a "nothing." I stopped studying for my classes, in school. I stopped dreaming the dreams that often shape our future, and I barely scraped by.

By the time I was in seventh grade, I overheard my parents talking about how wonderful life would be for them, if I had never been born, because, being the youngest, I would be out of the way, and they could follow their dreams. I believed them, and I forgot that even should my mother, who nursed me, forget about me, God, "will never forget [me,] for [He] has carved [me] in the palm of [His] hand." Isaiah 49:15-16a

By the time I was fifteen, my final, ninth grade report card read, "She has incredible 'general knowledge,' but no specific knowledge. She'll never become anything, continuing on this course." I believed my teacher, and I continued on my "worthless" course, reading and studying on my own, everything from history through science, and I began to have much "general knowledge."

I read the Bible, a forbidden book, according to the religion of my childhood, and I began to know the God of the Bible, and His great love for me. Yet, still, I believed I was a failure, even weird. Somewhere, in the midst of that, I began to write and write and write, and I found that with no one to talk to, I began to talk to God. I did not understand, yet, that "I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Psalm 139:14

Years came and went, and darkness was all around me, but there, in the darkness, I found the light of God's presence. Always there. Always comforting. Unknowing, as I was, God was always with me. I discovered the truth about the presence of God in Psalm 139:7-12,
"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me, even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.'"

I discovered that even if I did not know God, He knew me. There was much darkness in my life. I had no one to believe in me, but somehow, by the grace of God, I knew that God believed in me. I stumbled through many a "valley of the shadow of death," ( Psalm 23) and I discovered that I could not run from God. He was always with me. I discovered that in being hurt, I could seek to heal others. In being lonely, I could reach out and erase another's loneliness. In believing myself to be a failure, I could encourage others to succeed. I could be a woman of honor. A woman of truth. I could change my course. And when I wrote, as I did from an early age, I could write about hope.

I wish I had known God from the beginning. I wish that instead of a "religious" home, I had grown up in a Godly one. I wish that in my teens there had been a Michael and Kristi Powers to influence my life, and change my course. However, even though I remember, painfully, my lonely teenage years, I can testify, that my present happiness and fulfillment came from no one, except God.
For, you see, it is God who brought me into the pleasant pasture of my middle years. I can look to no one, but Him, for the joys in my life?my wonderful husband, my beautiful daughters, and my precious friends, like Michael and Kristi Powers.

I am an award winning writer. I am completing my first book. I don't expect it to be my last. A lot of people have lent a hand in this process, but God, alone, brought me here. So now, in my world that is so filled with His light, I still look for those opportunities to be alone with God. And as I look back, into my teens, I realize what a great gift it was to spend those lonely nights and days with Him.

Finally, I have learned that the ugly words that others speak about me, say more about them, than they say about me. So do not listen to negativity. Your Heavenly Father declares in His WORD, that you are "fearfully and wonderfully made." Believe Him. You are wonderful. Totally unique. And God expects great things from you. Expect them from yourself.

 

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Why Obey God? Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them; that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may go well with you, and that you may go in and take possession of the good land which the LORD swore to give to your fathers by thrusting out all your enemies from before you, as the LORD has promised. Deut. 6:3,18,19 RSV __________________ Oh that they had such a mind as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their children for ever! Deut. 5:29 RSV __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?”

2 Samuel 9:8

If Mephibosheth was thus humbled by David's kindness, what shall we be in the presence of our gracious Lord? The more grace we have, the less we shall think of ourselves, for grace, like light, reveals our impurity. Eminent saints have scarcely known to what to compare themselves, their sense of unworthiness has been so clear and keen. “I am,” says holy Rutherford, “a dry and withered branch, a piece of dead carcass, dry bones, and not able to step over a straw.” In another place he writes, “Except as to open outbreakings, I want nothing of what Judas and Cain had.”

The meanest objects in nature appear to the humbled mind to have a preference above itself, because they have never contracted sin: a dog may be greedy, fierce, or filthy, but it has no conscience to violate, no Holy Spirit to resist. A dog may be a worthless animal, and yet by a little kindness it is soon won to love its master, and is faithful unto death; but we forget the goodness of the Lord, and follow not at his call. The term “dead dog” is the most expressive of all terms of contempt, but it is none too strong to express the self- abhorrence of instructed believers. They do not affect mock modesty, they mean what they say, they have weighed themselves in the balances of the sanctuary, and found out the vanity of their nature.

At best, we are but clay, animated dust, mere walking hillocks; but viewed as sinners, we are monsters indeed. Let it be published in heaven as a wonder, that the Lord Jesus should set his heart's love upon such as we are. Dust and ashes though we be, we must and will “magnify the exceeding greatness of his grace.” Could not his heart find rest in heaven? Must he needs come to these tents of Kedar for a spouse, and choose a bride upon whom the sun had looked? O heavens and earth, break forth into a song, and give all glory to our sweet Lord Jesus.

 

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Avalanche


One year in Alaska, there was an avalanche at Alaska's Turn again Pass. The mountain slopes had eight feet of new snow that had fallen on this older, packed-down snow, a warm sun had been beating down all day, and there were avalanche warnings. But that didn't stop some snowmobilers from powering up a 2,000 foot high mountain to see who could go the highest. Twenty minutes before the major avalanche there was a smaller one in a nearby gully. But some of the snowmobilers just kept going. When the big avalanche hit, massive slabs of snow broke loose and slide down the mountain with at least four snowmobilers being swallowed up. Four people died that day. And none of them had to.

You say to yourself, "If only they had listened to the warnings." That must be what God says every time someone goes into eternity unprepared. The Bible makes it clear that He wants us to go to heaven when we die, to experience His awesome love forever. But the Bible also makes it clear that many won't make it to heaven, "because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son" (John 3:18). They've heard God's warnings about sin and its death penalty in hell, but--like those stubborn snowmobilers in Alaska--they've ignored the warnings.

Hebrews 2:3 reads, "How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation." Salvation is what a person receives when a fire fighter brings them out of a burning building. God says that's what Jesus dying on that cross is all about. He's paying the price for all the sinning you and I have ever done so He can come and rescue us forever. But like that person in the burning building, if we resist the rescuer, we'll die.

I think that's how most people end up in hell instead of heaven. They just ignore Jesus and all God's warnings about our need of Him. Maybe that's where you are. You think you're religious and you'll make it on your own goodness, or you think you know Jesus because you know a lot about Jesus. But for one reason or another, you are ignoring the Savior.

And this is one more warning from God. It may be that for someone listening today this will be their last warning. But God is saying, "Don't keep going this way! You are headed for an eternity without hope, without love, without Me." This is just too important to ignore any longer. You are risking the eternal judgment of Almighty God.
Please listen to Jesus' knocking on your heart-door. Tell Jesus you're trusting Him today to do what only He can do--rescue you from your sin and its eternal penalty.
The avalanche of God will sweep away all those who ignore His warning--who ignore His Son. Please, don't gamble your eternity one more day.

 

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Benefits of Faithfulness The Lord answered, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. Luke 12:42-44 NIV __________________ Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20 NIV __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.”

Lamentations 3:21

Memory is frequently the bond slave of despondency. Despairing minds call to remembrance every dark foreboding in the past, and dilate upon every gloomy feature in the present; thus memory, clothed in sackcloth, presents to the mind a cup of mingled gall and wormwood. There is, however, no necessity for this. Wisdom can readily transform memory into an angel of comfort. That same recollection which in its left hand brings so many gloomy omens, may be trained to bear in its right a wealth of hopeful signs. She need not wear a crown of iron, she may encircle her brow with a fillet of gold, all spangled with stars.

Thus it was in Jeremiah's experience: in the previous verse memory had brought him to deep humiliation of soul: “My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me;” and now this same memory restored him to life and comfort. “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.” Like a two-edged sword, his memory first killed his pride with one edge, and then slew his despair with the other. As a general principle, if we would exercise our memories more wisely, we might, in our very darkest distress, strike a match which would instantaneously kindle the lamp of comfort.

There is no need for God to create a new thing upon the earth in order to restore believers to joy; if they would prayerfully rake the ashes of the past, they would find light for the present; and if they would turn to the book of truth and the throne of grace, their candle would soon shine as aforetime. Be it ours to remember the lovingkindness of the Lord, and to rehearse his deeds of grace. Let us open the volume of recollection which is so richly illuminated with memorials of mercy, and we shall soon be happy. Thus memory may be, as Coleridge calls it, “the bosom-spring of joy,” and when the Divine Comforter bends it to his service, it may be chief among earthly comforters.

 

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The Hidden Danger Of Success



What is the greatest danger for the Christian? Is it failure or success? The answer might surprise you.
The Greatest Risk
Believe it or not, the greatest risk for falling or stumbling for the Christian is not during a trial or tribulation, but when they’ve just achieved something great. It’s our tendency to believe that it’s from our own effort and not from God’s sovereign hand, but this robs God of glory. We fail to see that everything that happens in our life is the result of a loving and sovereign God. We must realize that not even a sparrow falls to the ground that He is not aware of and does not allow (Matt 10:29). A great example was King Uzziah. When he began to reign in Judah, “he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done.

He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper” (2 Chron 26:4-5), but this was not from His own hand, but “God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabians who lived in Gurbaal and against the Meunites” (2 Chron 26:7). King Uzziah prospered so much that “The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread even to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong” (2nd Chron 26:8).

The problem was, success went to his head, and “when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the LORD his God and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense” (2 Chron 26:16). Uzziah was a king, not a priest. He had no right to burn incense in the temple, but he thought he was an exception because of his strength, wealth, and success, but that led to his downfall.
When King Uzziah was strong, he grew proud and it led to his destruction (2 Chron 26:16).

Victory from Defeat
When I was a Little League baseball coach, we were like the Bad News Bears. We could not win a game at all. The teams used to rub it in our face but we learned more during our defeats than we could have ever learned from winning so we came up with a plan. We decided to practice a little longer and harder. We worked on the basic skills more, we examined the fundamentals more, and we also learned how to be good sports in losing. It’s easy to be a good sport when you are winning but the true test is how to be one when you lose…time and again. In short, we learned how to accept defeat even though it was difficult, but here’s what happened. We began to practice more than the other teams, we studied the game more intently and we started to improve as a team and individually. Ironically, the teams that were beating us lightened up in their practice times.

They didn’t practice as often or as hard as we did, and as a consequence, we slowly began to be more competitive. Near the end of the season, we started winning games. No, we didn’t win the league but we started gaining the benefits from our practices that our defeats compelled us to take. The result was that we turned our season around. If we had been winning at first, we may have never learned some valuable lessons. We learned how to lose graciously and how to work harder and improve. We learned more from our defeats than we ever would have from our victories.

Defeat from Victory
During the zenith of David’s success as king, he had victory after victory but, his heart became full of pride. Then Satan incited David to take a census and count his troops. It was a little like a rich man counting his money. Even though Joab tried to warn, David’s pride blinded him, and it can blind us too. Pride has a way of doing that. Of course, that angered God. David saw the great numbers of troops as being the real power of his kingdom. That meant he had failed to give credit to God for Israel’s great power. When we begin to take credit for blessings, we are robbing God of His due glory. As a result, Israel paid dearly with the death of seventy thousand men (2 Sam 24:15-17).

Israel’s Amnesia


Now, what about ancient Israel’s history? It seems that they followed the same pattern of success, pride, idolatry, and then, a fall. They prospered, forgot God, fell into idolatry, were sent into captivity, then humbled themselves, and God delivered them…again! Even though God had warned them numerous times, they refused to learn the lesson found in Deuteronomy 8:10-20: “When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day.

Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’”

Lessons from Israel
Instead of saying, “How could Israel be like that,” I say, “How am I like that,” so there are several important things that God mentions that we should take to heart in Deuteronomy 8. When things are going well, we better not forget the Lord. When our goods increase and our wealth (or success) is multiplied, don’t let our hearts become proud. When we are delivered out of our own trials and tribulations, let us remember that it is God Who delivered us. When things go well we are tempted to think, “My power and the strength of my hands have done this,” but that’s the thin-ice of presumptuousness. Success makes us look in the mirror…struggles make us look to God. Isaiah writes, He is “the LORD” and “I will not give my glory to another nor my praise to graven images.” Sometimes that “graven image” (42:8) is our success.

Conclusion
When we are filled with pride we are just like Satan. When we are lifted up, we are exalting ourselves, but when we are boasting, we are headed for a fall. If we remain humble and give credit to God for our successes, God will continue to bless us, but if we act like it’s our doing, God will resist us every step of the way (James 4:6). If you have failed to repent, confess your sins, and trust in Christ, you have the wrath of God abiding on you right now (John 3:36b). Humble yourself today and know that God will give you grace. He wants us to prosper in all things (Rom 10:17), but He also wants us to acknowledge where that prosperity comes from. The moon has a dark side.

As a matter of fact, it’s all dark. Without the sun shining on it, it would remain dark. The moon cannot support life. It is dead, decayed, and pock-marked by asteroids and meteorites. The moon is a waste land, but when the sun shines on it, it is beautiful. It reflects the sunlight and gives light to our nights. Likewise, I am dark, dead, and decaying and have no source of light except the Son of God Who shined His light on me.

Only then was I able to reflect that light to a dark, sinful world. Even a tiny match can light up a large, dark cave, however, just as the moon has no right to boast, neither can I boast in my own good works (light). I must give glory to the Son of God Who illuminates the darkness and is the light of men (John 1). God will not resist me if I give the credit and glory to Whom it is due, and it’s “Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness” (Psalm 115:1)!

 

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Repent! The Kingdom is near. If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. Jeremiah 18:8 KJV __________________ Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:7 KJV __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho.”

Joshua 6:26

Since he was cursed who rebuilt Jericho, much more the man who labours to restore Popery among us. In our fathers’ days the gigantic walls of Popery fell by the power of their faith, the perseverance of their efforts, and the blast of their gospel trumpets; and now there are some who would rebuild that accursed system upon its old foundation. O Lord, be pleased to thwart their unrighteous endeavours, and pull down every stone which they build. It should be a serious business with us to be thoroughly purged of every error which may have a tendency to foster the spirit of Popery, and when we have made a clean sweep at home we should seek in every way to oppose its all too rapid spread abroad in the church and in the world.

This last can be done in secret by fervent prayer, and in public by decided testimony. We must warn with judicious boldness those who are inclined towards the errors of Rome; we must instruct the young in gospel truth, and tell them of the black doings of Popery in the olden times. We must aid in spreading the light more thoroughly through the land, for priests, like owls, hate daylight. Are we doing all we can for Jesus and the gospel? If not, our negligence plays into the hands of the priestcraft.

What are we doing to spread the Bible, which is the Pope's bane and poison? Are we casting abroad good, sound gospel writings? Luther once said, “The devil hates goose quills” and, doubtless, he has good reason, for ready writers, by the Holy Spirit's blessing, have done his kingdom much damage. If the thousands who will read this short word this night will do all they can to hinder the rebuilding of this accursed Jericho, the Lord's glory shall speed among the sons of men. Reader, what can you do? What will you do?

 

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The Mirror


Author Robert Fulghum tells this story of one of his professors a wise man whose name was Alexander Papaderos: At the last session on the last morning of a two-week seminar on Greek culture, Dr. Papaderos turned and made the ritual gesture: "Are there any questions?"

Quiet quilted the room. These two weeks had generated enough questions for a lifetime, but for now, there was only silence.

"No questions?" Papaderos swept the room with his eyes.

So, I asked. "Dr. Papaderos, what is the meaning of life?"

The usual laughter followed, and people stirred to go.

Papaderos held up his hand and stilled the room and looked at me for a long time, asking with his eyes if I was serious and seeing from my eyes that I was.

"I will answer your question."

Taking his wallet out of his hip pocket, he fished into a leather billfold and brought out a very small round mirror, about the size of a quarter.

And what he said went something like this:

"When I was a small child, during the war, we were very poor and we lived in a remote village. One day, on the road, I found the broken pieces of a mirror. A German motorcycle had been wrecked in that place.

"I tried to find all the pieces and put them together, but it was not possible, so I kept only the largest piece. This one. And by scratching it on a stone, I made it round. I began to play with it as a toy and became fascinated by the fact that I could reflect light into dark places where the sun would never shine -- in deep holes and crevices and dark closets. It became a game for me to get light into the most inaccessible places I could find.

"I kept the little mirror, and as I went about my growing up, I would take it out in idle moments and continue the challenge of the game. As I became a man, I grew to understand that this was not just a child's game but a metaphor for what I might do with my life.

I came to understand that I am not the light or the source of light. But light--truth, understanding, knowledge - is there, and it will only shine in many dark places if I reflect it.

"I am a fragment of a mirror whose whole design and shape I do not know. Nevertheless, with what I have I can reflect light into the dark places of this world - into the black places in the hearts of men -- and change some things in some people. Perhaps others may see and do likewise. This is what I am about. This is the meaning of life."

And then he took his small mirror and, holding it carefully, caught the bright rays of daylight streaming through the window and reflected them onto my face and onto my hands folded on the desk.

Jesus said, "I am the light of the world" (John 9:5) His followers are to be like that little mirror, reflecting the light of Christ into the dark corners of the world. That is the meaning of the Christian life.

"Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).

 

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God is Gracious and Forgiving 'Even now,' declares the LORD, 'return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.' Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing - grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God. Joel 2:12-14 NIV __________________ And if I say to the wicked man, 'You will surely die,' but he then turns away from his sin and does what is just and right - if he gives back what he took in pledge for a loan, returns what he has stolen, follows the decrees that give life, and does no evil, he will surely live; he will not die. None of the sins he has committed will be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he will surely live. Ezekiel 33:14-16 NIV __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“That henceforth we should not serve sin.”

Romans 6:6

Christian, what hast thou to do with sin? Hath it not cost thee enough already? Burnt child, wilt thou play with the fire? What! when thou hast already been between the jaws of the lion, wilt thou step a second time into his den? Hast thou not had enough of the old serpent? Did he not poison all thy veins once, and wilt thou play upon the hole of the asp, and put thy hand upon the cockatrice's den a second time? Oh, be not so mad! so foolish! Did sin ever yield thee real pleasure? Didst thou find solid satisfaction in it? If so, go back to thine old drudgery, and wear the chain again, if it delight thee.

But inasmuch as sin did never give thee what it promised to bestow, but deluded thee with lies, be not a second time snared by the old fowler— be free, and let the remembrance of thy ancient bondage forbid thee to enter the net again! It is contrary to the designs of eternal love, which all have an eye to thy purity and holiness; therefore run not counter to the purposes of thy Lord. Another thought should restrain thee from sin. Christians can never sin cheaply; they pay a heavy price for iniquity. Transgression destroys peace of mind, obscures fellowship with Jesus, hinders prayer, brings darkness over the soul; therefore be not the serf and bondman of sin.

There is yet a higher argument: each time you “serve sin” you have “Crucified the Lord afresh, and put him to an open shame.” Can you bear that thought? Oh! if you have fallen into any special sin during this day, it may be my Master has sent this admonition this evening, to bring you back before you have backslidden very far. Turn thee to Jesus anew; he has not forgotten his love to thee; his grace is still the same. With weeping and repentance, come thou to his footstool, and thou shalt be once more received into his heart; thou shalt be set upon a rock again, and thy goings shall be established.

 

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How Did the Early Church Differ from the Church Today?


How is the church of today different from the church during the apostle’s day? What are the major differences?

The Birth of the Church
Some would argue that the church existed well before the Day of Pentecost since Jesus referred to the church several times (Matt 18:15-20). After the Apostle Peter’s statement to Jesus that, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt 16:16), Jesus said, “you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt 16:18). Peter was not that rock. Peter has come and gone and cannot lead the church from where he’s now at, and besides, most feel that the church was actually born on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon believers.

This is recorded in Acts 2:1-6, where it said that “they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting and divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.”

Jews and Gentiles
What an amazing testimony to the power of God. Since those who were witnesses to this event, and hearing these things in their own language, God was proclaiming that the gospel is now open to all people and nations. The message of salvation first went to the Jew, but then to the Gentiles, so whosoever may come (Rev 22:17) includes people of all languages and all nations. In the Old Testament, people of other nations could be joined with Israel if they obeyed His laws. We see this throughout the Old Testament. Jonah is a great example of God’s desire that no one perish, Jew or Gentile, so God sent Jonah on a mission trip to Nineveh, and hundreds of thousands in Nineveh repented and were spared the judgment of God (2 Pet 3:9), but Jonah was angry because he didn’t understand that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked at all (Ezk 18:32, 33:1), and desires that everyone, everywhere repent and trust in Christ.

House Churches
In the New Testament, the Christians had to meet in homes and often did as noted in Acts 2:46-47 where it says, “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” One difference about the early church was that they met daily, in most circumstances, and they also ate together. Nothing can draw people closer together than having meals together, but they also “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42).

These were not little sermonettes for Christianettes, but studies of the same things Jesus taught His disciples. Those were the instructions Jesus left with the church (Matt 28:19-20). Today, churches meet in larger facilities and infrequently eat together except on special occasions, but house churches don’t work for many because there are just too many in the congregation. For others, house churches are a solution. Some are born due to the negligence of churches to preach the gospel of repentance and faith (Mark 1:14-15), which is exactly what Jesus said. As a result of the teachings and following the “apostle’s doctrine” (or Jesus’ teachings), “the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47b).

The Evangelistic Church
One of the major differences between the church of today and the early church was that the early church was much more evangelistic (Rom 15:19, 1 Thess 1:7-8, Acts 13:1-26:32). Paul wrote, “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world” (Rom 1:8). Maybe evangelism was taken more seriously because the Great Commission given by Jesus was still fresh in the minds of the apostles, but undoubtedly, the gospel spread due to the Jews trying to stamp it out, but like a grass fire, they simply spread it, so the severe persecution that came upon the early church, spread the gospel, far and wide, and most certainly to the whole Roman Empire (Acts 8:1, 4-40, 11:19-26). Later, the apostles and others would take the gospel beyond the Empire, and today, the apostles are still spreading the gospel through their writings found in the New Testament.

Baptism and Ordinances
The primitive church also held to the sacraments like communion. Today, churches have communion every week, some once a month, while others have it about once every quarter (every 3 months), and there are similar authoritative structures in the church today. The Corinthian church is a great example of church discipline, and we can see how Paul handled this in 1 Corinthians 5:1-7 where it says, “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife.

And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?

Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened.” If allowed to continue, sin would become acceptable in the church, and that would only serve to propagate more sin in the local body of Christ. Why did Paul take such extreme measures? He wrote that we are “not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one…Purge the evil person from among you” (1 Cor 5:11-13). Sin spreads like leaven, and so these must be put out of the church, but it’s for their own sake and for the sake of the purity of the church (1 Cor 5:6), and it is done in the hopes that they will repent of this sin and return to the body of Christ.

Conclusion
Does it seem that many churches or believers in general have lost that “first love” that the early church had? Having riches it seems makes us have a self-sufficiency that blinds us to the reality that we “are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked” (Rev 3:17). Jesus’ solution is to “buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent“ (Rev 3:18-19).

Has that zeal for God and that evangelistic fever faded? It’s still not too late for revival, but it must begin with us. Revival will never spread outwardly unless it begins inwardly, and that will be expedited if we study the “apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42), “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts” (Acts 2:46), and what was the result? “[T]he Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47).

 

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Our Sufficiency is from God Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God 2 Corinthians 3:5 KJV __________________ For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 NIV __________________ I can do all things through Christ which strenghenth me. Phil 4:13 KJV __________________ For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Philippians 2:13 KJV __________________ Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight. Colossians 1:12,21,22 KUJV __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“Good Master.”

Matthew 19:16

If the young man in the gospel used this title in speaking to our Lord, how much more fitly may I thus address him! He is indeed my Master in both senses, a ruling Master and a teaching Master. I delight to run upon his errands, and to sit at his feet. I am both his servant and his disciple, and count it my highest honour to own the double character. If he should ask me why I call him “good,” I should have a ready answer.

It is true that “there is none good but one, that is, God,” but then he is God, and all the goodness of Deity shines forth in him. In my experience, I have found him good, so good, indeed, that all the good I have has come to me through him. He was good to me when I was dead in sin, for he raised me by his Spirit's power; he has been good to me in all my needs, trials, struggles, and sorrows. Never could there be a better Master, for his service is freedom, his rule is love: I wish I were one thousandth part as good a servant.

When he teaches me as my Rabbi, he is unspeakably good, his doctrine is divine, his manner is condescending, his spirit is gentleness itself. No error mingles with his instruction—pure is the golden truth which he brings forth, and all his teachings lead to goodness, sanctifying as well as edifying the disciple.

Angels find him a good Master and delight to pay their homage at his footstool. The ancient saints proved him to be a good Master, and each of them rejoiced to sing, “I am thy servant, O Lord!” My own humble testimony must certainly be to the same effect. I will bear this witness before my friends and neighbours, for possibly they may be led by my testimony to seek my Lord Jesus as their Master. O that they would do so! They would never repent so wise a deed. If they would but take his easy yoke, they would find themselves in so royal a service that they would enlist in it for ever.