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January
1997
Cry
the More a Great Deal
The last church, Laodicea, in Rev. 3:14-21
needs eye salve to see. They think that they
have need of nothing. Christ informs them
that they are blind. We know that we are
living in the last church age and so these
scriptures apply to us.
Let’s
look at Mark 10:46-52. Here we find blind
Bartimaeus begging on the highway at the
time that Jesus passed by. He had no trouble
hearing, so found out that it was Jesus
that passed by. Who told him though that
Jesus was the son of David? This had to
be a revelation from God for even the Pharisees
would not admit this. He heard from God
and his faith kicked in and he realized
that he needed mercy. There was no doubt
in Bartimaeus that he was blind. He knew
he had a need and only the mercy of Jesus
would be able to meet that need. When "they
told him to hold his peace, he cried the
more a great deal."
In
Revelation 3:17 Jesus tells us we are blind.
We cannot see the kingdom of God. If Christ
stood in front of us, would we be like Nicodemus
and not even recognize him? We think that
because we have been translated into the
kingdom of his marvelous light, we can see.
We must cry out for our sight, appealing
to the Lord for mercy.
John
9 also deals with a man born blind from
birth that receives his sight from Jesus.
Verse 40-41 tells of the Pharisees asking
if they were blind also. Christ tells them
"…but now ye say, we see: therefore
your sin remaineth." Only divine sight
from the Lord will help us to see our great
need. If we think we see everything, he
cannot show us our weaknesses and sins so
we cannot repent of them and they remain.
We need to get as serious as Bartimaeus
did and cry out for mercy. When the church
tells us we are being foolish, that there
are a lot more serious needs, we need to
cry the more a great deal. When the Lord
of glory is passing by, we do not have to
stay in spiritual darkness any more than
Bartimaeus had to stay in spiritual blindness.
Psalm 86:15 says, "But thou, O Lord,
art a God full of compassion, and gracious,
longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and
truth." Do not sit passively by hoping
he will notice you, cry out and get his
attention. If he hasn’t noticed you,
you haven’t been crying loud enough.
You will not go away with your need unmet
by the Master. When you can see, you can
see the way to follow Jesus.
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The
Description Of Miracles
by Pastor Kevin Badgley
(1 Corinthians. 12:2) Salvation is easier
to believe for because it doesn’t come
through the senses. It is still the greatest
miracle! We should work with a love and
remembrance of that work in God in us that
we would glorify God for the love that He
has shown us.
Miracles
are harder to believe for because the senses
that we have grown to trust judge whether
a miracle has or will occur. Faith is the
victory, not the verdict of our senses.
I have believed and therefore I have spoken;
and it shall come to pass, no doubt, because
faith brings victory.
Raising
the dead is the hardest to believe for.
Death is considered inescapable, yet faith
can deny death its hold. Enoch did not see
death by faith, and was not found in death,
but in God! Faith brings the victory, not
the senses. Our senses are common to man;
therefore they operate under death’s
dominion. Faith in God brings victory that
overcomes death. Death is the final act
of sickness and sin. The person in this
state is more susceptible to prayer than
most who are alive, for the dead know not
anything.neither unbelief. So they do not
resist the miracle of resurrection as they
did in life.
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February 1997
How
to Pray (Part 2, Praying With Power)
by Cyndy Myrick
In chapter two of his book "How To
Pray", R. A. Torrey explained our lack
of power in three short sentences. "Much
of our modern prayer has no power in it
because there is no heart in it. We rush
into God's presence, run through a string
of petitions, jump up and go out. If we
put so little heart into our prayers, we
cannot expect God to put much heart into
answering them." Acts 12:5 says "...but
prayer was made without ceasing of the church
unto God for him." The key to powerful
prayer is prayer offered unto God. If we
just think about it, very little of our
praying is to God. We are so concerned with
our needs and our mind is not on God. If
we were really honest, we would have to
admit that usually our mind is on a million
other things. There is no power in this
kind of prayer.
If
we would pray like we are supposed to, the
first thing we would do is to really get
into His presence. Before one word ever
comes out of our mouth we need to realize
that we are talking to God and we need to
believe that He is listening to us and will
answer our prayer. Take time to rid your
mind of all distractions and focus on Him
before you utter a single word. We should
be more concerned about entering into His
presence than getting our prayers answered.
Notice
that Acts 12:5 also says that prayer was
made without ceasing. It is easy to pray
without ceasing when you read the word every
chance you get. If you are going to listen
to music, try listening to music about Him.
Do you feel like reading a book?....read
one about Jesus. If you feel like just laying
back in that recliner and watching TV, why
not watch something that will draw you closer
to the Lord? How can you keep your mind
on God when you are watching affairs, divorces,
sexuality, violence, cursing, and the list
goes on and on! If you are having a hard
time focusing on the Lord and praying without
ceasing, it could be because your filling
your mind with things that have nothing
to do with Him. Surround yourself with the
things of God and it will be a natural reflex
to talk to Him continually (and to live
like Him!)
We
want to pray with power, yet are not willing
to pray with fasting. Daniel sought God
with prayer and fasting. The first church
prayed and fasted and so did Jesus. Some
people think they don't have to fast unless
the Lord specifically tells them to. That
is pretty lame. Jesus doesn't need to tell
us to fast; we are to follow His example.
The Bible says that if we say we abide in
Him, we should walk as He did. (1 John 2:6)
He assumed that we would fast. In Matthew
6:16 He says, "Moreover when ye fast....".
Quit looking for excuses not to fast. If
you want to pray with power, pray with fasting!
Another
secret of praying with power is also found
in Acts 12:5. The verse says that prayer
was made without ceasing of the church.
There is power in united power. In Matthew
18:19 it says, "Again I say unto you,
That if two of you shall agree on earth
as touching any thing that they shall ask,
it shall be done for them of my Father which
is in heaven." Notice that this particular
verse does not say agree in asking, it says
agree as touching (or concerning) anything.
We shouldn't just agree with someone in
prayer just because they asked us to pray
with them about something. There should
be real agreement with the Spirit of God
bringing two believers into perfect harmony
concerning something they are asking God
for. When the Spirit of God lays the same
burden on two hearts, you will find prayer
with power.
We
are creatures of habit and it is easy to
pray the same old phrases day after day.
It may not be intentional but we do it nevertheless.
We are not praying with our hearts; many
times our prayers are absentminded words
stemming from a sense of duty. No wonder
our prayers don't get answered. What is
the secret to praying with power? Pray to
God, pray without ceasing, pray with fasting,
and pray with other believers.
PRAY
WITH POWER!
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Overcoming The
World
by Mary Smith
What does overcoming the world and conquering
the lusts of the flesh mean and how do we
do it? Overcoming the world means to have
victory in your life and not be influenced
or in bondage to man's ways or beliefs.
Romans 12:2 says, "And be not conformed
to this world: but be ye transformed by
the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove
what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect,
will of God."
We
as Christians face enormous pressures at
times from unsaved individuals and in situations
at work and/or in general business contacts
we make in our daily lives. Be encouraged
in God's word in dealing with these obstacles.
John 17: 13-17 says, "And now come
I to thee; and these things I speak in the
world, that they might have my joy fulfilled
in themselves. {14} I have given them thy
word; and the world hath hated them, because
they are not of the world, even as I am
not of the world. {15} I pray not that thou
shouldest take them out of the world, but
that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
{16} They are not of the world, even as
I am not of the world. {17} Sanctify them
through thy truth: thy word is truth."
Worldliness
is a journey to destruction. Worldliness
runs its course from temptation to lust
to sins of the flesh. When you are not prayed
up and in God's will then temptation takes
over your life. God's word plainly states
how this happens in James 1:13-15. "(James
1:13-15) Let no man say when he is tempted,
I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted
with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
{14} But every man is tempted, when he is
drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
{15} Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth
forth sin: and sin, when it is finished,
bringeth forth death."
We
live in a society which is obsessed with
lusts of many forms, i.e. T.V., radio, books,
magazines, advertisements, etc. We must
be careful on what we allow our eyes to
see and ears to hear. If we are to be "bright
lights" we must not be found guilty
of the same evils and wickedness of this
world. If you are a Christian just simply
follow God's word daily. It guides us with
a light and keeps us out of darkness. The
word warns us of the tactics and tricks
of Satan. Ponder on these scriptures. Thessalonians
2:10,12, "And with all deceivableness
of unrighteousness in them that perish;
because they received not the love of the
truth, that they might be saved {12} That
they all might be damned who believed not
the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
God's
word also tells us to separate ourselves
from the world. (2 Corinthians 6:14) "
Be ye not unequally yoked together with
unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness
with unrighteousness? and what communion
hath light with darkness?" (2 Corinthians
7:1) "Having therefore these promises,
dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves
from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,
perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
Galations 5:16 says, "This I say then,
Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill
the lust of the flesh."
Prayer
and fasting are important weapons of defense
in conquering worldliness and lusts of the
flesh. The person that gives all of his
time and energy to God has no time and energy
left for Satan to use, manipulate or steal.
People doing God's work are not easily distracted
by Satan. If you are having problems and
are not saved or if your heart is troubled
and you are feeling uneasy.......there is
hope and an answer for you. Ask God to deliver
and set you free from the cares and the
bondage of this world. Ask Him to forgive
you and come into your heart. Then you can
become an overcomer and join God's army
against Satan and his forces. After all,
what is there to fear? We already have the
victory; I read the back of the book and
we win! Praise God, Hallelujah, Amen.
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Spiritual
Pride
by Gail Redman
Our church has been seeking and believing
God that when the latter rain comes, his
mercy and grace will not pass us by and
revival will come in our midst. I can think
of nothing more discouraging than for revival
to be sent and to miss out because of division
and strife, spiritual pride, or whatever.
As a body of believers, we must understand
the immense responsibility that comes with
the latter rain revival. If God sent revival
to a group of spiritually proud believers,
chaos and confusion would prevail.
I
publicly confessed spiritual pride and self-righteousness
several years ago. I was not instantly delivered
and not completely set free at present.
As an unsaved sinner, I did not have a problem
with alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, or adultery.
Some of my sins that so easily beset me
were sins that our society look to as positive
achievements. As followers of Jesus Christ,
we are to become meek and lowly. We are
called to a life of humility.
How
many times have the spiritually proud in
the church, the Holier than Thous, discouraged
or perhaps completely scattered a baby Christian
from the flock because of unnecessary condemnation?
We all know the destruction alcohol, drugs,
cigarettes, and immorality causes. The world
even recognizes this. However , let's look
at Proverbs 6:16-19 and see a list of things
that God hates: "These six things doth
the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination
unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart
that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet
that be swift in running to mischief, A
false witness that speaketh lies, and he
that soweth discord among brethren."
If we continue reading in Proverbs 8:13,
pride along with arrogance is listed as
being hated by the Lord. Do we in the church
look at the spiritually proud in a different
light as we do the adulterer or cigarette
smoker? God hates pride!!!! The Bible reveals
to us many things about pride. Pride shows
in our countenance, resulting in proud looks.
Pride chains us and is followed by shame
and contention. The mouths of the foolish
have a rod of pride. And of course, pride
comes before destruction and a fall. God
will humble the proud.
Spiritual
pride is found in churches that through
the grace of God receive spiritual blessings.
Spiritual pride will come with revival if
it has not already been purged before revival
comes. The attitude that could prevail is
look at us, we did this and we did that
versus God in His mercy saw our great need
and heard our pleas. I remember after I
was baptized in the Holy Ghost how spiritual
pride entered into my life. I was instantly
delivered of certain sins that I thought
I would never have to deal with again. At
this point in my life, I have never been
more aware of how wretched I really am and
how selfish so many of our motives are.
As we enter a new year when the world makes
resolutions that are never kept, the body
of Christ needs to daily be asking God what
He wants to change in us. As we allow the
Holy Spirit to shine a light on our sins
instead of judging others, we will find
ourselves walking in humility instead of
pride.
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March 1997
Attitudes
by Cyndy Myrick
Sometimes our "attitude" is our
biggest problem. We get upset about something
and actually feel justified in our indignation.
Even if we do have a good reason for being
upset, it doesn’t mean that we are
reacting the way that we should. Maybe we
shouldn’t react at all!
Not
long ago, I got really aggravated with someone.
And even though (in my mind) I had a right
to feel this way, it left me feeling really
uncomfortable. I asked the Lord why I felt
so uneasy. Immediately in my mind I got
a picture that I’ll try to explain
to you. It was like I could see a hard shell
around my soul and there was a tiny crack
in it caused by this aggravation. Then I
noticed an ugly black vapor seeping inward
through the crack. As the vapor entered
my soul, my spirit felt this terrible, uneasy
feeling. I know that God was showing me
how easy it is to let Satan invade us by
letting things get to us that have no business
in our lives.
It
doesn’t matter if we feel justified
about our thoughts or actions. If they are
not "Christ-like", Satan will
use them to destroy us.
As
a Christian our actions are very important.
We may be the only Bible others read. Our
attitude, and the spirit that motivates
it, should be one that leads others to Christ.
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God’s Crazy
Quilts
by Dorothy Parker
Romans 8:28, "And we know that all
things work together for good to them that
love God and are the called according to
his purpose." Sometimes we think this
verse means that God sends bad things so
he can work good things in our life. I don’t
think so.
I
compare this verse to making a crazy quilt.
Crazy quilts are made from crazy shaped
pieces. Pieces that may not be good for
anything else. Pieces that may not fit any
where else.
God
is not wasteful. He uses what we have. He
does not throw anything away. As he gathered
up the fragments after feeding the multitude,
so He takes the leftover pieces of our life
and turns them to our good. Maybe we feel
like this life has given us scraps and maybe
it has. But when we get scraps, then (if
we let Him) God can make us into His crazy
quilts.
Crazy
quilts are among the most beautiful quilts
made. When they are finished they are a
work of art. They can be made from scraps
of satins and silks, velvets and brocades,
and they are put together with elaborate
embroidery stitches. The pieces are cut
in irregular shapes and sometimes are dark
pieces, browns and blacks. They can represent
hard places in our life that God puts together
and makes into a background for His beautiful
stichery.
The
dark pieces are there. They are the pieces
life has given us. But it is God who sets
it together with beautiful embellishments
that show us how good He is. 1 Peter 5:10,
"But the God of all grace, who has
called us into his eternal glory by Christ
Jesus after that ye have suffered a while,
make you perfect, stablish, strengthen,
settle you."
Do
you want to be mature? Do you want to be
strong? Do you want to be established and
settled? Then get ready to go through some
dark places. Just be willing to allow God
to do the embroidery on those pieces. When
He is finished your life will be something
beautiful that He can use for His glory
and for the benefit of His kingdom. Let
Him stitch the dark pieces with love, peace,
joy, longsuffering, gentleness, and goodness.
He will weave gold and silver threads against
the darkness of our lives.
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How to Pray (Part
3, How To Get Your Prayers Answered)
by Cyndy Myrick
We must do those things that are pleasing
in his sight. There are many things which
would be pleasing to God for us to do which
He has not specifically commanded us to
do. When you love someone you don’t
just do the things they ask you to do, you
want to do special things, extra things,
to please them. That is how we should be
with God. A true child of God should not
need a specific command, he will want to
do the things that are pleasing to his Father.
Maybe this is the reason for many unanswered
prayers; we are not going to the trouble
to find out what pleases God. Many times
we feel a slight twinge of guilt about something
we are doing, but comfort ourselves with
the fact that nowhere in the Bible does
it say that we cannot do that thing. The
question should be is our heavenly father
pleased with what we are doing? There may
not be any harm in what we are doing, but
is it robbing our prayer of power?
Rev.
Torrey says, "If we would have power
in prayer, we must be earnest students of
His word to find out what His will regarding
us is, and then having found it, do it.
One unconfessed act of disobedience on our
part will shut the ear of God against many
petitions." There may be many reasons
why God hasn’t answered some of your
prayers, don’t let one of them be you.
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What Are You Becoming?
by Cindy Willingham
I recently heard a man named Jim Rohn say
"Beware of what you become in pursuit
of what you are. The major purpose of having
a goal is what it makes of you in the pursuit
of it. It’s not what you get, but what
you become. It makes something unique out
of you. To have more, you must become more.
You can have more than you’ve got because
you can become more than you are. Unless
you change how you are, you will always
have what you’ve got. It’s not
the attaining of the goal but what happens
to you that is the major thing."
This
man’s work is to motivate people. It
is interesting that carnal people are sometimes
wiser than we are. I believe that we have
lost sight of what we are becoming in the
process of reaching out for revival. As
we press towards revival, we have failed
to see that God is working out our uniqueness
in making us ready for what we want. Without
this uniqueness, we would soon grow tired
and want life to return to the normal humdrum
way of doing things. There are examples
of this all over the country. Just read
the church billboards. We must become more
excited about the process of attaining the
goal. Instead we want to sit back and stay
the same and then one day, bam, revival.
It will not work that way.
One
of our biggest faults is that we do not
want to change. If we will not change, we
will continue to have what we've got. God
gave us the Holy Spirit and power to change.
If we do not use God's power to change,
then anything that comes by will have an
effect on us; we will not have an effect
on it. Life will just keep on keeping on.
Paul
is a perfect example of this. Once he was
saved and filled with the Holy Ghost, he
then went to Arabia (Galatians 1:18 and
Galatians 2:1) for 17 years where he was
changed into Christ’s image. It was
here that he learned to die daily and his
doctrine was perfected. Acts 9:15&16
tell us that "…he is a chosen
vessel unto me, to bear my name before the
Gentiles, and kings, and the children of
Israel: for I will shew him how great things
he must suffer for my name’s sake."
The
goal of becoming a chosen vessel was through
affliction. Look what he became. Because
he was revived, he brought life to the lost
and revival to the people of God. When he
was ready to depart, he could say to Timothy,
"I have fought a good fight, I have
finished my course, I have kept the faith."
Let’s
look at Judas, the dark side of the coin.
Look what he became in the pursuit of his
goal, money. John 12:6 tells us that he
was a thief and stole from the money bag
he carried for the Lord. Finally he sold
the Lord for 30 pieces of silver. Mark 14:10&11.
That was a lot of money in those days. When
he did this, he became a traitor. Matthew
27:3-6 tells us he got a guilty conscience
and tried to repent and return the pieces
of silver. He tried to give the money back
but he could not change what he had become.
So he went out and hanged himself. His end
was so different from Paul’s.
Let’s
make sure we are pursuing the right things
so that what we become will be for the glory
and honor of the Lord.
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August 1997
Tried
by Fire
by Gail Redman
The Last Day Church is being purged and
tried with fire so that the faith of Jesus
might be perfected in the saints. I could
write a book on various ways that Christians
are tried in their faith. Since faith is
a factor, I will touch on only a few temptations
I have observed others or myself being drawn
to. Please remember that James 1:14 tells
us, "...every man is tempted, when
he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed."
We would prefer to blame the kingdom of
darkness or our circumstances, but failure
is with our flesh and sin nature. The good
news is that when we endure our temptations,
we are blessed and will receive the crown
of life.
Before
I accepted Jesus Christ as Lord of my life,
I was attracted to self-hype books. Some
examples include titles such as, Grow Rich!
With Peace Of Mind and Future, and Youth:
How To Reverse The Aging Process. After
I was baptized in the Holy Ghost, God blessed
me with revelation and faith concerning
healing. Being in the health profession,
I am bombarded through mailings and in seminars
concerning many new breakthrough medicines
and cures. Many people are realizing the
imperfections in the conventional medical
professions and are being drawn to alternative
health choices. Many times people that are
health fanatics concerning air, water, exercise,
food, and vitamins are the same individuals
with drug and alcohol problems.
Mailings
that I have received recently include "1,225
Amazing- But-True Drug-Free Cures"
and "Can These Pills Make You Live
Longer?" Recently, I noticed a book
in Wal-Mart entitled The Vitamin Bible.
I am not advocating slothfulness concerning
taking care of the physical body that God
has blessed us with to use for his glory.
However, there are Christians that waste
so much time hunting for the cure for their
ailment that the simplicity of God's healing
is neglected.
The
truth about healing according to biblical
principles has been taught in Living Hope
Fellowship. Every Christian with this knowledge
concerning healing will be tested. When
our bodies are afflicted and in pain, we
do not want to stay in the fiery furnace
so that we become overcomers. The lust of
our flesh wants relief as quickly as possible
through all methods of healing available
to us. God will not share the glory with
man's humanistic efforts of healing. I believe
the time is coming when there will be no
healing medicines or man will trust in the
physician and die. (Jeremiah 8:22, 2 Chronicles
16:12-13)
God
allows Satan to tempt us, but it is the
lust of the flesh that entices us to sin.
Multiple opportunities have come available
to me, through individuals and tempting
mailings, to become involved in various
multi-level companies or pyramid schemes.
Many times we are tempted in areas where
we have been critical of others' shortcomings.
Several years ago, my spiritual eyes were
opened to doctrines of devils that are inspired
by seducing spirits.
One
such doctrine crept into charismatic churches
in the perversion of the authority structure
of the church. A book entitled Charismatic
Captivation by Dr. Steven Lambert points
out that this perversion resembles secular,
pyramiding, multi-level sales organizations
that have reached prominence in the last
thirty years. These companies appeal to
our lust of the flesh to be wealthy and
promote greed and materialism. One such
dental company has several products that
I am interested in, but I am uncomfortable
about becoming involved because of what
I have been shown about pyramiding. I have
even had individuals point out that some
of these companies were started by Christians.
There are also Christians that have committed
adultery but this does not make adultery
acceptable to God. Many individuals soothe
their consciences by discussing how they
are benefiting mankind by the great product
they are selling. However, the underlying
sin is greed and an appeal to lust of the
flesh.
While
writing this article, my eyes were opened
spiritually to the truth of the origins
of the medical and dental profession of
which I am a member. I do not have time
in this article to study out what I have
been shown. Never before in the history
of the world have we needed divine revelation
and guidance from above so that we might
not be seduced and deceived by the antichrist
spirit.
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Trust in the Lord
by Eleanor Myrick
Sometimes
we have troubles we can't understand.
It
seems very hard to put them in God's hand.
You
must always remember God is faithful and
true.
What
He's done for others He'll surely do for
you.
He
knows every trial that we'll ever face.
Before
we start through them He's made an escape.
So
hold fast to His hand and never let go.
Through
each trial and test you surely will grow.
Just
trust in the Lord, and then you will find
Our
God's never late; He's always on time.
Don't
worry and fret about things yet to be.
Trust
in the Lord, and then we will see
God's
will in your life is the thing that we need.
Then
there will be joy, gladness, and peace indeed!
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What Do You Have
in Your House?
by Marjorie Russell
And Elisha said onto her, What shall I do
for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the
house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath
not any thing in the house, save a pot of
oil. (2 Kings 4:2)
The
widow was in a frightening position. Her
husband had died, and without his provision,
things were financially desperate. To make
matters worse, he had left a debt, and in
the society of her day, one to whom a debt
was owed had the right to take the debtor's
children who would work for the person as
slaves until the debt was paid. Having already
lost her husband, she was about to lose
her children as well.
In
desperation she ran for help to Elisha,
the man of God. He wasted no time soothing
her with well-meaning but empty words. Instead
he demanded to know what she had in her
house. In other words, he asked " What
do you have that can be used to help you
out of this dilemma?"
She
identifies perhaps the only thing she possesses
that is of value, a little oil. Many Bible
scholars believe that this was not common
cooking oil, as that would have been inexpensive
and commonly available. Instead, many believe
this was the oil her late husband, a prophet,
had used as anointing oil. With ingredients
that were costly and rare, the sweet-smelling
oil was used sparingly by the prophet in
the duties of his office.
Elisha
instructs her to take action, gathering
as many containers as possible. She obeys
the words of God's representative,and in
her own home, with the door closed against
all but her family, she begins pouring out
what "little" she has. And God
anoints the pouring to work a miracle. As
she pours, the supply does not stop flowing
until the last container is filled. Not
only is she able to save her children from
slavery, but she is also able to have enough
left over to live on. Ironically, the size
of her miracle is limited only by the number
of containers she worked to gather.
What
do you have in your "house?" What
do you have that can be used by God to perform
a miracle of provision? We may think, like
the widow, that we have nothing, when in
reality we possess the basis of a miracle.
We often overlook the value of the "little"
we have, narrowly thinking that it is too
little to do much good. In spiritual reality,
though, when we obey the Lord, he will multiply
what we have.
Are
you willing to pour that which is costly
- your education, training, skills and life
experiences - out before the Lord? He can
anoint what "little" you have
and work a miracle that will rescue not
only you, but others as well.
(Note:
Marjorie holds the copyright to her articles.
She has given LHF permission to use some
of her work in our ministry. We hope you
will be blessed by her writing as we have
been.)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 1997
It's
Time to Start Living It!!
by Lynetta Johnson
IT'S TIME GOD'S PEOPLE START LIVING WHAT
THEY'RE PREACHING.
I'm
no exception. People look at us, going to
church faithfully, saying GOD heals, GOD
saves, GOD delivers, GOD sets free. But
what are they seeing? Christians with no
power.
We
are suppose to have the same walk Jesus
had and more. He told us in John 14:12 "...the
works that I do shall he do also."
The "he" that Jesus is talking
about is anyone who believed on him. In
the same verse Jesus went on to say "...and
greater works than these shall he do."
People
are seeing Christians when they're in church,
praising God, amening, and shouting hallelujah.
Outside of church they see angry people,
unhappy with their lives,griping and complaining,
not caring about anyone or anything else,
other than their own problems. If this is
not what they're seeing then they're seeing
the Christian the same in church as they
are out. Pew sitters. People that do nothing.
In
James 1:22 it tells us "But be ye doers
of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving
your own selves." You're deceiving
yourself if you're going to church and only
hearing the word of God and not doing it.
Not applying it to your life, letting God
get things out of your life, and put the
things he wants in your life.
A
lot of people think they are doing God a
favor, coming to church on Sunday morning.
God says in Romans 12:1 that "...ye
present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable unto God, which is your
reasonable service.
God
wants all, or nothing. God says "...be
ye perfect, for I am perfect." Matthew
5:48. "Be ye holy, for I am holy."
1 Peter 1:16. Lev. 20:7. The only way to
do this is to allow God to work in your
life.
We
can be like Jesus, we can do the works he
did, and more. His disciples did. The Bible
"whosoever". (Read Revelation
22:17) "Whosoever will, let him take
the water of life freely."
The
disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost,
and had the power to do the works Jesus
did, and all of God's people should be too.
In these last days we are going to need
him. People say he's not real,or that was
just in the disciples days. But Jesus commands
it. In John 20:22 Paul asked "Have
ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?"
This not only tells us that people other
than Jesus's disciples received the Holy
Ghost, it also tells us that you don't always
get it when you get saved.
But
we do need the Holy Ghost, to give us the
same power the disciples had, and to walk
like Jesus. Jesus had the Holy Ghost. He
is our example. It is time we start taking
a look at ourselves and our walk with God.
Do we look like Jesus? If not, get in your
Bible, see what we're suppose to look like
and be doing.
A
lot of people want God's promises, but they
don't want to do it God's way. Well, any
other way is coming in the back door. It
is time we get out of the pew and get on
our knees.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
November 1997
And
Then The Tears Came
by Author Unknown
In
that place between wakefulness and dreams,
I found myself in a room. There were no
distinguishing features save for the one
wall covered with small index card files.
They were like the ones in libraries that
list titles by author or subject in alphabetical
order. But these files, which stretched
from floor to ceiling and seemingly endlessly
in either direction, had very different
headings. As I drew near the wall of files,
the first to catch my attention was one
that read "Guys I Have Liked".
I opened it and began flipping through the
cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize
that I recognized the names written on each
one.
And
then without being told, I knew exactly
where I was. This lifeless room with its
small files was a crude catalog system for
my life. Here were written the actions of
my every moment, big and small, in a detail
my memory couldn't match.
A
sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with
horror, stirred within me as I began randomly
opening files and exploring their content.
Some brought joy and sweet memories; others
a sense of shame and regret so intense that
I would look over my shoulder to see if
anyone was watching. A file named "Friends"
was next to one marked "Friends I Have
Betrayed".
The
titles ranged from the mundane to the outright
weird. "Books I Have Read", "Lies
I Have Told", "Comfort I Have
Given", "Jokes I Have Laughed
At". Some were almost hilarious in
their exactness: "Things I've Yelled
at My Brothers." Others I couldn't
laugh at: "Things I Have Done in My
Anger", "Things I Have Muttered
Under My Breath At My Parents". I never
ceased to be surprised by the contents.
Often there were many more cards than I
expected. Sometimes fewer than I hoped.
I
was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the
life I had lived. Could it be possible that
I had the time in my 20 years to write each
of these thousands or even millions of cards?
But each card confirmed this truth. Each
was written in my own handwriting. Each
signed with my signature.
When
I pulled out the file marked "Songs
I Have Listened To", I realized the
files grew to contain their contents. The
cards were packed tightly, and yet after
two or three yards, I hadn't found the end
of the file. I shut it, shamed, not so much
by the quality of music, but more by the
vast amount of time I knew that file represented.
When
I came to a file marked "Lustful Thoughts",
I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled
the file out only an inch, not willing to
test its size, and drew out a card. I shuddered
at its detailed content. I felt sick to
think that such a moment had been recorded.
An
almost animal rage broke over me. One thought
dominated my mind: "No one must ever
see these cards! No one must ever see this
room! I have to destroy them!" In an
insane frenzy I yanked the file out. Its
size didn't matter now. I had to empty it
and burn the cards. But as I took it at
one end and began pounding it on the floor,
I could not dislodge a single card. I became
desperate and pulled out a card, only to
find it as strong steel when I tried to
tear it.
Defeated
and utterly helpless, I returned the file
to its slot. Leaning my forehead against
the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying
sigh. And then I saw it. The title bore
"People I Have Shared The Gospel With".
The handle was brighter than those around
it, newer, almost unused. I pulled on its
handle and a small box not more than three
inches long fell into my hands. I could
count the cards it contained on one hand.
And
then the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs
so deep that the hurt started in my stomach
and shook through me. I fell on my knees
and cried. I cried out of shame, from the
overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of
file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes.
No one must ever, ever know of this room.
I must lock it up and hide the key.
But
then as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him.
No, please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone
but Jesus. I watched helplessly as He began
to open the files and read the cards. I
couldn't bear to watch His response. And
in the moments I could bring myself to look
at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than
my own. He seemed to intuitively go to the
worst boxes. Why did He have to read every
one?
Finally
He turned and looked at me from across the
room. He looked at me with pity in His eyes.
But this was a pity that didn't anger me.
I dropped my head, covered my face with
my hands and began to cry again.He walked
over and put His arm around me. He could
have said so many things. But He didn't
say a word. He just cried with me.
Then
He got up and walked back to the wall of
files. Starting at one end of the room,
He took out a file and, one by one, began
to sign His name over mine on each card.
"No!"
I shouted rushing to Him. All I could find
to say was "No, no," as I pulled
the card from Him. His name shouldn't be
on these cards. But there it was, written
in red so rich, so dark, so alive. The name
of Jesus covered mine. It was written with
His blood.
He
gently took the card back. He smiled a sad
smile and began to sign the cards. I don't
think I'll ever understand how He did it
so quickly, but the next instant it seemed
I heard Him close the last file and walk
back to my side. He placed His hand on my
shoulder and said, "It is finished."
I
stood up, and He led me out of the room.
There was no lock on its door. There were
still cards to be written.
This
article was received through email by someone
and passed on. I do not know who the author
is and I apologize now if I have neglected
to get permission from the appropriate sources.
Because of the tremendous message I chose
to include it here.
"Blotting
out the handwriting of ordinances that was
against us, which was contrary to us, and
took it out of the way, nailing it to his
cross;" Colossians 2:14
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