By Ruth Seamands
It was Christmas Eve in Korea. An expectant mother walked through the snow to the home of a missionary friend, where she knew she could find help.
A short way down the road from the mission house was a deep gully spanned by a bridge. As the young woman stumbled forward, birth pains overcame her. She realized she could go no further. She crawled under the bridge. There alone between the trestles she gave birth to a baby boy.
She had nothing with her except the heavy padded clothes she was wearing. One by one she removed the pieces of her clothing and wrapped them around her tiny son - around and around, like a cumbersome cocoon. Then, finding a discarded piece of burlap, she pulled it over herself, and lay exhausted beside her baby.
The next morning the missionary drove across the bridge in her Jeep to take a Christmas basket to a Korean family. On the way back, as she neared the bridge, the Jeep sputtered and died, out of gas. Getting out of the Jeep she started to walk across the bridge, and heard a faint cry beneath her. She crawled under the bridge to investigate.
There she found the tiny baby, warm but hungry, and the young mother frozen to death.
The missionary took the baby home and cared for him. As the boy grew, he often asked his adopted mother to tell him the story of how she had found him. On Christmas Day, his 12th birthday, he asked the missionary to take him to his mother's grave.
Once there he asked her to wait a distance away while he went to pray. The boy stood beside the grave with bowed head, weeping. Then he began to disrobe. As the astonished missionary watched, the boy took off his warm clothing, piece by piece, and laid it on his mother's grave.
Surely he won't take off all his clothing, the missionary thought. He'll freeze! But the boy stripped himself of everything, putting all his warm clothing on the grave.
He knelt naked and shivering in the snow.
As the missionary went to him to help him dress again, she heard him cry out to the mother he never knew: "Were you colder than this for me, my mother?" And he wept bitterly.
When Christ came, He stripped himself of every royal garment and entered into our world of hatred and cold indifference.
Why did He do it?
Because He saw centuries of broken lives needing a Saviour.
And then He died of a broken heart. What broke it? The sin of human hearts. The long history of men making slaves of other men. Centuries of cannibalism, cruelty, starvation and suffering.
The worship of false gods in temples made with hands. War, bloodshed, crime, and greed - those things broke the heart of Christ.
But so did we.
Our coldness broke His heart and now it freezes Him out. We complacent Americans (and people of ALL nations) who are saved, satisfied, and sitting! We who pray, "Give us compassion for a lost world," and then "sacrifice" a dollar for missions.
We with our elegant homes and brimming garbage cans. We who have the money, knowledge, and manpower to take the gospel to every creature, and yet we don't.
We who say we love the lost, and neglect to tell a lost neighbor about a loving Saviour.
Lord, we take off our garments of pride and self-righteousness, glittering but transparently filthy rags that they are, and lay them at Your feet. In our naked need we cry, "Were you colder than this because of us, Lord?" And we weep bitterly, because we know You were. (Internet)
United States of Africa
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi is urging African nations to put aside their
differences and create a "United States of Africa." He proposes the
creation of an African Central Bank and a single currency. (The Bible talks
of Armies from Ethiopia and African Nations: Ezekiel 38:5 & Daniel 11:42,43)
(The Watchman Newsletter, 21/8/99)
Cast your Silver and Gold to the Streets!
Countries such as Switzerland and Britain have been selling off their gold
reserves and investing into the internet... In the near future, money as we
know it - as government-issued coins and paper currency - will be replaced with
an electronic currency issued by private corporations on the Internet...
In this utopian electronic economy, e-currency will flow freely around the world; it will be accepted everywhere; there will be no exchange fees or currency fluctuations... government-issued currencies will become redundant. (Watchman Newsletter 29/8/99)
Human Rights for Animals!
Lawyers in the USA are planning to use anti-slavery laws to force courts
to give animals the same rights as humans. Animal rights activists believe it
is morally wrong to make a legal distinction between what they call "non-human
animals" and ourselves.
If successful, newly empowered "non-humans" could not be kept in zoos, captured in the wild or used for research against their will. Some in the animal rights movement hope to extend legal rights to all creatures, including dogs and chickens. (Watchman Newsletter)
When a mother saw a thunderstorm forming in mid-afternoon, she worried about her seven-year-old daughter who would be walking the three blocks from school to home.
Deciding to meet her, the mother saw her walking nonchalantly along, stopping to smile whenever lightning flashed.
Seeing her mother, the little girl ran to her, explaining happily, "All the way home, God's been taking my picture!"
(Author Unknown - Sentiment for the Soul)
The stunning marvel of our Lord's workmanship -- "without Him was not anything made that was made" (Jn. 1:3) -- perhaps reaches its apex in the human body. "I am fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psa. 135:14); and when are added the depthless mystery of the soul and of the spirit, we are struck speechless.
The heart beats seventy times a minute, 4,200 an hour, 100,800 a day, 36,792,000 a year, 2,565,440,000 in three-score and ten years, and at each beat two and a half ounces of blood are thrown out of it, one hundred and seventy-five ounces a minute, six hundred and fifty-six pounds an hour, seven and three-fourths tons a day. All the blood in the body passes through the heart in 3 minutes.
The lungs will contain about one gallon of air at their usual degree of inflation. We breathe on an average 1,200 times an hour, inhale six hundred gallons of air, or 24,000 a day. The aggregate surface of the air cells of the lungs exceeds 20,000 square inches, an area very nearly equal to the floor of a room twelve feet square.
The average weight of the brain of an adult male is three pounds and eight ounces, of a female two pounds and four ounces. The nerves are all connected with it, directly or by the spinal marrow. These nerves, together with their branches and minute ramifications, probably exceed 10,000,000 in number, forming a bodyguard outnumbering by far the greatest army ever marshalled!
The skin is composed of three layers and varies from one-fourth to one-eighth of an inch in thickness. The atmospheric pressure being about fourteen pounds to the square inch, a person of medium size is subjected to a pressure of 40,000 lbs. Each square inch of skin contains 35,000 sweating tubes or perspiratory pores, each of which may be likened to a little drain pipe one-fourth of an inch long, making an aggregate length of the entire surface of the body of 201,165 feet, or a tile ditch for draining the body almost forty miles long.
The human body is a marvel of mechanical efficiency and adaptability. Like many other machines, it derives its energy from carbon. Coal or oil burning engines get their carbon from coal or oil. But these fuels come originally from plants. Man also gets his carbon from plants, either directly or through the meat of an animal which has eaten plants or has eaten some other animal which has eaten plants. The body, like an engine, takes in oxygen, combines it with the carbon, and exhales carbon dioxide. The energy resulting from the combustion is the energy at our disposal for everything we do.
Because of this oxidation process going on within him, man is a kind of walking furnace. The average human body dissipates about 2,500 calories daily -- enough energy to boil 25 pots of coffee. The oxidation also provides us with heat -- which is a form of energy. A remarkable temperature regulation system keeps the body heat at an average of about 98.6 F. throughout our lives, summer and winter, except when a higher temperature is needed to combat disease.
The regulation of the temperature of the blood stream is accomplished through a delicate control centre in the brain. From this centre, nervous signals are sent throughout the body asking for an increase or decrease of temperature. If the temperature drops, oxidation is increased and the blood vessels of the skin contract, so that less heat is lost by radiation. The skin glands secrete a fatty substance, the hair of the skin stands erect, resulting in a layer of dead air which acts as an insulation layer.
If the blood temperature becomes too high, signals are sent from the control centre for the oxidation to be decreased. The blood vessels of the skin dilate, so that more blood passes through and perspiration takes place. The moisture thus evaporated cools the skin surface and the body.
This remarkable system can -- for a limited time -- prevent our body temperature from rising, even in heat that will fry a steak. A man has actually withstood a temperature of 262 degrees for fifteen minutes. A steak was fried in the same enclosure during the time he was in it, yet close to his skin, almost normal body temperature was measured.
The body is an intricate electronic device, far more complicated than any which man has ever built. The human brain is made up of something like 10 million nerve cells, or neurons. Each neuron is a battery-powered device operating at a potential of 0.07 volts.
If man were to make an electronic equivalent of the human brain, it would need a very large building to house it, and all the electricity generated at Niagara Falls to operate it.
The nervous system is a telephone system by which the brain is kept informed of what goes on around us. It is estimated that each of our eyes has 130,000,000 rods and 7,000,000 cones which are the sensory terminals of sight. These are connected to the brain by over 300,000 separate "telephone" lines. When we look at something, the thing we see is broken down by these millions of sensory points, and the graduations of light and shade and color of each incremental area are sent to the brain as separate signals. There they are rearranged, in some way yet unknown to us, to give the impression of visualizing the whole scene.
In television, each tiny elemental area of the screen is connected to the receiver for only about 1-250,000th of the time. In the human eye, information is sent to the brain from all areas of the scene simultaneously. Some of the early television systems proposed to use the method which the eye uses, but the system was so bulky, even to transmit a very poor image, that it was abandoned.
To carry signals from the ear to the brain, something like 150,000 separate conductors lead from each ear, each insulated from the others. These signals are picked up by delicate probes on the brain, amplified by sensitive amplifiers and reproduced on a loudspeaker. These electrical signals sent to the brain, in some unknown way give us the sensation of hearing. (World Science Review)
If your aim is to be miserable most of the time, the following ten actions will help you reach that state of misery in record time:
1. Think only about yourself. Talk much about yourself. Include "I"
as much as you can in every conversation.
2. Pay close attention to what people think and say about you.
3. Expect to be appreciated.
4. Cultivate suspicion, jealousy and envy.
5. Be sensitive to every sight insult. Never forgive a criticism.
6. Trust nobody but yourself.
7. Insist upon special consideration
8. Demand that everyone agree with your views and opinions on everything.
9. Shirk your duties and responsibilities if you can.
10. Do as little as possible for other people.
During Vacation Bible School last week my wife had an experience with her primary class that she says she will never forget. Her class was interrupted on Wednesday about an hour before dismissal when a new student was brought in. The little boy had one arm missing, and since the class was almost over, she had no opportunity to learn any of the details about the cause or his state of adjustment. She was very nervous and afraid that one of the other children would comment on his handicap and embarrass him. There was no opportunity to caution them, so she proceeded as carefully as possible.
As the class time came to a close, she began to relax. She asked the class to join her in their usual closing ceremony. "Let's make our churches," she said. "Here's the church and here's the steeple, open the doors and there's..." The awful truth of her own actions struck her. The very thing she had feared that the children would do, she had done. As she stood there speechless, the little girl sitting next to the boy reached over with her left hand and placed it up to his right hand and said, "Davey, let's make the church together." (Selected)
I would gain control of the most powerful nation in the world;
I would delude their minds into thinking that they had come from man's effort,
instead of God's blessings;
I would promote an attitude of loving things and using people, instead of the
other way around;
I would dupe entire states into relying on gambling for their state revenue;
I would convince people that character is not an issue when it comes to leadership;
I would make it legal to take the life of unborn babies;
I would make it socially acceptable to take one's own life, and invent machines
to make it convenient;
I would cheapen human life as much as possible so that the life of animals are
valued more than human beings;
I would take God out of the schools, where even the mention of His name was
grounds for a law suit;
I would come up with drugs that sedate the mind and target the young, and I
would get sports heroes to advertise them;
I would get control of the media, so that every night I could pollute the mind
of every family member for my agenda;
I would attack the family, the backbone of any nation;
I would make divorce acceptable and easy, even fashionable. If the family crumbles,
so does the nation;
I would compel people to express their most depraved fantasies on canvas and
movie screens, and I would call it art;
I would convince the people that right and wrong are determined by a few who
call themselves authorities and refer to their agenda as politically correct;
I would persuade people that the church is irrelevant and out of date, and the
Bible is for the naive;
I would dull the minds of Christians, and make them believe that prayer is not
important, and that faithfulness and obedience are optional;
"I guess I would leave things pretty much the way they are." (Paul
Harvey)
Some of the martyrs of Christ were slain with the axe, as in Arabia. The limbs of some were broken, as in Cappadocia. Some, raised on high by the feet, with their heads down, while a gentle fire burned beneath them, were suffocated by the smoke which arose from the burning wood, as was done in Mesopotamia. Others were mutilated by cutting off their noses and ears and hands, and cutting to pieces the other members and parts of their bodies, as in Alexandria.. Those in Antioch were roasted on grates, not so as to kill them, but so as to subject them to a lingering punishment...
In Pontus, others endured sufferings horrible to hear. Their fingers were pierced with sharp reeds under their nails. Melted lead, bubbling and boiling with the heat, was poured down the backs of others, and they were roasted in the most sensitive parts of the body. Others endured on their bowels and privy members shameful and inhuman and unmentionable torments... It was commanded that our eyes should be put out, and that we should be maimed in one of our limbs... In these conflicts the noble martyrs of Christ shone illustrious over the entire world, and everywhere astonished those who beheld their manliness; and the evidences of the truly divine and unspeakable power of our Saviour were made manifest through them.
What words could describe their courage and manliness under every torture? For as liberty to abuse them was given to all that wished, some beat them with clubs, others with rods, others with scourges, yet others with thongs, and others with ropes. And the spectacle of the outrages was varied and exhibited great malignity. For some, with their hands bound behind them, were suspended on the stocks, and every member stretched by certain machines. Then the torturers, as commanded, lacerated with instruments their entire bodies... their stomachs and knees and cheeks. Others were raised aloft, suspended by one hand, and endured the most terrible suffering of all, through the distension of their joints and limbs. Others were bound face to face to pillars, not resting on their feet, but with the weight of their bodies bearing on their bonds and drawing them tightly...
It would be impossible to describe the outrages and tortures which the martyrs in Thebais endured. They were scraped over the entire body with shells until they died. Women were bound by one foot and raised aloft in the air by machines, and with their bodies altogether bare and uncovered, presented to all beholders this most shameful, cruel, and inhuman spectacle. Others being bound to the branches and trunks of trees perished. For they drew the stoutest branches together with machines, and bound the limbs of the martyrs to them; and then, allowing the branches to assume their natural position, they tore asunder instantly the limbs... Sometimes more than ten, at other times above twenty were put to death. Again not less than thirty, then about sixty, and yet again a hundred men with young children and women, were slain in one day, being condemned to various and diverse torments.
We... observed large crowds in one day; some suffering decapitation, others torture by fire; so that the murderous sword was blunted... we beheld the most wonderful ardor, and the truly divine energy and zeal of those who believed in the Christ of God. For as soon as sentence was pronounced against the first, one after another rushed to the judgment seat, and confessed themselves Christians. And regarding with indifference the terrible things and the multiform tortures, they declared themselves boldly and undauntedly for the religion of the God of the universe. And they received the final sentence of death with joy and laughter and cheerfulness; so that they sang and offered up hymns and thanksgivings to the God of the universe till their very last breath. (Extracts From: Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History, [Dated 325 A.D.])
Freeborn Garrettson, a pioneer Methodist early in the 19th century: "I traversed the mountains and valleys, frequently on foot, with my knapsack on my back, guided by Indian paths in the wilderness, when it was not expedient to take a horse... I had often to ride through morasses, half deep in mud and water; frequently satisfying my hunger with a piece of bread and pork from my knapsack, quenching my thirst from a brook, and resting my weary limbs on the leaves of trees. Thanks be to God! He compensated me for my toil; for many precious souls were awakened and converted to God."
David Livingstone, the pioneer missionary to Africa walked over 29,000 miles. His wife died early in their ministry, and he faced stiff opposition from his Scottish brethren. He ministered half blind. He was found dead on his knees. He said, "I had no notion of joy from this world; I cared not where or how I lived, or what hardships I went through, so that I could but gain souls to Christ." The words in his diary ought to spur each of us through difficulties: "Lord, send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me only sustain me. Sever me from any tie but the tie that binds me to your service and your heart!"
"Unless I go about my business of saving the souls of men with an energy and a zeal almost amounting to madness, nobody will take any notice of me, much less believe what I say and make everlasting profit out of it." (William Booth)
"Ere the sun goes down think of some one action which may tend to the conversion of some one person, and do it with all your might" (Charles Spurgeon)
"The Lord of the harvest has entrusted our church with a work He wants done. If we will not do this work for Him, it remains undone, and these millions perish. I for one cannot assume such responsibility, therefore, as long as the Lord of the Harvest gives me strength I dare not stand still, but must extend the work." (Jonathan Goforth)
"She lived the life of a whirlwind; she had no other thought than the salvation of souls and the care of her children." (C.T. Studd, speaking of his wife's latter years)
"Should the firemen sleep and let the whole city burn down, what would be thought of such firemen? And yet their guilt would not compare with the guilt of Christians who sleep while sinners around them are sinking stupidly into the fires of hell." (Charles Finney)
"We spend more time in our churches today praying to keep sick saints out of heaven than we do to keep the lost sinners out of hell." (Leon Vorpahl)
What they thought about viewing sinful things...
"The father who carefully protects and guards his virgin daughter's ears from every polluting word takes her to the theatre himself, exposing her to all its vile language and attitudes... How can it be right to look at the things that are wrong to do? How can those things which defile a man when they go out of his mouth not defile him when going in through his eyes and ears?" (Matt. 15:1720). (Tertullian [140-230 A.D.], The Shows, chs. 21, 17)
"I am inclined to think that the corrupting influence of the stage is even worse [than the influence of the arena]. The subjects of comedies are the deflowering of virgins or the loves of prostitutes... Similarly, the tragedies parade before the eyes [of the audience] the murder of parents and acts of incest committed by wicked kings.... Is the art of the mimes any better? They teach adultery by acting it out. How do we expect our young people to respond when they see that these things are practiced without shame and that everyone eagerly watches." (Lactantius [260-330 A.D.], Institutes, Bk. 6, Ch. 20, paraphrased)
Do you ever find yourself trying to justify the places you go, the books you read, or perhaps the music you listen to?
Some of the things we do are, to say the least, a little dodgy, right? We've all thought this at some time or other, haven't we? And we've all thought we can get away with it, right? We maybe think that a little bad won't really hurt us - and really, most of it is ALMOST good. Well remember, Satan is out to deceive us. The Bible tells us "Love not the world". We must be on our guard. The following illustration brings out a good point for us to consider:
One day as a mother was scraping and peeling vegetables for a salad, her daughter came to ask her permission to go to a worldly centre of amusement. On the defensive, the daughter admitted it was a questionable place, but all the girls were going. They did not actually think it would hurt them. As the girl talked, she suddenly saw her mother pick up a handful of discarded vegetable scraps and throw them into the salad. In a startled voice she cried, "Mother, you're putting the garbage into the salad!"
"Yes," said her mother, "I know. But I thought that since you don't seem to mind a little garbage in your mind and in your heart, your certainly would not mind a little in your stomach"
Thoughtfully, the girl removed the offending material from the salad, and with a brief, "Thank you" to her mother went to tell her friends that she would not be going with them.
If you have spiritual indigestion and a sick testimony, maybe it is because you have allowed too much "garbage in the salad" in your life. (Jay, Lara, Vic)
The bold newspaper ad read: "A Touch of Class - Raucous Comedy - Live Bands - Hot Dance Moves." Sound like a blurb for a local disco? Not on your life! It heralded a special rally sponsored by the Youth For Christ in Auckland, New Zealand. It was an effort, said the director, to reach young people in a "creative way."
There is a tremendous emphasis on entertainment today in churches and organizations across the land. We have to provide a "thrill a minute." Nobody wants to be stuck with the accusation that their youth program or church service is "boring" because they simply worship God. Let's do something, anything, to liven things up and put "spice" into our services. Let's have fun.
A plethora of gimmicks are being employed today by those craving to catch the attention of the multitudes. Rock concerts, laser light shows, and assorted catchy programs are designed to appeal to the jaded tastes of a TV-drugged society.
Charles Spurgeon declared with feeling, "The devil has seldom done a cleverer thing than hinting to the Church that part of their mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with a view to winning them... providing amusement for the people is nowhere spoken of in the Scriptures as a function of the Church... The need is biblical doctrine, so understood and felt that it sets men of fire." (Ernest D. Pickering, Baptist Pillar)
The modern church competes with television - most attenders have watched almost 20 hours the previous week. Not only is the medium the message, but if communication in church isn't interesting (and cognizant of an assumed 45-second attention span), the music excellent, and the themes life-related, people will go elsewhere - even back to the TV... Babyboomers have grown up with television - that's why they're less-than-committed to a particular church/denomination. They're part of a consumer culture in which choices/freedom dominates their lifestyle. They want 'value for money/time' and won't hang around a church that's boring, irrelevant to their questions, or stuck where it was. (Rowland Croucher)
"Can't make it to church on Sunday morning? Try worshipping God at the nearest nightclub. That's what lots of young people are doing in North Carolina (Charisma News Service, 30/6/99)
Christian nightclubs... usually feature Christian rock music, and some allow dancing. One patron of Cathy's Christian Cabaret said, "The good thing about this club is you can come here and hear all kinds of Christian music--heavy rock, contemporary, and alternative--and you get to praise and worship" (Foundation, 8/7/99)
The Coffs Harbour Baptist Church Youth Group is organising an all-ages dance party to raise funds for missions to Bali and India. Kings Dance Party For The World will pulse out top 40 hits, punk, ska, hard core and a touch of electronica and dance music. (Coffs Harbour Advocate, 9/9/99)
It appears that more and more churches are embracing the World’s Music without any perceived fear of the Lord! The above cutting demonstrates the lengths that churches will go to in an effort to attract youth to their churches. And all this has the 'blessing' of the local Baptist Pastor! Do they have any idea of the origins of these various music forms (punk, ska, hard core, electronica, dance music)? From my background in radio with a number of years as a radio station manager, I can tell you that all these forms of music have their origins in either the occult, satan worship, the drug scene, spiritist movements. the sex industry and worse... death metal possibly being the most extreme!
I recall one piece of promotional material I received at the radio station which accompanied a new release gospel? CD. The group decided that there was money to be made in the gospel music sector and whilst they were in no way Christians, they were: 'not going to let that stop them from making money out of the kids that would buy the CD'. And there are many groups and performers that are rushing down this same track... and taking many, many souls with them.
I fear for the youth of today who find more to attract them in the fake gospel
music of this modern-day world than they do in the True Gospel and Word of our
Lord Jesus Christ. (Psalm 111:10)
(Ron, Coffs Harbour Jetty, NSW)
The general solution to "boredom" is "entertainment", which generally means to sit back and pay someone else, or many people to put on a show for the "bored persons" benefit. In Bible days when men were bored they would call for the dancing girls or the musicians. Today, entertainment is as easy as turning on a switch, radio or television.
Entertainment on the TV and cinema, apart from sport, and documentaries comprises of watching the goings on inside someone else's bedroom and private life, both real and simulated, and watching countless murders and criminal acts done by others, both real and simulated. Wouldn’t it be better to "redeem the time, because the days are evil"? (Based on: Kevin, Burpengary, Qld)
We've learnt to think like the world, rather than be transformed by the renewing of our minds... continually persuaded and brainwashed by mass media, materialism and greed. We must have time for us, so instead of attending a prayer meeting or home group, we "veg out" in front of the television, and lose contact with others, and even our families. (Colleen, Australia)
1. An ambassador does not appoint himself. We are appointed by Christ (2 Cor. 5:18-20).
2. An ambassador does not support himself. God supplies all our needs (Eph. 1:3, Phil. 4:19).
3. An ambassador is not a citizen of the country where he is sent. We are citizens of heaven (Phil. 3:20).
4. An ambassador has instructions in written form. We have the Bible (2 Tim. 3:16).
5. An ambassador cannot take insults personally; he is accepted or rejected not on his own merit but because of who he represents. We are not to take it personally when we are despised and rejected by those who hate Jesus Christ (John 15:19-21).
6. An ambassador does not enter a country to profit himself. We are on earth to serve the Lord (2 Cor. 5:15).
7. An ambassador is a personal representative of someone else; everything he does and says reflects on the one who sent him. We are representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ by action as well as by word (John 13:35, 17:23).
8. An ambassador’s perspective is service; his prospect is reward. We are commissioned for service and will be rewarded (Matt. 5:12, 2 John 8, Rev. 22:12).
9. An ambassador is recalled when war is declared. The recall of all believers at the Rapture of the church will announce the beginning of the end for satan (2 Thess. 2:1-12). (The Basics)
As children bring their broken toys
With tears for us to mend,
I brought my broken dreams to God,
Because He was my friend
But then instead of leaving Him
In peace to work alone,
I hung around and tried to help
With ways that were my own.
At last I snatched them back again and cried
"How can you be so slow?"
"My child", He said,
"What could I do,
You never did let go."
(Joan, The Entrance, NSW)
This casual cliché is as characteristically Australian as meat pies and Holden cars. And the expected response is often altogether too predictable, no matter how critical the real situation might be. Because sometimes things are just not right at all. We all too often have real hurt and pain. But we pass as ships in the night without meaningful contact or communication. We seem determined to fly as a facade the flag of self-sufficiency. And so we plot our course, posing as confident captains of our own ships and masters of our own fate, until our bravado and false pride finds us floundering on the rocks and reefs of some personal calamity.
The terrible trouble of such personal isolation seems to be the price we pay for the privilege of living in our hurry and worry world as we approach the 21st century. And this is bad enough. But the greatest tragedy of all lies in the common response today to the question, "Are you right mate? Right with God?"
The Creator of our universe and the coming Judge of all mankind insists that we come to grips with this all important question in the here and now or we will surely suffer eternal shipwreck in the there and then. It will not suffice to ignore, delay or make excuse. Well may one tell a concerned Christian to, "Mind his own religion," but such a response to the King of this universe is not only daft, but dangerous.
God has given us one prime responsibility during our brief existence here. The prophet, Amos, placed it plainly and pointedly when he said, "Prepare to meet your God..." (Amos 4:12) Since our time is in His hand and this is the day that He has made, we only have the time God chooses in His grace to give us in which to find His answer to this vital question.
But how does one make sure of a right relationship with God? First, we must face the fact of our position. The Bible teaches that God is Holy and that man is not. All men are sinners. (Romans 3:23) And the ultimate end of our sinful conduct will be eternal separation us from God, unless some effective intervention occurs. (Romans 6:23)
Next, we must realize that all our efforts to bridge the chasm of sin separating us from our Creator are vain and futile. Our natural tendency is to trust our own abilities, righteousness and the work of our own hands. So some are christened, confirmed, baptized or join a church, all the while unwilling to admit their obvious dismal failure in living uprightly and keeping the golden rule. From the outset all such efforts are doomed because God says there is none righteous, no not one and that all our pretended righteousness are as filthy rags when compared to the holiness and righteousness of His Son, Jesus Christ. (Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:10)
After all if we could, through our own energy and effort, make ourselves right with God, why did Jesus die on a cruel cross to pay our sin debt? Peter said Christ suffered once for our sins, the perfect one for the imperfect one, so He could bring us to God.
Just how then can one be right with God? If we can only stand in the Holy presence of a Holy God if we are without sin, how can we acquire such perfect righteousness?
Paul had the answer and the Holy Spirit of God inspired him to share it us in the Bible. He said, "God has made Jesus sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God, through Him." (II Cor. 5:21) "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through Jesus Christ..."( Romans 5:1) Then he said, "If you believe in your heart in the Lord Jesus Christ....you shall be saved...for whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:9 &13))
Are you sure you are right with God? You can be. How? Simply repent of sin, place absolute faith and trust in Jesus Christ as your sin sacrifice, call upon His Name, ask Him into your heart to be your personal Saviour and receive His gift of everlasting life. (John, Mudgeeraba, Qld)
Blessed are those who look at me with pleasantness
Blessed are those who understand my tired walk
Blessed are those who talk loud enough to minimise my deafness
Blessed are those who hold my shaking hands with warmth
Blessed are those who are interested on my distant youth
Blessed are those who are not tired of listening to my conversation repeated
so
Blessed are those who understand my need for affection
Blessed are those who give me fragments of their time
Blessed are those who remember my solitude
Blessed are those who are close to me when I am suffering
Blessed are those who cheer me up on the last days of my life
Blessed are those who are close to me in the moment of my departure:
When I'll enter eternal life I will remember them to my Lord Jesus.
Author Unknown.
(From Frank, Caboolture, Qld)
"I cannot go to church today",
Said little Peggy Ann Mckay.
"I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox
And there's one more-that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut, my eyes are blue
It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke.
My hip hurts when I move my chair,
My belly button's caving in,
My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My toes is cold, my toes are numb,
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow's bent my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There's a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is - What?
What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is... Saturday?
G’bye, I’m going out to play!
(From Margaret, St Marys, SA)
1. Every time I went, they asked me for money.
2. The people sitting next to me didn't seem very friendly.
3. The seats were too hard.
4. The coach never came to call on me.
5. The referee made a decision I disagreed with.
6. I was sitting with hypocrites - they came only to see what others were wearing.
7. Some of the games went into overtime and I was late getting home.
8. The band played songs I didn't like.
9. The games were scheduled when I wanted to do other things.
10. My parents took me to too many games when I was growing up.
11. Since I read a book about football, I know more than the coaches, anyhow.
12. I don't want to take my children, because I want them to choose for themselves
what sport they like best. (Teresa’s Jokers)
The SIX most important words: "I ADMIT I MADE A MISTAKE!"
The FIVE most important words: "YOU DID A GOOD JOB!"
The FOUR most important words: "WHAT IS YOUR OPINION?"
The THREE most important words: "WOULD YOU MIND?"
The TWO most important words: "THANK YOU!"
The ONE most important word: "WE".
The LEAST most important word: "I"
(Daily Gems)
A holy Christian life is made up of many small things.
Little words, not eloquent sermons,
Little deeds, not miracles of battle,
Or one great, heroic deed of martyrdom,
The little constant sunbeam, not the lightning.
The avoidance of little evils,
Little inconsistencies, little weaknesses,
Little follies and indiscretions,
And little indulgences of the flesh make up
The beauty of a holy life.
(Andrew Bonar)
He couldn't speak before a crowd,
He couldn't teach a class;
But when he came to Sunday School
He brought the folks "en masse".
He couldn't sing to save his life,
In public couldn't pray,
But always his jalopy
Was crammed on each Lord's Day!
Although he could hot sing,
Nor teach, nor lead in prayer,
He listened well and had a smile
And he was always there
With all the others whom he'd brought,
Who lived both near and far,
And God's work prospered --for he had
A consecrated car!
(Author Unknown)
This morning while walking to work I perchance happened to notice myriads of tiny delicate wild flowers that had sprung up after the rain. On seeing these beautiful wild flowers that were laid out like a floral carpet in front of me, I stopped for a while to marvel at the beauty of what God had provided.
While looking at the flowers and contemplating the beautiful day that the Lord had made, I noticed that my thoughts were not of sadness, remorse or indeed even revenge. Jail is not a nice place and normally one is too busy watching their back to stop and smell the flowers. Sitting at my desk now, as I look out my window I can see myriads of tiny yellow daisies. I wondered why I had never seen these tiny flowers before I came to jail? The flowers were there all right but I never had the time to see them, nor were my eyes and heart opened to see them, even if they were right under my feet!
In my busy daily life before I came to jail I was always in a hurry to go somewhere, hurrying to get to work, hurrying to go to the shops, hurrying to get back home again, hurry, hurry hurry! Before I came to jail I was not interested in flowers nor did I have the time to stop and admire them or smell them. Stopping and admiring the flowers this morning only took but a moment of my time but in that brief moment I gained more inner peace and tranquillity than I could have gained by any other means. Sometimes the answer to our problems lay before our very feet, if we just take the time to see them.
Next time that you go for a walk, look down at your feet! Stop and smell the flowers and you may find that whatever was troubling you , does not seem so important any more. (Mervyn, Ipswich, Qld)
Think about it.
Should you find it hard to get to sleep tonight;
Just remember the homeless family who has no bed to lie in.
Should you find yourself stuck in traffic; don't despair.
There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.
Should you have a bad day at work;
Think of the man who has been out of work for the last three months.
Should you despair over a relationship gone bad;
Think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved
in return.
Should you grieve the passing of another weekend;
Think of the woman in some third world country, working twelve hours a day,
seven days a week, for $15.00 to feed her family.
Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance;
Think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.
Should you notice a new grey hair in the mirror;
Think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.
Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering; what is life all about, what
is my purpose?
Be thankful, there are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity.
Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance,
smallness or insecurities;
Remember, things could be worse. You could be them!!!
Author Unknown
(Sumner Wemp)
ONCE UPON A TIME there was a church. It was only a little church, but they loved the Lord. The pastor preached on subjects such as repentance, commitment and holiness. It didn't bother him that the offerings were small and the seats not filled, because the Bible says: "STRAIT IS THE GATE AND NARROW IS THE WAY WHICH LEADETH UNTO LIFE, AND FEW THERE BE THAT FIND IT" Matthew 7:14
One day there were some visitors... After the service, one of them went to the pastor. "Listen pastor, the sermon was great, but.. well.. those hymns are so old fashioned. If you want to attract more people to your church you have to make the music more appealing, more modern and up-to-date." He continued -"No-one wants to hear 'Blessed Assurance' anymore, and as for 'I Surrender All', you don't want to frighten people off, do you?" The pastor thought about it, and even though he wasn't entirely sure, he changed to more upbeat music...
A few weeks later there were other visitors. They enjoyed the service, but were a little uncomfortable with the message. They spoke to the pastor afterward and suggested nicely that the topics he preached on could be a little negative, a bit depressing (especially that one on persecution for Jesus' sake), and that one on dying to self. Well, it really was a bit morbid, wasn't it? Maybe he could preach something a bit more.. uplifting.. they said and lent him some tapes by a well-known televangelist. "I'm sure this is the right thing to preach" they said." They have SO MANY people come to their meetings (and you have so few), and God just pours finances into their ministries, so they must be right, and one has a church of ten thousand people..."
Some of the newer members of the congregation enjoyed the new preaching and the new music was much more to their liking, but they still had something to say - "Listen pastor, the sermon was good, and we loved the music, but can you please try a newer version of the Bible? All the 'thees' and 'thous' are hard to follow, and who knows what 'propitiation' means anyway?"
The pastor thought about it, and decided it couldn't hurt to try it out. After all, a Bible, is a Bible, is a Bible, isn't it?
They started being much friendlier with the newer Christians who were starting to come in. They didn't want to judge poor John Smith who was still living with his girlfriend (for whom he had left his wife), or Jane Brown who still smoked, or even Billy who hadn't left his homosexual lifestyle - because they had 'made a commitment'. They had said a 'Sinner's Prayer' at one of the meetings, and besides which Romans 8:1 says 'there is no condemnation'.
The preacher was perplexed. Something was bothering him. He took out his King James Bible and looked up Romans 8:1 - "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus WHO WALK NOT AFTER THE FLESH BUT AFTER THE SPIRIT" and... Mathew 8:13 "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners UNTO REPENTANCE!"
He was concerned and discussed this with his elders, but they assured him that his preaching was just right and surely he didn't want to be considered legalistic or a fanatic? ...It was also high time that they appointed some female elders... And we really should give Billy a position - maybe with the youth. You don't want to be thought of as narrow-minded, do you? We have to move with the times.
Soon the church was full to overflowing. The messages were positive and the music was modern... A bigger car park was now needed, so a decision was made to cut back on mission giving again, and the last two missionaries were no longer funded - (But who has ever heard of Bolivia, and since there is only one Christian per three million people, they are OBVIOUSLY all heathens and would have no need of one anyway).
The new Youth Group leaders appointed by the committee were wonderfully accepted. Their body piercings and coloured hair made them very culturally relevant among the teenagers. The male leader had an earring and long hair, and the female had a purple crewcut and wore miniskirts. When the pastor questioned this with the committee, he was told:
"That was Old Testament. God has moved on".
"This is the nineties".
"God isn't worried about the outside, He sees the heart".
"You don't want to be considered narrow-minded, do you?"
The new Youth Leaders installed drums and a sound system, disco lighting and a smoke machine (that's what youth want... isn't it?) Teenagers were soon pouring in.
The preacher looked around at his congregation. There were women who looked like men, men who looked like women, and a few who could definitely be either. There was hair of many shades and colours including blue and green,. Several were talking on mobile phones and one was sound asleep. There were Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and New Agers- no-one was uncomfortable here anymore.
After a rousing Christian song - put to the tune of a currently popular rock song, the preacher took the pulpit. With tears in his eyes he opened the meeting in prayer. He prayed and asked God to forgive him for pleasing others and not his Heavenly Father, and then preached on holiness, repentance, commitment, and finished - "take up your cross and follow me".
The congregation sat silent, dumbfounded. They quietly filed out after the service (those that had not walked out already). The following days, the Superintendent received many calls about the preacher. They said he was judgmental, fanatical, legalistic, unteachable, narrow-minded, behind-the-times and culturally irrelevant.
The Superintendent agreed that something must be done. The preacher was sent to the mission field - to Bolivia. Several months later a revival broke out there, but the church was unaware of it, as they no longer had a Missions Board, and the Notice Board was too full of ‘relevant information' to squeeze anything else onto it.
The Superintendent appointed a new pastor. Everybody was thrilled with her. The first thing she did was to change the name of the church, as too many religious connotations attached to words like 'church'; and then she removed the name of Jesus so as not to offend Buddhists or Muslims - who are just trying to get to God their own way. We don't want them to think that we are the only ones with the truth... do we? But it must have been the right decision, as it is now the most popular church... er, community faith centre ... in the town. And numbers are everything... right? It could be a fairy tale... except that all of these events have happened in various places... or are happening NOW. (From a Reader in WA)
It was a test all of us would hope to pass, but none of us really wants to take. A masked gunman points his weapon at a Christian and asks "Do you believe in God?" She knows that if she says "yes," she'll pay with her life. But unfaithfulness to her Lord is unthinkable. So, with what would be her last words, she calmly answers "yes, I believe in God."
Cassie was a 17-year-old junior with long blond hair, hair she wanted to cut off and have made into wigs for cancer patients who had lost their hair through chemotherapy. Cassie was in the school library reading her Bible when the two young killers burst in.
Her classmate said, "She completely stood up for God. When the killers asked her if there was anyone who had faith in Christ, she spoke up and they shot her for it." (SGM, 4/99)
God can send rain when man has predicted a drought.
God can transform hopeless situations into victories.
God can rescue hell-bound sinners.
God can speak to people through you.
God can provide hospital beds when they should not have been available.
God can sway the course of nations.
God can heal marriages.
God can give you guidance when you have no idea what to do.
God can thwart the schemes of evil men.
God can provide employment.
God can bring prodigal children back home.
God can give you victory over a besetting sin.
God can open the eyes of the spiritually blind.
God can soften hearts.
God can announce future events before they occur.
God can hold back bad weather until you are safely home.
God can heal.
God can bring Bible verses to your remembrance at appropriate times.
God can provide finances in answer to prayer alone.
God can restore the years that the locusts have eaten.
God can provide a parking space in a crowded car park.
God can heal barren wombs.
God can give you the grace to forgive.
God can divert burglars who have set their sights on your home.
God can provide visas and passports when they should logically be denied.
God can sink ships.
God can remove people who are obstructing His will.
God can provide a marriage partner.
God can grant peace in the midst of a storm.
God can revive churches.
God can turn a mess into a monument.
God can shut the mouths of lions.
God can protect you from demonic attack.
God can heal feuding families.
God can open doors for ministry.
God can cause people to want to hear about Jesus.
God can create something out of nothing.
God can give you peace in the midst of bereavement.
God can transform a high school drop-out into a great leader.
God can redirect meteors.
God can give you the courage to face persecution.
God can turn stressful people into calm people.
God can give wisdom to face the most impossible situations.
God can put you in the right place at the right time.
God can do anything but fail.
(David Hunt)
In the Authorised Version, the word "Son" is exactly in the centre, being the 13th word from the beginning of the text, and being the 13th word counting back from the end of the text.
All that goes before the word Son refers to God, and all that comes after it refers to man, as if Jesus, standing between God and man has put one hand on God, and the other on man, thus linking the two (Job 9:30, 1 Tim. 2:5). (From Grahame, Redcliffe, Qld)
For those in need the lifeline is the Word of God... The Bible tells us the difference between the true and the false. (Harry, Vic Pk., WA)
As Christians we often don't take full advantage of the media to get across the message of salvation found only in Jesus Christ. Just over a year ago, as I pondered and prayed how I might reach the people where I work, the Holy Spirit inspired me to use the e-mail system. Almost everyone has a computer workstation, so I began sending out 'A Prayer to begin the day,' first thing each morning. It has been amazing to see the response of people; commenting in person or by reply e-mail as to how the prayers have helped them at different times. The prayers are written in the first person so that each recipient can make the prayer their own by repeating it themselves as they begin the day at their desk. I also write an evangelistic article for a fortnightly news sheet that goes to all employees and their families. Again, people comment from time to time about the articles. Praise the Lord!
In an age where most people do not attend chapel or church and where we have a couple of generations of 'unchurched' people we need to acknowledge that Australia is very much a mission field. We have to get out there in the marketplace and reach people where they are. If we're being marginalised as Christians, in many ways we have no one to blame but ourselves. While remaining true to the gospel, we need to use, with integrity, the means available; and if we can get a hearing using media or technology we should take advantage of it...
Maybe some of your readers might be encouraged to consider an electronic or print ministry where they work; especially if it's in a large organisation. They may need to get management permission and promote it as beneficial for morale and the moral and spritual welfare of the members of the organisation... Who knows how the Lord will work in and through each and every one of us if we will put our trust in Him and make ourselves available to Him? (Alan, Jervis Bay, ACT)
A grand-daughter, at the age of 7, gave her life to Jesus. But then she went her own way, and truly made a mess of her life. Now in her 30s and 3 children of her own, she has re-committed her life to Christ. Praise the Lord. But she acknowledges that it was at the age of 7 that she was born again. Isn’t God gracious? I sometimes wonder why He doesn’t wipe us all off. We don’t deserve the grace that is available to us, and His continuing forgiveness. Life has taught me that I cannot afford to have bitterness or unforgiveness in my life. (Gwen, Peak Hill, NSW)
An article in National Geographic several years ago provided a penetrating picture of God's wings... After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park, forest rangers began their trek up a mountain to assess the inferno's damage. One ranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched statuesquely on the ground at the base of a tree.
Somewhat sickened by the eerie sight, he knocked over the bird with a stick.
When he struck it, three tiny chicks scurried from under their dead mother's wings. The loving mother, keenly aware of impending disaster, had carried her offspring to the base of the tree and had gathered them under her wings, instinctively knowing that the toxic smoke would rise.
She could have flown to safety but had refused to abandon her babies. When the blaze had arrived and the heat had scorched her small body, the mother had remained steadfast.
Because she had been willing to die, those under the cover of her wings would live...
"He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find
refuge..." (Psalm 91:4)
(From: David, Craigmore, SA)
One day, a man went to visit a church. He arrived early, parked his car, and got out. Another car pulled up near him and the driver told him. "I always park there. You took my place!"
The visitor went inside for Sunday School, found an empty seat, and sat down. A young lady from the church approached him and stated, "That's my seat!, you took my place!" The visitor was somewhat distressed by this rude welcome, but said nothing.
After Sunday School, the visitor went into the church sanctuary and sat down. Another member walked up to him and said, "That's where I always sit. You took my place!" The visitor was even more troubled by this treatment, but still said nothing.
Later, as the congregation was praying for Christ to dwell among them, the visitor stood, and his appearance began to change. Horrible scars became visible on his hands and on his sandalled feet. Someone from this congregation noticed him and called out, "What happened to you?"
The visitor replied, "I took your place"!
(Lynne, Anna Bay, NSW)
Hot sun. Salty air. Rhythmic waves. A little boy is on the beach. On his knees he scoops and packs the sand with plastic shovels into a bright red bucket. Then he upends the bucket on the surface and lifts it. And, to the delight of the architect, a castle tower is created.
All afternoon he will work. Spooning out the moat. Packing the walls. Bottle tops will be sentries. Popsicle sticks will be bridges. A sandcastle will be built.
Big city. Busy streets. Rumbling traffic. A man in his office. At his desk he shuffles papers into stacks and delegates assignments. He cradles the phone on his shoulder and punches the keyboard with his fingers. Numbers are juggled and contracts are signed and much to the delight of the man, a profit is made.
All his life he will work. Formulating the plans. Forecasting the future. Annuities will be sentries. Capital gains will be bridges. An empire will be built.
Two builders of two castles. They have much in common. They shape granules into grandeurs. They see nothing and make something. They are diligent and determined. And for both the tide will rise and end will come.
Yet that is where the similarities cease. For the boy sees the end while the man ignores it. Watch the boy as the dusk approaches.
As the waves near, the wise child jumps to his feet and begins to clap. There is no sorrow. No fear. No regret. He knew this would happen. He is not surprised. And when the great breaker crashes into his castle and his masterpiece is sucked into the sea, he smiles. He smiles, picks up his tools, takes his father's hand, and goes home.
The grownup, however, is not so wise. As the wave of years collapses on his castle he is terrified. He hovers over the sandy monument to protect it. He blocks the waves form the walls he has made. Salt-water soaked and shivering he snarls at the incoming tide.
"It's my castle," he defies.
The ocean need not respond. Both know to whom the sand belongs...
And I don't know much about sandcastles. But children do. Watch them and learn. Go ahead and build, but build with a child's heart. When the sun sets and the tides take--applaud. Salute the process of life, take your father's hand, and go home.
(Max Lucado, More Stories From The Heart)
I cannot say "Our ", if I live in a water-tight spiritual compartment;
if I think a special place in Heaven is reserved for my denomination.
I cannot say " Father ", if I do not demonstrate the relationship
in my daily life.
I cannot say " which art in Heaven ", if I am so occupied with the
earth that I am laying up no treasure there.
I cannot say " Hallowed be Thy Name ", if I, who am called by His
name, am not holy.
I cannot say " Thy Kingdom come ", if I am not doing all in my power
to hasten its coming.
I cannot say "Thy will be done ", if I am questioning, resentful of
or disobedient to His will for me.
I cannot say " on earth as it is in Heaven ", if I am not prepared
to devote my life here to His service.
I cannot say " Give us this day our daily bread ", if I'm living on
past experiences.
I cannot say " forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass
against us", if I harbour a grudge against anyone.
I cannot say " Lead us not into temptation ", if I deliberately place
myself, or remain in a position where I am likely to be tempted. (Take special
note of that line folks.)
I cannot say " Deliver us from evil ", if I am not prepared to fight
in the spiritual realm with the weapon of prayer.
I cannot say " Thine is the Kingdom ", if I do not accord the King
the disciplined obedience of a loyal subject.
I cannot say " Thine is the power ", if I fear what men may do; or
what my neighbour may think.
I cannot say " Thine is the glory ", if I am seeking glory for myself.
I cannot say " Forever and forever ", if my horizon is bounded by
the things of time.
I cannot say " Amen ", if I do not also add, " Cost what it may,
" for to say this prayer will cost EVERYTHING.
(Thanks to our darling daughter: Leah, Eliz Park, SA)
I am pastor of a Baptist Church in India. We have a church of 200 believers and we have 20 churches in villages. The 20 village pastors are being supported by us with a meager amount. They don’t have Church buildings. We are burdened and visioned to build churches and support them liberally so that they may bring many souls to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and shepherd them. We need your prayers and support for this ministry. I wish to visit your country and raise support for these projects. (Rev. T. Jyothi Babu) (Editor’s Note: I know of two Indian preachers planning to visit Australia soon. Contact me if your church wishes to have them visit.)
Where did you wake up this morning? I woke up in a prison cell and before I had time to feel sorry for myself, I found myself praising the Lord !
At first glance one would think there would not be much to praise the Lord about in prison, the fact that I am in prison only means that my freedom has been taken away from me. There are lots of different types of prisons besides the physical ones with bars and razor wire.
Many people are prisoners in their own right, without even knowing it. Take, for example, people who are blind, they are prisoners in their own dark world devoid of any colour. I thank God that I can see, and see the beauty of what he has provided as I look out through my cell window.
Many people are prisoners of their mind in that they have mental illness. I praise God that I am not a prisoner of my own mind and that I can enjoy life such as it is. Many people have physical afflictions, which keep them prisoners in a wheel chair through lack of mobility. I thank the Lord that I still have the function of all my limbs and that I can get around unaided.
Many people are prisoners in their own homes simply because they are old and society shuns them as being useless and worn out. I thank the Lord that I am still able to go out and do a hard days work and meet and talk to people. Finally many people are prisoners of satan because they follow him and not the Lord.
I thank the Lord because I "did" wake up in a prison cell, and the fact even though I am in a prison he is only a prayer away. (Mervyn, Ipswich, Qld)
1. Freedom of Choice: Joshua 24:15; Deuteronomy 30:19; Isaiah 7:15;
Hebrews 11:25.
2. Freedom of Speech: 1 Corinthians 2:1; 2 Corinthians 7:4; Job 15:3;
Colossians 4:6; Philippians 1:4; Titus 2:8.
3. Freedom of Worship: Exodus 34:14; 1 Chronicles 16:29; Luke 4:8; John
4:23; Revelation 4:10.
4. Freedom from Want: Deuteronomy 28:1-14; Matthew 6:32; Philippians
4:12.
5. Freedom from Fear: Isaiah 41:10-13; 43:1-3; 1 Corinthians 16:10; 2
Timothy 1:7; 1 John 4:18.
6. Freedom from Sin: Romans 5:20; 6:12-23; 1 John 1:7; 2 Corinthians
5:17; John 8:32.
7. Freedom from Death: 1 Corinthians 15:55; 2 Corinthians 5:1; Revelation
1:18; 2:10; 21:4.
(Ernest Lloyd)
Some years ago when visiting a city in New Zealand on deputation, I was advised by my hostess that a certain man named John L, wanted me to call at his place of work on Monday morning. He could not come to the advertised service where he saw I was to speak on Sunday. I did not know anybody by this name in this town, and wondered who he was. On Monday when I called at the Dry Cleaners shop where he worked, he said, "You probably don't remember... "
And I agreed. He then said with a question, "You used to live in TeAroha, didn't you?" and I said "Yes". "You used to worship at the church in Stanley Avenue, didn't you?" and again I said "Yes". "Do you remember one Sunday afternoon, going to the house next to the church and handing a tract to a group of young fellows that were there?" and again I said "Yes", and he said, "I was one of those young fellows, and that tract started my search for God." After we rejoiced together, and talked some, I then said, to him ... "So you're in the Dry Cleaning business?" He replied, "Yes, but I am due to finish here, as I'm moving to the West Coast to pastor a Church. (Evan, Werribee, Vic)
Erin was born on 3rd December 98. She was the star attraction to the only home birth we have had. I must recommend it, but only if you wish to put your faith on the line and trust God for a good labour and a healthy child. I am pleased to say that the Lord blessed us with both. We were all stretched by the Lord who always seems to have a deeper agenda for us than just having a baby.
Erin is the only child that I have delivered into the world. Having had the privilege at long last I can only feel robbed by not having delivered the other four. At those births we were trusting the medical system and not God. I don't know why I didn't see it before. God doesn't make mistakes while the medical system just buries its mistakes.
Of late, I have been having contact with many Christians who just do not go to doctors at all. They don't go to the chemist either. They just rely on the Lord to heal them. I am going this way too. As the One World Government fiasco tightens its controls in this area, more Christians are going to realise they have been trusting a man made, fallible system for their healing and not the Lord who created their bodies in the first place. (Paul, Eaton’s Hill, Qld)
Note of Caution about Home Births from another Reader: Yes, I know that
God can heal - He has completely healed me of being a chronic asthmatic.
BUT - I have given birth to 6 children; all of whom were born in hospital -
and I thank God for it. Without going into unnecessary detail:
#1. I had bronchitis, was in difficulty with my breathing;
#2. Baby's head too large - needed assistance;
#3 and #4 OK;
#5. Baby too large (over 10lb) - needed a lot of assistance;
#6. I went into shock immediately after the birth, too exhausted to even breathe
automatically, possible embolism, need immediate X-ray. Medical staff called
in from other Depts, Doctor called back up to hospital.
Baby extremely weak - I wasn't allowed to handle him for two days. Also he was
haemorrhaging under his scalp.
If God leads individuals into having home births - fine - but I feel that there should have been a word of caution with this article. After the Lord healed me of asthma I gladly gave away my nebuliser and unused medication. However I am still on other medication for other medical problems; I would not give these up without a definite leading from the Lord. P.S. Re poor little baby No.6 - he is now 6'3", as strong as a bull, and my computer resource person! God is good! (Helen)
As the Lord is holy, so He has commanded His people to be holy in everything; separate from the world (Lev. 20:24,26, 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, 1 Peter 1:14-16); as a holy priesthood and peculiar people (1 Pet. 2:9), we are to glorify Him in Spirit and in body (1 Cor. 6:20), not being conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:1-2). We are in the world, yet not of it (John 17:14-16, John 15:19), and are therefore not to love it, nor the things in it, for friendship with the world is enmity with God (1 John 2:15-17, James 4:4).
May our great and gracious God keep us faithful in these ever increasingly apostate days, and enable us by His grace (for without Him we can do nothing – John 15:5) to serve and honour Him even in the very midst of many enemies. (Elvis, prisoner in Zambia)
READERS HAVE A SAY...
(Note: Many of the comments in this section are about goings-on in
some way-out sectors of Christianity. Don’t let this put you off the real
thing. There are still some "fair dinkum" churches and Christians
around!)
There is so much confusion... Christians are getting caught up in the extremes of the charismatic/Pentecostal teaching, and also in the ecumenical deception, which is all leading to the formation of the one world church about which God warns us in His Word. (Ellen, Gympie, Qld)
I am attending a Pentecostal church and yes there is a lot to look at and pray for, but all churches have to deal with issues that crop up... there are no perfect churches here on earth... I believe that the word of God is the only truth and we have to be so careful on what we hear, say, read, etc. We need to really enter into that prayer closet and pray for the churches, the pastors, etc, that the truth is revealed, preached, lived etc. But it also says in the Word of God that the devil sows tares among the wheat and that they will both grow together until the final harvest, so we can't get rid of them, just pray for them and let God do the rest. We who call ourselves the true believers, watch out lest we be deceived (Matthew 13:24-30). (Lynne, Anna Bay, NSW)
We also are fed up with the crazy things that are going in many of the Pentecostal churches. There is no biblical foundation in many of these churches. I find the churches nowadays are money making factories and not building the temple of God. (Ku, Nagercoil, India)
The latest craze in Frankston is for people to crawl on their hands and knees through a tunnel to receive a touch by the Holy Ghost fire. If you don’t get touched the minister says you are a goat and you should leave the church. The church then makes married couples separate and divorce if one does not get the fire. A young lady came to us for that very same reason. She has four children, and just divorced. My wife has been able to put her mind at rest, that she has not lost her salvation as the other church claims. She was told she was a goat. Her ex is still on drugs and drinks and smokes, but the other church think he is great and is now a leader in the church. (Jim, Somerville, Vic)
I have learned of children ending up with rebellion after going to Youth
Alive... We have tried to tell Christians, but they get so angry –
they think anything sung about Jesus is OK. Just about every church has a new
version Bible. After seeing how they have corrupted them no wonder there is
so much evil in the world.
(Mary, Forest Hill, NSW)
I was thinking, as I read the articles on the deception that has been allowed into many churches, that we shouldn’t be surprised. The trumpet is to sound, deep darkness, and God’s judgment is ready to be poured out on a rebellious and disobedient people. (Ken, Murray Bridge, SA)
We are a multi-million dollar church of between two and three thousand people.
Tonight we commence a service with a worldly fire works display... Our leaders
supply themselves with the latest model hire cars, which are updated every two
years... Where did this system of heirarchy originate? What has gone wrong?
(Val, Nunawading, Vic)
It seems that FD is finding its way into more and more Pentecostal and Charismatic circles and thus attracting some criticism from their members: We know and appreciate how they must feel when some of their teachings, beliefs and practices come under the microscope. Having spent some 15 years within the Pentecostal movement, I can speak with some understanding... My wife and I have now moved totally away from the modern-day Charismatic Movement as we could see too many things that were just not lining up with Scripture.
Scripture reminds us in Jude 9 that, even the archangel Michael, when contending with the devil, said simply: 'The Lord rebuke you'. Despite this warning... you can walk into just about any Pentecostal Church and you will see much activity and many words spoken concerning the devil and his angels! In fact we found some fellowships where more time was devoted to the devil than to Our LORD! ...Those involved in Deliverance Ministry in particular, were acting in complete ignorance, were causing much pain and heartache to the flock, and appeared to have no fear of the LORD!
The most noticeable change that has taken place in the modem-day Pentecostal church is unquestionably the surge towards a most unholy sound (it cannot be described as music) (Amos 5:23). The devil has infiltrated the church with a most outrageous abomination that has seduced the souls of both young and old alike. So-called Gospel Groups with names like: The Screaming Disciples. Christian Bookshops promoting Gospel music in the Heavy Metal category and displaying the most gross posters you could ever imagine... Are these part of the scene that Our LORD would have us be part of? I think not.
A former Pentecostal pastor and counsellor in our NSW Court system once confided in me that the church he once pastored was heavily involved in a Rock Gospel type of Sunday Service. Many young people were brought to the LORD during these electrifying performances, however he could not understand why so few continued on in a meaningful walk with the LORD... Many were falling back into sin. Some even finding their way into our Law Courts and prison system, others ending up in the Psychiatric Ward!
It was then that the realisation came to me that we must truly repent of our sins and turn completely towards JESUS... The New Life begins with HIM! These young people had verbally accepted the Lord, but had not come to full repentance!
It is imperative that we stop treating the Word of GOD lightly and that we 'Rightly divide the Word of Truth' (2 Tim. 2:15)... Yes 'Fun Times' are over... Judgment is at hand! Amos 5:18-24 (Ron, Coffs Harbour, NSW)
The Truth is still out there... Here’s what a recent visitor to CRAIGMORE
CHURCH wrote:
"Just a short note to say thank you all for the welcome and friendliness
you showed us last Sunday. But most of all for the wonderful time of praise
and singing of those old hymns and the sound preaching of God’s Word. It
sure was very challenging!" (Wes & Jenny, Moonta, SA)
I put everything into His hands and felt immediately comforted
Thank you for putting out a mag that our Lord JESUS would like. My Dad died
one month ago and I found that a couple of articles helped me deal with it.
I went to a praise and worship meeting and enjoyed the depth so much that it
felt as though I had taken a JESUS sedative. I needed this release, this fellowship
with GOD, this reminder of his great love for me, my dad and every one else.
I remembered that we must put everything into HIS hands, not some but everything,
so I put the death of my father into HIS hands and was immediately comforted
in my grief.
I had forgotten that no matter what, GOD is always there for us through ALL
of our ups and downs. I give all the glory to GOD, I thank JESUS for his sacrifice
for me on the cross, all the grief, agony and pain HE went through so I could
be free. We all need a reminder sometimes, GOD never needs a reminder, HE is
always with us at all times , we’re the ones that turn our backs on him
and still he walks with us. I still hurt with my loss, so how much must GOD
hurt... (Frank, Allora, Qld)
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