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Sanctification: Precept by Precept When Christ died on the Cross Paul saw his own death and his old nature crucified with Christ. Not only had Paul already died, but also he saw himself raised with Christ and the life which he then lived was by faith in Jesus who loved him and gave Himself for him. (Rom 6:3-4) Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. We must see our self as having died in Christ, and freed from sin to serve God in holiness and true righteousness. Sanctification is Progressive (2 Thes 2:13) (1 Thes 5:23). In (Col 3:8-12) they are told to have put off the old man, and to have put on the new man which is renewed in the knowledge after the image of Him that created Him verses 9 and 10. But in this same
passage they are admonished; But now ye also put off all these anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communications out of your mouth … Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering” (v 8, 12). What they had positionally, they must seek experientially. Sanctification is a gradual growth through out our entire life. God has chosen us through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth (2Thess 2:13). Though we do not arrive in this life, we can grow into maturity. We cannot be more forgiven than the day we gave ourselves to Christ, but we can grow in grace. (Gal 2:20) I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me. Out of what Christ has done for us, we are admonished to live for Him.
To dedicate and separate ourselves unto Him to set our affections on things above where Christ is whereby through the grace of God, we are renewed after the image of God and more and more enabled to die unto sin and live unto righteousness. It’s not a growing into sanctification, but a progression in sanctification. There must be a personal commitment to Him as Lord and Savior crowning Him King of Kings and Lord of Lords in our lives. The condition to sanctification is the yielding of our members to His will. (Rom 6:13). And be servants to righteousness and holiness (Rom 6:19). We must not be conformed to this present world, but transformed by the renewing of our mind and proving what God's good and acceptable will is (Rom 12:1-2). The desires that are contrary to holiness and God’s will, must be crucified and dethroned (Gal: 5:16,17; James 1:14-18). (Rom 12:1-3) speaks of proving God’s will which is our reasonable service
or worship, to offer ourselves up holy and acceptable unto God. Sanctification is by the means of three things. A. The Blood of Christ - Eternal absolute and positional (Heb 13:12, 10:10, 10:14 and 1 John 1:7). Through the Blood of the Cross, we are changed from a defiled sinner to a holy worshiper. It’s through the finished work of Christ at the Cross. We can not fully understand the atonement, for it is the Blood of the Son of God wondrous and wonderful. Although there are some things concerning the necessity and development of it in the Old Testament and New Testament, it is not the concern of this article. But that it is through the Blood of Christ that we are cleansed. B. The Spirit of God - Internal sanctification (1 Cor 6:11, 2 Thes 2:13, 1 Pet 1:1-2 and Rom 15:16). In these passages, we see the beginning of Gods work in the soul, leadSee Sanctification on Page 38
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We Could Really Use Your Help! In 2016, Changing Times will be faced with New Challenges as we continue to spread the Gospel in our local area as well as expanding our presence online. Save the Nations Ministries continues to put out a first class biblical publication keeping its content as pure as we can. With your help - we can partner to reach Louisiana! We are prayerfully asking you to team up with us, so that together we can make a difference in so many people’s lives. We have different levels to choose from. Let God lead you to make the right choice. Regardless of the level you chooose, a free advertisement in Changing Times will be offered to you as a token of our appreciation. The higher the leverl, the larger the ad.
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4 Steps on How to transform Your Christian Walk For many years now I have studied the accounts of past Revivals and Revivalists. But when you study this topic, one of the things you see very quickly is that we in the church today are living well below the level of Christianity that should be considered normal. When you see what kind of Gospel was preached and what kind of Christian life was lived in the Revival days of old, you start to hunger for that kind of Christianity again. And you start to see that there is a kind-of "Revived" life that is very attainable for us all today - but so few are walking in it - or are even told that it exists. We get our instructions from the Book of (Romans, Chapters 6-8). “This New Creation Life” is a free gift from God, Himself. Is it possi-
ble to walk before God in a constant clean state? Is it possible to walk daily with a totally pure heart and a clean conscience? Is it possible to live victoriously over sin? Is it possible to put pride and past sins away so well that we barely think about them anymore? The answer to all of these questions is YES! And the journey path to this life can be found in “Personal Revival”! Step 1 Start this Journey by taking your time (not speed reading) the Book of (Romans, Chapters 6-8). Step 2 begins with Genuine Repentance. As all scripture and revival history shows, a true revival begins with deep repentance. Here, we should make a list of any sin, cloud or compromise that is in our
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life. Step 3 Next, we need to confess all of those sins out loud, one by one to God with real sorrow and repentance. Without this thorough step, you chance your seriousness. In fact, please stop reading this right now. Please find a piece of paper and write down a List of every sin or doubtful thing in your life. Ask God to shine His light into your heart and show you everything that you need to repent of. Then simply get alone with Him and go through that List - repenting of each thing one by one - deeply confessing and forsaking them before the Lord. I believe a lot of people will have a "Personal Revival" just through doing that! So please DO IT NOW! This step is so important that I do not believe there is any point reading further until you have gone
through it. Step 4 You must be Water Baptized so that you experience death to your old life and receive the Holy Spirit, without which we do not have the power to walk in a truly revived state. Assuming that you have these basic things in place, and that you have now deeply repented by confessing your sins to God one by one, you should now sense a renewed communion with God through having a totally clean conscience before Him. Is that what you are sensing? The Bible speaks many times of having a conscience that is "sprinkled clean" by God. And what a precious thing this is! In fact, it is fair to say that the Christian life consists of (1) getting a clean conscience, and (2) keeping it clean! It is pretty much as simple as that! Save the Nations Ministries >
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How to Be a Refuge for Your Children by John Piper
If Daddy is afraid, where can a little child turn? Daddies are supposed to be safe. They are supposed to know what to do and how to solve problems and fix things and, most of all, protect the children from harm. But what happens if a child sees fear in Daddy's face? What if Daddy is as scared as the child, and doesn't know what to do? Then the child is utterly distraught and feels panic. He feels that the one strong and good and reliable place of safety is no longer safe. But if Daddy is confident, then the children have a refuge. If Daddy is not panicking, but calm and steady, all the
walls can come tumbling down, and all the waves can break, and all the snakes can hiss and the lions roar and the wind blow, and there will still be a safe place in Daddy's arms. Daddy is a refuge, as long as Daddy is confident. That's why the bible says that "his children will have a refuge," if Daddy has a "strong confidence." Daddy's confidence is the refuge of his children. Dads, the battle to be confident is not just about us, it is about the security of our children. It is about their sense of security and happiness. It's about whether they grow up fretful or firm in faith. Until children can know God in a deep personal way, we are the image and the embodiment of God in their lives. If we are confident and reliable and safe for them, they will be much more likely to cleave to God as their refuge when the storms break over them later. So how shall we have "strong confidence"? After all, we, too, are little children, clay pots, weak and broken and battling anxieties and doubts. Is the solution to put on the best show we can and hide our true selves? That will lead to ulcers at best and God-dishonManufacturers Since 1867
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oring teenager-repelling duplicity at worst. That is not the answer. (Proverbs 14:26) gives another answer: "In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence." This is very strange. It says that the solution to fear is fear. The solution to timidity is fear. The solution to uncertainty is fear. The solution to doubt is fear. How can this be? Part of the answer is that the "fear of the Lord" means fearing to dishonor the Lord, which means fearing to distrust the Lord. Which means fearing to fear anything that the Lord has promised to help you overcome. In other words the fear of the Lord is the great fear destroyer. If the Lord says, "Fear not, I am with you, be not dismayed, I will help you," (Isaiah 41:10), then it is a fearful thing to worry about the problem He says He will help you with. Fearing that problem when He says, "Fear not, I will help you, is a vote of no confidence against God's word, and that is a great dishonor to God. And the fear of the Lord trembles at such dishonoring God. If the Lord says, "I will never fail you nor forsake you," so you can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid; what can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5-6) - If the Lord says that to you, then not to be confident in the Lord's promised presence and help is a kind of pride. It puts our reckoning of the trouble above God's. That is why we read the amazing words of the Lord in (Isaiah 51:12), "I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies and of the son of man who is made like grass?" Who are you to fear man, when God has promised to help you? So it is pride to fear man. And pride is the exact opposite of the fear of God. So, yes, the Proverb is true and a
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MEN great help to us. Fear God dads. Fear God. Fear dishonoring Him. Fear distrusting Him. Fear putting your assessment of the problem above His. He says He can help. He is smarter. He is stronger. He is more generous. Trust him. Fear not to trust Him. Why? He works for those who wait for Him (Isaiah 64:4). He will solve the problem. He will rescue the family. He will take care of the little ones. He will meet your needs. Fear not believing that. Then your children will have a refuge. They will have a Daddy who "has strong confidence" - not in himself, but in the promises of God, which he trembles not to trust. Learning to fear the Lord for the sake of my children, Pastor John ©2016 Desiring God Foundation. Website: www.desiringGod.org. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 888-346-4700. >
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How do I deal with burnout? By Dr. Charles Stanley
Isaiah 40:28-31
Burnout. The very expression seems to make us sigh, doesn’t it? In this fastpaced, overworked world, most of us have felt the tiring numbness of burnout. How should a believer in Christ respond to these feelings? Surrender. You may think this means to throw up your hands and cry, “I give up!” But that is not what we must do. Rather, we should surrender everything we have to the Lord. His hands are large enough to hold anything we need Him to handle. Remember what God says: “It is I who made the earth, and created man upon it. I stretched out the heavens with My hands and I ordained all their host” (Is. 45:12). When we try to keep everything in our puny hands, we will eventually start dropping it all. Depend on Him. Have you ever
relinquished a concern to the Lord, only to find yourself trying to pull it back out of His hand? We tend to want to fix things ourselves. The truth is, however, that only God has both the power and perspective to bring all matters to their proper conclusion (Rom. 11:33–36). When we try to take things back from Him, we only interfere with the solution He wants to bring about. Trust Him. Do not overlook this vital point: God loves you! Because of His great love, God wants to take care of you—and that means He wants to handle all of your worries (Matt. 6:25– 34). God does not want you to run yourself into exhaustion, even by doing “good deeds” or “church work.” Instead, He desires that you rest in Him (Matt. 11:29, 30). You may have reached the end of your rope, but God never will. Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. (Is. 40:28–31) © 2016 oChristian.com. All Rights Reserved >
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I Am Woman Mary Kassian "I am strong! I am invincible! I down the school hallway with a am WOMAN!" I remember striding couple of girlfriends, belting out the words of Helen Reddy's charttopping song. We were determined to show the world that we were in control. The words of the song Kevin M. Plaisance MD, LLC summed up our resolve. "I am woman hear me roar-in numbers too big to ignore-no one's ever gonna keep me down again!" We were perched on the verge of womanhood. And we were confident that we would be the first genDr. Kevin Plaisance eration to get the meaning of womanhood right. We tried. We really did. We Whether you’re new to town or have embraced education, careers, prombeen here all your life, we think inence. We despised all relationyou’ll love our caring staff, ships and responsibilities that compassionate doctors and professional would hold us back. We moved atmosphere. marriage, mothering, and homeCall us for: making from the top of our lists to • Family-oriented wellness care the bottom-or crossed them off • Management of normal and altogether. After all, we were so high-risk pregnancy • Evaluation and treatment of menopause much more enlightened than our fore sisters were. The world had and other hormonal imbalances revolved around men, but it was our • Laparoscopic outpatient surgery hysterectomy and laser surgery turn now. We would make it bow to • 90-second treatment to eliminate our demands. We decided that the periods role of a housewife was totally • Infertility work-up and treatment passé. Charlie's Angels seemed so • 4D ultrasound much more exciting. So we redefined boundaries. We Schedule your appointment today! changed the rules of male-female 985.893.3777 relationships. We boldly pushed 200 Greenbrier Blvd. back against traditional definitions Covington of gender and sexuality. We claimed
our freedoms. We bought into the feminist promise that woman would find happiness and fulfillment when she defined her own identity and decided for herself what life as a woman was all about. How very wrong we were. For ultimately, who we are is a matter decided not by us, but by the One who in the beginning created us male and female. The creation of the sexes was not something God did impulsively or arbitrarily. His plan existed from eternity past, before the foundation of the world. On the final day of creation, "God created man in his own image, in the image of God, He created him; male and female He created them" (Gen. 1:26-27). We don't fully understand what the image of God is all about, but two things are clear. First, bearing His image gives us enormous dignity, privilege, and responsibility. He has crowned us with honor and glory and has given us dominion over the earth. It's a breath-taking charge to go about the business of daily life and all-the-while reflect the image of the Almighty. And that leads to the second thing: What a mess we've made of this awesome dignity! The image of God in humanity is badly marred; sometimes even beyond recognition. It begs for redemption: Transforma-
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tion, A type of re-creation. And stunningly enough, God stamped this vision and hope onto human beings in the very beginning, before they had even sinned. When God created male and female, He provided an object lesson-a parable, as it were-of His entire redemptive plan. Before the ages, God had a plan, but it remained hidden (1 Cor. 2:7; Col. 1:26). It wasn't until Christ died that God's eternal purpose-and the purpose of manhood, womanhood, and marriage-became clear. Paul connects all the dots in Ephesians. In chapter 3 he explains that the mysterious plan came to light when Jesus Christ died for the church (v. 7). In chapter 5, he correlates the mystery of redemption to male-female sexuality and marriage. "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church . . . 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church." (Eph. 5:25-33). The profound mystery, hidden from eternity past, was that God intended to display the glory of His grace and covenant-keeping love through Jesus Christ, His Son, who laid down His life to redeem and purify His Bride. I stated it in an earlier blog, but it cannot be said often enough: When God created male and female, He had the relationship of Christ and His Bride in mind. Men are to reflect the strength, love, and self-sacrifice of Christ. Women are to reflect the character, grace, and beauty of the Bride He redeemed. The song got it wrong. Womanhood is not about displaying my own strength and invincibility. It is for the praise of God's glory that I am woman. © Revive Our Hearts. Used with permission. www.ReviveOurHearts. com. >
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How to Conquer Comparisons by Lysa TerKeurst
Have you ever questioned why God isn't blessing you in the same way as someone else? When I find myself making comparisons and wanting what someone else has, I must consciously choose to redirect my thinking. Too many of us live with an uncontrolled thought life. It is possible to learn to identify destructive thoughts and make wiser choices. Instead of letting these thoughts rumble freely about in my mind, I make the choice to harness them and direct them toward truth. Think of something you want that someone else has. Have you
been lured into thinking, “If only I had ___________________ like that person, my life would be great!” Now, practice redirecting those thoughts by saying instead: I am not equipped for her good. I am not equipped for her bad. I am not equipped to carry the weight of her victories. I am not equipped to shoulder her burdens. I am not equipped to be her in any way. I am, however, perfectly equipped to be me. Therefore, thank You, God, for only entrusting me with what I have and who I am. When I compare myself to others and focus on wanting what they have, it quite simply wears me out trying to figure out how to have more, be more, and do more. That’s why Jesus instructs wornout people, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28– 30). Note a couple key words in these verses. A “yoke” is a wooden frame used to harness two draft animals to whatever they have to pull. The Greek word for “easy” can also mean “well-fitted.” Combine this information together and it appears that Jesus is saying He has equipped each of us with well-fitted assignments in life. As long as we do and aspire to only what He calls us, our burden will not only be manageable, it will be light. It’s also interesting to note that when an animal is in training, a farmer will often put it in a head yoke rather than a neck yoke to keep the animal from looking around and getting anxious. I think my head yoke has been the thoughtredirecting statement, “I’m not equipped to handle what they have—both good and bad.” It sure has stopped me from looking around and getting anxious! For more information on this
topic, read Lysa’s book, Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl. Lysa TerKeurst helps everyday women live an adventure of faith through following Jesus Christ. As president of Proverbs 31 Ministries, Lysa has led thousands to make their walk with God an invigorating journey. For more information, visit www.LysaTerKeurst.com © 2016 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved. >
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You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. – Psalm 115:11
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Children A Special Dinner Guest The Story of Mary & Martha T by Linda Sue Pochodzay Edwards Terry and Jerry waited impatiently at the window with their noses pressed against the windowpane. At any moment their cousins should be arriving. They had carefully cleaned their rooms making sure to get all the dust out of the corners. The bed was made with freshly laundered sheets. They had even picked a bouquet of flowers from the garden to put in a vase on the nightstand. Everything was ready for their special guests.
They heard the car pull into the driveway and rushed outside to meet their cousins, who were scrambling to get out the back door. With smiles and giggles, they willingly helped carry the suitcases inside and showed their cousins where they were to stay. What FUN they were going to have this week! Jesus spent a great deal of time, walking from town to town, teaching people about the love of God and how they should treat one
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another. Some people didn't like what Jesus had to say, so they rejected Him and His teachings. Other people loved Jesus very much and followed Him from place to place, listening attentively to EVERY word. When Martha heard that Jesus was going to be walking through the town of Bethany, she was FILLED with excitement! She loved Jesus SO very much and hoped that she would be able to spend some time with Him. She put on her best clothes and ran out of the house and down the street to meet Jesus. "Please, PLEASE come to our house!" she pleaded. "I know you must be tired and hungry after such a long day. I would LOVE to prepare a nice dinner for You. Won't You PLEASE come?" Martha's persistence paid off. Jesus agreed to go to Martha's house for dinner. Martha was BESIDE herself with joy. She turned and ran back to the house to prepare for her Special Guest. "Mary, MARY!" she cried out. "Guess who is coming to our house today!" When Mary, who was Martha's sister, discovered that JESUS was on His way, she was JUST as excited as Martha. Quickly they began to tidy up the house and make it presentable for their Special Guest. Martha began to get a little anxious. "There is just SO much to DO. How will we EVER manage to get everything DONE before Jesus arrives?" she thought to herself. She busied herself with all the little things that needed to be done, like dusting and straightening up the room. Then she went into the kitchen to begin preparing a special meal. "Let's see . . . flour . . . sugar . . . figs are in season . . .," she was thinking out loud. "I can make a delicious fig pie for dessert." While working busily in the
kitchen, she heard voices just outside. "It's JESUS!" she said excitedly. "I MUST go welcome Him." She took a short break from her kitchen duties to say hello and welcome Jesus into their house. Then she went back to finish cooking the meal. The table was set with the best linens. All the food was perfectly arranged on the plates. Martha was SO busy working, she didn't have time to visit with Jesus. She realized that she was doing ALL the work and her sister Mary was in the other room listening to Jesus and not doing ANYTHING to help. As Martha continued to fuss with preparing a perfect meal, she was becoming more and MORE angry with Mary. "It's just not FAIR that she is in there having a good time talking to Jesus, and I am in HERE, working myself into a frenzy," she thought. "I've had ENOUGH! I'm going to go in there and DO something about this!" She put a fake smile on her face and went into the other room. "Jesus, could you please ask Mary to come into the kitchen? I could surely use some help in here," she said as pleasantly as she could. Jesus turned to her with a grim look and lovingly spoke her name. "Martha, Martha. You are so busy trying to make everything just right. You are going to TOO much trouble. You are WORRYING too much." "Look at Mary sitting here calmly enjoying my company. She has chosen the better thing, and I will not make her leave Me." Martha quietly went back to the kitchen, finishing her tasks as quickly as possible so that dinner could be served and she too could enjoy time with her friend Jesus. REMEMBER: Take time every day to love Jesus and listen to His See Dinner Guest on Page 39
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Let All That is Within by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
Inadequacies in teaching children to worship often take one of two forms. Sometimes children are presented with a vision of God without being given the opportunity to respond to the revelation. On the other hand, children are often asked to respond to the call of God without having seen God for who He really is. The righteous character of God and the atoning sacrifice of His Son on Calvary demand a total response of one's body, soul, and spirit. Revelation and response must go hand in hand if biblical worship is to be practiced. This implies that times of corporate worship for children must be carefully planned and structured and should provide a model for children's personal worship. These times must be planned to help the children see who God is, to give them the opportunity to respond in humble confession, and to let them respond without reservation to the call of God in their lives. The question logically follows: how can children be encouraged to respond? The two-fold answer is simple: use the Word of God to reveal the character of God in ways that are understood by children and meaningful to them, and let children respond naturally, as children. This second aspect warrants further consideration. What are the most natural ways for children to respond? (Psalm 103:1) provides a key: “Let all that is within me bless His holy name.” We must allow children to respond with multiple, varied, and creative expressions of confession, celebration, and obedience—i.e., with all that is within them. All parents have seen the breadth of expression that children are
capable of. What child does not periodically put off all inhibitions, and spontaneously hug his father's legs, exclaiming, “I love you, Daddy!” As spring made its first reappearance recently, I saw a child on the sidewalk, jumping up and down with outstretched arms, in sheer, unrestrained delight at the long-awaited sunshine and warmth. He was oblivious to the opinions of any onlookers. I have watched a little girl sit for hours with her nose pressed against a glass tank, in mute fascination and enjoyment of the lives of a half dozen fish. How natural it is for a child to slip his small hand into a larger one and skip down the hall, or simply snuggle closer, enjoying adult attention and friendship. Or in his intense excitement at a circus, how many parents have had to hold a child back from running forward to join the act! It is obvious that children easily express themselves in a multitude of ways. These expressions are part of “all that is within” them, and must be channeled to respond to God's character. However, before they can celebrate God's nature or respond to His call, children must experience conviction of sin (falling short of God's perfect standard) and a sense of their personal unworthiness to approach God. Only then can God's forgiveness and cleansing be realized; and only then are children ready to respond with celebration, adoration, and obedience. As I have taught children a biblical philosophy of worship, I have often asked a class to help me design a worship time, responding to a certain aspect of God's character that we have studied. Sometimes they choose to respond with singing—either with familiar songs, or with those they make up themselves. Various musical instruments, such as the triangle, tambourine, bells, cymbals, wooden blocks, etc., add to the joy of offering praise. Children love to pray. Sometimes their prayers express genuine contrition: “Dear God, I think it must break Your heart when we fool around and don't obey, after all You did for us by dying on the cross for us.” Often they will simply offer
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Seniors Grandma Manatee by Mitch Gill Summer in Miami, Florida was like living on vacation. Our house was a one story home, lime green with white trim. It was not fancy and looked liked all the other houses in this middle class neighborhood but in the backyard,
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attached to the house was a built in swimming pool with a screen all around it to prevent bugs and critters from entering our small, private, crystal blue pond. My two brothers and I always looked forward to weekends as that was
when Grandma would come over to visit and swim. She loved life and she loved everyone she met but she especially loved her family and the Lord. Her hair, what was left of it, was a grey color similar to the dark clouds that form before a storm and whenever she raised her arms for us we would immediately begin to box the flab that hung so temptingly below them. She looked like a 2 liter bottle with two straws sticking out from the bottom for legs and thick twigs for arms. Her laugh was an infectious giggle and she laughed often, especially when the joke was on her. This Saintly loving woman called herself Grandma Manatee as she had a gift of being able to stand straight up in the deep end of our pool and float with her head above the water. For three young boys it was a tempting target as she always told us not to splash her as she did not want to get her hair wet. She never went home with dry hair as we would all run to the edge of the pool, laugh and point at her as she knew what was coming. It was at this point, we would launch ourselves into the air pulling our knees in to form the infamous cannonball. Then came that giggle, her hair dripping wet as she tried to berate us for doing just what she said not to do. We would all begin to laugh hysterically. The game was played every weekend and we never knew if she was serious or not as she never let on. This woman prayed for us daily, gave us advice as we grew into manhood, and even though she was poor by all standards of the word, she considered herself rich. She would give away everything and anything to others in need even if her needs were greater. She died on my fathers’ birthday in 1989. On that day I cried for a very long time. The tears were like a tide that washed back and forth along a private shoreline as I remembered every single giggle. The tears still flow at times, not as much, not as long but whenever my son leaps into a pool curling his legs and forms a cannonball, I can not help smiling and shedding a tear. Š2016 Faithwriters.com >
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Ministering to the Chronically Ill: 20 Ways That Take 20 Minutes by Lisa Copen Rest Ministries, the largest Christian organization that serves the chronically ill, recently did a poll, asking "List some of the programs or resources a church could offer to make it more inviting comfortable" Below is a sampling of the 800+ responses. 1. Send out encouraging emails. 2. Make sure the handicapped stalls in the restroom are functioning and clean. 3. Padded chairs or cushions would make church much easier, or also room for a wheelchair. And an extra place for my family to be able to sit with me. 4. Have an open mind about a support group for the chronically ill like Hope Keepers. It would make me feel very special that there was an understanding of people's needs that are not always visible. 5. More handicapped parking.
6. Educate the ushers that people arriving late may have difficulty walking or getting out of cars and will need some assistance. 7. Have a couple of people who could call chronically ill folks and check on them when they can't make it to church. 8. When suppers are given, I need help getting my meal or at least understanding from others that I won't be able to wait in a long line. 9. Be cautious when giving people big hugs. It can topple over or hurt the person. 10. Have a video tape of the service, not just a live web cast. Not all our computers work that well. 11. Check out the church doors. Can someone with an illness open them with ease? If not, install a mechanical button to push them open.
Changing Times Disclaimer
As editor of Changing Times, there are often concerns that both On Eagles Wings and Save the Nations Ministries share. Sometimes, there are articles or advertisements that do not exactly line up with the views of Changing Times. Changing Times continues to be published by advertisement and offerings of the readers. While Changing Times advertises businesses, videos, books, and articles, we attempt to do so without contradiction to scripture. We pray that these are used to build the Church and not lead it astray with doctrines that were not given to the Disciples (Galatians 1:8). It is almost an impossibility to research each advertisement or article to reveal error in enough time before publication. As humans we all make mistakes, but as Christians we must remember that error will always ride in on the back of truth. This is what makes it seem so good. It is with these statements, that we ask the following of our readers. The Bereans were recognized for being good stewards over the word of God (Acts 17:10-11). They studied and checked the things, which were taught to be sure they were true and lined up with the scripture. As such, we are no different. Each of us has the responsibility to do the same. This paper attempts to be conservative in belief and bring the gospel to the readers in a balanced fashion, as scripture demands. The Cross of Christ should always be the center of each and every Christians understanding of the gospel to include salvation, sanctification and glorification. Jesus the Christ is the source and the Cross, is the means. Due to reason of deception, many have begun falling away from the purity of that message. There is little said about sin, repentance, the saving Blood, the completed work of the Cross and the necessity of placing our faith in Jesus, and that completed sacrifice. We not only ask, but also beg our reading audience to also be good Bereans. If we find something we understand to be against scripture, we will remove it as we find it, but there are some things that get by us. The Bible speaks of a last day deception that if it were possible, would deceive the very elect of God (Matthew 24). Help us help you. Please, in these last days — Be good Bereans. We pray that each article and advertisement will serve to bless, encourage and increase knowledge and understanding of a relationship with the King of Kings. These are most assuredly troubling times — hold fast to that which is true. In His Service, Save the Nations Ministries
12. Stop telling me that if I truly believed and had faith I'd be healed by now. Please don't go on and on about how good I look even though I know for a fact that I look terrible and miserable that day. 13. Offer me ways to serve within the church that can be performed regularly, but not on a set schedule. I still want to contribute, but I need some flexibility so that I can do a job when I feel well enough to do so. 14. Provide sermon notes in case I can't make it to the worship service and want to listen/take notes later. 15. Acknowledge National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week. Rest Ministries has a book list of top 100 Christian books for the chronically ill. Having some of those books in our church bookstore as a display would be a great outreach. 16. Just mention chronic illness occasionally! Don't forget to talk about it in sermons as one of the challenges many people face just like unemployment or divorce. 17. Have Christian volunteers
from church that will clean house for small fee. Some have offered to clean my house, but I cannot accept charity yet, but neither can I afford to pay a regular house cleaning service. 18. Have the church help with some of the small costs of providing encouraging books and resources for the church library. The chronically ill often cannot afford all that they'd like to read and will check them out. 19. Remember all of the caregivers in the church--not just caregivers of parents, but spouses and ill children as well. 20. Have copies of sermon for free on CD or computer. If you lead a support group or are considering it, don't miss Lisa Copen's new book, http://StartAnIllnessSupportGroup.com for your ministry needs. Over 300 pages with step-by-step instructions on how to write a vision statement, promotion and attendance and much more! © 2016 FaithWriters.com. All Rights Reserved www.faithwriters. com >
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A young, new preacher was walking with an older, more seasoned preacher in the garden one day and feeling a bit insecure about what God had for him to do, he was inquiring of the older preacher. The older preacher walked up to a rosebush and handed the young preacher a rosebud and told him to open it without tearing off any petals. The young preacher looked in disbelief at the older preacher and was trying to figure out what a rosebud could possibly have to do with his wanting to know the WILL OF GOD for his life and for his ministry. Because of his high respect for the older preacher, he proceeded to TRY to unfold the rose, while keeping every petal intact...It wasn't long before he realized how it was impossible to do so. Noticing the younger preacher's inability to unfold the rosebud while keeping it intact, the older preacher began to tell the following poem... It is only a tiny rosebud, A flower of GOD's design; But I cannot unfold the petals With these clumsy hands of mine. The secret of unfolding flowers Is not known to such as I. GOD opens this flower so sweetly, When in my hands they fade and die. If I cannot unfold a rosebud, This flower of GOD's design, Then how can I think I have wisdom To unfold this life of mine? So I'll trust in Him for His leading Each moment of every day. I will look to Him for His guidance Each step of the pilgrim way. The pathway that lies before me, Only my heavenly Father knows. I'll trust Him to unfold the moments, Just as He unfolds the rose. Life Line After a few of the usual Sunday evening hymns, the church's pastor slowly stood up, walked over to the pulpit, and before he gave his sermon for the evening, briefly introduced a guest minister who was in the service that evening. In the introduction, the pastor told the congregation that the guest minister was one of his dearest childhood friends and that he wanted him to have a few moments to greet the church and share whatever he felt would be appropriate for the service. With that, an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit and began to speak. "A father, his son, and a friend of
his son were sailing off the pacific coast," he began, "when a fast approaching storm blocked any attempt to get back to the shore. The waves were so high, that even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright and the three were swept into the ocean as the boat capsized." The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in his story. The aged minister continued with his story, "grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of his life: To which boy he would throw the other end of the life line. He only had seconds to make the decision. The father knew that his son was a Christian and he also knew that his son's friend was not. The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of waves." "As the father yelled out, ‘I love you, son!’ he threw out the life line to his son's friend. By the time the father had pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his son had disappeared beneath the raging swells into the black of night. His body was never recovered." By this time, the two teenagers were sitting up straight in the pew, anxiously waiting for the next words to come out of the old minister's mouth. "The father," he continued, "knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus and he could not bear the thought of his son's friend stepping into an eternity without Jesus. Therefore, he sacrificed his son to save the son's friend." "How great is the love of God that he should do the same for us. Our Heavenly Father sacrificed his only begotten son that we could be saved. I urge you to accept his offer to rescue you and take a hold of the life line he is throwing out to you in this service." With that, the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as silence filled the room. The pastor again walked slowly to the pulpit and delivered a brief sermon with an invitation at the end. However, no one responded to the appeal. Within minutes after the service ended, the two teenagers were at the old man's side. "That was a nice See oPEN tHE rOSE on Page 15
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Grandmas Lost Marbles by Christina Banks “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven... For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21) After graduating from college, I moved in with my aging Grandparents. Before I even started unpacking my bags, Grandma showed me the brand new litter of kittens born in the back room. The mother, an ornery old barn cat, was cautious but accepting of my interest in her small family. From the litter I adopted two grey tabbies. Shortly after they were weaned, Cleo and Tiny moved into the main house. They were a study in opposites – Tiny, always cautious; Cleo, daring to stretch every rule and boundary. Tiny was content just to be with people, while Cleo was the queen of mischief, always finding something to amuse her overly active little mind. I was at work the day that my cousin came to visit and discovered the old metal Chinese checkers board in my Grandma’s spare room closet. Dusting off the round tin, he careful opened it to find only six of the original sixty marbles rolling around inside. A search of the shelves produced another ten, but no more. He enlisted Grandma’s help and together they rummaged through all the closets and drawers in the house, but with no success. The rest of the marbles could not to be found. “I found five more.” Grandma
commented several days later. “Five more what?” “Marbles.” “Marbles?” “Yes, for Chinese checkers. They were rolling around in my sewing machine cabinet.” As she walked toward the parlor, I followed. “They are all different colors, but I think that we can make it work...” She stood for a long moment looking at the round table. “They were right here.” “Maybe they fell on the floor.” A thorough search revealed nothing. “I know I put them on the table. Didn’t I?” “I don’t know Grandma.” While I sat on the floor, comforting my Grandma, I noticed Cleo slink out from behind the old upright piano in the corner of the room. I had a sneaky suspicion that my kitten was involved in the recent marble heist. It only took a few moments to move the piano, and behind it, in the corner was a large pile of stuff: milk caps, hair clips, straws, cat toys and five shiny glass orbs. “I thought I had lost my marbles!” Cleo had collected her treasures for some time, hiding them away from the other house cats. She couldn’t really enjoy the things that she had because she was afraid someone would take them away from her. We too spend a lot of time hording things here on earth: money, fame, power, and respect. But the Bible tells us that it is far better to lay up heavenly treasures: obedience, faith, love, and service, things that will last for eternity. >
oPEN tHE rOSE Continued from Page 14 story," politely stated one of the boys, "but I don't think it was very realistic for a father to give up his only son's life in hopes that the other boy would become a Christian." "Well, you've got a point there," the old man replied, glancing down at his worn bible. A big smile broadened his narrow face; he once again looked up
at the boys and said, "It sure isn't very realistic, is it? But I'm standing here today to tell you that story gives me a glimpse of what it must have been like for God to give up His son for me. You see, I was that father and your pastor is my son's friend." © 2016 The Old Time Gospel Ministry >
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6 Popular Myths About Love, Life, And Forgiveness by Angie Lewis MYTH 1. A Cheating Spouse Is the Same as an Unfaithful Spouse FACT: It is true that a cheating spouse and an unfaithful spouse have both committed adultery, but the fact is, the cheater will continue to cheat over and over again, while the unfaithful spouse has repented and hopefully will not commit
adultery again. A cheater does not have any love his wife by first serving Christ and followspiritual wisdom or discernment to care about ing His example. A Husband is to treasure his his disloyal actions against his spouse. An wife with the same devotion and commitment unfaithful spouse feels remorse, and is willing to that Jesus Christ gave His Church. Jesus laid humble himself before God. down His life for your life because you are part MYTH 2. In Relationships You Can Fall In of His Church. He suffered and died for you so And Out Of Love you could learn what true love and forgiveness FACT: Love is not something that a person are so you could love and forgive others comfalls in and out of. In a relationship, love needs pletely. This is the attitude a man is to love his Restaurant time to develop - it isn't already present or it wife with. If a husband is misusing scripture to does not become present in a day or week, or abuse and or control his wife with than that even months. The feeling of being in love with comes from the world of men, not God. the guy or gal you just met last month is not MYTH 5. You Have To Go To Church To Be love but something else, probably excitement Saved And To Worship God (Jesus) Special Italian Food of the new relationship and euphoria. FACT: Believers are to worship Jesus in and Pizza Pie You cannot just fall out of love with some- Spirit and in Truth. We are not commanded to go one you have worked hard at loving for many to Church and you do not need to go to Church years. What actually happens in many mar- to be saved. Jesus is in the hearts and minds of riages is couples have stopped working on believers and He hears your prayers and devoloving each other, which feels like they are no tions wherever you are. There is nothing wrong longer in love. Since there is no such thing as with going to Church and fellowshipping with falling in love, then you cannot fall out of love like-minded believers and worshipping our Saveither. Love needs to be sustained on a consis- ior. But be sure that you are not going to Church tent basis by your actions or else it will not for just the showmanship of it. I have met many develop. This is why many relationships are people who go to Church and still do not have a short lived. personal relationship with Jesus. They are more MYTH 3. Addictions and Affairs Is Num- concerned about looking good to others on the ber One Reason for Divorce outside than actually being good on the inside. FACT: It is not addictions or affairs that MYTH 6. It's Easy To Forgive Our Spouse Serving the people of new orleanS Since 1957 cause divorce, but the lack of devotion and When They Have Wronged Us 134 N. Carrollton Ave • Mid City • (504) 488-7991 commitment to the person you married. AddicFACT: We are powerless to forgive complete587 Central Ave • Harahan • (504) 734-3991 tions, selfishness, and affairs are the symp- ly without having the knowledge of what Jesus toms of an uncommitted heart. For instance, has done for us and accepting that truth into our a devoted wife will choose to stay with her heart and mind. Jesus has given us the true alcoholic husband rather than get a divorce, meaning of what forgiveness is, and to forgive even if that means losing some of her hap- others like Jesus forgave us, we must follow piness, which is most likely, the case. For- Him and His example; otherwise our forgivetunately, the alcoholic can get sober, and the ness would be shallow and unreal. Someone marriage can be happy and fulfilled once who says they have forgiven but is still tormentagain. ed by it, or still brings the hurt out into the open, Uncommitted persons like to use a cheat- has not truly forgiven. ing spouse or an alcoholic spouse as reason Angie Lewis is the author of four marriage for getting out of the marriage contract and books offering marriage tips and wisdom filled that is why it has traditionally been consid- answers tackling such issues as addiction, adulered the number one reasons for divorce. tery, pornography, emotions, beliefs, forgiveMarriage is difficult at times, no doubt ness, communication and much, much more. about that. Choosing to support one another Adultery Pandemic is Angie's latest book. through the good days as well as the bad is Turn Your Marriage Into A Success! If you want what's required of us and is what God to restore your marriage from the demoralizing intends for marriage to be. We are to help effects of adultery, then look no further - this is our spouse with their struggles and suffer- the book for you! ing with the strength given to us by God! Your Marriage Can Be Restored! MYTH 4. A Husband Can Abuse and A treasure book filled with effective guidance Control his Wife Because God Has Given for your marriage from forgiveness and trust to him the Position To Do So recommitting your lives to each other again. p l a n t a t i o n P L A N T A T I O N FACT: Spiritual headship is about serv504.245.8221 SouthernOaksPlantation.com ing (loving) your wife on the foundations of See 6 Popular Myths 504.245.8221 SouthernOaksPlantation.com Jesus Christ. A husband is commanded to on Page 17
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Marriage
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How A Christian Wife Should Love Her Christian Husband by Angie Lewis There are many ways that a wife can show her husband her love for him. We have to change the "me" outlook to the "us" outlook. Now a day's there is too much separateness between couples. She does her thing and he does his thing, and they barely do anything together! All of this separateness is truly dangerous for couples, emotionally speaking. We have to change our attitude and perspective by making it a point to include our husbands in our lives, no matter what it is we are doing. If God created marriage as "one flesh" of mind, body, and soul than when we live separate lives from our husbands we are essentially rebelling against our Godgiven role for marriage. If we are rebelling against God's design then we will have marital problems. A healthy marriage is an intimate relationship. Intimacy has to be created with our husbands through our emotional, physical and spiritual affections. There is too much thinking that "we don't love our husbands anymore" attitude! Too many married couples do everything apart from one another, which can cause emotional detachment and separation. It is at these times, when neither spouse is intimately involved emotionally with the other that infidelities materialize in the marriage. We often tell couples, especially women to not reject their husbands sexually but just as important to marriage is to not contradict our husbands emotionally and spiritually. When we act as if we don't care about what our husbands have to say or when we discount their loving lead over us, or when we contradict them, then we are essentially saying that what they say and do is somehow wrong or does not meet up to our standards. Emotionally, this is very damaging to the intimacy aspect of the marriage. Many wives do this to themselves
by allowing the worlds views to seep into their hearts and minds. When we refuse our husbands management and protection we're saying that what he has to say isn't important. When a wife is too independent to mind the things of her husband, or to consider his thoughts, ideas, and decisions in the marriage then he is most certainly going to feel rejected, discounted and demeaned by his wife. Is that what you want? A husband who feels inadequate in his abilities as the man of the marriage? In a Godly marriage, the wife is to be her husbands help meet not his obstacle meet. And then these very same women wonder why their husbands are meeting up with women on social networking sites and texting and flirting. Duh! God created the man to be the decision-maker and management overseer of the home and family, but when the wife usurps her husband's role, he may be tempted to find emotional attachment where he thinks the grass seems greener. It's a natural response to an unhealthy home environment. Emotional adultery runs rampant in marriage today. And the advent of social networking websites is just another tool where dejected and demeaned husbands can find emotional and possibly sexual attachments. Of course there is no justification for committing infidelities in marriage but when we are rejected and demeaned by our spouse it can sure make that grass across the fence look greener than what we got. It is at these times when we need to sincerely pray for our spouse to come into the light and truth. And we need to pray for ourselves that we do not break down and do anything against the sanctity of the marriage. God listens! The Christian culture of today is very vain and self-righteous in its thinking. Wives are not encouraged
by society to love their husbands or nurture their marriage. In fact they are encouraged to treat their man with contempt. Is that not selfish and self-righteous? Today most wives are encouraged by society to be independent, apart from their husbands and only care about themselves. And it is this, which is killing marriage and causing the adultery pandemic we are experiencing today in Christian marriage. Why do you think God made Eve with Adam's rib? He didn't have to use Adam's rib, but He did. This is to show that woman comes from man and once she is married he is her covering and protector. A wife becomes "one" with her husband
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and she is to be beside him in her help meet role. It is an unselfish, love and respect kind of role. Woman was not made out of man's feet to be below him, nor was she made from his head, to be above him, but she was made from his rib, to be beside him. Think of your husband above yourself and stop looking to society to tell you what to think and what to do in your marriage. Look to Jesus Christ instead and let Him be your example. This is how a Christian wife should love her Christian husband. © 2016 FaithWriters.com. All Rights Reserved. www.faithwriters. com >
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6 Popular Myths Continued from Page 16 Practical and easy-to-read, this book combines the solutions and remedies your marriage needs towards recovery. This book will give you the guidance you need to discover the true secrets to a happy, lifelong marriage.
To preview these books go here: http://www.lulu.com/AngieLewis/ Marriage Resources-http://www. heavenministries.com/ © 2002-2016 Heaven Ministries. All Rights Reserved. www.heavenministries.org > For their command is a lamp and their instruction a light; their corrective discipline is the way to life. – Proverbs 6:23
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Education
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Education Ten Reasons to Listen to Questions Before You Answer by John Piper Meditation on (Proverbs 18:13) "If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame." 1. It is arrogant to answer before you hear. Humility does not presume that it knows precisely what a person is asking until the questioner has finished asking the question. How many times have I
jumped to a wrong conclusion by starting to formulate my answer before I heard the whole question! Often it is the last word in the question that turns the whole thing around and makes you realize that they are not asking what you thought they were. 2. It is rude to answer a half-
asked question. "Rude" is a useful word for Christians. It means "illmannered, discourteous." The New Testament word for it is aschēmonei. It is used in (1 Corinthians 13:5) where modern versions translate it, "Love is not rude," but the old King James Version has "Love doth not behave itself unseemly." This means that love not only follows absolute moral standards, but also takes cultural mores and habits and customs into account. What is polite? What is courteous? What are good manners? What is proper? What is good taste? What is suitable? Love is not indifferent to these. It uses them to express its humble desire for people's good. One such politeness is listening well to a question before you answer. 3. Not answering a question before you hear it all honors and respects the person asking the question. It treats the person as though their words really matter. It is belittling to another to presume to be able to finish their question before they do. 4. Careful listening to a ques-
tion often reveals that the question has several layers and is really more than one question. Several questions are all mixed into one. When you see this, you can break the question down into parts and answer them one at a time. You will not see such subtleties if you are hasty with your answer and not careful in your listening. 5. A question sometimes reveals assumptions that you do not share. If you try to answer the question on the basis of your assumptions See Ten Reasons on Page 20
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How did we get the Old Testament? By Dr. Charles Stanley
The Old Testament—the history of Israel and the foundation for what we believe—was written over a period of a thousand years, dating back to 1200 BC (and perhaps even earlier). To understand how we got the Old Testament, it’s necessary for us to go back to its roots—the Hebrew Bible (also called the Jewish Tanahk). Our Old Testament is basically the Hebrew Bible with its books in a slightly different order. So how was the Hebrew canon put together? In the ancient world, most information was transmitted orally—they told stories. But the biblical writers wrote what we know as Scripture in order to send it to other places and preserve it. R.T. Beckwith writes in The Origin of the Bible, “The permanent and abiding form of God’s message was therefore not its spoken, but its written form, and this explains the rise of the Old Testament canon.”
The Hebrew canon was assembled in three parts. The first, of course, was the Pentateuch (or the Law). Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy comprise this portion, which tradition holds were written by Moses (though someone else—perhaps Joshua—had to help him, since his death is included in (Deuteronomy 34). This section was viewed as canonical early on— with parts of it accepted while Moses was still alive. So when you read about the Book of the Law in the Old Testament (like what King Josiah and Ezra read from), it is most likely that they are referring to the Pentateuch. The second and third sections were the Prophets (or Nevi’im) and the Sacred Writings (also known as the Hagiographa or Ketuvim). The Prophets were made up of historical books (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings) and the prophetic books (Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and the 12 Minor Prophets). The Writings were made up of the wisdom books (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, and Lamentations) and the other historical books (Ruth, Daniel, Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles). Some of these books were considered canonical almost as soon as they were written (such as Joshua and Samuel), but some took longer to accept because they took longer to complete (i.e., See The Old Testament on Page 21
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A talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter. – Proverbs 11:13
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Education
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Ten Reasons Continued from Page 18 without understanding the questioner's assumptions, you will probably speak right past him. If you listen carefully and let the person finish, you may discern what he is assuming that you do not. Then you can probe these assumptions before you answer. Often, when dealing at this level, the question answers itself. It was really about these deeper differences. 6. Questions usually have attitudes as well as content. The attitude sometimes tells you as much as the content about what is really being asked. In fact, the attitude may tell you that the words being used in this question are not all what the issue is. When that is discerned, we should not make light of the words, but seriously
ask questions to see if the attitude and the words are really asking the same question. If not, which is the one the questioner really wants answered? 7. Questions have context that you need to know. So many thoughts and circumstances and feelings may be feeding into this question that we don't know about or understand. Careful listening may help you pick up those things. It may be that there is just a small clue that some crucial circumstance is behind the question. If you catch the clue, because you are listening carefully, you may be able to draw that out and be able to answer the question so much more helpfully. 8. Questions are made up of words. Words have meanings that are formed by a person's experience and education. These words may not carry the same meaning
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for both you and the questioner. If you want to answer what they are really asking, you must listen very carefully. When the possibility exists that their question is rooted in a different understanding of a word, we will be wise to talk about the meaning of our words before we talk about the answer to the question. I find that talking about the definitions of words in questions usually produces the answer to the questions. 9. (Proverbs 8:13) says it is our "folly" to answer before we hear. That is, it will make us a fool. One reason for this is that almost all premature answers are based on thinking we know all we need to know. But that is "foolish." Our attitude should be: What can I learn from this question? The fool thinks he knows all he needs to know. 10. And finally (Proverbs 8:13) says that it is our "shame" to answer before we hear. What if you are asked publicly, "My wife and I have had serious problems
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and we were wondering . . ." and you cut the questioner off by giving your answer about the value of counseling and what counselors might be helpful. But then they say, "Well, actually, what I was going to say was, "My wife and I have had serious problems and we were wondering, now that our counseling is over and things are better than ever, how you would suggest that we celebrate?" Then you will be shamed for not listening. Still learning to listen with you, John Piper ©2016 Desiring God Foundation. Website: www.desiringGod. org. Email: mail@desiringGod. org. Toll Free: 888-346-4700. >
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www.changingtimes.info The Old Testament Continued from Page 19 Psalms and Chronicles). The books were organized into these two sections sometime around 165 BC, during the Maccabaean war of liberation. Antiochus Epiphanus, a cruel and despicable Syrian ruler, wanted to completely destroy all worship of Yahweh, including all religious documents. Thankfully, Judas Maccabaeus took steps to make sure all of the holy documents would be preserved. At this point, these manuscripts were not bound in a book—they were simply holy scrolls (in fact, the Bible was still in scrolls in Jesus’ time). However, when Maccabaeus listed them and gathered them into collections, he set the foundation for the traditional Hebrew canon. These scrolls were made of papyrus, animal skins (leather), and metal. You may wonder how many of those original documents still exist because those materials are infamous for deteriorating. Until the 1940s, the earliest manuscripts were from medieval times (around 800-900 AD). However, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the 1940s and 1950s provided a wealth of manuscripts from before Christ. There they found 600 manuscripts (200 of which are biblical) and between 50,000 to 60,000 fragments. All of the books of the Old Testament (except Esther) were represented. The oldest fragment is from the book of Exodus, and it was dated to approximately 250 BC. The most interesting thing they discovered was that the documents they had from medieval times were (for the most part)
Education identical to the older ones. The documents had been faithfully copied and transmitted! That is how we got our Old Testament. (Please understand that this description of the canonization of the Old Testament is a very brief, general summary. However, it represents the inherent truth that our Bible is absolutely reliable and trustworthy.) Evidence & Confirmation There are many accounts in the Old Testament about the people of God battling other nations. So have you ever wondered if artifacts of those other nations mention the battles chronicled in the Bible? Well, they do! One example is in (2 Chronicles 32), when King Hezekiah of Judah faced a devastating onslaught from Assyria. Hezekiah built a massive wall around Jerusalem to fortify the city and diverted the Gihon spring so that people in the city would have a water supply (2 Kings 20:20; 2 Chronicles 32:30). God promised that Jerusalem wouldn’t fall to the Assyrians; and though the majority of Judah did surrender to Sennacherib (including the city of Lachish), Jerusalem didn’t. The physical existence of the wall and the water supply tunnel can be confirmed in Jerusalem. You can still see both of the striking structures today. But the most exciting thing is that Assyrian history confirms the event through Sennacherib's Prism (a stone pillar with cuneiform inscriptions) and on an artifact called the Lachish Frieze (bas-reliefs depicting Sennacherib’s attempts to take Jerusalem in his palace at Ninevah). © 2016 oChristian.com. All Rights Reserved >
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Health
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Health Breaking News: Omega-3 Supplement Significantly Reduces Asthma Symptoms On Saturday, June 1 at the American College of Sports Medicine’s 60th Annual Meeting and 4th World Congress, Prof. Timothy Mickleborough, from the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington, presented and discussed his breakthrough findings from an Indiana University study which discovered that an omega-3 supplement derived from the New Zealand green-lipped mussel significantly improves lung function and reduces airway inflammation in asthmatics. As if there were not already enough good reasons for you to be taking an omega-3 supplement (benefits have been linked with
reduced heart disease, improved energy levels and better brain function), an Indiana University study on a unique type of fish oil has just discovered something new about omega-3 supplements. According to a news release from Indiana University, the discovery yielded, “A 59 percent improvement in lung function after an airway challenge, and a reduction in airway inflammation, asthma symptoms and use of emergency medication.” The study is being led by Prof. Timothy Mickleborough from the IU School of Public Health in Bloomington, Indiana, who got right to the point when he summa-
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Dr. Don Colbert is a graduate of Oral Roberts School of Medicine and shares his years of experience and research in nutritional medicine in all of his work. He is a national speaker, bestselling author and host of a national talk show titled Your Health Matters. © 2016 Dr. Don Colbert, MD PA www.drcolbert.com
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rized the far-reaching benefits of his findings by saying, "Any time you can reduce medication is good." The type of fish oil being used in Mickleborough's study contains PCSO-524, a patented extract of stabilized lipids from the New Zealand green-lipped mussel, combined with olive oil and vitamin E. PCSO-524 includes the five main lipid classes: sterol esters, sterols, polar lipids, triglycerides and free fatty acids, including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Previous studies involving PCSO-524 have already found it to be effective in helping osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. However, Mickleborough's study is the first to show that PCSO-524 is effective in reducing the airway inflammation experienced by asthmatic study participants diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma. Mickleborough's research was conducted as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial (the gold standard for reliable test results). He plans to conduct further studies to look at the impact of PCSO-524 on delayed onset muscle soreness and delayed onset muscle damage.
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Liver Health and Milk Thistle by Dr. Don Colbert While other herbs such as St. John's wort and echinacea may appear in the news more often, Milk Thistle is actually the most researched and best understood of all the medicinal herbs. In fact, study after study has confirmed the most significant property of Milk Thistle: namely, the ability to protect and actually rejuvenate the liver. And, while we know for certain Milk Thistle has been used medicinally to heal the liver since the middle of the first century, it wasn't until the late 20th century that scientists understood how the key compounds in milk thistle behave in the body. These discoveries have allowed scientists to go the next step and combine milk thistle and its key compounds with other synergistic components for even greater and more potent health effects. When milk thistle's most beneficial compound silybin is combined with the natural compound phosphatidylcholine (fos-fa-tid-al-koleen), in a patented process, Milk Thistle is better absorbed and remains active in the bloodstream for greater lengths of time. In this issue we will talk about Silybin from Milk Thistle, especially when combined with effectiveness-enhancing phosphatidylcholine, and its effect on the liver, a remarkable organ vital to our overall health. Q. What does the liver actually do? A. The liver is about the size of a football and weighs on average 3 and a half pounds, making it our largest internal organ. Our entire blood supply passes through the liver many, many times a day. The liver is incredibly complex and has a huge daily "to-do" list, including: • Filter the blood for bacteria that enter our bodies every day • Convert carbohydrates and proteins into fat, and store it for later use • Store vitamins A, D, and B12 and the minerals copper and iron until they are needed • Convert sugar into glycogen and store it until the muscles need energy • Synthesize triglycerides and cholesterol • Make and secrete the bile needed in the digestion of fats • Make urea from carbon dioxide and ammonia • Produce hundreds of enzymes needed for digestion and other
bodily functions • Break down medications so we can use them effectively • Metabolize alcohol and other harmful toxins • Activate and metabolize hormones • Produce clotting factors to help blood clot when we get a cut or scrape • Make heparin to help keep blood from clotting while it circulates Q. What exactly does Milk Thistle do for the liver? A. The medicinal parts of the Milk Thistle plant are the seeds or fruits. Each Milk Thistle fruit is attached to a single strand of the pink tuft (similar to the way dandelion seeds are found floating in the air). When they ripen, the fruits contain three powerful plant compounds collectively called silymarin (sil-luhmah-rin). One of the compounds in silymarin is called silybin. Silybin is the most beneficial component of milk thistle. Milk Thistle works to help the liver in three ways. First, Milk Thistle is a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants protect us from chemicals in our bodies called free radicals. Exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke, exhaust fumes from cars, sitting in the sun, taking certain drugs, or being under stress can all increase free radicals in the body. Free radicals can do lots of damage to our cells (called oxidation) which can eventually lead to cancer, heart disease, and arthritis. Milk Thistle protects the liver (and possibly other organs) against harmful oxidation. Secondly, the silybin in Milk Thistle protects the liver from harmful toxins and helps treat liver diseases. The silybin in Milk Thistle helps people with Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C (serious liver diseases) get better. While silybin cannot cure cirrhosis (a very destructive and often fatal liver disease), it can improve liver function in people with this serious disease. In fatty liver disease (often caused by excessive alcohol drinking and often leading to cirrhosis), silybin can protect the liver from further damage. And, while we don't necessarily think of medications as "toxins," See Liver Health on Page 42 Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. – Proverbs 30:5
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Financial
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New Year 2016
Forget Mortgage Accelerator Plans Dear Dave, How do you feel about mortgage accelerator plans? Can you please explain them? —Doug Dear Doug, Basically, there are two types of mortgage accelerator plans floating around out there. First, there’s the old bi-weekly mortgage where you make half of a payment every two weeks. This will drop the length of time you’ll pay on a 30-year mortgage down to about 22 years. Most companies will charge a fee to service these programs, but I think that’s ridiculous. There’s no way I’d pay someone to do this for me. Think about it. There are 26 two-week periods in a year, and 26 half payments equals 13 whole payments. So, you’re making an extra payment each year. That’s why your mortgage gets paid off early. You can accomplish the same thing by writing a check for the principal only once a year. If you want to get really detailed, you can do the same thing each month by writing a check for one-twelfth of a payment. The other kind of mortgage accelerator plan out there is a total ripoff. I’m talking about one where some companies will try to sell you a $3,500-piece of software tied in with a home equity line of credit, or HELOC. These things are often called money merge accounts. In this situation, you pay your bills out of the HELOC, and your paychecks are deposited against the HELOC. Then, they’ll apply whatever’s left against your mortgage, and it “magically” pays off your mortgage faster. The problem is that no matter how many times you move the shell, the pea is still underneath. Whether you use a HELOC or just a yellow pad to make a budget, if you want to make extra principal payments on your first mortgage, you have to live on less than you make. And there’s no way I’m paying some rip-off company $3,500 for the privilege. Talk about stupid! You can do that on your own by making a decision to sit down every month with a pen and a piece of paper and write out your own monthly budget. Now you know why I’m not a big fan of mortgage accelerator plans you have to buy. Here’s the truth, Doug. There’s no easy, magical formula when it comes to getting out of debt. It takes a lot of hard work and discipline. You can accelerate your own early mortgage payoff by living on less than you make and learning to control the person you see in the mirror every day! —Dave
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Get the brother-in-law out! Dear Dave, My 27-year-old brother-in-law moved in with us some time ago. He doesn’t have a job or contribute anything in terms of helping around the house or with bills. I think he needs to move out, but my wife isn’t so sure. She complains about the situation to me, but if I say anything, it makes me the bad guy with her family. How can I convince her? —Chuck
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Dear Chuck, I think you need to sit down with your wife, not all the other players, and gently explain to her that you’re just enabling his bad behavior by allowing things to continue this way. Responsible adults don’t behave like bums, and I don’t give a flip what the rest of the family thinks. It’s your house, and this issue is between you and her. You two are the only ones having to deal with this, so it’s really easy for others to chime in about what should happen. But hey, if they’re so concerned with the guy having a place to stay, maybe one of them should take him in. I’ll bet that idea would shut them up in a heartbeat! I’m not advising you to just kick the guy out, but maybe you could formulate a plan that will give him a little time to get back on his feet. Have a loving talk with him about the situation, but let him know things can’t continue on the same path. Let him know that within 30 days he has to have a job, and 30 days after that he has to move into his own place. Write it down on the calendar, if it will help, but make sure he understands why you’re doing this and the date he has to move out. I know these kinds of things can be difficult, but sometimes you have to take the bull by the horns and make something happen. There’s no reason it has to become an ugly situation, as long as you and your wife get on the same page and you do things in a helpful and kind way. —Dave
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For though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, a remnant of them will return; the destruction decreed shall overflow with righteousness. – Isaiah 10:22
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Hungry to be Holy by Gary Wilkerson
There was a young Scottish pastor, Robert Murray McCheyne who died at 29. Before his passing he brought a great awakening to his church. This week I read a quote from this man of God, he said, “The greatest need of my people is my own holiness.” We have a plethora of eloquent preachers, an over abundance of charismatic personalities, more than sufficient number of high profile leaders. What we are in want of are holy men of God. People need to see more than ministry skill from their leaders; they need to see a godly heart. A pastor cannot take his congregation into the depths of Christ any further than he has gone first himself. What’s the outcome of a church that has astonishing programs, brilliant leadership, edge
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of the seat presentations and state of the art building but has no vision at its core to be a holy people? What good can come from engaging speakers conducting entertaining events if that leader is not a man desiring to bow in brokenness and humbly recognize how estranged he and his congregation are from a holy and awesome God? Our churches are often full of silliness and we know it but it is not changed because leaders tolerate it rather than grieve over it. The situation in the church is simply a reflection of the reality that is within the pastor’s heart. The light pouring from a single broken vessel far outshines the productions of a thousand religious entertainers. Paul said you have many tutors but few fathers. Today he might have said you have many church experts but few holy men. R.M. McCheyne’s word is more necessary today than when he first spoke this to a compromised, liberal, nominalist church in Scotland. But not just his words but his example, the power of his pulpit and the effect of his ministry empowered his words. His word contained power behind a life that contained purity. Are you hungry to be a holy man or woman of God? There is only one way to see this happen. It is to lay down both human efforts to strive at your own righteousness and be fully cloaked
with the garments of Christ and to simply receive the finished work of Jesus on the cross. This holiness is far more than self-willed negating of sin; it is an absolute surrender to Christ who releases a great and glorious passion for holiness. I don’t want to spend my life trying to wrestle with my old man. I want to see Christ form in me the fullness of the new man He has created. © 2016 World Challenge
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SUBMISSION TO OUR SOVEREIGN Arthur W. Pink "Our God is in the heavens: He has done whatever He has pleased" (Psalm 115:3). Being God, He consults no one; yet being omniscient and infinitely holy, He does only that which is good and right. But we are finite creatures; yes, fallen creatures, and sin has darkened our understanding. Therefore we are quite incompetent to gauge or grasp God's ways; and to criticize or murmur against them is the height of impiety and wickedness: "Shall the thing formed say to Him that formed it--Why have You made me thus?" (Romans 9:20). True spirituality and practical godliness consist in yielding ourselves to the sovereign and perfect will of God, bowing submissively unto whatever He lays upon us, seeking grace to do whatever He commands us. Much that God does is displeasing to the flesh, and sin within rises up and rebels. This is the very nature of sin: to oppose God, to be dissatisfied with His appointments. Daily does the Christian need to ask God to lay His cooling and quieting hand upon him. Daily does he need to beg Him
to increase his faith, so that his confidence in Him may be so entire that he will not call into question any of His dealings with him; but rather will say with Job, "Though He slays me, yet will I trust in Him" (v. 15). That is the great secret of real and lasting peace of heart. But that is something to which all the unregenerate are total strangers, though they will not acknowledge it, and try hard to conceal it. A heart which is truly at rest is one that realizes that God (and not the Devil) is on the throne of the universe, directing all things by His unerring wisdom and making all things "work together for good" unto His own people. It is true that even to the Christian many of God's ways are profoundly mysterious: if they were not, there would be no room for the exercise of faith. If the writer or the reader were on the throne and had all power at his disposal, he would order things in this world very different from what they now are. Yes, and that would only manifest what a fool he is. How so? Because Perfect Wisdom is now directing all the concerns of every
life and all the affairs of this world as a whole, and therefore the very desire to alter what is, only exhibits our folly. Faith knows that unerring wisdom is regulating all things; that One too wise to err holds the helm in His hand, and that He "does all things well." Though to sight and sense things seem to be all out of order, though human reason is quite unable to perceive the perfection of God's governmental ways and providential dealings, faith knows that "of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things" (Rom 11:36). God could put an end to all sin in the world right now if He so pleases. So He could save every sinner on earth at this moment if He so chose. As to why He does not do so, we cannot tell; nor is it any of our business! Our business is not to mount the bench and pass judgment on the ways and dealings of the Most High: that is what the Devil once sought to do, and it resulted in his eternal undoing. Our business is to be clay in the hands of the Potter; to unmurmingly submit to His holy and sovereign pleasure, to lie passive, and
be molded by Him. Our business is to take our place in the dust before the Almighty, and say--Lord, in Your mercy subdue my rebellious will, quiet my restless soul, purify my unbelieving heart. Our business is to delight ourselves in the Lord (Psalm 37:4), and to give thanks "always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Eph. 5:20). We live in the midst of a rebellious generation who are ever murmuring and complaining at God's appointments: grumbling at His weather, chaffing at His restrictions, belching forth their discontent every time He crosses their wills. Truly, "the poison of asps is under their lips" (Romans 3:13). And my readers, unless we are constantly on our guard, we shall be corrupted by them, learn their evil ways, and acquire their wicked speech. Our safeguard is to have as little to do with them as possible, and to cultivate more and more communion with Him who never murmured, but always delighted in the Father's will. Š GraceGems.org 2016 >
And they shall call them The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord; and you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken. – Isaiah 62:12
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To Try or To Surrender by Angel Casiano Have you noticed that everywhere you look you find people trying different things to improve their lives? It seems like everybody is working on something! Some are trying to stop smoking, others trying to stop drinking, to stop watching pornography, stop masturbating. Some are trying to lose weight, to cease the arguments with their spouses. Others are trying to spend more quality time with their families, read the Bible more, pray more, get this or that promotion in their jobs, put on this and put off that according to the Bible, etc. We even have friends that acknowledge how hard we are trying. However, even as many of us have experienced great seasons of victories, we seem to lack the endurance necessary to go the distance. Over and over we experience defeat as we go back to do what we did not want to do. So, what is the problem? Why can't we go the distance? Why is it that all the effort we commit to seems such a waste of time? It is because, we continue to try. I am sure you have heard the expressions: "I'm trying!" "I'm doing the best that I can!" "I did my best!" What we must realize is that "trying" is the work of the flesh. Trying is an arrogant mind-set that tells the world: "I can do this." The emphasis here is on "I" or "Self." This is the spirit of the Tower of Babel, when men decided to make a name for themselves apart from God (Genesis 11:4). That action and way of thinking caused men to lose the ability to communicate clearly with one another and to this day we are suffering the consequences of language confusion all over the world. (Genesis 11:5-7) "Trying" will never accomplish the work that is needed to be done; you will always end-up falling on your face because "trying" points the glory at self and not at God. You and I can't do a thing; trying is an insult to God! Trying is also a good excuse for continual failure; after all, as long as we are trying, it is ok right? And so we ask, what is the answer? Can we be cured of our sins? Yes, that is why Jesus died! The first thing we need to do is stop trying. Trying emphasizes in works of the flesh. The flesh can never live-out the Christian life; the flesh
has no hope (Romans 8:3). What we need is one thing and one thing only: To surrender ourselves to God's Word. This means that we must submit our will, our desires, our emotions and our feelings to God. When we surrender, we lift our hands high and we allow God to do the work. When we surrender we are in the process of learning how to get out of the way. The emphasis is no longer in self's accomplishments, but in God's true transforming power. Surrendering to God requires obedience; we obey in-spite of how we feel just because God said so. Let me give an example: If a man has problems with pornography, an example of trying is praying without confessing; keeping things a secret. You know it's wrong, you feel bad about it, you can even share this with someone you feel comfortable with, but you are not really serious about it yet; you are just trying! However, when you approach this issue with a perspective of surrendering to God's Word, you will then do the following: You will not wait until you get caught to make changes. You will confess your sins to God and to someone in spiritual leadership close to you; that also includes your spouse. You will repent from your sin. (No camouflage!) You will be willing to be accountable; that means that you will give your computer's password to an accountability person for him/her to check your computer in an unannounced manner. You will also give that person the full information of your cable and phone bill, etc. You will do whatever is necessary to get rid of whatever struggle you are facing. You will be willing to ask for help which includes engaging in Christian Therapy. If none of those actions work, then you will go as far as cutting everything out of your life that causes you to sin (Mark 9:43-45). The flesh hates accountability; accountability goes against our will, our emotions, our feelings and our desires. When self is offended and is showing resistance, it is then that you stop trying and you start surrendering to God. When you surrender to God you are no longer See Try or Surrender on Page 29
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The Need of Personal Revival by Richard Baxter I know not what others think, but for my own part I am ashamed of my stupidity, and wonder at myself that I deal not with my own and others souls as one that looks for the great day of the Lord; and that I can have room for almost any other thoughts and words; and that such astonishing matters do not wholly absorb my mind. I marvel how I can preach of them slightly and coldly; and how I can let men alone in their sins; and that I do not go to them, and beseech them, for the Lord's sake, to repent, however they may take it, and whatever pain and trouble it should cost me. I seldom come out of the pulpit but my conscience smites me that I have been no more serious and fervent. It accuses me not so much for want of ornaments and elegancy, nor for letting fall an unhandsome word; but it asks me, 'How could thou speak of life and death with such a heart? How could thou preach of heaven and hell in such a careless, sleepy manner? Dost thou believe what thou says? Art thou in earnest, or in jest? How can thou tell people that sin is such a thing, and that so much misery is upon them and before them, and be no more affected with it? Should thou not weep over such a people, and should not thy tears interrupt thy words? Should thou not cry aloud,
and show them their transgressions; and entreat and beseech them as for life and death?' And for myself, as I am ashamed of my dull and careless heart, and of my slow and unprofitable course of life, so, the Lord knows, I am ashamed of every sermon I preach; when I think what I have been speaking of, and who sent me, and that men's salvation or damnation is so much concerned in it, I am ready to tremble lest God should judge me as a slighter of His truths and the souls of men, and lest in the best sermon I should be guilty of their blood. I think we should not speak a word to men in matters of such consequence without tears, or the greatest earnestness that possibly we can; were not we too much guilty of the sin which we reprove, it would be so. Truly this is the peal that conscience does ring in my ears, and yet my drowsy soul will not be awakened. Oh, what a thing is an insensible, hardened heart! O Lord, save us from the plague of infidelity and hard-heartedness ourselves, or else how shall we be fit instruments of saving others from it? Oh, do that on our souls which thou would use us to do on the souls of others. Reprinted by permission from Eternal Life Ministries, www.eternallifeministries.org.>
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Try or Surrender Continued from Page 28 trying, but you are conquering; you are becoming an over-comer for the glory of God. When you are surrendering you are no longer trying to change; you are changing. Trying is the worthless work of the flesh; surrendering is the mighty work of the Holy Spirit. "For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." (Romans 8:13) The true Christian Life is constantly denying self. It is a constant growing in our faith and trust in God. It is a constant growing in the knowledge of our Lord. It is a constant learning of obedience and a constant increased wisdom in how to get out of the way by surrendering our lives to the only one that
can truly change us and transform us to be more and more like Jesus. The Christian life is in pursuit of killing our opinions, the way we see things, our cultural ways, the ways of our parents, etc. As Paul said in (First Corinthians 15:31): "I die daily." This is the heart of the Christian Life; we must die daily! So today it is up to us to choose trying or surrendering! To try is to do things with our own strength; to sit back arrogantly and sing: "I did it my way!" To surrender is to access the un-dryable fountain of God's power and possibilities. So which way will you go; will you try or will you surrender? © 2016 FaithWriters.com. All Rights Reserved http://www.faithwriters.com > If he has walked in My statutes And kept My judgments faithfully, He is just; He shall surely live!” -Says the Lord God. – Ezekiel 18:9
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The Potter! By James Smith
The doctrine of God's divine sovereignty is generally offensive to the carnal mind — because it strikes a deathblow at the root of man's pride, and lays the sinner low in the dust before God. Man does not like to be represented as lying absolutely helpless at the foot of divine mercy, entirely at the Lord's disposal. But God must be a sovereign, and if ever we are saved, it must be in the exercise of his sovereignty. God commands Jeremiah to go down to the potter's house, to be taught a lesson there: "So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the Lord came to me: 'O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?' declares the Lord. 'Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Isra-
TheChristian ChristianJourney Journey The
Responding to His Call el.'" (Jeremiah 18:1-6) These words are as applicable to us, as to them. Observe, Our Position: We are in God's hand! He has full possession of us, and absolute power and authority over us. We cannot fly out of His hand, or escape from under His eye! We are in God's hand — as clay in the hand of the potter. We are powerless in His hand. We are wholly at His disposal — to be molded and changed, as to form, appearance, and value — just as He desires. He does with His creatures, according to His will — both in Heaven, and on earth. His will is our law; His decree is our destiny. This may be seen in nature, in providence, and in grace. He arranged our birth, our position in society, and our calling by His grace. Whatever He wills — He works. Whatever He has purposed — He brings to pass. The potter does not more really preside over the clay — than the Lord pre-
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sides over all the affairs of the world. We are in God's hand, as marred vessels. We have no beauty, no apparent value — unfit for sale, and unfit for use. If we are to be of use, if we are to glorify His great name — we must be re-made. Therefore every Christian is said to be, "His workmanship, created anew in Christ Jesus unto good works," and that according to His foreordination. Whatever we are spiritually — we are by His grace. Notice then, God's Sovereignty: He is our owner. The potter cannot claim the clay, which he has dug out of his own land — as absolutely as the Lord can claim us! We are His — for He CREATED us. We were not — until He gave us a being; we never would have been — had He not willed it. We are His — for He has PRESERVED us. By the constant exercise of His sustaining energy — we have been kept in existence according to His sovereign will. As believers, we are His by REDEMPTION. Every legal impedi-
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ment has been removed out of the way of His claiming us, and justly re-molding us, and raising us to the highest happiness and glory. We are God's material for making vessels of mercy, which are to adorn His heavenly temple, and show forth His praise. He is our absolute owner. No one can justly question His right, or interfere with His disposal of us. He may do as He will, with His own. But as infinitely wise, whatever He does will reflect His wisdom. As impartially just, whatever He does will be in accordance with justice — no part of the creation shall sustain any wrong, by anything He sees fit to do. As plenteous in mercy, His mercy will appear in every exercise of His sovereignty. We are His, absolutely His — but in dealing with us, in disposing of us —
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All Stressed Up, with Nowhere to Go by Dr. David Jeremiah I ignored the pain the first time. The second time my chest squeezed sharply. I thought about all the men who dropped dead of a heart attack at my age—35. So, I saw my doctor thinking the chest pain was a warning. The doctor gave me a stress test and sent me to specialists. Braced for the worst, I went to hear the test results. "You're going to die one of these days, but it won't be from your heart." Stress was the cause of my physical pain. "What's your lifestyle like?" the doctor asked. The past several years, I was pastoring a growing church, working on my seminary doctorate, being a husband to my wife and father to my young children. The doctor classified me as a hard driving, over-achieving. Was I stressed? Yes! And the chest pain had indeed been a warning. The Many Symptoms of Stress Stress is a major contributor to heart problems, some forms of cancer, accidental injury, cirrhosis of the liver and depression. People everywhere feel the effects of stress in anxiety, headaches, tension and burnout. Christians are not immune to stress. People who strive for excellence often feel very stressed and are prime candidates for burnout. The Peace We Need Peace is the opposite of stress. The peace that comes from God is more than a match for stress. And it is guaranteed to any Christian who will take the right steps to de-stress, rather than stay distressed. Practice These De-stressors Live life from the inside out. Spend time strengthening your personal relationship with God. When your life is built on an inner strength through your relationship with God, outside influences have limited ability to shake you. Get into God's Word to build inner strength. And get God's Word into you. Hear, read, memorize it and meditate on it. You'll be ready to meet whatever stress comes your way. Pray. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6). Praying takes discipline. Write out a list of
your cares. Then picture yourself handing one item up with nowhere to go? Go to God and find rest! at a time over to God. Leave your list with Him and This article was excerpted from Turning refuse to worry because God can handle it. Points, Dr. David Jeremiah's devotional magaEliminate sin. Avoid sin—avoid stress. Liv- zine. > ing in sin invites stress into your life. Ignoring God's commands commits you to self-induced stress. When you're experiencing undue stress, check to make sure you're following the will of God. Fast. The Bible promises great strength and power when prayer is coupled with fasting for a time. Jesus recommended prayer and fasting to His disciples when they were confronted by the most stubborn demons (Matthew 17:21). Prayer and Open an IRA by April 18. Selene Eagan-Tingle, Agent fasting can also be a powerful 2180 N. Causeway Blvd., Suite 13 An IRA could reduce your Mandeville, LA 70471 prescription for chronic stress. taxes and it’s a great way Bus: 985-727-0502 Find solitude. Try cultivating selene.eagan-tingle.jfrn@statefarm.com to invest in your future. quiet times into your life. Take a Like a good neighbor, walk, sit on the porch. You'll feel State Farm is there.® less stressed and begin to hear CALL ME TODAY. the voice of God with clarity. Streamline your agenda. Say "no" once in awhile. God alone should set the pace. Seek Him as you plan your day and calendar. Cultivate a positive attitude. Think on what is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, good, virtuous and State Farm, Home Office, Bloomington, IL praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). 1506640 Dwelling on the negative or giving in to worry, fear, anger, or bitterness can bring stress into your life. Resolve to have the mind of Christ and be less stressed (Philippians 2:5). Maintain your temple. What affects your body will affect your soul. Eat right, exercise, rest and relax and reduce stress. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Be encouraged! God cares for your needs. He has power over any stressor and His peace will comfort you.(John 14:27) says, "Good morning, this is God! I will be handling all your problems today. I will not need your help—so, have a good day." All stressed
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New Year 2016
The only hope we have in the midst of world events is to see life from God's perspective. With His help, we can do more than just cope; we can live the abundant life and share that with others! Let me share a verse: "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). Almighty God Who created and sustains all things by His grace, in His power, and for His glory stepped out of glory and robed Himself in human flesh. And when He returned to His Father, He made us a promise, "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you" (John 14:18). God wants to indwell every believer with power, love, and a sound mind. How do I know that? Because God's Word promises, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7). Jesus came to give you abundant life in the midst of Satan's attacks to steal, kill, and destroy. Are you ready to live that kind of life? Then read on. THE HOLY SPIRIT ENERGIZES US WITH POWER
Some of us have jitters about the future. Do you know why we get afraid? Because we feel that a greater force is coming against us, than the one we have within us. We need to believe upon the Word of God that says says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid" (Psalm 27:1). God is your strength. Do you want to have hope in the midst of crisis? Then, get a bulldog grip on God's Word that proclaims, "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4). THE HOLY SPIRIT ENRICHES US WITH LOVE Love is a mighty force in overcoming terror and fear. If a terrorist can scare you, he's won. If the terrorist can make you hate him, he has won. "But," you say, "he's our enemy." Yes! And what did Jesus say about our enemies? Love your enemies (Matthew 5:44). Let me tell you the difference between love and fear. Love looks for opportunities to give; fear is self-protecting. Love thinks no evil; fear sees nothing else. Love causes us to move toward other people; fear causes us to withdraw from others. Love is the sign of a trusting Christian; fear is a sign of doubt. I want to challenge you to find people who are from a different race and a different religion than you and show them the healing, hopeful love of Jesus. What an opportunity to show the difference that Jesus makes in our lives! THE HOLY SPIRIT ENLIGHTENS US WITH A SOUND MIND Terror wants to stampede us, but the Holy Spirit says, "gird up the loins of your mind" (1 Peter 1:13). Don't you let the devil rob your mind See Times of Trouble on Page 34
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The Last Revival by David Wilkerson
The New Testament church was born in a blaze of glory. The Holy Ghost came down upon it with fire, and the first Christians spoke with tongues and prophesied. They experienced smiting conviction, and multitudes were converted. They broke out on the right and on the left and were greatly enlarged. The fear of God fell upon them and upon all who saw them. There were signs, wonders, and miracles. The dead were raised. Fearless evangelists went everywhere preaching the Word. Jails could not hold them.
Storms could not drown them. When their possessions were seized, they continued to rejoice. When they were stoned, hanged, burned or crucified, they went out singing and praising God. It was a triumphant church, unafraid of Satan, irreverent toward idols, unmoved by plagues or persecution. It was a blood-washed church, living and dying in victory. What is the last hour church going to be like? How will the church go out in its final hour? Will it go out as a fat, prosperous, selfseeking church, counting heads, getting out the vote? Will it be just a handful of true believers holding on, watching death and apostasy eat away at it like a cancer? Will the last day church live in dread and fear as AIDS and other plagues ravage the masses? Will fewer and fewer overcome the world? Will coldness and apostasy leave it weak, mocked, and powerless? Will the church go out of this age full of hypocrisy, with great praise, worship, and prayer meetings where
unclean hands and impure hearts offer strange fire? To be sure, there is going to be a great falling away or apostasy. There will be spiritual harlotry on all sides. Because sin abounds, the love of many will grow cold. There will come deceivers, teaching doctrines of demons. People will have itching ears and will flock to hear soft preaching. Deceptions will get so bad that even the elect will be tested severely. But the church of Jesus Christ is not going out with a whimper or a limp. It is going out victorious, with joy unspeakable, riding a river of peace. It is going out in freedom from all bondage, with its foot on Satan's neck. And every member of this true church will live and die without fear. The tempter's power will be broken. Christians will be holy and will tear down idols. They will be just as strong in the Lord as the first Christians. Is there going to be a great ingathering before Jesus comes? Can we expect to see one last pow-
See The Last Revival on Page 34
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erful out pouring of the Spirit, greater than anything in history? Is it not said that only a remnant will go on with Christ? Does not Joel prophesy "to the remnant which the Lord shall call?" Is it not true that at present only a small remnant wants to hear about holiness? We need to understand what is meant by "a remnant." It is true that it will be but a small percentage compared to the billions of people on the earth. But even 10% of New York City would be over one million overcomers. The remnant also means "that which remains of the original." Those who sew understand that a remnant is a piece of the original cloth. A remnant church is one which has the same character as the original New Testament church. A Great Revival of Righteousness is Coming I want to make a statement with the greatest spiritual authority pos-
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We are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. – 2 Corinthians 2:15
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Changing Times
TheTransformed TransformedLife Life The
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How To Grow Into Christ-Like Maturity Forsaking All
Times of Trouble Continued from Page 32
by A.W. Tozer
Our Lord referred to this tyranny of things when He said to His disciples, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it." Breaking this truth into fragments for our better understanding, it would seem that there is within each of us an enemy which we tolerate at our peril. Jesus called it "life" and "self," or as we would say, the self-life. Its chief characteristic is its possessiveness: the words "gain" and "profit" suggest this. To allow this enemy to live is in the end to lose everything. To repudiate it and give up all for Christ's sake is to lose nothing at last, but to preserve everything unto life eternal. And possibly also a hint is given here as to the only effective way to destroy this foe: it is by the Cross. "Let him take up his cross and follow me." The way to deeper knowledge of God is through the lonely valleys of soul poverty and avoidance of all things. The blessed ones who possess the Kingdom
are they who have rejected every external thing and have rooted from their hearts all sense of possessing. These are the "poor in spirit." They have reached an inward state paralleling the outward circumstances of the common beggar in the streets of Jerusalem; that is what the word "poor" as Christ used it actually means. These blessed poor are no longer slaves to the tyranny of things. They have broken the yoke of the oppressor; and this they have done not by fighting but by surrendering. Though free from all sense of possessing, they yet possess all things. "Theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Let me exhort you to take this seriously. It is not to be understood as mere Bible teaching to be stored away in the mind along with an inert mass of other doctrines. It is a marker on the road to greener pastures, a path chiseled against the steep sides of the mount of God. We dare not try to by-pass it if we would follow on in this holy pursuit. We must ascend a step at a time. Grace Gems © GraceGems. org 2016 > Resurrection Eggs $21.99
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of the wisdom of God. In Christ, you have all the wisdom of heaven at your disposal. In Christ, you have His smile of grace upon you. Robert Lewis Stevenson told the story of a ship struggling to stay afloat in a storm. The sailors were afraid and one man left his job and went up to the control room to see the captain. There he saw him, with his great strength and keen mind, wrestling to keep the ship from the rocks and steering the ship safely on. The captain turned and the sailor saw the captain was smiling. The sailor returned to his shipmates and said, "We're all right." But, the oth-
ers said, "How do you know?" He said, "I've seen the face of the captain and he smiled at me." There are only two places in the world where there is no hope. One is in hell, because when in hell you've lost hope. The other is in heaven where you don't need hope. As long as God reigns (and He always will), there's hope. We need not be terrified by our adversaries. Gaze at the face of Jesus, glance at all else. God is still on the throne. © 2016 Love Worth Finding Ministries, P.O. Box 38300, Memphis, TN 38183, www.lwf.org
The Last Revival Continued from Page 33 sible; I make it backed by a covenant as sure as the one made to Noah. There is going to be a final, midnight hour revival, one which shall break forth on all sides. Zion will travail and many, many children will be given to her. There will be great singing and shouting, and Zion will say, "Where have all these come from?" It will be a revival of righteousness. I have heard old-time preachers speak of a last revival for years. One dear friend has been preaching it for over 60 years. Now the young preachers are praying for revival; they want to see God work in this day, not just read about it in books. It is not enough to simply preach on past revivals. Why pray, why seek revival, if it is not promised in the Bible? If the Bible says we are beyond hope, let's just evangelize and preach, and not be concerned about results. But, if revival is promised, Christians need to see it, lay hold of it, and pray with faith
knowing that God has promised to do it. Is it in the Word? The promise is found in (Isaiah 54). This is one of the most important chapters, in God's Word for this generation. We are clearly told here what God intends to do with His church, His people, in the last days. This chapter prophesies what is going to happen at Times Square Church, as well as everywhere else there are hungry hearts. It will happen in Russia, in China, in every land, every island of the sea, from the North Pole to the South. The church is going to experience an undeserved outpouring of love, mercy, and kindness. It is going to come in a time of great affliction, with a tempest raging, with anxiety on all sides, when society is being tossed about. God swears he is going to reveal Himself in great kindness. Copyright © 2016 by World Challenge, Inc., P.O. Box 260, Lindale, Texas 75771. >
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Characteristics of God From "Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary" GOD God may be described in terms of attributes. An attribute is an inherent characteristic of a person or being. While we cannot describe God in a comprehensive way, we can learn about Him by examining His attributes as revealed in the Bible. The first group is known as the natural attributes of God. God Is Spirit. Jesus taught that "God is Spirit" (John 4:24). God has no body, no physical or measurable form. Thus, God is invisible. He became visible in human form in the person of Jesus Christ, but His essence is invisible. God Is Changeless. Progress and change may characterize some of His works, but God Himself remains unchanged (Heb 1:12). He does not change; otherwise, He would not be perfect. Thus, what we know of God can be known with certainty. He is not different from one time to another. God Is All Powerful. God's power is unlimited. He can do anything that is not inconsistent with His nature, character, and purpose (Gen 17:1; 18:14). The only limitations on God's power are imposed by Himself (Gen 18:25). "Impossible" is not in God's vocabulary. God creates and sustains all things; yet He never grows weary (Isa 40:27-31). God Is All Knowing. God possesses all knowledge (Job 38:39; Rom 11:33-36). Because God is everywhere at one and the same time, He knows everything simultaneously. That God has the power to know the thoughts and motives of every heart is evident from many Scripture passages, notably (Job 37:16; Ps 147:5, and Heb 3:13). God Is Everywhere. God is not confined to any part of the universe but is present in all His power at every point in space and every moment in time (Ps 139:7-12). Thus, God does not belong to any one nation or generation. He is the God of all the earth (Gen 18:25). God Is Eternal. Eternity refers to God's relation to time. Past, present, and future are known equally to Him (2 Peter 3:8; Rev 1:8). Time is like a parade that man sees only a segment at a time. But God sees time in its entirety.
The second group of attributes is called moral attributes. These refer to God's character, His essential nature. God Is Holy. The word holy comes from a root word that means "to separate." Thus, it refers to God as separated from or exalted above other things (Isa 6:1-3). Holiness refers to God's moral excellence. Being holy, God demands holiness in His own children. And what He demands, He supplies. Holiness is God's gift that we receive by faith through His Son, Jesus Christ (Eph 4:24). God Is Righteous. Righteousness as applied to God refers to His affirmation of what is right as opposed to what is wrong. The righteousness of God refers to His moral laws laid down to guide the conduct of humankind, as in the Ten Commandments. Righteousness also refers to God's administration of justice. He brings punishment upon the disobedient (Gen 18:25; Deut 32:4; Rom 2:6-16). Finally, God's righteousness is redemptive. In the Book of Romans the righteousness of God refers to God declaring the believer to be in a state of righteousness as though he had never been unrighteous (Rom 1:16-17; 3:24-26). This is possible because of the sacrificial death of Jesus on our behalf. God Is Love. Love is the essential, self-giving nature of God. God's love for man seeks to awaken a responsive love
of man for God. Divine love runs dom, while the most wise at times like a golden thread through the have little knowledge. But God is entire Bible. Nature is eloquent "the only wise God" (1 Tim 1:17). with the skill, wisdom, and power In creation, history, human lives, of God. Only in the Bible, howev- redemption, and Christ, His divine er, do we discover God giving wisdom is revealed. Man, lacking Himself and all He possesses to wisdom, can claim God's wisdom His creatures, in order to win their simply by asking (1 Kings 3:9; response and to possess them for James 1:5). Himself. God loved and gave; He The believer's understanding of loved and sought-just as a shep- God continues to increase throughherd seeks his sheep. God loved out his earthly pilgrimage. It will and suffered, providing His love finally be complete in eternity when by giving His all on the cross for he stands in the presence of God. the redemption of humanity. God, © 2016 The Old Time Gospel in His love, wills good for all His Ministry > creatures (Gen 1:31; Ps 145:9; Mark 10:18). God Is Truth. All truth, whether natural, physical, or religious, is groundLouisiana Osteoporosis Study ed in God. Thus, any (LOS) seemingly inconsistent teaching etween The Dept. of Biostatistics is conducting a new natural and physical research study, LOS, on bone health. This study sciences and God's will recruit subjects to participate. revelation of Himself is more apparent Participants will receive: than real. Truth is •Free bone density scan •Compensation for travel and time magnified in an absolute way through Eligibility criteria: •18 years or older God's revelation. God Is Wisdom. •No severe uncontrolled chronic diseases God's wisdom is revealed in His doing the best thing, For more information, in the best way, at call (504)988-1016 the best time for the Or make an appointment online: best purpose. Some http://los.sph.tulane.edu Or email: people have knowl- bonestudyneworleans@tulane.edu edge, but little wis-
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The Triumphant Christian
Changing Times
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The Christian's Guide To Living a Victorious Life Fear of what people might think about me – Part 2 By Pastor Eddie Swan of New Beginnings Church Last issue, I started a message series called: Do Not Be Afraid. This week I want you to look at; do not be afraid of the fear of what people think about you. Now I know that the world we live in we’re very concerned about what people think about us. You’re sitting and you’re thinking, not me, pastor. I am a humble servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. I do not care what people think. I follow Him wherever He goes. Listen, the fact that you have on the clothes that you have on is you think they look good. You comb your hair the way you comb your hair because you think it looks good. And you hope somebody else thinks it looks good. And you
ladies, you got your makeup and all those things and you do look good but, we care about what people think. You think people care about what other people think, look at Facebook. All day long, selfies! Well the story I want you to look at is in (Matthew 1:18-24). “This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.” (v.19) “Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” (v.20) “But after he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream
and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” (v.21) “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (v.22) “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: (v.23) “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means ‘God with us’). (v.24) “When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and See People Might Think on Page 40
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For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord. – 1 Thessalonians 3:8
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From The Editor
Changing Times
Sanctification Continued from Page 3 ing men to the knowledge of justification through faith in the Blood. Just as the Spirit brooded over the earth when it was without form and void, and God began to speak bringing beauty and order out of chaos. The Spirit of God broods over the regenerate soul, opening it to receive the light and life of God (2 Cor 4:6). The Holy Spirit never forces Himself upon anyone. There must be surrender and a yielding of our members to His anointing. How graciously He takes the Word and makes its message plain, giving the believer the desire and the power to obey it. C. The Word of God – (John 17:17, Eph 5:26, John 15:3, Ps 119:9 and James 1:23-25) We are born again by the Word of God (1 Pet 1:23). It’s the Word that awakens us to the realization of wickedness and folly in our lives. When we respond to it in repentance and faith we are clean through the Word that was spoken to us. It’s the beginning of cleansing that must continue through out our life. At the consecration of an Israelite Priest
there was a bath that was never repeated. Although it was done only once there was a continual washing required of his hands and feet daily. In like manner the regenerate have been bathed (Titus 3:5); but there must be a daily putting away of defilements and imperfections as there are revealed by the Word of God, which is the mirror of the soul (James 1:22-25). The True Way 1. Faith in the atoning and cleansing Blood of Christ. Through patience, we possess our souls and continue to press down the narrow road of holiness which few travel. Not only must we have faith in the atoning blood of Christ, but also in His resurrected ministry in heaven as our High Priest. Without faith we cannot please God. Nor will He have anything to do with us outside of faith. Remember to keep a good conscience, separation, daily spiritual discipline (2 Tim 2:3-5) and faith. Faith and a good conscience are extremely important lest we become spiritually shipwrecked on are journey (1 Timothy 1:19 and Acts 23:1) Conviction is our friend; it tells us when to pray, and what to pray
about. God knows the future, and wants to protect us, and separate us unto Himself. We must remember (Prov. 4:23) keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life’. We are sanctified by faith (Acts 26:18). “And purifying their hearts by faith” (Acts 15:9). It is by faith that the believer lays hold of the sanctifying blood of Jesus Christ. 2. Yield to the Spirit of God daily in separating yourself unto Him. Only by the Spirits direction, strength and wisdom can we progress in sanctification given to us in Christ. We have the promise He will guide us and lead us into all truth. (Rom 6) shows victory over sin through faith, chapter 8 shows the Spirit as our strength and power doing what the law could not do because of the weakness of the flesh. But the back drop of (Rom 8) is (Rom 7) in which we see the picture of a man turning to the law for sanctification to find only condemnation. Paul shows the true ministry of the law. In the latter part of the chapter we find a man with every attempt to sanctify himself by the law having discovered its heart searching spirituality is defeated and helpless with all his efforts
www.changingtimes.info thwarted because of indwelling sin. Speaking of the flesh, this bodily house that once had its fruit unto sin is now unto holiness through the Spirit. Paul describes his experience under law then describes his experience under grace a walk in the Spirit. I thank God that deliverance comes through Jesus Christ our Lord. Death to our old sin comes by way of the Spirit. What is true for us must be made real in us (Romans 8:13). 3. Devote yourself to the Word of God, which is able to save your soul for it is alive, quick and powerful, daily bringing life and faith. Unbelief is a result of sin in the human heart, but faith comes by hearing the word of God. “If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son cleans us from all sin” (1 Jn. 1:7). Walking in the light is walking according to the Word of God. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (Ps. 119:105). The only way the Word of God can be a cleansing agent in our lives is through obedience. This we must provide. Save the Nations Ministries >
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New Year 2016
www.changingtimes.info aLL tHAT iS wITHIN Continued from Page 11 short, exclamatory statements of adoration such as, "God, I'm so glad that You listen when we pray to You." Children's prayers of commitment must certainly warm the heart of their heavenly Father: “Dear God, I want to always obey You— for my whole life.” Reading psalms of praise allows some children to express their hearts to God. Other children enjoy writing their own psalms or drawing pictures that reflect their love and commitment. On one particular occasion, I gave some of the children a poster to complete with the words of our memory verse about worship. I will never forget seeing one quiet little girl turn her poster over and carefully letter the words: “I luv u, Jesus—Kristi,” Kristi had not responded in the way I expected her to—the same way I expected all the children to respond. Rather, she had responded to our study of the love of Jesus in a spontaneous, natural expression, from her heart giving love back to Jesus. Characteristic of almost all children is physical activity. God created them so that their large muscles develop first and need to be used in broad movements. Therefore, children should not always be expected to worship in a still, quiet manner. Scripture suggests several physical ways of responding to God. “Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of praise” (Psalm 47:1). “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker” (Psalm 95:6). “So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands” (Psalm 63:4). In these ways children let “all that is within” them bless His holy name. Children should be taught that giving is a response of worship. The tangible giving of money is important, but they must also be taught the more abstract privileges of giving their time, abilities, and total beings to God. Besides learning to worship on occasions specifically designed for that purpose, children should be taught and shown that every moment of the Christian's life is to be lived in response to who God is and what He has done. Parents and teachers of children should look for moments in
Children
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the context of everyday life to model this con- sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is (their) cept. Riding in the car with children provides a spiritual service of worship,” and to let “all that is natural opportunity to thank God for the won- within (them) bless His holy name.” Rather than silencing the children from shoutders of His creation. Mealtimes can begin with ing, “Hosanna to Jesus, the Son of David,” let us giving thanks for God's consistent provision. Two personal experiences recently provided learn from them how to offer worship that is me opportunities to worship with children. I was acceptable to God and worthy of His holiness. directing children's choir rehearsal. One of the Let us all together join the seraphim in proclaimchildren was quite upset because he had lost his ing, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts: the notebook. We stopped the rehearsal, and several whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3). children asked God to help us find Gary's note- Psalms 103:1 © Revive Our Hearts. Written by Nancy Leigh book. During the next song, one of the children found the missing notebook in Gary's book bag! DeMoss. Used with permission. www.ReviveOBecause God had revealed Himself as a prayer- urHearts.com. > hearing and answering God, we stopped to express grateful hearts by singing, “God answers prayer; He's so good to me. I love Him so; He's so good to me.” Then, a few weeks ago, a little girl called me and said, “Miss Nancy, I got saved last night, and I want to tell you all about it!” Dana's six-year-old excitement knew no bounds. That was a time, in the middle of the day, to worship God; to say with the small child who spontaneously hugs his father, “We love you, Daddy!” Dana and I are often together, and we enjoy singing, “I'm excited; I'm excited; I'm excited in the Lord! When you're walking with the Lord, you don't get bored. Sing Hallelujah. Amen!” That is REACHING YOUR GOALS IS everyday worship. In our churches and in STRONG, REACHING BEYOND our homes, let us wisely YOUR GOALS IS ARMY STRONG. teach children to worFOR MORE INFORMATION ON GETTING MONEY ship God “i¬n Spirit and in truth,” to present their FOR COLLEGE TEXT ARMY6 TO 99000 “bodies a living and holy
Dinner Guest Continued from Page 10 words. THINK! In what town did Mary and Martha live? Who was the special guest? Who chose the better thing - Mary or Martha? A VERSE TO LEARN "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10a). LET'S PRAY Dear Jesus, I love You so much. Help me to remember to take time each day to tell You that I love You and to listen to the words You gave us in the Bible. In Jesus' Name. Amen. CAN YOU FIND THIS STORY IN THE BIBLE? Luke 10:38-42 Copyright © 2016 - The Lorain County Free-Net Chapel North Central Ohio, U.S.A.> Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. – 2 Thessalonians 2:15
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The Potter Continued from Page 30 He will act wisely, justly, and in accordance with His mercy. Hence, The Inquiry: "Can I not do with you as this potter does — says the Lord?" Can I not break up the old marred form, reduce it to a shapeless mass, and reform you for My own use and glory? Yes, He can — and He does! Therefore... we are regenerated, we are renewed in the spirit of our minds, and we are begotten again to a lively hope. But God puts the question to us... to convince us that we are absolutely at His disposal; to impress us with a sense of our dependence on Him; to instruct and teach us that we are at His sovereign mercy; to silence all the carnal reasoning’s and objections of the flesh; and to humble our proud hearts! O what a mercy it is, that the vilest can be changed! To change the nature and character of the sinner — is God's work alone! We are in one sense, which
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The Triumphant Christian is in reference to all that is spiritually good — like passive clay in God's hand; He must work in us to will, and to do. He must form us for Himself — if we ever actively show forth His praise. Our God is our divine potter — and who shall effectually resist the working of His mighty power? Who can justly complain, if all that God does as a Sovereign in our world, is done in the exercise of His mercy, and is for our welfare? Who can find fault without folly — in seeing God, the only wise, the allcomprehending, just, and holy God — taking marred vessels, and making them into vessels of honor — glorifying Himself in doing so! O my soul, lay low before the Lord, and let His own question deeply impress you, "But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it: Why did You make me like this?" O Lord, teach and sanctify me by Your Spirit that I may not only admit the doctrine of Your sovereignty; but admire its working, and adore its holiness, justice, and grace! © GraceGems.org 2016
People Might Think Continued from Page 36 took Mary home as his wife.” That story we have read a thousand times. But I want you to know that the story is much bigger than we read it. Joseph is an older teenager, probably somewhere around the eighteen or nineteen year old mark. Mary was about sixteen but actually there are some beliefs that Mary was about twelve at this time in her life. So here’s an older teenager and a young pre-teen girl pledged to be married. Now I want you to understand when you were engaged to be married or betrothed to be married in the Jewish culture, you were betrothed or engaged for one year. And once you became engaged, the only way to break it off was through a divorce. You couldn’t just say, hey, we’re breaking up. I don’t like you anymore. I decided I’m not marrying you. Once you made the step to betrothement, you were set to be married and the only way was through divorce or by death. Joseph decides, hey, my wife-tobe is pregnant. And she said she’s pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Can you imagine the first time they had the conversation? So Joseph being an honorable man decides I want to divorce her quietly. I want you to know the penalty. If Joseph divorces her, she and he would be marked for life. First and foremost I want you to understand, that a girl pregnant out of wedlock at the age of twelve by Jewish law would have been stoned to death. That was the law. Listen, think about it. Either A, he doesn’t believer her or he doesn’t want to take the heat. Why else? So he does the noble thing, I’m just going to divorce her quietly. I’m going to save my reputation and hers. And he’s about to learn one of life’s most important lessons as a follower of Christ; listen to me, pleasing God often means disappointing people. When you decide you’re going to live your life to please God and nobody else, you’re
www.changingtimes.info going to disappoint some people. I want you to know becoming obsessed with what people think about you is the quickest way to forget what God thinks about you. When we only care what people think about us, what we’re saying in essence is, God I really don’t care what you think. I care what they think. And I’m going to go by popular opinion and consensus. Well if they’re all doing it, it must be right. And a lot of times when we follow God, what does the bible say in (Matthew 7:13-14), “Enter through the narrow gate. For broad is the road and wide is the path that leads to destruction, and many find it.” “But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and (what does he say) only a few find it.” It may be lonely on the road as you walk along. You may feel like you’re by yourself sometimes but when you’re only obsessed about what people think about you, you’re going to find yourself not too concerned about what God thinks about you. But becoming obsessed about what God thinks about me is the quickest way to not care about what people think. Can you imagine the grief that Mary and Joseph endured? But guess what, God got them through it. 2) In living for God instead of people: Extraordinary acts of God often start with ordinary acts of obedience. Simple little acts of obedience lead to supernatural, extraordinary acts of God. The Savior of the world, born to two teenagers, who just simply did one thing, they just said, yes! Okay God, I will do it. Okay God, I’ll go where you called. There’s a story of a shoe salesman who was witnessing to a guy who was selling shoes to who became the preacher that preached the message that Billy Graham was sitting in when he got saved. Who knew! What if every day we just wake up and say, God I’m only concerned about what you think and I want to live my life today in such a way that everything I do and everything I say points people to You! How would your life be different if that would happen today? And because we value people so much we really do live our lives for them. There is no time like the present. See you in part 3. >
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If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. – James 3:13
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Liver Health Continued from Page 23 many over-the-counter drugs and prescription medications can hurt the liver if taken in large enough doses or for long periods of time. Researchers have found that Milk Thistle can actually prevent or reduce medication induced liver damage. Milk Thistle can even detoxify the deadly poison from the Amanita phalloides or Death Cap mushroom. The Death Cap mushroom (as its name implies) is one of the most poisonous mushrooms in the world, containing toxins that are particularly harmful to the liver. Accidentally eating this mushroom can cause severe liver damage and even death. Milk Thistle not only binds to the liver cells preventing damage from the mushrooms, it also neutralizes the deadly Death Cap poisons. While mushroom poisoning should always be treated as a lifethreatening emergency and urgent care sought immediately, it is amazing that an herbal compound can detoxify such a dangerous substance. Finally, the liver has the remarkable capacity to completely regenerate after it has been injured. The liver is the only organ (besides blood and skin) that has this ability. Milk Thistle actually helps the liver regenerate itself by stimulating the growth of liver cells to replace the parts of the liver that are damaged. Q. It sounds as if Milk Thistle is only for people with liver disease. If my liver is healthy, why would I need to take it? A. Because our livers are so vital to our health, many of us could benefit by taking Milk Thistle even in the absence of liver disease. However, Milk Thistle is especially helpful if you: • Eat fatty foods • Smoke, live or work with a smoker • Drink alcohol • Are overweight • Are dieting • Live in a large or polluted city • Drive a car a lot • Have your clothes dry cleaned • Live or work in a building that has been freshly painted • Use pesticides in your home or garden • Take an over the counter medication, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol®), ibuprofen, or aspirin • Take a prescription medication for anxiety, gout, pain, inflammation,
www.changingtimes.info cancer, HIV, TB, high cholesterol, depression, seizures, psychosis, infections, or to prevent pregnancy • Have problems with digestion • Have high cholesterol or triglyceride levels Q. Is Milk Thistle safe? A. Milk Thistle is very safe to take. Studies have not shown any negative effects even when high doses were administered over a long period of time. However, a few people may notice some loose stools when they first start taking Milk Thistle. Cutting back on the dose generally stops this problem. Q. How much Milk Thistle should I take? A. It depends on your own individual health. Doses of Milk Thistle generally range from 140mg to 300mg taken 2 to 3 times a day. However, you need to pay attention to silymarin content, too. The best Milk Thistle comes standardized to contain a high percentage of silymarin. Even better is one that states it contains the most beneficial compound silybin. If you take Milk Thistle's silybin combined with patented phosphatidylcholine complex, you can take less because more is absorbed. Doses of this combination are generally 120mg taken once or twice a day. Conclusion Diseases of the liver are most often quite serious. If you think you might have a problem with your liver, you need to see a qualified health care practitioner. If you have a diagnosis of liver disease, you need to work closely with your health care practitioner. Diseases of the liver can be prevented. In general: • Alcohol is not healthy for the liver (and never drink alcohol and take medications) • Avoid taking medications unnecessarily • Avoid exposure to industrial chemicals whenever possible • Don't share toothbrushes or razors And, most importantly, take Milk Thistle's silybin every day to keep your liver as healthy as possible! Dr. Don Colbert is a graduate of Oral Roberts School of Medicine and shares his years of experience and research in nutritional medicine in all of his work. He is a national speaker, bestselling author and host of a national talk show titled Your Health Matters. © 2016 Dr. Don Colbert, MD PA www.drcolbert.com
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Love Y’all, Mike Casso
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Christian Attorney Personal Injury Cases • Auto Accidents We Come To You Home Or Hospital Southshore, Northshore Prompt Personalized Attention Over 38 Yrs. Experience John Bono
Michael Bono
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