AROUND THE BILOGS!

And today's posts come to us from the letter 'P'

No! It’s not another reference to that Pyromaniac who posts about ‘Phads,’ Praise the Lord, but about real People who have real Problems and display real Pyrotechnics!

Our first Perusal is to…

Adrian at Adrian Warnocks UK Blog, where he Ponders about Potential Persecution! for his Plausible Post on Bill Hybels! (Don't miss the comments!)

Proceeding on from there, we Perchance on the Prolific, Percipient, Personable, Bob at Mr. Standfast, and His Presentable Post on… The Presence!

Our next Port of call is Kim at the Upward Call, and her Permissible Plea for assistance on… Probing Another Theological Question.

After that, we Progress to Terry at Pruitt Communications, and his Post is Personal… 100 Things About Me, but thankfully not Private!

Please Permit me to Pause at a Pastoral Property in New Zealand… where Catez of Alltihngs2all, Publicises a Picture, Featuring fierce rivalry, stopwatch suspense, and larger-than-life Personalities… MURDERBALL, Phew!

Next, we Present our Persona to a Pleasant Pundit, Frank at Team-Swap Blog, for a Pertinent Plethora of… Forgotten Lessons!

Then it’s off to Participate on The Omnibus, where Paula Peeks at the Passengers, and their Personalities... The Omnibus Among Royalty!

Perceiving the need to be Prompt, we go straight to Matt at The Gad(d)about, where he Permits us to Feast on a Palatable Platter of Perspicaciousness… The genealogy of down home cookin.’

Phew! Just one more, I Promise! And it’s a Prescription for all of the above Profusion of Posts, its Brad, at The Broken Messenger, who Provides us with a Parable on… Self Examination!

Sorry, Please forgive me for breaking a Promise, but I had a fight with Blogger! Dan of Cerulean Sanctum who was first but not least, Ponders about Persecution, amongst the Perfunctory of Pleasure, in having too much fun!

Well, that’s it fellow bloggers, we Pronounce the Precipitated end of these Publications on another... Arrroouuunnnddd Ttthhheeeee Bbbiiillloooggggsssss!

GBYAY

HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM... We've hit a Kangaroo!

What will they think of next? They are changing the 'Outback' to 'Outer Space!'

Aussie 'space station'

SCIENTISTS want to build a giant space station in the Australian outback to simulate life on the red planet, Mars.The 36m-long space station would be large enough to include cabins, generators, airlocks and docking hatches and a garage to house a mobile rover to explore the red planet. It would also house an exercise and medical room, upper-level living areas, cockpit, laboratory and up to seven bedrooms.

Mars Society Australia has released a blueprint for the $1.5 million "Mars-Oz" research station, designed as a facility that could could one day exist on Mars. Mars-Oz spokesman David Willson said groups of scientists would live in the station, where they would experience cramped living conditions similar to those on Mars.

"The structure is to simulate as closely as possible vehicles that could land on Mars with people in the near future," Mr Willson said. "As such they appear small and cramped inside but have all that is required to live comfortably in a dangerous environment."

Under the society's plan the station could be built in the Flinders Ranges of South Australia early next year. Scientists believe researchers, biologists and geologists will rush to work inside the German-designed Mars-Oz station.

Mr Willson said Arkaroola was chosen as the perfect site last year because it had a similar landscape to Mars. "It's not just the location and the heat, it's the geology and the biology," he said. "This is the type of biology that they think, if it exists on other planets, that's what it would look like. There are a lot of fossils billions of years old."

The region is known for its radioactive thermal springs, gibber plains, fossils and extinct lakes, which are considered to have "astrobiological significance".

Mr Willson said the Mars Society still needed to secure funding to build the station, with the Australian National University, University of Technology Sydney and the European Space Agency showing an interest.

GBYAY

DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT FRIDAY – THE TOUCH OF ENCOURAGEMENT.

"How shall I feel at the judgment, if multitudes of missed opportunities pass before me in full review, and all my excuses prove to be disguises of my cowardice and pride?" - W. E. Sangster.

And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, - Mar 8:22-23a. ESV

A woman named Rose Crawford had been blind for 50 years. "I just can't believe it!" she gasped as the doctor lifted the bandages from her eyes after her recovery from delicate surgery in an Ontario hospital. She wept for joy when for the first time in her life a dazzling and beautiful world of form and colour greeted eyes that now were able to see.

The amazing thing about the story, however, is that 20 years of her blindness had been unnecessary. She didn't know that surgical techniques had been developed, and that an operation could have restored her vision at the age of 30. The doctor said, "She just figured there was nothing that could be done about her condition. Much of her life could have been different."

As I read the news account of her case, some questions came to mind. Why did she continue to assume that her situation was hopeless? Had no one told her about the wonderful advances in eye surgery? Then I thought of the plight of those unreached by the Gospel. How many will go on living in moral blindness unless we bring them to the Saviour? Millions will never know anything but spiritual darkness because no one has shared with them the Light that has come into the world. – Source unknown.

THE TOUCH OF ENCOURAGEMENT
The Scriptures tell us that "they", perhaps this man's friends or family, brought him to Jesus. It is the concept of being a "Stretcher Bearer." These people had enough faith and action to know, that if they could get him to Jesus he could be healed. The Scriptures say they "begged" Jesus to touch this man.

Do we believe like this? Do we believe Jesus can still heal and change the lives of people? After the request to touch the blind man, Jesus touches him with a touch of encouragement... “And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village,” Why? When Jesus usually healed on the spot, why would he take this man out of the town of Bethsaida?

Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. - Matt 11:20-22.

The city of Bethsaida had become too hardened to be touched by Jesus. Sad, but the fact remains true today. Many in and out of the kingdom have hardened hearts toward the true touch of Jesus. That's why our churches are empty with no prayers for healing. God is moving and working among us to touch us.

But this man, thanks to friends, would be the recipient of a touch of encouragement. As Jesus took this man by the hand to lead him, I believe this TOUCH OF ENCOURAGEMENT was...

A PERSONAL TOUCH... Tender and Loving
Our church, town, families, friends, strangers; all need a touch from us in the most personal way we can touch them. Jesus shows us how, by showing an INTEREST in the man. I'm sure this man was perhaps lonely and discouraged, having to live in darkness. And now all attention for the moment, was being given to him. The world wants to know that we are interested in them, people really want to know that God loves them, and they are looking for the love through us. Jesus took the time to touch!

During the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England, sentenced a soldier to be shot for his crimes. The execution was to take place at the ringing of the evening curfew bell. However, the bell did not sound. The soldier's fiancé had climbed into the belfry and clung to the great clapper of the bell to prevent it from striking.

When she was summoned by Cromwell to account for her actions, she wept as she showed him her bruised and bleeding hands. Cromwell's heart was touched and he said, "Your lover shall live because of your sacrifice. Curfew shall not ring tonight!" - Our Daily Bread.

A PATIENT TOUCH... No Hurry.
Hope was born as Jesus took the time for this man. God is so patient with us, while we live in an "impatient generation." We've heard of folks who… “Stand at the microwave and scream hurry up!" And with people we have even less patience! But Jesus was patient to bring a hopeful encouragement to this man. We must do the same.

A POWERFUL TOUCH... Sensitive.
I believe that as Jesus took the man by the hand, the man knew that this touch was one of power, that could bring healing, Jesus' touch was powerful in that it was, comforting, it was as if Jesus seemed to say "allow me," it was a sensitive touch.

"We must feel toward our people as a father toward his children; yea, the most tender love of a mother must not surpass ours. We must even travail in birth, till Christ be formed in them. They should see that we care for no outward thing, neither liberty, nor honor, nor life, in comparison to their salvation... When the people see that you truly love them, they will hear anything from you...Oh therefore, see that you feel a tender love for your people in your hearts, and let them perceive it in your speech and conduct. Let them see that you spend and are spent for their sakes." - Richard Baxter.

It is a risk to seek the touch from Jesus that will encourage us. Why? Because we must change. This man, whom Jesus healed was never the same again! Will we let Jesus touch us to encourage us? To comfort us? Even if it calls for us to give up a very sensitive and personal part of our life?

Be assured that Jesus' touch, is a touch of encouragement.

Loving Father, I thank you for your touch of encouragement. Help me by the power of the Holy Spirit, to reach out and touch others with the same encouragement. Change me Lord, for your glory and for the extension of your Kingdom, in Jesus wonderful and mighty name I pray, amen!

GBYAY

DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT THURSDAY - SWIMMING IN THE DEEP END. The Conclusion.

God brings men into deep waters not to drown them but to cleanse them. - Source Unknown.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; – Isaiah 43:2a. ESV

As we conclude our series on “Swimming In The Deep End,” we are reminded that when we get into "deep water," and we can’t touch bottom, it seems like we are about to drown, it seems like we might not make it back to safety this time. But we have the assurance that our God is with us. He reminds us that He will be with us and that the water will not overwhelm us, He will intervene and deliver us. Hallelujah! What an awesome God we serve!

“they shall not overwhelm you;” - MEANS WE WILL LEARN TO SWIM!

Being In The Flood Makes Us Stronger
Many Christians only think of God when they are in deep water, they get in trouble and they scream for God, they get out of trouble, and they run back to their sin and rebellion. When we take a stand for God, the flood waters start rising, and it always gets worse before it gets better...

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. - Jam 1:2-3.

God has not promised skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways all our life through;
God has not promised sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.
But God has promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor, light for the way;
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love.
- Source Unknown.

When We Think We Are Weak, We Are Strong
We are only strong when we realise our own weaknesses... But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. - 2 Cor 12:9-10.

When we realise that we can't do anything, we will finally let Christ do something through us, and when we turn loose and let God take over we become strong. It’s a lot like swimming, as long as we are afraid, we beat the water and flail our arms, and we go under, when we quit fighting the water and let the water hold us up, then we can swim.

There is no situation I can get into that God cannot get me out. Some years ago when I was learning to fly, my instructor told me to put the plane into a steep and extended dive. I was totally unprepared for what was about to happen. After a brief time the engine stalled, and the plane began to plunge out-of-control. It soon became evident that the instructor was not going to help me at all. After a few seconds, which seemed like eternity, my mind began to function again. I quickly corrected the situation.

Immediately I turned to the instructor and began to vent my fearful frustrations on him. He very calmly said to me, "There is no position you can get this airplane into that I cannot get you out of. If you want to learn to fly, go up there and do it again."

At that moment God seemed to be saying to me, "Remember this. As you serve Me, there is no situation you can get yourself into that I cannot get you out of. If you trust me, you will be all right." That lesson has been proven true in my ministry many times over the years. - James Brown.

God’s Grace And Presence Is All We Need To Swim
He gives us provision when we are needy, He gives us peace when we are troubled, He gives us perseverance when we are struggling, He gives us healing when we are sick, He gives us comfort when we are grieving, and He gives us strength when we are tempted!

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. - 2Co 9:8.

When a person works an eight-hour day and receives a fair day's pay for his time, that is a wage. When a person competes with an opponent and receives a trophy for his performance, that is a prize. When a person receives appropriate recognition for his long service or high achievements, that is an award.

But when a person is not capable of earning a wage, can win no prize, and deserves no award--yet receives such a gift anyway--that is a good picture of God's unmerited favor. This is what we mean when we talk about the grace of God. - G.W. Knight.

The waters never get too deep for our God! There is no problem that He can’t handle! Hallelujah! What an awesome God we serve!

Loving Father, I thank you that when I am going through trial and troubles, you will be with me and I will not be harmed! Help me by the power of the Holy Spirit, to use my experiences to help others see the light, at the end of their tunnels! In Jesus wonderful name I pray! Amen!

GBYAY

SCAREY HAIREY SPIDER! Why real Scotsmen wear trousers!

I have been laughing for hours at this incident, it just makes me glad I wear trousers in Australia!

POISON SPIDER BIT ME UNDER MY KILT!

A SCOTS piper had to be taken to hospital while on tour in Thailand after being bitten by a poisonous spider. Kilt-wearing Calum Fraser, 37, fell ill hours after playing at a whisky promotion in Bangkok.

At first he dismissed the sting on his knee as a mosquito bite.But after boarding a flight to play in the northern city of Chiang Mai, he became increasingly feverish and his knee swelled to 'the size of a football'.
Luckily, alert cabin staff recognised the symptoms and gave him antibiotics. As soon as the plane landed, he was taken to hospital in Chiang Mai where he was given antidotes.

Last night, Calum, a Tartan Army veteran better known as Spud the Piper, was recovering in his hotel room. He said: 'It was pretty scary for a while.'I didn't see the spider, so I couldn't describe it to the doctors' I think they just gave me a cocktail of antidotes and hoped one of them would be the correct agent.'My head was spinning and sweat was pouring out me. I was determined not to faint in case I never woke up again'. 'They still can't say for certain what drug did the trick so I'm taking four different ones, just in case.'

Despite the scare Calum, who has previously hit the headlines after playing his bagpipe version of Like A Virgin for Madonna in Inverness, was still able to joke about his ordeal. He said: 'I'm getting married soon. I'm just glad this wee beastie stopped at my knee and didn't wander further up my kilt.'

A spider expert confirmed that Thai species, such as a bird-eating variety which can grow up to 10cm across, could have a nasty bite.
But he added: 'Their spiders are not generally fatal, though they can cause dangerous allergic reactions.

'It's the snakes I'd be looking out for. 'I wouldn't like to find a spitting cobra curled up beside my chanter!"

GBYAY

DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT WEDNESDAY - SWIMMING IN THE DEEP END. Part 2.

A clay pot sitting in the sun will always be a clay pot. It has to go through the white heat of the furnace to become porcelain. - Mildred W. Struven.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; – Isaiah 43:2a. ESV

Yesterday we were reminded that when we get into "deep water," and we can’t touch bottom, it seems like we are about to drown, it seems like we might not make it back to safety this time. But we have the assurance that our God is with us. He reminds us that He will be with us and that the water will not overwhelm us, He will intervene and deliver us. Hallelujah! What an awesome God we serve!

First, He brought me here, it is by His will I am in this strait place: in that fact I will rest. Next, He will keep me here in His love, and give me grace to behave as His child. Then, He will make the trial a blessing, teaching me the lessons He intends me to learn, and working in me the grace He means to bestow. Last, In His good time He can bring me out again--how and when He knows. Let me say I am here, (1) By God's appointment, (2) In His keeping, (3) Under His training, (4) For His time. - Andrew Murray.

“I WILL BE WITH YOU” - MEANS GOD WILL BE THERE
When we get into the deep end and there are signs of trouble, the enemy wants to frighten us, he wants us to be afraid! But Jesus says...

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. - John 14:27. If Jesus says, "Don’t be afraid," then what do you think the devil is going to want us to do?

God wants us to swim in faith... for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. - 2Tim 1:7. The devil desires us to drown in fear, and wants us to think, that what we are going through is so big, not even God can get us out of it. FEAR is... False Evidence Against Reality!

It is important that at all times, we remember that He hasn’t given us a spirit of fear, but a Spirit of power, love, and self-control! Hallelujah! What an awesome God we serve! Bondage is fear, and we are set free by Jesus!

He has given us power, to meet our dangers and enemies! He has given us love; there is no fear in love, and perfect love casts out all fear! He has given us self-control, by which we may see things clearly, and to keep us balanced in all things! Hallelujah!

Joe Scriven was a missionary from Ireland to Canada, working among the Iroquois Indians. He was joined by his fiancé who was also from Ireland. Just before the wedding, she was killed in an ice accident. Joe buried her with his own hands, and a broken heart. A year later, in a letter to his mother, he reflected,

"What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and grief’s to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged. Take it to the Lord in prayer." Joe was on the road to triumph, even though there were times when the road was rough. - Source Unknown.

God Saves In The Midst Of The Flood
Does it seem like we are not going to make it? Does it seem like all hope is lost? Does it seem like all of our dreams have been destroyed? We need to realise that God saves in the midst of the flood... You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. - Psa 23:5.

God doesn’t say, "I’ll be watching from the bank while you all get washed down stream." He doesn’t say, "If you find yourselves in the flood, it’s already too late." NO! God says, “When we pass through the waters, I will be there!” Hallelujah!

A holidaymaker watched with curiosity as a lumberman occasionally jabbed his sharp hook into a log, separating it from the others that were floating down a mountain stream. When asked why he did this, the worker replied,

"These may all look alike to you, but a few of them are quite different. The ones I let pass are from trees that grew in a valley where they were always protected from the storms. Their grain is coarse. The ones I've hooked and kept apart from the rest came from high up on the mountains. From the time they were small, they were beaten by strong winds. This toughens the trees and gives them a fine and beautiful grain. We save them for choice work. They're too good to make into plain lumber."

Friends, God often allows some of His dearest saints to be bent by trial or buffeted by the winds of adversity so that they may be strengthened for His service and prepared to fulfil His highest purposes. – Source unknown.

In the gospels Jesus walked on the water, because He was demonstrating that no matter what the problem or obstacle… He can beat it! We don’t want to get in the water, and we especially don’t want to get out in deep water. We want God to deliver us before we get that far, but God is saying, "Come on out here and learn to swim."

If we never get into water that’s deeper than our ankles, we will never learn to swim.

Loving Father, I thank you that when I am going through trial and troubles, you will be with me and I will not be harmed! Help me by the power of the Holy Spirit, to use my experiences to help others see the light, at the end of their tunnels! In Jesus wonderful name I pray! Amen!

TOMORROW: “they shall not overwhelm you.”

GBYAY

DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT TUESDAY - SWIMMING IN THE DEEP END! Part 1.

If you could kick the person responsible for most of your troubles in the backside, you wouldn't be able to sit down for two weeks. – Bits and Pieces.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. – Isaiah 43:2. ESV

Sometimes we get into what we could call "deep water," and we can’t touch bottom, it seems like we are about to drown, it seems like we might not make it back to safety this time. But we have the assurance that our God is with us. He reminds us that He will be with us and that the water will not overwhelm us, He will intervene and deliver us. Hallelujah! What an awesome God we serve!

In adversity we usually want God to do a removing job when He wants to do an improving job. To realize the worth of the anchor, we need to feel the storm. - Source Unknown.

"WHEN YOU" – YOU AND ME
This means that we will have troubles, but we will pass through! Notice that it does not say, "IF you pass through the waters..." It’s not just a possibility, it is inevitable. It does not say, "When SOME pass through the waters…" Everyone will pass through deep waters at some time.

It does not say, "When SINNERS pass through the waters…" Deep water is not just something that happens because of sin. God did not say, "When HIS ENEMIES pass through the waters…" Deep water is not a punishment from God. He said, "WHEN YOU…" "WHEN YOU…" Mark it down, YOU WILL, that’s you and I, we will pass through the deep waters of life.

He knows not his own strength that hath not met adversity. - Ben Jonson.

The Bible Teaches That We All Have To Face It... "Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble. - Job 14:1.

And we sent Timothy, our brother and God's coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. - 1 Thes 3:2-3.

When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.. - Acts 14:21-22.

No matter who we are, or what status we hold, we will all have to face trouble some time, but out mighty God will see us through, and we will be blessed at the other end!

Somerset Maugham, the English writer, once wrote a story about a janitor at St Peter's Church in London. One day a young vicar discovered that the janitor was illiterate and fired him.

Jobless, the man invested his meager savings in a tiny tobacco shop, where he prospered, bought another, expanded, and ended up with a chain of tobacco stores worth several hundred thousand dollars.

One day the man's banker said, "You've done well for an illiterate, but where would you be if you could read and write?" "Well," replied the man, "I'd be janitor of St. Peter's Church in Neville Square." - Bits and Pieces.

We All Have to Go Through The Flood
Today there’s a tendency to try to escape from our problems. People would rather run away from their problems than face them. Some try escaping through drugs, some try escaping through alcohol, some try escaping through avoiding their responsibilities, some just avoid confronting their troubles.

They are always on the run, but, after a while, they find out that their troubles follow them. Nevertheless, as we pass through the flood, we can be comforted by the thought that our great God is with us. Hallelujah! Praise His wonderful name!

"You will have no test of faith that will not fit you to be a blessing if you are obedient to the Lord. I never had a trial but when I got out of the deep river I found some poor pilgrim on the bank that I was able to help by that very experience." - A.B. Simpson.

True followers of Jesus Christ are precious to Him, He loves us and delights in us, and even though we walk through the waters, He is with us, and while He is with us, we will fear no evil! When we are encouraged by His word, we become mighty warriors for Him! Hallelujah!

Loving Father, I thank you that when I am going through trial and troubles, you will be with me and I will not be harmed! Help me by the power of the Holy Spirit, to use my experiences to help others see the light, at the end of their tunnels! In Jesus wonderful name I pray! Amen!


TOMORROW: “I WILL BE WITH YOU!”

GBYAY

THE MOST LUDICROUS STORY OF THE WEEK!

Left on the shelf!

Wal-Mart has halted a program at one of its stores in Virginia to help single shoppers find love in its aisles, Associated Press reports.

Taking a cue from Wal-Mart stores in Germany, customers were encouraged to place a red bow on their shopping cart on Friday evenings to advertise their availability. "Flirt points" were set up around the store.

Customer Dale Firebaugh, 63, who had hoped to meet his match, said he was disappointed at the decision. "Where can someone over 40 who doesn't smoke or drink or go to bars meet someone?"

Good point Dale! Lighten up Wal-Mart!
GBYAY

UPDATE: PIANO MAN VOICE TEST

This is the latest on the 'Piano Man.' Still nobody has come forward to identify him, please pray that this will happen soon or that he will speak and tell the authorities who he is! You can read previous updates... Click here.

DOCTORS caring for the 'Piano Man' want to test for a physical cause of his inability to speak, rather than a psychological reason.

The mystery man, a virtuoso pianist, was found wandering on a remote seafront road in Sheerness, Kent, in April.

He has not spoken to anyone, hampering efforts to identify him.A member of staff at Littlebrook Hospital in Dartford, Kent, who would not be named, said: 'We want to find out if he has a voice box or if his vocal cords have been damaged.

'The difficulty is being able to properly examine him. Medical rules stipulate we need his or his family's permission to do so.'

Despite massive media interest worldwide, no-one has come forward to identify the man.

GBYAY

DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT MONDAY - Times Of Refreshing.

"Many do not recognize the fact as they ought, that Satan has got men fast asleep in sin and that it is his great device to keep them so. He does not care what we do if he can do that. We may sing songs about the sweet by and by, preach sermons and say prayers until doomsday, and he will never concern himself about us, if we don't wake anybody up. But if we awake the sleeping sinner he will gnash on us with his teeth. This is our work - to wake people up." - Catherine Booth.

Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. - Act 3:19-21. ESV

We need to understand that all of us, at sometime, become stale in our walk with Christ, and we need to be refreshed! There are many reasons that this happens, but I don’t want to focus on why it happened, but on how we can be refreshed again, that we may become stronger and more active for His glory and for the extension of his Kingdom!

A person can be a Christian for many years yet remain spiritually immature. Therefore it's possible for a new believer to be far more grown up in the Lord than someone who has been saved for 40 years. Some of the older Christians don’t realise that they are in a backslidden state, and it’s only the mask of religion that keeps them in the Church.

A good example of this is found in an incident described by Ethel Barrett in her book; It Only Hurts When I Laugh. She said that when D.L. Moody became a Christian, he developed such a hunger for God's Word, spent so much time reading it, and was so quick to obey it that he became a "menace" to some believers.

His rapid spiritual growth was an embarrassment to certain people who, though they had been saved for years, never grew up in Christ. Week after week in the church Moody attended, he would share a new experience he had with the Lord. Finally, some of the older saints who just couldn't stand feeling humiliated by his exemplary life, went to Moody's uncle and urged him to quiet down his nephew.

Ethel Barrett drew this conclusion about Moody: "His robust spiritual health and bounding energy disturbed their napping; he was just too much. So, while they were sucking their thumbs, he was growing until he left them far behind; he grew more in a few years than they did in thirty."

To these people I say, God wants you for His own! He is a jealous God, and wants you to come back to Him! So repent and receive His...

Promise Of A Personal Refreshing
This is a promise to every believer who is immature, those who have run dry, those who are discouraged and downhearted, who are run down, who feels that there is a great distance between themselves and God! Let us remind ourselves that God has never broken a promise!

Booker T. Washington describes meeting an ex-slave from Virginia in his book Up From Slavery : "I found that this man had made a contract with his master, two or three years previous to the Emancipation Proclamation, to the effect that the slave was to be permitted to buy himself, by paying so much per year for his body; and while he was paying for himself, he was to be permitted to labor where and for whom he pleased.

"Finding that he could secure better wages in Ohio, he went there. When freedom came, he was still in debt to his master some three hundred dollars. Notwithstanding that the Emancipation Proclamation freed him from any obligation to his master, this black man walked the greater portion of the distance back to where his old master lived in Virginia, and placed the last dollar, with interest, in his hands.

In talking to me about this, the man told me that he knew that he did not have to pay his debt, but that he had given his word to his master, and his word he had never broken. He felt that he could not enjoy his freedom till he had fulfilled his promise." - Douglas E. Moore.

Once we understand the promise, then there is...

A Pathway To A Personal Refreshing
We need to return to a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus, and turn away from our complacency, our compromise and our contrariness! in order to avoid any of this, we need to refresh ourselves in His word...

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.- John 1:1-5.

It is important to realise that we can have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, God almighty! How is it possible to have and retain this relationship? We have a helper, the Holy Spirit...

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: - John 16:7-8.

It is the life lived in Christ that refreshes us, and the Holy Spirit guides us into all truth, and will keep us on the correct pathway... When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. - John 16:13-14.

"I had an overwhelming experience of the Lord's presence. I felt so powerfully overcome by the nearness of the Holy Spirit that I had to ask the Lord to draw back lest He kill me. It was so glorious that I couldn't stand more than a small portion of it." - Mordecai Ham.

When we repent and renew our commitment, to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, then the process of refreshing begins. We are refreshed by His Spiritual presence, refreshed in His strengthening power, refreshed in His sweet love, and a refreshing of soul-winning passion, is released in us! Hallelujah! What a mighty God we serve!

Loving Father, I repent of anything that is in me, which is not of you, wash me in the precious blood of Jesus. I receive your forgiveness. I commit my life afresh to you, and ask you by the Holy Spirit, to help me begin the process of my refreshing, I ask this in the wonderful name of Jesus, my Lord and Saviour, Amen!

GBYAY

DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT FRIDAY - DON'T QUIT!

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. - Gal 6:9. ESV

I have had this poem... Don't Quit, in my possession for many years, and when times get tough, as they often do for Christians, I pull it out and have a look at it; I don’t know who wrote it, but it’s amazing how much it encourages me to continue the fight.

Many people think that encouragers don’t need to be encouraged, but they do, even Barnabas (Son of encouragement) was discouraged... And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. - Gal 2:13.

The encouragement ministry is a wonderful ministry to be involved in, and through it all, the Lord is gracious to us! Be encouraged...

DON'T QUIT
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will
When the road you are trudging seems all uphill.
When the funds are low and the debts are high
and you want to smile but you can only sigh.
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must, but don't you quit!

Life is strange with it's twists and turns
as everyone of us sometimes learns.
And many a person turns about
When he would have won had he stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seem slow,
you may succeed with another blow!

Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the Victor's cup.
And he learned too late when the night came down
how close he was to the Golden Crown!

Success is failure turned inside out
So stick to the fight when you are hardest hit.
It is when things seems worst,
YOU MUST NOT QUIT! – Source unknown.

Loving Father, I thank you for the encouragement that I receive from your word and your people. Help me by the power of the Holy Spirit, to encourage others and not to take it for granted that they are ok, just because they say so. In Jesus wonderful and awesome name, I pray! Amen!

GBYAY

SCOTTISH CURE FOR ASTHMA - Blaw yerself tae health!

Hoots Mon! Gies a healthy tune on the ol pipes...

A TEENAGER has managed to cure his asthma by playing the bagpipes Richard Humphries, 13, struggled to control the illness for years, until stumbling across the unlikely remedy by accident.

He said yesterday: 'The pipes are making a big difference. Playing them has taught me techniques to control my breathing. I now use these to keep on top of my asthma.'

Last night, charity Asthma UK said: 'It's the first time we have heard of pipes being used this way but it makes perfect sense.
'Playing the pipes will teach people good breathing habits.'

Scotland has the world's worst teenage asthma rate.

Richard, from Glasgow, had been on a range of medications, including steroid-filled inhalers, since being diagnosed with asthma aged four.Over the years, he was rushed to hospital more than a dozen times after serious attacks.Like many asthma sufferers, he started to lose his confidence and lived in fear of having another attack.

But that all changed two years ago when his mum Ellen bought him a set of pipes. Continue reading...

GBYAY

DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT THURSDAY-COMMITTED CHRISTIANS!

You must get involved to have an impact. No one is impressed with the won-lost record of the referee. - John H. Holcomb.

Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts. Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of 'Grace, grace to it!'" - Zechariah 4:6-7. ESV

It is nothing we can do of ourselves, or by our own strength, or by our status in life that makes us committed to Christ, the building of His Church and the extension of His Kingdom, but it is by the Holy Spirit! We are committed Christians, by His divine intervention in our lives, by His authority, power, and force! Hallelujah! Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing!

The Bohemian reformer John Hus was a man who believed the Scriptures to be the infallible and supreme authority in all matters. He died at the stake for that belief in Constance, Germany, on his forty-second birthday. As he refused a final plea to renounce his faith, Hus's last words were, "What I taught with my lips, I seal with my blood." - Source Unknown.

Here, I believe are 3 characteristics of someone fired with commitment, see if they apply to you…

CONFIDENCE
A confident person always sees success, never failure… Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. - 2 Cor 5:17.

A confident Christian is aware of problems, but recognizes the solutions, knows about difficulties but believes they can be overcome, sees the negatives but accentuates the positives, is exposed to the worst but expects the best, has reason to complain but chooses to smile.

A missionary society wrote to David Livingstone and asked, "Have you found a good road to where you are? If so, we want to know how to send other men to join you." Livingstone wrote back, "If you have men who will come only if they know there is a good road, I don't want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all."- Good News Broadcaster.

COURAGE
How do we react in the face of fear? Courageous people understand that greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world! Courageous people understand this… for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. - 2 Tim 1:7.

When we are filled with His power, His love, and His self-control, we have absolutely nothing to fear, and this gives us great courage.

In his book, The Yoke of Christ, Elton Trueblood quotes a letter from a schoolgirl who probes the depth of her soul. She writes, "I've been thinking much this year about the importance of caring, of the passion of life. I've often realized that it takes courage to care. Caring is dangerous. It leaves you open to hurt and to looking like a fool. And perhaps it's because they have been hurt so often that people are afraid to care. You can't die if you're not alive. And then who would rather be a stone? I have found many places in my own life where I keep a secret store of indifference as a sort of self-protection."

That's a penetrating insight -- a secret store of indifference. We're to care, because Christ cared -- even though it means a cross.

COMMUNICATION
Understand the power that you speak. This is not to be confused with those who believe in, extreme positive confession, but this is communication in balance!

Prov 8:6-8 Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right, for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

Prov 31:8-9 Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Phil 1:14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Jesus said in… Mark 16:15-18 "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."

Don Hewitt, creator of "60 Minutes," on his special talent as a journalist: My philosophy is simple. It's what little kids say to their parents: "Tell me a story." Even the people who wrote the Bible knew that when you deal with issues, you tell stories.

The issue was evil; the story was Noah. I've had producers say, "We've got to do something on acid rain." I say, "Hold it. Acid rain is not a story. Acid rain is a topic. We don't do topics. Find me someone who has to deal with the problem of acid rain. Now you have a story." - Terry Ann Knopf .

These are the 3 characteristics of someone fired with commitment, do they apply to you, if not, you need to ask the Lord to give them to you, or you move in your own strength, might and power, and not by the Spirit of God…

Loving father, I want to be a committed Christian, help me to do this by the might and power of your Holy Spirit, and not to try it in my own strength! Grant me, my Lord, confidence, courage and commitment, in Jesus wonderful name I pray! Amen!

WARNING! READING THIS MIGHT HARM YOU: OUTER LIMIITS - OUTER THEIR MINDS!

Is there anybody out there? And if there is, what will alien lifeforms make of bloggers signed up to a new service to beam their online rantings into outer space?

"We are giving bloggers the opportunity to send a piece of their lives into space to potentially connect with extraterrestrials," said Ted Murphy, president and CEO of the Florida-based firm MindComet.

Blogosphere meet atmosphere: The free service, BloginSpace.com, will beam web feeds of blogs - weblogs, or personal Internet diaries - into deep space via a powerful satellite broadcast.

"I've always believed that other intelligent life forms are out there, and now, for the first time, they will be able to peer into the life of average Homo sapiens," Murphy said.

Human beings have been sending television and radio signals into space for decades, packed with images of war and anger. MindComet wants to offer any alien beings a new way of looking at Earth.

"This program gives us the opportunity to show our race in a different light," Murphy said.

But bloggers beware: Extraterrestrials could have sensitive ears, and online perorations should be suitable for an alien family audience, devoid of risque or explicit content.

"We strongly urge our users to refrain from language or content designed to provoke our alien neighbours," Murphy said.

I'M STAYING OUTER IT!
GBYAY

DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT WEDNESDAY-WHAT IS OUR MOTIVATION TO SERVE?

The whole worth of a kind deed lies in the love that inspires it. - The Talmud.

We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. - 1 Thess 1:2-3. ESV

Have you ever thought of what motivates our service to God! I have, and I would like to share some principles from this scripture, that will make our service to God richer, stronger and everlasting! First we look at our…

WORK OF FAITH
Paul is encouraging the Church at Thessalonica by reminding them that he and his people were constantly praying for them, and pointing out that they were always in their remembrance of their Godly work of faith! What a wonderful way to encourage each other and our service for God!

Our motivation for service should not be for selfish glory or to try and gain God’s attention, as some are apt to do, and it shouldn’t be for some kind of spiritual high that affects a lot of Christians today, but it should be because we know Christ as our Lord and Saviour! His Spirit leads us and we respond to the call.

We serve the lord, because we believe who He is… For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. - James 2:26. We owe everything to Him and we trust Him for all of life! Hallelujah!

A young boy, on an errand for his mother, had just bought a dozen eggs. Walking out of the store, he tripped and dropped the sack. All the eggs broke, and the sidewalk was a mess. The boy tried not to cry. A few people gathered to see if he was OK and to tell him how sorry they were.

In the midst of the works of pity, one man handed the boy a quarter. Then he turned to the group and said, "I care 25 cents worth. How much do the rest of you care?" James 2:16 points out that words don't mean much if we have the ability to do more. - Stanley C. Brown.

Secondly we look at our...

LABOUR OF LOVE
When the going gets tough, and we feel weary, or we are in some trouble, we keep on operating because of the love He has instilled in us… We love because he first loved us. - 1 John 4:19.

Not just because we know and have faith, not because this is our reasonable service, but because of our love for Him and of Him! We are not motivated for any other reason, as He loves us so much that He gave His all for us, he went the extra mile, and He still demonstrates this love for us, every day!

Our labor for the Lord is: 1) A labor of love (I Thess 1:3). 2) A labor not in vain (I Cor 15:58). 3) A labor known by Christ (Rev 2:2). 4) A labor God does not forget (Heb 6:10). 5) A labor which is to be done together (I Cor 3:9). 6) A labor for eternal things (Col 1:28-9). 7) A labor which is to reward (I Cor 3:8). 8) A labor done to be accepted by Him (II Cor 5:9). 9) A labor which doesn't have an end (Luke 10:2). - Glen Pierpoint.

Our third and final principle is our…

STEADFASTNESS OF HOPE
We are in this for the long haul; it is not a short sprint but a marathon run! This brings a peace and a rest to our souls that cannot be improved on! This commitment to Jesus brings us hope, and helps us to stay focused on the finishing line…

Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. - Heb 12:2.

A recent television documentary pointed out that the cheetah survives on the African plains by running down its prey. The big cat can sprint seventy miles per hour. But the cheetah cannot sustain that pace for long. Within its long, sleek body is a disproportionately small heart, which causes the cheetah to tire quickly. Unless the cheetah catches its prey in the first flurry, it must abandon the chase.

Sometimes Christians seem to have the cheetah's approach to ministry. We speed into projects with great energy. But lacking the heart for sustained effort, we fizzle before we finish. We vow to start faster and run harder, when what we need may be not more speed but more staying power, stamina that comes only from a bigger heart. Motion and busyness, no matter how great, yield nothing unless we allow God to give us the heart. - Grant Lovejoy.

We get hope from endurance, because the leading and the work of the Holy Spirit, brings a peace upon us! We have the rest, because of knowing that God has in the right place at the right time, and that helps us to enjoy His goodness. Our steadfastness of hope shows to others, that we believe God holds our future, in His hands! Hallelujah! Be motivated in the right way!

Loving Father, help me by the power of the Holy Spirit, to keep my motivation pure. Help me Lord to run the race, by serving Jesus and his commands. Help me Lord to keep my eye firmly fixed on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of my faith, and help me Lord to labour in your love. In Jesus wonderful name I pray, Amen!

AT LAST! A Crackdown on terror books!

The government were very quick to act after the sales of these books were discovered at the weekend! When you think about the two Pastors who have been ordered to apologise for their comments on Islam, this beggars belief! Read on...

ISLAMIC bookstores face closure and their owners could be charged with terrorism offences as pressure intensifies in the wake of the London bombings to crack down on radical literature sold in Australia. Federal and state counter-terrorism officers will investigate at least one Islamic bookshop in Sydney following revelations it is selling literature promoting jihad and justifying suicide bombings.

Another bookstore in Melbourne, run by the country's most fundamentalist cleric, was yesterday selling a book calling for Christians to be trampled underfoot. "It is either Islam or death," says the book, which is sold from the bookshop attached to the Brunswick prayer room where Sheik Mohammed Omran delivers his fiery sermons.

Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said officers would review the literature sold in Sydney - including one book filled with vitriol against the Australian way of life - to determine if anti-terrorism laws had been breached. Mr Ruddock said one Australian had already been charged with collecting or making documents likely to facilitate a terrorist act.

Anyone found to be inciting terrorist acts can face a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail. "If there are offences that have been committed here in Australia, competent authorities will seek to obtain appropriate evidence and we will deal with it," Mr Ruddock said.

The Islamic Bookstore in Lakemba, in Sydney's south-western suburbs, sells books focusing on the fundamentalist strand of Islam originating in Saudi Arabia.

The Blair Government moved swiftly in the wake of the blasts that killed more than 50 people, raiding one bookshop where one of the suicide bombers had worked and planning tougher terrorism laws. Britain is likely to outlaw "indirect incitement" of terrorism, including praising those who carry out attacks.

Mr Ruddock confirmed yesterday the Government was re-examining Australia's current counter-terrorism regime in the wake of the London bombings. This is expected to include a review of the existing legislative framework governing terrorism offences, as well as emergency response planning for a possible terrorist attack.

Moderate Islamic leaders in Australia have long been concerned about a plethora of radical material found in magazines, books and DVDs sold in bookstores but also distributed outside mosques and easily available on the internet. National Christian, Jewish and Muslims leaders met recently to devise a plan for preventing the sale of radical material, after finding some with alarming levels of hatred. "There is no doubt that these books vilifying races and religions and justifying terrorism are out there in numbers," one leader at the meeting said.

New South Wales Police Commissioner Ken Moroney said he was offended by the books for sale in Sydney - at the Islamic Bookstore and allegedly at another shop called IDCA in nearby Auburn - and Australian Federal Police and NSW counter-terrorism officers would investigate. "Obviously, in this investigation it will be necessary to seek qualified legal opinion ... as to who actually commits the offence: is it the author, is it the publisher, is it the retailer, is it the purchaser of this particular material, or is it all of the above?" Mr Moroney said.

Mr Ruddock said state governments concerned about this material could also alert the Office of Film Classification. "This issue is a very real problem here and abroad," Mr Ruddock said.

The latest glossy magazine, from a group called Islamic Youth Movement in Sydney, features a glowing interview with a leader of Iraqi terrorist group, Ansar Al-Islam.

Fundamentalist scholar Shiek Omran's shop sells a book that details reasons Muslims should not befriend Jews, Christians or non-Muslims. "If it becomes clear that someone is at odds with Islam, then fight him. The (Jew or Christian) who insults the Prophet should be killed," it says.

The book remains on sale despite intense lobbying from Islamic and Jewish leaders for its removal.

What do you think?
GBYAY

DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT TUESDAY- A FRESH REVELATION OF JESUS.

"Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I myself have founded great empires.... But Jesus alone founded His empire upon love, and to this very day, millions would die for Him. Jesus Christ was more than a man." – Napoleon Bonaparte.

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law,

but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. - Phil 3:7-11. ESV

In darkness verses light, there is no contest! We do not fight for victory... Jesus has already done that, He has defeated the enemy! No, we fight from a position of victory...THE CROSS and the RESURRECTION are the evidence! Christ is the true LIGHT and LIGHT... IS REVELATION. We need...

A FRESH REVELATION OF THE VALUE OF JESUS
That which was WORTHWHILE is now WORTHLESS;
That which was TREASURE is now TRASH;
That which was GREAT has now GONE.

Paul met every requirement of his religion, pure stock, and of fanatical zeal he had no equal, but now it was worthless, his honour and respect and future among his people were all gone because of JESUS! We still have that same kind of relevancy in the Church today, in the religious Church goers etc;

We have to see the value of JESUS, how much is He worth to us today? By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. - Heb 11:24-26.

The following words are from an old engraving on a cathedral in Labeck, Germany...

Thus speaketh Christ our Lord to us:
You call Me master and obey Me not.
You call Me light and see Me not.
You call Me the Way and walk Me not.
You call Me life and live Me not.
You call Me wise and follow Me not.
You call Me fair and love Me not.
You call Me rich and ask Me not.
You call Me eternal and seek Me not.
If I condemn thee, blame Me not.
-Source Unknown.

HOW MUCH IS JESUS WORTH TO US? We need…

A FRESH REVELATION OF THE POWER OF JESUS
“…that I may know him and the power of his resurrection…” – Phil 3:10b. Paul wanted a revelation of Jesus, he wanted to acquaint himself fully with Jesus, His character, His life, His teachings, His love... and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. - Eph 3:19.

Longfellow could take a worthless piece of paper, write a poem on it, and instantly make it worth thousands of dollars -- and it's called genius.
Rockefeller could sign his name to a piece of paper and make it worth millions of dollars -- and it's called riches.
A mechanic can take material worth only five dollars and make it worth five hundred -- and it's called skill.
An artist can take a fifty-cent piece of canvas, paint a picture on it, and make it worth thousands of dollars -- and it's called art.

Jesus Christ can take a worthless, sinful life, wash it in His blood, put His Spirit in it, and make it valuable to God -- and that's called sanctification. The Lord is in the business of taking rough, raw material and using it, transforming men by His power to be the extension of His work in the world. – Source unknown.

Paul wanted a revelation of His peace, His joy, His power! Paul wanted to know how to keep out of the GRAVE in the MIGHTY POWER OF GOD! To know Jesus, we must understand His RESURRECTION POWER, and that same Power is at work in us today! Hallelujah! What a mighty and awesome God we serve today! We need...

A FRESH REVELATION OF THE SUFFERING OF JESUS
“...and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,” - Phil 3:10b. I am not a fan of suffering, but if it brings me a fresh revelation of Jesus, bring it on! How painful was crucifixion? One man describes it like this:

The unnatural position made every movement painful; the lacerated veins and crushed tendons throbbed with incessant anguish; the wounds, inflamed by exposure, gradually gangrened; the arteries-especially at the head and stomach -- became swollen and oppressed with surcharged blood; and while each variety of misery went on gradually increasing, there was added to them the intolerable pang of a burning and raging thirst; and all these physical complications caused an internal excitement and anxiety, which made the prospect of death itself -- of death, the unknown enemy, at whose approach man usually shudders most -- bear the aspect of a delicious and exquisite release. – Source unknown.

In SUFFERING, JESUS is with us...... ‘I will never leave or forsake you’
In SUFFERING, JESUS teaches us perseverance and faith.
In SUFFERING, JESUS blesses us.

We need a fresh revelation of Jesus, and what He has done for us.

Loving father, I ask you by the power of the Holy Spirit, to grant me a fresh revelation of my Lord and master, Jesus. Help me to see what the Apostle Paul saw, the revelation of the value, the power and the suffering of Jesus, that I may be a better child for you! I ask this in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen!

GBYAY

DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT – MONDAY – THE HOLY CITY.

The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it. - Richard L. Evans.

And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day--and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. - Rev 21:23.

For those who are followers of Jesus Christ, by that I mean, those that follow Him and obey His teachings, there is a promise of eternal life in the Holy City, the City of our God! And the requirements to enter into this City, are those whose name is written in the Lamb’s Book Of Life…

Perfect and direct communion with God, will more than supply the place of gospel institutions. And what words can more full express the union and co-equality of the Son with the Father, in the Godhead? What a dismal world would this be, if it were not for the light of the sun! What is there in heaven that supplies its place? The glory of God lightens that city, and the Lamb is the Light thereof.

God in Christ will be an everlasting Fountain of knowledge and joy to the saints in heaven. There is no night, therefore no need of shutting the gates; all is at peace and secure. The whole shows us that we should be more and more led to think of heaven as filled with the glory of God, and enlightened by the presence of the Lord Jesus.

Nothing sinful or unclean, idolatrous, or false and deceitful, can enter. All the inhabitants are made perfect in holiness. Now the saints feel a sad mixture of corruption, which hinders them in the service of God, and interrupts their communion with him; but, at their entrance into the holy of holies, they are washed in the laver of Christ's blood, and presented to the Father without spot.

None are admitted into heaven who work abominations. It is free from hypocrites, such as make lies. As nothing unclean can enter heaven, let us be stirred up by these glimpses of heavenly things, to use all diligence, and to perfect holiness in the fear of God. – E-SWORD BIBLE, Matthew Henry Commentary.

DO YOU WANT TO ENTER IN TO THE HOLY CITY? IF SO...

WHAT THEN?
When the great plants of our cities
Have turned out their last finished work;
When our merchants have sold their last yard of silk
And dismissed the last tired clerk,
When our banks have raked in their last dollar
And paid the last dividend;
When the Judge of earth says, “Close for the night,”
And ask for a balance... WHAT THEN?

When the choir has sung its last anthem,
And the preacher has made his last prayer;
When the people have heard their last sermon
And the sound has died out on the air;
When the Bible lies closed on the altar
And the pews are all empty of men
And each one stands facing his record
And the Great Book is opened... WHAT THEN?

When the actors have played their last drama
And the mimic has made his last fun,
When the film has flashed its last picture
And the billboard has displayed its last run;
When the crowds seeking pleasure have vanished
And gone out in the darkness again
When the trumpet of ages is sounded,
And we stand before Him... WHAT THEN? - Author Unknown.

OH! What a joyful day that will be for those that are written in the Lamb’s Book Of Life! Is your name there?

Loving Father, help me by the power of the Holy Spirit, to obey the teachings of your dear Son and my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Help me Lord to have clean hands and a pure heart, keep me away from things that are detestable and false, that I may enter into your Holy City some day and dwell with you, Jesus and the Holy Spirit! I ask this in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen!

GBYAY