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#143
><> FROM THE TEXT <><
1 Samuel 3:1-10
The boy Samuel
ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was
rare; there were not many visions. One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so
weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of
God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD,
where the ark of God was. Then the LORD called Samuel.
Samuel answered,
"Here I am." And he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called
me."
But Eli said,
"I did not call; go back and lie down." So he went and lay down.
Again the LORD called, "Samuel!" And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me."
"My
son," Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down."
Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The
word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.
The LORD called Samuel a third time, and
Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me."
Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel,
"Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant
is listening.' “So Samuel went
and lay down in
his place.
The LORD came and
stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!"
Then Samuel said,
"Speak, for your servant is listening."
Numbers 23:19
God is not a man,
that he should lie,
nor a son of man,
that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and
then not act?
Does he promise
and not fulfill?
Deuteronomy 5:24
And you said,
"The LORD our God has shown us his glory and his majesty, and we have
heard his voice from the fire. Today we have seen that a man can live even if
God speaks with him.
Job 33:14
For God does
speak-now one way, now another- though man may not perceive it.
John 7:17
If anyone chooses
to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or
whether I speak on my own.
~~~
=)
THINK IT OVER (=
Have you ever
had a time where you've heard God speak to you? It probably wasn't an audible
booming voice, but more like a still voice inside your heart. But how do you
know if it was really God?
There have been
many, many times when God has spoken to me. There have been those times when I
KNEW it was God. But there have also been those times when I thought that it
was God, but in reality it wasn't.
When you have to
question if it is God or not, there is only one sure fire way to figure out the
truth. And that way would be to dig into your Bible and find out. If what you
think you’re being told is in concordance with the Bible, then you’re good and
it truly was God that you heard. If not… don’t trust it. It is my faith that
God won’t give you a single message that can’t be backed up by His Word. He
knows us, He knows how skeptical most of us tend to be. And he knows how
skeptical most of us have to be with Satan trying to mess us up at every turn.
God has told me
some very depressing things along with awesome things as well. Sometimes he
tells me to talk to a person that isn't quite feeling well (even if they seem
fantastic!), and sometimes he tells me to tell someone the harsh truth about
something. Other times he will give me encouragement to tell friends and things
like that also.
God can also
speak through people to you. It may not be them saying "this is from
God," but it can be anything that they may say that God wanted you to
hear. I'm sure you will know when God wants you to hear it. You will probably
be having a bad day, or had asked him a question about something, and then he gave
you your answer through another person. And this can come through anyone. Not
just a pastor or a “Godly” person, but it can be a friend, a parent, or even a
teacher or television newscaster! I, personally, know people who have been
given messages through NON-believers. God can and will use anyone and everyone.
~~~
*&*
TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE *&*
Your very last
challenge for the summer is to read the following:
It’s from the
Message Bible so it should be fairly simple to understand.
This is the
story of Gideon which can be found in Judges 6:14-17,
21-22, 36-40
14But GOD faced
him directly: "Go in this strength that is yours. Save Israel from Midian.
Haven't I just sent you?"
15Gideon said to
him, "Me, my master? How and with what could I ever save Israel? Look at me.
My clan's the weakest in Manasseh and I'm the runt of the litter."
16GOD said to him,
"I'll be with you. Believe me, you'll defeat Midian as one man."
17Gideon said,
"If you're serious about this, do me a favor: Give me a sign to back up
what you're telling me.
21The angel of
GOD stretched out the tip of the stick he was holding and touched the meat and
the bread. Fire broke out of the rock and burned up the meat and bread while
the angel of God slipped away out of sight. 22And Gideon knew it was the angel
of God!
36Gideon said
to God, "If this is right, if you are using me to save Israel as you've
said, 37then look: I'm placing a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If dew
is on the fleece only, but the floor is dry, then I know that you will use me
to save Israel, as you said."
38That's what
happened. When he got up early the next morning, he wrung out the
fleece--enough dew to fill a bowl with water!
39Then Gideon
said to God, "Don't be impatient with me, but let me say one more thing. I
want to try another time with the fleece. But this time let the fleece stay
dry, while the dew drenches the ground."
40God made it
happen that very night. Only the fleece was dry while the ground was wet with
dew.
(-.-)
PRAY ABOUT IT (-.-)
Dear Lord,
Thank you so
much for giving Danielle and me the time and energy and inspiration to write
Internet Christians for so long. I pray that You will be with us on our walks
throughout the summer. Keep us all safe and help us be light houses for you. So
that others will see us and notice that You’re there too.
*******
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><> FROM THE TEXT <><
Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus said to His
disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and
take up his cross, and follow Me.
=) THINK IT OVER (=
Loud cries for mercy and shouts of joy
rise above the heavy beating drums and the praising voice of the singer up
front. People sprawled about on the floor, some praising God, others are
begging for forgiveness, but all are in tears with God in their midst.
This was a moving night. Well, more
like a moving week! But little did everyone know that it would all fade away.
The passion, the hunger: the fire that they had that one awe-filled night. It
would all fade into something not as powerful. What happened? What is this
called? Why does that feeling have to end?
I’m sure by now you all know what I’m
talking about. Yeah, that’s right: Spiritual Highs. They’re awesome! You leave
experiences like that PUMPED. You feel like you can take on the devil and his
entire army of spirits! So, you go home and tell all of your friends and
family, even post about it in all of your online journals.
This lasts for a few days and then
about a week later someone asks you, “what’s up” but all you really say is
nothing. That feeling of fire in your heart starts to fade and although you
still love God with the same passion, you don’t feel anything.
As this happens you think that you’re
doing something wrong, like you’ve betrayed God. Why can’t you feel the
love you did like when you were at the retreat?
They always say, “What goes up must
come down” and well, that’s the truth. Spiritual “highs” are just that. You’re
high! You can’t stay there forever: you’re going to have to come back to
reality eventually. But you can’t let the FEELING, confuse the TRUTH. You won’t
always FEEL like you’re in love with God. Just like after a while you don’t
feel that warm fuzzy feeling every time you look at your boyfriend/husband. God
does not want us to rely on that high fuzzy feeling. He wants us to rely on
faith.
Now I assume you’re asking me, “But why
does that feeling have to end???” It’s a great feeling: I admit that. Spiritual
highs are awesome! But God wants us to understand that there will be times
where you can’t depend on feelings. He wants us to depend on Him, and have
faith that he still loves us even though we don’t feel anything. And he wants to know that we will still love
Him just the same!
Therefore, in keeping your “high”
alive, you must have faith. It won’t feel like a high, but that night changed
your life and that’s not going to go away. The impact of that one night, that
one small thing that God told you, changed your heart and mind forever.
So in dealing with the summer being
over and getting over your spiritual highs, don’t let the feeling get in the
way of your faith that you are still in love with God and that He still sees
you the same.
*&* TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE *&*
Going back to school, a new job, and then church
and homework with that can make things rough. Coming away from that spiritual
high and then adding all of the new things you have to get used to again can
make a hard impact on you. It can bring you down physically, emotionally, and
even spiritually. That’s what we were trying to get to about keeping your
“high” alive. You need to keep it going. Keep feeding the “fire” by throwing
those coals of reading your bible, praying, and spending time with God on it.
Don’t let the spirit and the passion you had that week completely dissipate
until next summer. If you do, it just becomes one big cycle. It may even feel
like you’re only a Christian during the summer! I don’t want you to have to go
through that. (I don’t think God wants that to happen either.) So this week
Kelly and I challenge you to (as well as ourselves) to keep the fire fed, and
the high alive in your life.
(-.-) PRAY ABOUT IT (-.-)
Dear Lord, I pray that you be with all of the people who are going back
to school. Help them to be focused, and not just on their school-work but on
you. I pray that you help Danielle and Kelly with what to write and new things
to add to the newsletter. I thank you for every life that they have touched and
pray that soon they will get even more people to talk to about you. I thank you
and praise you in your holy name, amen.
*******
><> FROM THE TEXT <><
Mark 11:15-17
So they came to
And He would not allow
anyone to carry wares through the temple.
Then He taught, saying to
them, "Is it not written, "My house shall be called a house of prayer
for all nations'? But you have made it a "den of thieves."'
Matthew 6:21-24
For where your treasure
is, there your heart will be also.
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body
will be full of light.
But if your eyes are bad,
your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is
darkness, how great is that darkness!
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the
other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve
both God and Money.
=) THINK IT OVER (=
There are
so many people who look at Christianity as rules. They see it as something that
you have to do a certain way. They think that when you go to church, you should
sit in your pew, and quietly sing along to the words on the overhead; never
making too much noise as to cause a disturbance; never raising a hand, because
you don’t want to distract someone behind you; basically just being mindless as
you sit there for 2 hours listening to a message.
If you get
nothing else out of what I’m about to say- get this: God did not call us to be
passionless! God wants us to be passionate, but he wants us to be passionate
about the right things.
Take a look
at King David. King David was a man after God’s own heart. I can’t think of a
single person more passionate in the Old Testament. Just read some of his
stuff. Psalms is filled with it.
Another
great example is The Great Example. Jesus himself.
Mark
11:15-17
So they
came to
And He
would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.
Then He
taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, "My house shall be called
a house of prayer for all nations'?[1]
But you have made it a "den of thieves."'
That’s
passion. It’s passion for God. It’s passion for doing what’s right regardless
of how odd people may think you are in the future.
So I raise
a question to you today. What is your passion? No, I’m not asking what you
really like to do, or what you enjoy. I’m asking, what’s your passion?
Did you
know that you will only have one controlling passion in your life?
Matthew
6:21-24
For where
your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body
will be full of light.
But if your
eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light
within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the
other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve
both God and Money.
I was told
that in this verse, the heart refers to what we love. Our passion.
The eyes
refer to what we’re looking for. Our perspective.
And our
will refers to what we choose to invest ourselves in. Our priorities.
You will
see all things in the light of what your passion is.
Our passion
controls our perspective, which in turn controls our priorities. Read that sentence over a couple times and make sure
you really get it.
We’re made
to have only one passion.
Think of it
like a cabinet. The cabinet (the frame) being our main passion and the drawers
all containing some of your strong likes.
Jesus
should be your cabinet. It’s okay to be really interested in other things, as
long as they fit correctly into the cabinet.
Lots of
people’s cabinets are happiness, comfort, or security. If you believe in Jesus
and you want to live in accordance to His will, you’re going to have to change
that. What will you do if God asks you to ever step outside of your comfort
zone?
*&* TAKE ON THE
CHALLENGE *&*
How much do you
think this world would change if everyone vowed to be sinless for a month? Drastically.
Okay, so the world’s an awfully big place. What about if just your community
made the vow? The changes would still be remarkable. Since I know you can’t do
much about other people, I can’t ask you to make everyone in your town do this.
But for 150+ out there reading this, I’m giving you a big challenge. For one
week. Just one week. See if you can be sinless. God knows your heart, and He’ll
recognize whether or not you’re actually trying. And as the second part of the
challenge- let us know how far you get with this. Oh, wait one more thing- you
have to try and drag a friend along in this too. It’s going to be fun… really!
(-.-) PRAY ABOUT IT
(-.-)
Dear Lord,
I pray that
you be with us all in this up coming week. Help us with school and friends and
family. Please flood us all with the Holy Spirit and help us in our resolution
to be sinless for one week. Jesus did it for 33 years. Please bless this
newsletter and all of the people who read it. We love you so much.
In Jesus’
name I pray,
Amen
*******
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><> FROM THE TEXT <><
Ephesians 6:5
Servants be obedient to those who are your
masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your
heart, as unto Christ.
Colossians 3:22
Servants, obey in all things your masters
according to the flesh; not with eye service, as men pleasers; but in
singleness of heart, fearing God.
=) THINK IT OVER (=
Every year the economy changes and more and more people get jobs.
But having a job can sometimes be rough, not just because of the work: but
because of the people you have to deal with.
Take your managers for instance. If you
are one who doesn’t like to be told what to do then you will have a problem
with submitting to authority. Dealing with bosses is not always the easiest
thing to do. It varies with the person. Learning to submit yourself to
authority is a huge problem for a lot of people. Or at least, I know it's a
huge problem for me. Nothing irks me more than having to bite my tongue and do
what someone tells me to do just because they told me to do it.
I guess a big part of that has to do
with my age, and my maturity. Either way though: I have to deal with it, and
either way I have to submit to authority. I have to realize that for one reason
or another God put that certain person over me, and for that reason- and that
reason alone- I have to listen to them.
Well, what does the bible say about managers and how you should
act toward them? Let’s take a look. Ephesians 6:5 says “servants be obedient to
those who are your masters… as unto Christ.” Now I know that a manager really
isn’t like a master, but if you think about it then this verse can still be
applied.
Then you look at the second verse and
it says again to obey your masters, but don’t do it just to look showy. See,
there are times when you obey, but you don’t do it whole-heartedly. You just do
it well enough to get by, or to show off. But in reality you don’t really care
how it gets done. That’s what this verse is warning you about. Don’t just show
off! Work for your manager as you would be working for God.
When you work whole-heartedly and obey
what they tell you to do, they will start to respect you and trust you with
more. (Matthew 25:15 - King
James Version
And unto one he gave five talents, to
another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability;
and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents
went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he
that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one
went and dug in the earth, and hid his lord's money. After a long time the lord
of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received
five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou
deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five
talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful
servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over
many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. )
I think the last major thing is being a
hard worker. A lot of the time there are people who just don’t care about doing
the work that they’re supposed to. They’re getting paid and that’s all that
matters to them. Don’t fall into this lackadaisical attitude. That’s definitely
not how God has called us to live our lives. He wants us to be hard workers,
worthy of our pay and respect.
Looking all throughout the old
testament you never find anyone that has true honor that didn’t work for it.
Yeah, there may have been some kings that slid through the cracks, but there
weren’t any Godly men or women that weren’t hard workers at what they did.
Over-all today let’s see what we
covered.
- Submitting to
management.
Doing your work as unto Christ.
- Being responsible
Taking the little they give you and
being responsible with it so that they trust you and give you more. (maybe even
a raise…)
- Being a hard worker
Again: working as unto Christ. Striving
to set your own standards of performance higher so that you can prosper and
please your boss.
*&* TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE *&*
I think that God appreciates it when we are
good workers. When we treat customers, management and co-workers in a way that he
would want us to, it lets the love of Christ shine through us. When we raise
the bar and stand out like that, it can be a great thing. It will make working
easier, and most of the people more tolerable. I hope you learned that it’s
extremely important to be a good worker in a Godly way and that you will apply
it to your life immediately. So take on that challenge to be responsible,
respectful, and a hard worker.
(-.-) PRAY ABOUT IT (-.-)
Dear Lord I pray that you give me what I need to deal with the people
at work. I pray that you will let your love and light shine through me to
everyone I come in contact with. I pray that anyone who works with me, or any
customer I serve will have a positive experience. I pray for all the people who
need jobs that they will find one and apply what they learned this week when
they do get one. And for all the people who already have a job that they will
excel more in what they do because of the examples you have shown us through
your word. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
*******
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><> FROM THE TEXT <><
Birth
Prediction:
Isaiah 7:14 - King James Version
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you
a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his
name Immanuel.
Fulfillment:
Matthew 1:21-23 - King James Version
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou
shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now
all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by
the prophet, saying, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring
forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is,
God with us.”
John the Baptist
Prediction:
Isaiah 40:3 - King James Version
The voice of him that crieth in the
wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a
highway for our God.
Fulfillment:
Matthew 3:1-3 - King James Version
In those days came John the Baptist, preaching
in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand.”
For this is he that was spoken of by
the prophet Esaias, [Isaiah] saying, ‘The voice of one crying in the
wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’
Betrayal
Prediction:
Psalms 41:9 - King James Version
Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I
trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.
Fulfillment:
John 13:18 - King James Version
I speak not of you all: I know whom I have
chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me
hath lifted up his heel against me.
Life and Death
Prediction:
Isaiah 53:3-5 - King James Version
He is despised and rejected of men; a
man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from
him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs,
and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and
afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our
iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we
are healed.
Fulfillment:
Crucifixion
Prediction:
Psalms 22:7 - GOD'S WORD
All who see me make fun of me. Insults
pour from their mouths. They shake their heads and say, "Put yourself in
the LORD's hands. Let the LORD save him! Let God rescue him since he is pleased
with him!"
Fulfillment:
Matthew 27:41 - GOD'S WORD
The chief priests together with the
scribes and the leaders made fun of him in the same way. They said, "He
saved others, but he can't save himself. So he's Israel's king! Let him come
down from the cross now, and we'll believe him. He trusted God. Let God rescue
him now if he wants. After all, this man said, 'I am the Son of God.'"
Prediction:
Psalms 22:16 - GOD'S WORD
Dogs have surrounded me. A mob has
encircled me. They have pierced my hands and feet. I can count all my bones.
People stare. They gloat over me. They divide my clothes among themselves. They
throw dice for my clothing.
Fulfillment:
John 19:24 - King James Version
They said therefore among themselves,
Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture
might be fulfilled, which saith, “They parted my raiment among them, and for my
vesture they did cast lots.” These things therefore the soldiers did.
Prediction:
Psalms 22:1 - King James Version
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
Fulfillment:
Matthew 27:46 - King James Version
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with
a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is to say, My God, my
God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Prediction:
Psalms 69:21 - GOD'S WORD
They poisoned my food, and when I was
thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink.
Fulfillment:
John 19:29 - GOD'S WORD
A jar filled with vinegar was there. So
the soldiers put a sponge soaked in the vinegar on a hyssop stick and held it
to his mouth. After Jesus had taken the vinegar, he said, "It is
finished!" Then he bowed his head and died.
Prediction:
Isaiah 53:9 - King James Version
And he made his grave with the wicked, and
with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any
deceit in his mouth.
Fulfillment:
Luke 23:33 - GOD'S WORD
When they came to the place called The
Skull, they crucified him. The criminals were also crucified, one on his right
and the other on his left.
=) THINK IT OVER (=
It
amazes me how many prophecies Jesus fulfilled. And he made a point to do it
too! He knew exactly what he had to do, and he did it. All to prove to us that
He was and is really who he said!
God spoke through many different people, and
Jesus fulfilled all of the different prophecies that had been spoken. Could
Jesus be a coincidence? No… I don’t believe He could be. Could it all be just
one awesome acting job? No, too many different people were involved.
The prophets that we listed today were only a few: Isaiah and
David. But God spoke through John about things that still haven’t happened,
Peter: about the same, and Daniel: about both. (He also spoke to Isaiah about
some of the end times, but mostly things about Jesus.)
*&* TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE *&*
I think it’s very interesting to read and compare,
and I learned a lot and had fun looking it up. If you are interested I think
that you should too. Therefore; this week your challenge is to find another
prophecy that Jesus, or someone else in the Bible fulfilled. If anyone sends in
what they found we’ll put it in next week’s newsletter!
(-.-) PRAY ABOUT IT (-.-)
Dear Lord I thank you for revealing these prophecies to the prophets of
the Old Testament, and I thank you that you sent Jesus to fulfill them. Thank
you for sending him to die for all of our sins and that we can be forgiven if
we just ask. Please be with all the people who are suffering from the recent
storms around the world and help them to recover from their loss easily. In
Jesus’ name, amen.
*******
><> FROM THE TEXT <><
=) THINK IT OVER (=
Simply put: JESUS being the WAY is WHY it happened!
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and
the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
2 Corinthians 5:21
For He
made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the
righteousness of God in Him.
Matthew 26:53
Or do
you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more
than twelve legions of angels?
Matthew 27:46
And about
the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying “Eli, Eli, lama
Sabachanthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
Oh how we need to remember these words!!!!!!!!!! Jesus could have saved himself…………but then He couldn’t have saved you & me.
Think for a moment of that darkness of death about to claim Jesus. He was about to be separated from His Father His God! Burrrr how cold and dark is Life without God.
Why then did God allow and endure such ghastly evil mistreatment? Why?
So you and I could be spared from eternity in hell, and share in His glory forever!!! Jesus gave up everything so we could have everything. He died so we can live forever.
This alone is worthy of our continual thanks and praise. Never again should we wonder what we have to be thankful for.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18;
(16) Rejoice always,
(17) Pray without ceasing,
(18) In everything give thanks, For this is the
will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
These verses are directing us to do what? And why?
One more WAY scripture: Proverbs 15:24;
The way of life winds upward for the wise
that he may turn away from hell below.
Let’s say Psalm 100 gratefully to God the Father and His Son, Jesus, the Christ!!!
HIS HAND IN JUDGMENT:
Scriptures: Isaiah 5:25; 9:12, 17,21; 10:4
“…For all this His anger is not turned away, But
His hand is stretched out still.”
Repetition is useful in making an important
point. I took pity on you and didn’t require you to read this over and over,
but do feel it is worth repeating.
His hand is the
judgment, which has been given to Jesus by God, His Father.
We will read 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9, which gives
us a very brief description of the final judgment of God.
7. And to give you who are troubled rest with us
when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels,
8. In flaming fire taking vengeance on those who
do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
9. These shall be punished with everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His
power.
The “everlasting destruction” that
Paul writes about here is the lake of fire
(see Revelation 20:14)…“the place of eternal
separation from God. Those people who are separated from God in eternity no
longer have any hope for salvation.”
Revelation 20:14-15:
14. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake
of fire.
15. And anyone not found written in the Book of
Life was cast into the Lake of fire.
NKJV, LIFE APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE COMMENTARY:
Death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire. God’s judgment is finished. The lake of fire is the ultimate destination of everything wicked---
Satan, the beast, the false prophet, the demons, Death, Hades, and all those whose names are not recorded in the Book of Life because they did not place their faith in Jesus Christ. John’s vision does not permit any gray areas in God’s judgment.
If by faith we have not identified with Christ, confessing him as Lord, there will be no hope, no second chance, no other appeal.
Final Word: John 5:24; Most assuredly, I say to you,
he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and
shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
Wow! What a springboard Way has become during this week. It seems God wanted us to realize we need to be right with God right now and Jesus is the only WAY! Don’t wait another moment to come to Jesus.
-- Written by Ms. Jimmie
*&* TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE *&*
Are you waiting for the “right” moment to
become a Christian? Waiting until the opportune moment where everything is
perfect to give your heart to God? Well, don’t wait any longer! You know why?
Because you never know what the next 5 minutes are going to be like. Jesus
could come back, you could suddenly die, anything could happen. God is READY
for you to just say, “Here I am God! I want you!” That’s just way too easy to
pass up. Yeah after that it will be harder, but giving him your heart is the
easiest thing you can do, and getting forgiven is even easier.
(-.-) PRAY ABOUT IT (-.-)
God, I want you. Come into my heart, dwell in my life, and use me for
your will. Thank you for sending your Son to die for me, and please let his
blood run over me and forgive me of my sins. Thank you for forgiving me this
moment and forgetting that you forgot about my sins! I love you, and I pray
these things in Jesus’ name, Amen!
*******
><> FROM THE TEXT <><
Philippians 2:14-16
Do all things without complaining and
disputing,
that you may become blameless and
harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse
generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
holding fast the word of life,
so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or
labored in vain.
Proverbs 3:5-8
Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own
understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
Do not be wise in your
own eyes;
Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
It will be health to your
flesh,
And strength to your bones.
=) THINK IT OVER (=
Hi guys. This is Kelly writing today.
And that’s important for you to know, because this is my goodbye newsletter.
Yeah, I know, it’s like the end of an era, for me anyways. I know a lot of you
have been with me since The Truth started so many years ago, and I ripped off
the Left Behind books because I was too unoriginal to think of my own title. J
But I remember when I started writing
those newsletters my dad told me that it was really cool that I was doing it,
but if I was going to do it, I needed to do it right, otherwise I shouldn’t
even bother. Yeah, it sounds a little
harsh. But only now am I really finally understanding that in all its depth.
Such a simple statement, won’t you
agree? I know. But 4-5 years later, it all makes sense. I finally think I get
it. “If you’re going to do something, do it right. Otherwise, don’t do it at
all.”
It means that I can’t only do something
half-way. I can’t throw something together at the last minute and hope to
impress you guys. I have to let God do the talking through me. I have to sit down
and pray, and open my Bible, and search for like truths that will give you guys
a better, deeper understanding of a topic. That’s my job. That’s Danielle’s
job.
Lately though, I have been letting you
guys down. Big time. And you’ll never really know how sorry I am for that.
Every time my Youth Pastor starts a
message, he begins with prayer. And in that prayer he always prays that his
words be of God. If anything in his sermon isn’t of God, than make sure it
isn’t said.
It’s the same prayer I pray before I
start writing. Or at least used to. Lately though, I’m not so sure. A lot of
what is being said, from my part, is of me. It’s from my human perspective. And
that’s not helping a single one of you.
Like I said before, if I’m going to do
something, I need to be doing it right. I haven’t been doing this right for a
long time. So I’m taking myself out of the picture. I don’t think you know how
hard this is for me to do, because this has been such a big part of my life for
such a long time.
I’m going to miss you. And I pray that
you’ll all continue walking with God. Pray to God for guidance about your
purpose. Pray to Him about your guyses relationship. Pray to Him about family
and friends and everything. Make Him not only your Father, but your best
friend. That’s the not so secret, secret.
And I guess that’s the main thing I’ve
been trying to tell you all along. Maybe in one of the hundreds of issues we
just should have said it. Then again, maybe we did.
Please, don’t hesitate to keep in touch
with me.
~or~
I love you guys and God bless,
Kelly
*&* TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE *&*
No challenge for you this week, other than
the stuff I listed above. But those are all long term challenges.
(-.-) PRAY
ABOUT IT (-.-)
Dear Lord,
Thank
you for blessing me with this opportunity. I pray I’ve made the right decision,
and that you’ll give me peace if I have. I don’t want to disappoint you or
anyone, and I know you understand my heart. I pray for all of the people
receiving this newsletter, that you’ll be with them and bless them. And I pray
for Danielle. She’s been the most awesome person to work with for all of these
years, and I pray You bless her and fill her with Your Holy Spirit so that she
can continue on doing Your work
*******
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><> FROM THE TEXT <><
Matthew 8:24 - GOD'S WORD
Suddenly, a severe storm came across the
sea. The waves were covering the boat. Yet, Jesus was sleeping.
Mark 6:31 - GOD'S WORD
So he said to them, "Let's go to a
place where we can be alone to rest for a while." Many people were coming
and going, and Jesus and the apostles didn't even have a chance to eat.
Matthew 11:29 - GOD'S WORD
Place my yoke over your shoulders, and
learn from me, because I am gentle and humble. Then you will find rest for
yourselves.
Hebrews 4:1 - GOD'S WORD
God's promise that we may enter his place
of rest still stands. We are afraid that some of you think you won't enter his
place of rest. We have heard the same Good News that your ancestors heard. But
the message didn't help those who heard it in the past because they didn't
believe. We who believe are entering that place of rest. As God said, "So
I angrily took a solemn oath that they would never enter my place of
rest." God said this even though he had finished his work when he created
the world. Somewhere in Scripture God has said this about the seventh day:
"On the seventh day God rested from all his work." God also said in
the same passage, "They will never enter my place of rest." However,
some people enter that place of rest. Those who heard the Good News in the past
did not enter God's place of rest because they did not obey God. So God set
another day. That day is today. Many years after {your ancestors failed to
enter that place of rest} God spoke about it through David in the passage
already quoted: "If you hear God speak today, don't be stubborn." If
Joshua had given the people rest, God would not have spoken about another day.
Therefore, a time of rest and worship exists for God's people. Those who
entered his place of rest also rested from their work as God did from his. So
we must make every effort to enter that place of rest. Then no one will be lost
by following the example of those who refused to obey.
Philippians 4:7 - GOD'S WORD
Then God's peace, which goes beyond
anything we can imagine, will guard your thoughts and emotions through Christ
Jesus.
=) THINK IT OVER (=
Have you ever noticed how easy it is to
get busy? Then after that, how easy it is to FEEL busy? There are so many
things to do! School, work, church, friends, family, GOD… wow that can get
hectic! And then when you think about what you need to do for the day or the
next few days you start to feel overwhelmed. We can’t let this happen! Yeah,
seems like you can’t help it right? Well you know what those verses said? YOU
CAN! And God is patiently waiting for you to come into His place of rest.
Almost everything I wanted to say, Paul
already wrote about in Hebrews 4:1-11. So what is God’s “place of rest”? A
church, house, state of mind… Well, those are all close. More like a state of
heart, mind, and spirit. Yeah yeah yeah, I know what you’re thinking, “I’m not
Buddhist!” But that’s not really what I’m talking about.
Apparently, God has always had a place
of rest. Then when he created the earth he made that place available to us, but
not very many people have successfully found it. Now that we know it’s there,
it’s our turn to find it!
If you need to: then go back and read
the verses from Hebrews again.
In the very first verse it says that
God has PROMISED this place of rest to us. He loves and cares so much that he
wanted us to be able to just step back and not have to worry about anything.
Then Paul goes on to say that some
people still cannot find the place of rest because they do not BELIEVE. Then he
says, “We who believe are entering that
place of rest.” So what do we have to far?
1 God PROMISED.
2 We BELIEVE.
Now let’s go on! Then Paul says, “Those
who heard the Good News in the past did not enter God's place of rest because
they did not obey God. So God set another day. That day is today.” God gave
everyone another chance to enter into his divine place of rest. Now we have:
1 God PROMISED
2 We BELIEVE
3 We OBEY
Now that you have God’s promise
assured, and you believe that he has that place of rest, and now you’re going
to obey His commandment to rest, how do you finally REST??
“If you hear God speak today, don’t be
stubborn.” Ever have a time where God just says, “SLOW DOWN!” Yeah, that’s when
you need to OBEY! When he says that, it’s like a warning sign that you’re going
to blow up if you keep up that pace.
We just push it to the side because,
hey, we can go another 15 minutes without eating. We can study for another hour
before we go to bed. No big deal! Yeah, that’s what you think. God warns us for
a reason. He cares so much, and HATES to see us so busy that we stress
ourselves out! (And I’ve already stressed myself out way too many times this
week.)
There you have it. All you have to do
to rest is obey God when he tells you to rest. Stop what you’re doing, or slow
down a lot and BREATHE! Take that time to pray for a minute and thank God for
helping you through your busy day and schedule, thank him for caring so much
about you that he warns you to stop. Then ask him what you should do about all
this cramming you have to do, or the work you need to get done. He’ll show you
a way.
Finally, our end result the 4 keys to
REST!
1 God PROMISED. (God has promised a
place of rest for everyone!)
2 We BELIEVE. (We need to believe in
His promise and hold Him at his word!)
3 We OBEY. (Obey God when he tells you
to stop or slow down!)
4 We REST. (Step back and take 3 DEEP breaths and pray for a minute.)
*&* TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE *&*
Get out a piece of paper from your printer.
(Or anywhere really…) Go ahead, get it! (remember the obeying thing??) Ok now
you need a pen… GOOD! Write down the 4 keys to REST at the top, then pick a
verse from the “from the text” section and write it under the keys. You can
pick one or two or all of them if you want! Then put underneath the verse(s),
“I will take my time to rest in GOD, and relax in the presence of my savior.”
If you would like extra time to relax in the peace of Jesus, then write down
things you can do to accomplish that under the sentence you just wrote. Then at
the bottom or if you’ve used up all the paper, then on the other side, sign
your name! Make it official that you’re going to REST.
(-.-) PRAY ABOUT IT (-.-)
Dear Lord, help me to rest in you when I get too busy. Don’t let me
ignore you when you tell me to slow down! Thank you for caring so much that you
want me to be clam and peaceful and not so stressed out. I pray that you will
help me to enter into your resting place and find the true peace that you want
me to have. In Jesus’ name, amen.
*******
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><> FROM THE TEXT <><
Matthew 8:24 - GOD'S WORD
Suddenly, a severe storm came across the sea.
The waves were covering the boat. Yet, Jesus was sleeping.
John 14:27 NKJV
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the
world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Philippians 4:7 - GOD'S WORD
Then God's peace, which goes beyond
anything we can imagine, will guard your thoughts and emotions through Christ
Jesus.
Psalms 46:10a - King James Version
Be still, and know that I am God.
Matthew 6:6 - GOD'S WORD
When you pray, go to your room and close the
door. Pray privately to your Father who is with you. Your Father sees what you
do in private. He will reward you.
=) THINK IT OVER (=
“Dear God, I thank you for this day,
please help me to be good in school and…”
“HUSH IT! I don’t want to hear another
word! Be quiet and let me talk to you!!!!!”
Silence……
“Thank you!”
- God
****
The other day I was at church and the
guy speaking up front was talking about this subject. And I was thinking, “This
has been done a million times, why is he telling us this??” Then he wrapped up
his message and told everyone to sit in complete silence and pray. For 5
minutes this went on, feeling like forever. Then the last two minutes this mist
of peacefulness came over me. I had a feeling that I haven’t had in a long time.
God wants us to be quiet. Yeah quiet! A
little scary huh… Every time I drive 5 minutes down the road I turn on the
radio. Noise seems to make everything feel more normal. We live in such a busy
society that we have to have something going on.
Did you notice that it’s like that when
we spend time with God too? We read and read, then pray, and talk to him the
whole time but never just sit back in awe and say nothing.
So when the speaker made everyone be
quiet, just for 5 minutes, it was revolutionary. A whole new discovery that
there’s something more to a relationship with Christ than study. There’s peace.
Then as 4 minutes passed, not just
peace, but wisdom: wisdom of God’s nature. How much he loves everyone, what he
was dying to tell you, how to find him, and so many other things.
Then when the 5 minute mark came it was
life changing. It was as if I was completely revived, like I had woken up from
the dead or something.
I came away thinking, WOW I need to
do this more often!
There are a lot of people who say you should do it for 20 minutes a day, and that would be so great! But… well… what 20 minutes do I have? I have 10… sometimes only 5 though. USE IT! We don’t have to spend 20. 5 minutes every day or any time you want to can completely change your mood.
*&* TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE *&*
Right now, stop everything you’re doing and
take 5 minutes and just sit there and tell God you’re going to open yourself up
and let Him speak to you. Then wait, after 5 minutes read the following prayer.
(-.-) PRAY ABOUT IT (-.-)
Dear God, thank you for reviving me. Thank you for restoring my mood
and bringing your peace upon me. I pray that I will be able to just hush every
once and a while so that you can tell me what you want me to hear. I’m sorry
that I haven’t been giving you this time before but help me to keep it going.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
*******
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><> FROM THE TEXT <><
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 - GOD'S WORD
Don't you realize that everyone who runs
in a race runs to win, but only one runner gets the prize? Run like them, so
that you can win. Everyone who enters an athletic contest goes into strict
training. They do it to win a temporary crown, but we do it to win one that
will be permanent. So I run-but not without a clear goal ahead of me. So I
box-but not as if I were just shadow boxing. Rather, I toughen my body with
punches and make it my slave so that I will not be disqualified after I have
spread the Good News to others.
Isaiah 40:31b
They shall run and not be weary they shall
walk and not faint.
=) THINK IT OVER (=
I don’t think very many of you know;
but for the past month or so I’ve been training for a marathon. On Tuesdays and
Thursdays I run for about 30 minutes (around 2 miles) and then on Sundays I
started out running 3 miles and increasing it by a mile every week. This Sunday
I will run 7 miles!
Each weekend as it gets longer I need
to strengthen my body during the week. I do this by running and/or walking
everyday. This helps build up endurance so that I can get myself another mile
further.
I was running for a few weeks, and then
I bought new running shoes. This was to help my feet not to get so tired or be
as blistered when I would start running past 5 miles every week.
So every Sunday morning, I get up
bright and early. Usually around 6:00-6:30, then get ready and head over to the
track.
Before I leave I make sure that I am
completely ready for my run. I need to have my running shoes on correctly and
comfortably. Have a bottle of water and a bottle of Gatorade, and I also
usually take an energy bar.
After every mile I drink water and
maybe some Gatorade and after 3 miles I eat a piece of energy bar every mile
with water. When I do I get this slight boost of energy.
So, why am I telling you all this?
Because ladies and gentlemen, welcome to your human race training!
I was flipping through my Bible the
other day and came across a few verses that talked about running and races, and
then I connected the training that I am doing, and the training that we all
need to be doing in life, together!
Have you ever thought about it that way
before? We are all training to run a race, and when we are fully equipped: we
run!
Running the race can be going to work
or school, or even just going out with a group of friends or family, so you
need to be well prepared for the journey ahead.
Hmm what should we have to be prepared…
On my check list the first thing was my running shoes. First of all you can’t
run in sandals!! Your feet would hurt before you even ran a whole mile.
The proper running shoes should be
comfortable, but have all the necessary parts.
God should be the SOUL of your running
shoe. He is dependable and will always give you that extra bounce when you need
him to. (Isaiah 40:31b)
Prayer should be the LACES of your
running shoe. Prayer can hold your life, marriage, and friendships together.
Make sure that you have your LACES tied tightly and you tie them every time you
put your shoes on. Pray as often as you can, for strength, forgiveness, peace,
and just thank God for everything He’s doing!
The Bible should be your socks, I know
we didn’t really talk about socks but whether you realize it or not, socks are
VERY important! They need to help protect you from blisters and you also need
to wear them every time you put your shoes on. Read and study your Bible
whenever you get the chance. You can learn sooo much just by reading one small
verse!
The rest of your shoe that surrounds
your foot is like your relationships with other people. Friends, family,
co-workers, and strangers surround you everyday. Make sure that the people you
have closest to you are protecting your emotional, and spiritual well-being!
Having the best running shoes possible
for YOU helps you run the race and claim your prize. Are you wearing the right
shoes?
*&* TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE *&*
OK my challenge for you today doesn’t have
to do anything with this week’s newsletter. For next week I need EVERYONE to
send me their answer to this following question:
WHY DO PEOPLE LOSE FAITH?
That will be the topic for next week. Send
me you answer along with verses or just a personal experience or opinion.
(-.-) PRAY ABOUT IT (-.-)
Dear God, Thank you sooo much! I love you! Help me to live for you
daily and equip myself properly for the race you have me running. In Jesus’
name, amen.
*******
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