A God Sanctioned Murder

Warning: The following post is symbolic; please don't rush to your telephone to call the police informing them that you would like to report a murder!

Scriptures:
Galatians 5:22, "And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."

1 Corinthians 15:31, "I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily."

I have a confession, I killed a man today. It was not the first time, and it will not be the last. In fact yesterday, and the day before, and they day before that I killed the same man. The man was me, I hung him on a cross, and I nailed him to a tree.

With the dawning of each new day, I stand, hammer and nails in hand confronting the flesh that somehow manages to survive every time, and as per God's order, I crucify it. Each day is the same, yet different, every time I stand over the mirror image of myself, ready to strike, it pleads and attempts to beguile, the syrupy voice asking me to let him go, 'no one will know' he whispers, 'there is so much I can do for you, you don't know your potential, but I know it. It doesn't have to be this way, we can coexist.'

Before he can utter another word, I strike. My aim is true, I've had lots of practice, and practice makes perfect. He does not scream, in fact he doesn't make a sound, if not for the flash of anger in his eyes, like lighting across a clear blue sky, I would wonder if he even knew what was happening, or if he felt the sting of the nail in his palm.

The first strike is always the most difficult. The rest of the task has become habitual, and I go to work without delay. 'It's still not too late', he says, 'you can still let me go, I won't be mad.'

I turn and leave the flesh hanging there, nailed to the cross, knowing that tomorrow we will meet again, and once more he will attempt to beguile me, and I must be strong enough to resist.

Life is a daily struggle, and the mortification of the flesh is a constant in the life of every believer. Merciless as it may sound, knowing that the smallest of compromises will cause the flesh to overtake the spirit, we must not give in, make no concessions, and allow no negotiation.

The flesh is a liar, no matter what it promises, no matter how it attempts to deter you from your spiritual walk, always remember it is the flesh's job to attempt and deceive you, to drag you back to the mire from which you were plucked and cleansed by the blood of Christ.

Some days are easier than others, some days rather than spend an hour in prayer, it is necessary to spend three hours in supplication before the heavenly Father, until the fact that the flesh has been crucified for the day is a certainty, beyond doubt.

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea Jr.

Request:
That we mortify the deeds of the flesh every day.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, We still live in this flesh and until you give us our glorified bodies when you come, we do as the Apostle Paul told us he needed to do by putting to death the deeds of the flesh and surrender out whole self to you as a "living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to you." In the name of Jesus, Amen.

submitted by Gloria Lewis

Whose Are You?

If it does not please you to serve the Lord, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your fathers served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. (Jos. 24:15)

As the year begins to wind down, it is an apt time to examine our lives and ask ourselves, “How have I brought Christ to the world this year? How can I better bring Him to the world in the coming year?” A good starting place is examining the place of Christ in our lives. In the Gospel of Luke, the angel says to Mary – and to us - that the child to be born will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God shall give Him the throne of David His father, and He shall reign in the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end (Lk. 1:32). Is He the king of our house, with the place of primacy that implies? Do we reflect that primacy to the world around us, and remember that the kingdom to which we are called is not of this world (Lk. 18:36)?

The season of Advent that is soon upon us is particularly relevant and helpful to our reflections. The word “Advent” literally means “coming toward.” We climb the Lord’s mountain (Is. 2:3) in order to come toward, to draw near to Christ, that He may instruct us in His ways. One way to come toward Christ as our king is through our fellow human beings, for in serving them, we serve our king and Lord. In 1988, Pope John Paul II wrote, “Through charity towards one’s neighbor, the lay faithful exercise and manifest their participation in the kingship of Christ, that is, in the power of the Son of Man who came not to be served but to serve (Mk. 10:45). They live and manifest such a kingship in a most simple yet exalted manner, possible for everyone at all times because charity is the highest gift offered by the Spirit for building up the Church (cf. 1 Cor. 3:13) and for the good of humanity” (Christifideles Laici, #41).

The fruit of our charity is a world at peace, something sorely needed as we read of escalating violence in places like Iraq and Darfur, and on own city streets. True peace begins in hearts that are God’s own, in those who have chosen to serve Him. By placing ourselves under the banner of Christ’s kingship, we join in the song of the angels Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace (Lk. 2:14). And we know that our king will give us all that is necessary for the task, for He will fully supply whatever you need, in accord with His glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19).

Prayer Request: That world leaders and others in positions of power will execute their duties from a spirit of concern for all people.

Prayer: Lord, our God, You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Grant us a spirit of humility to acknowledge our rightful place in creation, and to joyfully take up the task of bringing about Your Kingdom of peace that will have no end. We make this prayer through Him who is the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen

Maximum Protection

Scriptures: “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (I Timothy 4:16)

For a while, I wondered what happened to may laptop at home. It’s slow in doing just about anything, starting a service, opening a document, performing a search, and the list went on and on. I suspected that the computer might have been infected with virus. So, I scanned the computer with my anti-virus program. But the laptop still dragged its feet.

One day, some strange messages started to pop up on the screen with program names that I didn’t recognize. So I went online to look up these program names and found that they were viruses that publish information about my computer to the whole world. That’s no good news. I went back to my anti-virus program only to find that it was compromised too.

So, I decided that I needed a new anti-virus program. I checked out PC Magazine’s website to search for the best on the market and purchased it. After the installation, I scanned my laptop and it found 69 viruses. No wonder my laptop was performing so poorly. Now that the computer has been cleansed with this new anti-virus software, it’s clean for now. I learned a lesson and made an “executive decision” that the first thing to do, after logging into the computer, is to update all virus definition files so that the computer can be under maximum protection at all time.

In many ways, our spiritual life is just like the way we work on our computers too. We jump into all kinds of things high on our priority list without wearing gears that can protect us spiritually. As a result, we give our adversary a foothold and opportunities to attack us.

Someone once asked, “Which musician would go on to the stage to perform without tuning his instruments first?” For, if the instruments are not tuned, the music played will not harmonize. We treasure harmony in life. But, do we tune ourselves with God before we start each day? Shouldn’t we be tuned by our master first before being taken up to the stage for performance?

Paul was keenly aware of this. In his instructions to the young preacher, Timothy, he said, “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them….you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (I Timothy 4:16) Two things Paul mentioned here, watch and persevere. Paul wanted Timothy to be alert and to examine carefully his life and the doctrine by which he lived, served, and shared. In doing so, Timothy would know for certain he was walking in life the way our Lord intended it to be. But, the premise was Timothy knew what the right life and doctrine were, as Paul pointed out in preceding passage, “…you…brought up in the truth of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.” (I Timothy 4:6)

To persevere means that, as well as his intention were, there would be times when things get rough and difficult in life, especially in ministries. People might not listen to Timothy; they might oppose him because he was young; they might challenge him because there was a new philosophy in town. Whatever it might have been, Paul knew that doing God’s work inevitably run into challenges and even persecution because the truth and gospel of our Lord Jesus demand that people submit their lives to God so as to receive transformation in life. But the knowledge of this does not make it easier to overcome. That is why Paul told Timothy to persevere.

Bible tells us that we are engaged in spiritual warfare at all time. We are supposed to be fighting to win the lost souls for our Lord. But, if we are not careful, even our very own spiritual life can be in danger. Let’s heed to Paul’s instructions to watch and examine our life and doctrine so we may have maximum protection and so we will not go astray. More importantly, let’s stay close to our Lord and Redeemer constantly so His power may overshadow and protect us. And, let’s commit ourselves to His cause so that, through our perseverance, we may join His triumph!

This is the promise of our Lord, “…you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (I Timothy 4:16)

Prayer Requests:
Those suffering from computer virus infection

Prayer:
Father, thank You for Your Spirit working in our lives to help and strengthen us. We ask that You awaken our spirits so we may know our needs of and our dependence upon You for everything in life, even the very breaths we take. Help us to approach Your mercy seat every morning and be tuned to Your teaching and glory so we may testify to this needy generation the love and grace of our Lord Jesus. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!

Sowing the Seed in our Life

Scripture:
Mark 4:3-9 - “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred. And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

For many years I have understood, talked about and preached on this passage of scripture. To me it was very clear that this parabole about the sower was talking about what happens when we evangelize the world, that some seeds gets burnt up, other seed gets eaten up, other seed gets choked and some see actually grows up. Now all of this seemed to make sense until last night.

Jesus tells us very clearly that “the farmer sows the word” (verse 14). From this we understand that the Word of God is the seed, that the world scorches and chokes the seed that falls in good soil produces fruit. However, having been a missionary, I always looked at this passage as a description of what happens when you evangelize, it did not dawn on me that the result of whether the seed bore fruit or not was dependent on the seed being planted on “good” soil, which is our hearts. Now of course it is all about the seed, the Word of God, but it is also about our hearts, if it is prepared for the seed.

I want my heart prepared to receive the seed of the Word of God and the more seed I plant in my heart the more fruit that seed will produce in my life. But at the same time, I want my heart to be ready to receive the seed of the Word of God which in turn will grow and bear the fruit in that good soil.

Since “faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the Word of God” (Romans10:17) then I need to be very careful about, what and how, I hear from the Word of God. Mark 4:24 says, “Take heed what you hear” and Luke 8:18 says, “Therefore take heed how you hear”. “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:17) We should all desire that our “faith grows excedingly” (2 Thesalonians 1:3) and we should not be “unskilled in the Word of righteousness”. (Hebrews 5:13)

So we need to spend time in God’s Word so that the seed of righteous bring forth the fruit of good soil so that it will be better soils for more seed from the Word of God.

Request:
That we find that time, an hour or two, every day to plant the seed in our life so that it bares the fruit of righteousness.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Word and making it increase in our life. Please help us to keep our soul’s soil clean and ready to receive your Word, so that you can bring to us its increase. In Jesus Name, Amen

Earn This

Scriptures: “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” (Ephesians 4:1)

In 1998, the world famous director, Steven Spielberg, directed an award winning film called “Saving Private Ryan.” This story took place in WWII, right after the D-Day, when the War Department discovered that, out of the four sons in the Ryan family, three had died for their country in the war. They decided that it was too much for a family to have lost 3 children all in one day with the remaining one still on the battlefield risking his life for his country. So, they decided to send the fourth son, James Francis Ryan, home.

But, after further investigation, they discovered that James belonged to the 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment and was missing in action somewhere in France. So, the order was to find James and to bring him home. A search and rescue team of 9 was formed for this mission. They went through all kinds of difficulties, under enemy fires many times, and were deep into enemy territory. Finally, they found James and his battalion holding up a small town with a bridge of great strategic value.

Most people would be thrilled to hear that they can go home and be relived of their combat duties. But, James was different. He refused to leave his “brothers” in the battalion behind and went home alone. He demanded that he stay with his men. Finally, the leader of the search and rescue team, Captain Miller, reluctantly reached an agreement with James that, if the search and rescue team successfully help defend the town and the bridge, James would have to go home with them.

It was a brutal and costly battle for the Americans for they were outnumbered and inferior in equipments and weaponry. But the battle was won, with the heavy price of many lives, including those of the 9 sent to rescue James, one of the very few survivors. Before Captain Miller died, in whisper, he uttered these words to James, “Earn this!”

To this, James was more than grateful. He was almost fearful that he would not live up to the price paid to save his life. In a scene when he visited the grave of Captain Miller, he repeatedly asked his wife for confirmation that he had indeed lived a good life. Somehow, he hoped to receive a confirmation that the sacrifices of the search and rescue team were not in vain because of his life.

In a way, we are just like James for the bible says, “You were bought at a price.” (I Corinthians 6:20) If so, are we living a life worthy of the price paid to save us? In a time of thanksgiving, I can’t help wondering what we are thankful for. More importantly, to whom are we giving thanks? I heard many people sharing their thanksgiving thoughts. They were thankful for many people and many things. But never had they mentioned the recipient of their thanks. Without a recipient, all these thanksgiving words and thoughts become mumblings, just some utterance of meaningless sound.

This movie, dramatic as it is, reminds me of what God has paid for me, the dear and precious life of His only begotten Son. Because of Him, I am not only reconciled to God, but also given the right to become His son and to be entitled to all heavenly blessings.

He alone deserves our thanksgiving. He is the first and foremost reason for our thanksgiving!

Prayer Requests:
All those who celebrate Thanksgiving holiday

Prayer:
Our gracious Lord, who are we that You should be mindful of us, even to the extent of dying for us on the cross? Please help us to remember always that we were bought at a great price, that we need to be thankful in all things, and that we ought to live a life worthy of your calling. Thank You and praise You in Jesus’ name, Amen!

Thanks for Everything

I will bless the Lord at all times; praise shall always be in my mouth. My soul will glory in the Lord that the poor may hear and be glad. Magnify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together (Ps. 34:1-4).

I find myself giving my home a deeper level of cleaning than usual these days, so as to prepare for the arrival of family and friends as the holiday season gears up. Sometimes I come across things that I forgot about or otherwise pushed off into a corner or closet that now need to be tended to or items that have escaped my attention and now must be cleaned up or cleared out. Once I do that, I find there is more room and feel a sense of wellbeing that my home is more organized. Tomorrow, we will be gathering around the Thanksgiving table with family and friends. There will be an abundance of food and drink, perhaps a football game or two. It is a time to reconnect, to make hearth and home once again the focal point of our attention, and to give thanks for all the blessings of the past year.

While the blessings have been numerous, I find myself now taking inventory of the seemingly negative things that have happened as well, and looking at them with a fresh set of eyes. This is, in part, due to a question posed to me a while back. I was asked, “Do you trust God for your trials?” Not “with” but “for.” It seemed a curious question at the time. But in all honesty, I’m one of those people who like to get things all arranged “just so” and then leave it there with no changes. A popular quip says that “God comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable,” and I have no doubt I’m one of those to whom it is aimed. I’ve learned – sometimes reluctantly - that it is precisely through the difficulties and spiritual dust bunnies that God prods me to grow beyond my comfort zone, to move ever closer to that end for which I was created.

While we are doing the sweeping, cleaning, shopping, cooking and all those other activities that come with the holidays, let’s thank God for those difficulties and challenges in our lives that incite us into getting our spiritual house in order. Let us ask God to give us eyes to see Him bringing about good from these seemingly negative events, and for a spirit of gratitude for even these, for in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through Him who loved us (Rom. 8:37).

Prayer Request: That the holidays will bring families closer together.

Prayer: Lord, our God, we give You thanks for all the blessings You have bestowed on us in this past year. We thank You also for the challenges that have been placed before us because we know that You can use them to draw us closer to Yourself. Help us to persevere through the difficulties that we might grow in virtue, and thus come to more closely imitate You who are our Life. We pray in the Holy Name of Jesus. Amen.

Never Stop Praying

Scripture:
"Never stop praying" 1 Thessalonians 5:17

As I have mentioned in earlier blogs, on Wednesday nights my wife and I attend two different churches. Not because we believe different things but because she works in Anaheim and we live in Rosemead, and she would never make it home in time for us to go together to a mid-week service. In addition, my grandson Seth goes to a Christian School in Anaheim so they both go to a Four Square church down there. That evening is also when the children have their Royal Ranger meetings. (Royal Rangers is like a Christian version of the Boy Scouts.)

Seth really likes going to the Christian School to Royal Rangers. He is learning so much in these places that he is always amazing us with the new songs and Bible verses he is learning. We are very thankful for this opportunity he has to learn so much about the Lord.

My wife began brining home "assignments" that Seth had to do for Royal Rangers. One assignment particularly sticks out in my mind happened about 3 months ago. Basically they were sheets of paper with either drawing or making crafts intermingled with teaching a Bible verse or Christian principle. Every couple of weeks he brings something else for us to do together. This particular assignment was to memorize 1 Thessalonians 5:17. In the King James Version it says, "pray without ceasing". However in the children's version he brought home it says, "never stop praying." He has really learned this verse and a couple of other verses and anytime I ask him what does 1 Thessalonians 5:17 say, he immediately repeats, "never stop praying."

It makes me think that in order to "never stop praying" we need to first start praying. But it seems that sometimes our lives get so busy, the only place I can pray is during the 15 minutes I have in the car driving to and from work. However, a couple of months ago I wanted to "motivate" me a little more so I purchased a prayer shawl over the Internet. It came with a zippered pouch to store it and I researched the Internet about how to properly use it.

It sits on the kitchen table on top of my Bible now, and every night, just before I go to bed, it reminds me to spend more time praying and a couple of times a week I put it on and pray as I either walk, in the back yard, or in the living room.

Now I don't think the prayer shawl makes me any more spiritual, but I do think it reminds me of my commitment to spend more time with my Lord in prayer.

Request:
That we spend more time comuning with our Lord in prayer.

Prayer:
Dear Lord. We love you, and you know how noisy our lives are. Yet, you wait patiently to commune with us and to listen to our us. Thank you for sending us your Holy Spirit to teach us. Amen

Hindrance in Life

Scriptures: “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrew 4:16)

A few weeks ago, due to a disastrous accident that involved 31 trucks and 1 car, the tunnel on the truck route on Interstate Highway 5 at Newhall pass was closed. Ever since then, a 30 minute delay minimum has been added to each trip of my commute to work.

Then, one Friday morning, on my way to work, I found the traffic eased up. I no longer had to spend at least an hour and half just to go to work. I could get to the office in less than an hour. The commute was no longer such a dreadful thing to look forward to. It was a great feeling.

This experience reminded me of our communication with our Lord God. As much as we know and understand that prayer is just like a phone call to God, we have to admit that, many times, we pray as though we are talking to air and our prayers seem to bounce right back from the ceiling above us. We long to meet God and ask Him for help, but cannot. Why? What happened?

In Matthew chapter 5, Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8) One of the reasons why our prayers don’t seem to matter, I am convinced, is the lack of purity in our hearts. Someone used to define the purity of heart as “the absolute sincerity and openness before God and men.” When our hearts are filled with worldly desires and worries, even if God speaks to us, we cannot hear Him because, as much as we may be earnest in our pleads, we are not sincere in His ways; as much as we may long for the results we desire, we are not open to His leading; and, as much as we long to hear from Him, we are looking for replies to our prayers in all the wrong places.

Sometimes it’s not the desires, nor worries, but rather, tasks and responsibilities and, yes, even ministries that occupy our hearts. We already know what we want and are simply seeking His endorsements. We are so busy doing things and expecting results that our minds and hearts are no longer with God. It’s just like that tunnel where trucks piled up and burned so bad that the fire went on for 16 hours before anyone could even go in to check and assess the damages. When our hearts are stuffed, nothing can go through.

What should we do then? Like those cleanup crews, I think the first thing to do is to ask the Spirit to help us clean all the wreckage, garbage, burdens and whatever else in our hearts. Then we need to ask the Spirit to examine and restore our hearts so they may be pure and ready to commune and communicate with God. Psalmist knew this all too well for he pleaded for exactly a pure heart, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me….Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach the transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.” (Psalm 51:10-13)

When all hindrances are removed in our hearts, we can then “approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrew 4:16) More then getting help for our needs, the Lord’s promise of enjoying His presence and communion will be true in our lives too! He is faithful! So, let us do our part and enjoy the smooth drive through life with His companionship.

Prayer Requests:
For long-distance commuters

Prayer:
Father God, thank You for making Your Throne of Grace available and accessible to us through our Lord Jesus. Help us to keep our communication channel with you clear at all time so Your blessings can flow to and through us without hindrances and so our ride with You through life can be a glorious witness that help turn sinners back to You. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!

He Never Slumbers

Scripture: Psalm 121

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

On Tuesday evenings I usually go to quartet practice for the quartet I am in. (www.jerichoquartet.com) Our practice is in Chino Hills and this past Tuesday there seemed to be a lot of traffic on the 10 freeway so I got off and was heading for the 60. To do so I needed to go down a side street to head south.

At the same time I had a CD playing in the car. It was a CD I made to help me memorize scripture. Basically it repeats small sections of the passage I am learning multiple times with pauses between each section.

All of a sudden I looked up and there was a red car zipping in front of me. My first thought was I am going to hit him, then I slammed on the brakes. It was the first time I had ever had to use some antilock mechanism in my brakes. The car made some kind of a vibrating noise and stopped, but there was no CRASH.

I watched as the car continued on and I was stunned that I did not hit him. I sat there for a few seconds, thanked God and then realized that God had just fullfilled the promises He gave us in Psalm 121. Then I was doing more then just thanking God, I began to Praise HIM out loud. Hallelujah. Another "proof" to strengthen my faith that God watches over us.

ps. If you are interested in memorizing larger portions of scripture like Psalm 121. Let me know what passage you want to learn and I can help you by creating a CD you can listen to in the car while on your way to and from work. I have an excellent method that I have used for years.

Request:
That we would be able to help other brothers and sisters in Christ to have the faith that our Lord does take care of us.

Prayer:
Thank you Lord for watching over us every second of our lives and thank you again for preventing what could have been a very serious accident this past Tuesday.

A Dangerous Prayer - Part 4

In this reflection on the Lord’s Prayer, let us consider the final verse: And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

What are these temptations and evil from which we pray to be delivered? The question strikes at the heart of the age old problem of why bad things happen to good people, and how a God whom we profess to be loving and merciful would allow evil to exist in the world.

We must remember that nothing that happens to us is beyond the Lord’s control. Romans 8:28 says that all things work together for good for those who love God, even the bad stuff. There is grace to be gleaned from life’s trials and tribulations. Our God is, above all else, a loving Father, and He never withdraws His mercy from us. Although He disciplines us with misfortunes, He does not abandon His own people (2 Mc. 6:16).

Still, it is tempting to cling to the notion of abundance being a sign of God’s favor and misfortune a sign of being accursed. We must pray to be delivered from that temptation. We must hold fast to the perspective of faith that lets us see the grace flowing forth from troubled times, faith like that of Job: Naked I came forth from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. We accept good things from God; and should we not accept evil?” (Jb. 1:21, 2:9-10).

Both the Scriptures and Jewish wisdom literature present numerous examples of people, like Job, who triumphed, and of others who fell prey to temptation. Our Lord Jesus knows well the temptations we face. Satan tempted Him with all the same allurements with which he attempts to entice us off the path to eternal life (see Mt. 4-1:11). The worst evil from which we must beg deliverance is temptation to the sin of apostasy.

A Maccabean account tells the story of a mother and her seven sons who were arrested and tortured to force them into abandoning the laws of Yahweh. They all resolutely accept death rather than transgress the covenant. One of the sons, holding fast to his faith, tells his tormentors, “It is my choice to die at the hands of men with the hope God gives of being raised up by Him” (2 Mc 7:14). Nothing was more important than remaining faithful to the covenant relationship with the Creator.

Our Lord tells us plainly that His followers will pay a price for their faith. Remember the word I spoke to you, ‘No slave is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you (Jn. 15:20). He warns us repeatedly to pray that we not be tested.

Lest we think we are above succumbing to such temptation, let us remember the plight of Peter, who valiantly and proudly declared to the Lord, “I will lay down my life for You!” (Jn.13:37). Jesus warned Peter, James and John in the Garden of Gethsemane, saying, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not be put to the test.” (Lk. 22:46). And what happened to Peter a short while later when he was confronted in the courtyard of the high priest’s house? Just as Jesus had foretold, he denied [Him] saying, Woman, I do not know Him. (Lk. 22:57). And this from a man who literally walked with the Lord for three years! What chance do we possibly have?

As we pray the Lord’s Prayer, it is helpful to ask ourselves, “Are we sleeping, that is, spiritually sleeping?” We must do our part and avoid putting ourselves into tempting circumstances. Ultimately it is up to God whether or not we are tested. In this final verse, we fervently ask to be spared such a trial. But if the Lord allows us to be tested, we cannot hope to triumph unless we have nurtured our relationship with Him on a daily basis by reading His Word, through personal prayer and in communal worship with our fellow believers.

We must desire with all our heart, mind and soul that the Lord would become so intimately a part of us that there is no question of where our loyalties lie, no matter the situation. The life-giving water of grace to fight the good fight is given to us in abundance. The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let the hearer say, “Come.” Let the one who thirsts come forward, and the one who wants it receive the gift of life-giving water” (Rv. 22:17).

As a friend of mine likes to say, “It all comes down to knowing who you are and Whose you are.” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus, come with Your grace!

Prayer Request: That we may never presume that our faith is strong enough.

Prayer:
Lord, we thank you for sending us the Holy Spirit to strengthen us in our weakness. Keep us close to You, never let us be parted from You, for without You, we can do nothing. We pray in the mighty Name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.

What a Friend We Have in Jesus!

Scriptures: “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business .Instead, I have called you friends, for everything I have learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15)

Years ago, because of my job, we moved to Sacramento. It was a completely new place to us. Except the people in the office, we didn’t know anyone there. One day, in a family reunion, we ran into a relative who’s also a pastor. He knew a sister in the Lord in Sacramento and gave us her phone number. That phone number lead us to know the sister, her church and a group of loving brothers and sisters in the Lord.

I still remember how more than a dozen brothers came to help us move. They were so organized as though they were some kind of professional movers. Their love and sensitivity to the newcomers made us feel right at home in a strange land. More than that, the sisters there often came to help us, especially when our kids were still very young and required a lot of attention and caring. They invited my wife to their weekly and, almost daily, fellowship. Their love and dedication to the Lord not only warmed our hearts, but also brought us closer to our Lord Jesus and to each other.

In this day and age when people believe that the true interpretation of “A friend in need is a friend indeed” means friends are for the purpose of satisfying needs only, their testimonies reminded me of what Jesus said about His relationship with us. He said He no longer called us servants, but friends because He has made known things He learned from the Father to us.

Friends are more than acquaintances, nor are they merely companions. They are the people with whom we share our joy, our hurts, our hopes, and our supports. They are the people with whom we love to spend time, to discuss ideas, and to seek advices and counsels. They are the people who help us grow mature in every way and to grow closer to God. They are the ones to share our lives. Jesus did just that!

Through our friends in Sacramento, I have come to know our Lord Jesus as a friend in a much deeper sense. He is not only our friend, He sends people to our lives to be our friends also. What a friend we have in Jesus! Remember this hymn?

What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and grief to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we have forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not 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.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer.
In His arms He will take and shield you; you will find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou has promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear.
May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer.
Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there.

By Joseph Scriven, 1855


Prayer Requests:
Friends we’ve had and friends to have

Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank You for taking and shielding us and for keeping us company where we may be. Who are we that You would consider us as Your friends! Help us to share such friendship with all those suffering in the hurting and lonely generation. In Your name, Amen!

The Kingdom of God

Scripture:
"To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3)

Last Wednesday I had the opportunity of doing something I have not done in a long, long time. I taught a Bible Study class in Spanish. It was really cool. We have been going to a Spanish speaking Four Square church which is only a couple of blocks away from our house and they have an English service at 9:30 am on Sunday. My wife only speaks English so she had been going to church on Wednesdays near where she works in Anaheim and on Wednesday I go to the Spanish Bible study and prayer meeting.

Recently began membership classes and one day the Pastor asked me if I wanted to teach a class. I of course said yes and the Lord revealed to me what he wanted presented last week. Since it has been so long since I have taught in Spanish I must admit I was a little nervous but I was confident that God would speak even through some of my Spanish grammar errors.

For two weeks I prayed and prepared and it went very well, but now I feel, depleted and weak. While preparing I was constantly talking to God and searching for God's will, now I just feel, blah. In my heart I know what I need to do, start praying continually again and waiting on the Lord. "Be still and know that I am God," (Psalm 46:10) comes to my mind right now. And I will. It just seems strange. I want so much to be used by the Lord that when he is using me I feel great, but when He "pauses" for me to consider what He actually has done, I am kind of like a little kid wanting more. Does this all make sense?

I love my Lord so much for what He has done for me. Part of me wishes I had never had any "falls" in my life so that would feel His Glory more, but another part of me knows that if I had not had the experiences I have had, then I would never had really appreciated what our Lord has done for me.

My focus needs to always be, "seek ye first the kingdom of God". (Matthew 6:33) When we are told to consider the birds of the air and the flowers of the fields (Luke 12:22-31) we are also told that we have "so little faith". And I don't think we should feel guilty for the little faith that we have, but I think we should be focusing more on the Kingdom of God a whole lot more then we do for "where our treasures is, that's where our heart is." (Luke 12:34) Don't you?

Request:
The we as members of His church focus more on His Kingdom and less about the things of this world.

Prayer:
Thank you Jesus for dying on the Cross for us and giving us the Holy Spirit to teach us and remind us of what you taught us about the Kingdom of God. We cherish every thought we have about being with you in eternity and desire only that everything that we do be worthy of your soon coming. Amen

Unknown Ways

Scriptures: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.” (Isaiah 55:8)

AFTER my father's death, my mother became seriously ill. She had dialysis treatments three times a week. Over time, other serious diseases appeared and her health became very bad. Five years later, after a long struggle, my mother died because of cancer.

During that time I wondered what the source of her power was. She didn't seem to accept my Christian witness, and I did not see her as a person of faith. However, a month before her death, she allowed me to pray with her and accepted Jesus as her own savior. I did not know what was in her mind and heart before this time, but I was grateful to witness her response to God's grace in the very last moment of her life.

Later I discovered in her things these words written on a piece of paper: It's hard and very scary to take the last way alone. I will fall and rise. I will be lost and revive again. But always with You - Thank you, Lord!
Then I realized that God had already prepared her for the last and most important fight in her life, even though it had not been apparent to me. Once again I was convinced that God's ways are often unknown to us indeed.

(From Upper Room Daily Devotion, Nov. 2, 2007 – by Daniel Topalski, Pleven, Bulgaria)

Prayer Requests:
The people I love

Prayer:
Loving God, help us to share our faith with those we meet. Help us to realize that you work in many ways beyond our witness to draw others to you. We entrust to you those we love. Amen.

A Dangerous Prayer – Part 3

The next verse of the Lord’s Prayer - Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors - is another one meriting an entire blog entry. I'll reflect on that verse in this week’s sharing, and finish up these reflections next week.

As we forgive others. What we receive hinges on what we are willing to give. The choice is entirely ours. The other night, I was flipping through channels on the TV, and happened to come across a showing of Gone with the Wind. I hadn’t seen that movie in its entirety since my first encounter with it at the age of 11, although I had seen occasional clips and heard bits from the musical score. Watching it again, I homed in on the character of Melanie Hamilton Wilkes. I was particularly struck by how she repeatedly defended Scarlett O’Hara to her many critics, and particularly in light of the many veiled (and some not-so-veiled) accusations of infidelity between Scarlett and Melanie’s husband, Ashley. Melanie steadfastly refused to listen to the gossip or to think ill of Scarlett, no matter the preponderance of evidence against her. Her attitude was one of being quick to forgive, always giving the other person the benefit of the doubt, and seeing the good that is there.

In the Gospels, when Peter wants to know how far he has to go in extending forgiveness, the Lord tells him he must forgive not seven times, but seventy times seven times (Mt. 18-22). But the Lord desires that we grow beyond such a legalistic view of forgiveness. It’s not about keeping score, or if someone “deserves” to be forgiven. The Lord’s Prayer contains no caveats or quid pro quos. We must be conformed to an attitude that is more like Christ – one of unconditional love.

We see a shining example of this in the parable of the Prodigal Son (Lk. 15:11-32). Although the son acknowledges the error of his ways (Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you) and recognizes the breach he has caused in his relationships with both his earthly and heavenly fathers, there is no “I told you so” or “Don’t you ever do that again” or anything of the sort. Interestingly, the word “forgiveness” isn’t even used in the parable. I imagine that the son never got a chance to finish his well-rehearsed speech when he met up with his father. In that moment, the father’s joy trumped justice. Love overshadowed duty. The matter of forgiveness, in the father’s mind, was completely rhetorical.

This kind of unconditional, forgiving love is what the ancient Greeks called agape. It is the love with which our heavenly Father loves us, and with which we in turn are called to love one another. Agape love and forgiveness are inseparable. One implies the other. True, agape love does not brood over injury, but rather bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Cor. 13:5, 7). As we pray these words of the Lord’s Prayer, let us strive to pray them with the heart of Jesus.

Prayer Request: For those wounded by division. For those who refuse to forgive, or to ask for forgiveness.

Prayer:
Lord, our God, at the Last Supper, Your Son prayed that we might be one as You and He are one. We want to grow in that kind of unity with You and with one another. Help us to be slow to anger, unwilling to hold grudges, and always quick to forgive, that we may love each other as You love us. We make this prayer through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Stay Focused

Scriptures: “You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying Your decrees! Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all Your commands. I will praise You with an upright heart as I learn Your righteous laws. I will obey Your decrees; do not utterly forsake me.” (Psalm 119:4-8)

I was on the treadmill, doing my share of exercise that day. As I have always done, I started slow and, little by little, increased the speed to give myself a good and healthy workout. To stay alert and interested, I turned on TV and watched the news at the same time jogging on the treadmill.

Just when I thought I was doing pretty good, going at the speed I enjoyed and jogging at a consistent pace, then I noticed a strange noise coming from the back and I felt something under my feet. I looked around and found myself jogging closer to the edge of the treadmill behind me. The noise actually came from my feet, slipping off the treadmill. I asked myself, “How did this happen?” I thought I was jogging at the pace shown on the display panel on the treadmill. If so, I should never have slipped back. But, I did. I must not have kept the pace I should.

I realized that I must have been watching the news so attentive that I was not aware of my speed slowing down. So, I sped up and focused on my position on the treadmill as I continued to jog. In this way, I was able to complete my workout on the treadmill without slowing down again.

I think, in many ways, we could make the same mistake spiritually too. Paul also used running as an analogy to our spiritual life. He said this in the book of Philippians, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. Press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12-14)

Just like my workout, we need to stay focused in our spiritual life. We can be easily distracted and forget why we even took on this spiritual journey. Or, we become less attentive and less sensitive to the way we grow and strive in our spiritual life and we wonder why there are so many noises in our lives! If only we look back and measure ourselves against the decrees and commands of God, then our mistakes and oversights will be revealed for correction to bring us back on track with the pace at which our Lord Jesus would like to walk with us!

All these workouts were designed to make us better and more fitting physically. As I sweat in workouts after workouts, I can actually feel my legs growing stronger and I know my cholesterol level is getting better. That’s the whole purpose of doing exercises. In the same way, through our circumstances and opportunities, God has in store for each of us a spiritual workout plan, a plan designed to strengthen us and to bring blessings to others.

But, so often, we either get distracted by other things in life that we missed the opportunities or grow weary because we carry too much unnecessary baggage that we slowed down our pace. We may still believe that we are following our Lord when, in fact, we were just dragging our feet. The psalmist says, “My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word.” (Psalm 119:81) Yes, in times of weariness, the Word of God is our hope. Our Lord is the source of our strength and the guide through this journey called life.

Let’s run through this life the way Bible teaches us, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lost heart.” (Hebrew 12:1-3)

Prayer Requests:
For those struggling to improve their physical health condition

Prayer:
Lord, thank You for your unfailing love and supporting arms that sustain and lift us up each time we feel tired and disoriented. Help us to stay focused on You and You alone so we can press on to take hold of what You have called us to take hold of. May all glory and praises be unto You! In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!

Practical Praying

Scripture:
Matthew 6:25-34
25 Therefore I say unto you, be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than the food, and the body than the raiment? 26 Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value then they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit unto the measure of his life? 28 And why are ye anxious concerning raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God doth so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, [shall he] not much more [clothe] you, O ye of little faith? 31 Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

Last week while eating a hot dog I felt something in my mouth and before I knew it I had swallowed one of my caps. Of course, that afternoon, I went to a dentist and had them put in a temporary filling until I could go to my orthodontist. Like many others, I get very anxious when I have to sit in the dentist chair. There is something about that HUGE hypo, the buzzzz of the drill, the smell of the "burning" tooth and the pain, that just freaks me out and makes me go into cold sweats. Well Saturday I saw the orthodontist and he told me that he was not worried about the tooth that lost the cap, he was worried about the tooth next to it that seemed to be absessed even though I did not feel anything. So, I went in yesterday after work.

Now we all know that Philippians 4:6 tells us to "not be anxious for anything" but I get very anxious about this all the time. Without going into detail, I basically know where it comes from, and each time I sit in the dentist chair I "work out my salvation" (Phil. 2:12) dealing with this "problem" of mine. On the spiritual side of things I try to do what the rest of the verse tells us to do. First of all, I believe that if Paul tells us to NOT be anxious, I am assuming it is possible to not be anxious. Secondly, the rest of the verse basically tells us to pray in four different ways, "but everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God" and then in verse 7 the promise is that "the peace of God" will "guard our hearts and minds".

After work yesterday my friend Lee drove me to Long Beach, that is where my orthodontist practices on Monday's, and on the way we prayed together and our fellowship together was very calming. I also took a sleeping pill that would make me a little groggy when I get there :-) Then just before the dentist began doing what he needed to do, Lee prayed for me one more time. In addition to witnessing a little by praying, here is what I think about all of this. One, I know what the Word of God says and I am trying to apply what it says by doing what it says each time I need to. Two, I am not in a place yet in my spiritual walk to be able to pray so much that all of the anxiety goes away, so I take a pill. Three, before the next time I need to apply this passage of scripture, I want to study it more in detail so I can apply more if it and grow in my Christian walk.

I believe everything the scriptures say and I practically apply every part of the Bible the best way I know how. I try not to fall into the trap of believing that I am "not being good enough" which is one of the enemies lies. I already know I am not good enough and it is only through God's Word and the Holy Spirit teaching me and reminding me that I am able to grow to be more and more like Jesus.

As a beginning to my study on Philippians 4:6 I found this article on Billy Graham's website.

https://www.billygraham.org/LFA_Article.asp?ArticleID=2

Request:
That we would ask the Holy Spirit to teach us and remind us to apply the Word of God in practical ways so that we would become more and more like our Saviour Jesus.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, you gave us your Son and he gave us the Holy Spirit. We have so much to rely on but we still keep on doing it ourselves. Forgive us oh Lord and continue to rain on us your tender mercies as we your children grow more and more to be like Jesus. Amen.

The Wonder of God

Scriptures: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17)

A business opportunity presented itself and brought me to the East Coast this November. Although I had checked the weather before I left Southern California, I wasn’t prepared for the beauty of the changing colors of autumn leaves. It was quite a special experience because, at first when I looked down from high above, the variation of colors was not so obvious.

As the plane was coming closer, we got a closer look at all the variations in colors of these autumn leaves, varying degree of red and yellow, mixed with ever-greens, it was a magnificent picture. The colors went so well together. One cannot but be amazed by the wonder of their Creator!

As I looked back at the trip, started from the golden state, through the rugged country, and finally came to this land of colors, I wonder if anyone ever asked questions like, “Who painted these trees with so many bright and beautiful colors?” Or, “Who invented the colors in the first place?” Or, “Who put these trees together that make up such a picturesque scenery?” No wonder Paul exclaimed, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20)

Beauty was not the only thing in the display of wonder that moved me. The riches of God that created these colors was another thing that touched me deeply. As I looked at this wonderful mixture of colors that spanned across the spectrum of color, I could sense the depth of God’s riches was beyond our understanding. Someone used to tell me that, if anyone wants to know how to match colors, just observe how God matches colors in the nature. After all, He was the one who created the sense of beauty in us, wasn’t He? I don’t know if the Apostle Paul felt the same thing I do now, but what he said in the book of Romans expressed how I felt perfectly, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out!” (Romans 11:33)

But the most impressive part of this trip was that He gave all these blessings to us freely. I believe He speaks to us through His beloved Son, our Lord Jesus; He speaks to us through His written word, Bible; and He continues to speak to us through the beauty and wonder of this world He created for us.

And I thought I was coming for a business trip. No, I think I was invited to a display of the wonder of our Almighty God, the amazing God, and the loving God who withholds no heavenly blessings from us. What a privilege to know Him and to become His children! How can we not respond to His love and calling in joy and compassion? Praise the Lord!

Prayer Requests:
For those traveling for whatever causes

Prayer:
Our loving Father, thank You for Your amazing love that continually touches and gathers us around You, wherever we are. We ask that Your Spirit constantly work in our hearts so that, in both our physical and spiritual journeys in life, we never lose sight of You, our Creator and Shelter and our focus in life, In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!

A Dangerous Prayer - Part 2

I was originally going to write this reflection on the Lord’s Prayer in two parts. However, when I came to the next verse up for consideration, I decided to devote this entire blog entry to this verse: Give us this day our daily bread. This verse is packed!

One of the beauties of Scripture is the use of the most basic elements known to people all over the globe – like bread - to describe spiritual realities. It is no accident that Jesus described Himself as the Bread of Life. The allusion to bread is not just about filling one’s bodily needs, though our God, because He is a loving Father, does address that need. But He wants to give us much more, so He made a covenant with us – He is our God and we are His people. This covenant is inherently bi-directional. God gives Himself to us and we must, in turn, respond in kind to Him.

In Exodus 16, verse 4, the Lord says to Moses, “I will now rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion; thus will I test them, to see whether they follow My instructions or not.” The people had been grumbling to Moses that he had led them into the desert to die of hunger. When Moses took the people’s complaint to the Lord, Yahweh met their immediate need for food by sending down manna. But He wanted to give them so much more. He wanted to be in relationship with them.

So how do we respond to such an incredible gift of Self? With thanksgiving and praise. And there is no more fitting way to praise and glorify our God than through obedience to His commandments. Still, obedience is often a difficult concept for us broken human beings, especially when we don’t have a clear picture of what’s around the next corner on this journey we call life. Countless philosophers and musicians over the years have asked what life is really about, why we are even here. We don’t like uncertainty. Yet, being people of faith means that we are sometimes asked to live in an uncomfortable air of uncertainty, but in a spirit of trust, for we walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7).

Our Biblical ancestors experienced the same uncertainties, and occasionally wanted to turn back to their comfort zone. While wandering in the desert after the great miracles of Passover and the parting of the Red sea, they became so paralyzed by the discomfort that they expressed a death wish rather than submit themselves in obedience to God’s mysterious plan. “The Israelites said to them [Moses and Aaron], ‘ Would that we had died at the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread! But you had to lead us into this desert to make the whole community die of famine!” (Ex. 16:3)

Even those who knew Jesus in the flesh didn’t fare much better. And the Lord responded in even more concrete terms. In what is known as the “Bread of Life Discourse” in John 6, Jesus reveals Himself in no uncertain terms for whom and what He is: ‘Your ancestors ate manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world’ (Jn 6: 49-51).

Bread factors prominently in a number of post-resurrection appearances. The breakfast on the beach account in John 21 also features bread - an echo back to the Last Supper. Luke tells us that "the disciples recognized Him [Jesus] in the breaking of the bread” (Luke 24:13-35). Do we see Jesus as the “daily bread” that literally feeds every part of our life or is He just a vending machine we go to when we are hungry? He wants to fill every hunger we have, including and especially that empty space inside that nothing else can satisfy. He desires to be with us in a covenant so intimate, that He gives Himself to us as food. Do we recognize Him there?

Prayer Request
For those weighed down by the daily struggle of providing for their basic needs.

Prayer
Lord God, we give You thanks and praise that You desire to be in covenant with us, to provide for our every need, even those we don't know we have. Give us eyes to see beyond the physical to the mysterious and wondrous reality of Your Holy Spirit working in our lives, as we walk not just by sight, but by Your gift of faith. We pray in the mighty Name of Jesus, Amen.

Amazing Rescue

Scripture:
"Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (Rev.20:14-15)

Yesterday after I left work, I had stayed a little later to catch up on some odds and ends, I drove right over to my church. when I got there we did not have a regular pray meeting and Bible study, we had a "Harvest Festival". It was great, this small, spanish speaking church had converted its 10 car "parking lot" into an area of fun and fellowship. There were bails of hay and pumpkins all over the place, fun games to play with prizes which you did not have to pay for, homemade dessert and beverages, and an evangelistic movie inside the small chapel type church. It was so exciting. This small fellowship of faithful believers drew the attention of the entire, multi-cultural neighborhood for blocks around. And passers-by knew what was going on because they rented a large, electric sign inviting people to come, in both English and Spanish. It was so exciting. Hallelujah.

Well it seems like the Lord wants me to think more about evangelism because yesterday I also got an email from a missionary friend. As I believe I have told you in the past, I am on his prayer team, and today, I would like to share with you what he wrote to me.

"I many times refer to evangelism as a RESCUE OPERATION. Modern evangelism methods would say that we are rescued from an unhappy life, a bad marriage, drugs, alcohol or an empty life. "Try Jesus," they say, "you've tried everything else."Yet, when one runs to Christ, he is actually saved from the WRATH OF GOD and certain judgment.But now God commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. (Acts 17:30)

"When I evangelize, I call people to repent and turn to Christ, knowing that Jesus is the only one that can forgive our sin and save us from the wrath of God. The sinner may have many issues in his life, but his GREATEST need is to turn from his sin and flee to Christ so that he will be saved on judgement day.In the following video, I am sure the man on the edge of Niagara Falls had many needs. He was cold, he was scared and perhaps he was hungry. His greatest need, however, was to be rescued from a sure death.

"The following video is one of the best illustrations of evangelism that I have seen. You can find the link on Jacob's blog which is at http://openairpreaching.blogs.com/

Jacob Bock
Spain

Requests:
That the Lord remind us of the severity of the danger that awaits those who do not know Jesus as their Lord and that we continually seek opportunities to share the gospel of our Lord and Savior.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, You are coming soon and we know that those who do not know you will find themselves in hell for all eternity. You do not wish that any should perish, so I pray that you will move in us to respond to every opportunity to you give us so the more will come to know how wonderful is your gift of salvation. Amen.