Look Again at Your Bible!
Labels:
Important messages
Another
look at Jesus in the Gospels
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| William Booth, founder of Salvation Army predicting 20th and 21st Century Christanity. I think you can translate it. |
For any who
might think that sinners were comfortable with Jesus, let me invite you to take
another look at the Gospels. Remember that before Jesus sat to eat with
publicans and sinners, John the Baptist had been around. Jesus showed that the
same ones who came to him, had been following John, desperately looking for
truth and salvation (Mt.21:32). John called them to repentance and so did
Jesus. The only sinners that were comfortable with Jesus and with whom Jesus
was comfortable were repentant sinners.
Even so, these
sinners had to overcome their aversion to the light of truth in order to get
close to Jesus. See Peter prostrate at Jesus’ feet crying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man” (Lk.5:8). Hear the
centurion say, “I am not worthy for you
to come under my roof” (Mt.8:8). “If
I had not come and spoken to them,” Jesus said, “they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin”
(Jn.15:22). Do you think it made people comfortable when Jesus reached over and
tore the covers off their soul, baring even the hidden things that no one knew
about? He was a friend of sinners all right (Mt.11:19), the same kind of friend
commended in the book of Proverbs… “Faithful
are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful the kisses of an enemy” (Pr.27:6)
How Deep the Love of God!
Labels:
Important messages
Trying
to encourage parents to teach their children the right things, I have been
sharing the fact that, because I was raised in the church, I have hundreds of
hymns in my head, sometimes including all the verses. They didn’t do me much
good as a child, but now, it seems to me that these words come to me on a daily
basis and I am blessed with their riches.
This
morning was a little different. A line and a tune from a contemporary song kept
running through my head, “How deep the
Father’s love for us” and I was stuck, because I didn’t know the song. I
got out of bed, went to the internet and found these words:
How Deep the Father's Love for Us
How
deep the Father’s love for us, how vast beyond all measure;
That
He should give His only Son, to make a wretch His treasure.
How
great the pain of searing loss, the Father turns His face away;
As
wounds which mar the chosen One, bring many sons to glory.
Behold
the Man upon the cross, my sin upon His shoulders;
Ashamed
I hear my mocking voice, call out among the scoffers.
It was
my sin that held Him there, until it was accomplished;
His
dying breath has brought me life, I know that it is finished.
I
will not boast in anything, no gifts, nor power, nor wisdom;
But
I will boast in Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection.
Why
should I gain from His reward, I cannot give an answer;
But this
I know with all my heart, His wounds have paid my ransom.
Is Falling into Sin Normal?
Labels:
Important messages
“None
of the people in the Bible were perfect, yet God used them.
1. Moses
was a murderer.
2. David
was an adulterer and schemed to kill the husband in battle.
3. Abraham was
a liar.
4. Jacob was
a deceiver.
5. Samson
was a fornicator.
6. Solomon worshipped
other gods, married many women and kept concubines.”
The God of Mormonism
Labels:
Important messages
Ignorant people with wild assertions
Ray Comfort has produced several short videos on
Mormonism and I will quote a few things from one of them later. After Islam, Mormonism is the fastest growing religion in the world. I think God’s
people need to know more about the roots of Mormonism and all the cults, for
that matter. Perhaps I will take on a small project in these days to reveal some of the major errors of the cults, the roots of some very bad trees. We
will see. If the roots of a tree are bad, Jesus taught, you cannot expect good
fruit (Mt.7:17-19; 12:33).
William Miller, the co-founder of the Seventh Day Adventists, came forward,
more or less in 1818, about the same time as Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day
Saints (the Mormons). They both were ignorant young men, who appeared in the
same state of New York. Miller prophesied of the return of Christ after 1840,
and then postponed his prediction twice, before he gave up. Meanwhile, his
followers sold their lands and properties in preparation for what never happened.
Enter Helen G. White from Maine, an ignorant woman, who followed William Miller
and became a leader and co-founder of the Adventist movement. Charles Russell,
the founder of the Jehovah Witnesses
began his radical Bible studies in the 1870s in the state of Pennsylvania,
after attending the meetings of the Adventists. So within 50 years, three of
the major cult movements began in the same area of the United States.
Raquel wrote yesterday
Labels:
personal testimonies
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| June 11, 1995... three days before the accident |
Twenty years ago today, June 14, 1995, Tom, Jessica,
and myself were involved in a fatal, head-on collision in Germany. I am so
thankful to God for all His faithfulness, during
that time and since then, and wonderful health even in a wheelchair. “But He said unto me, ‘My grace is
sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I
will boast all the more gladly for my weaknesses so that Christ's power can
rest in me" (2 Corinthians 12:9).
God certainly does not look at things like man does!
We spent this weekend enjoying the visit of my brother, Mike, who is a pastor
in Minnesota, and his family, as well as my sister-in-law, Karyn, visiting from
Alaska. Mike shared a great message with us in a Bible study this afternoon. It
was a wonderful time and God's presence was very real and close.
A couple verses he shared really spoke to me today. It
amazes me how God's Word is always teaching me something new, even having read
and studied the Bible every day since I was just a little girl. You might read
a verse many, many times and then one day, God speaks through that verse!
Martyn Lloyd-Jones on God's Presence
Labels:
Important messages
 |
| Dr. David Martyn Lloyd-Jones ( 12/20/1899 - 3/1/1981) |
Martyn
Lloyd-Jones from To Know Him
in his Revival
Series:
Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his
wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast
in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands
and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and
righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.”
(Jeremiah 9:23-24, ESV2011)
And this is eternal life, that they know you the only
true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. (John 17:3, ESV2011)
Clare
Labels:
personal testimonies
We are very proud and blessed to have Clare as our granddaughter by marriage to John. John is the oldest son of our oldest, Dan. Clare summarizes six years of suffering in one paragraph. Please read this personal testimony. It´s a beautiful story of things that can only be learned in suffering! It´s a story too wonderful to keep to ourselves. And then listen to the song, which helps tell the story, too. The link is given below...
August 2009- diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis
April 2011- diagnosed with Lyme Disease
June 2015- 98% healed!!
Free Download
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/70625813/June%202015%20A%20Home%20that%20Glorifies%20God.pdf
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| Margaret and I with our eight kids, 2005 |
If the three lessons that we have published on “Forming
a Home for the Glory of God” have been of benefit and encouragement to you, we
want to let you know that you can download and print them in one document PDF,
photos included. You will find it among the Call
to Commitment Quarterlies , but you can open it directly through the link
above.
I think that these three themes, “The Reality of God”,
“The Love of God”, and “Priorities” in the Christian home are of great
importance for you and your family, whether you have recently been married or
married for many years. Be very careful not to take lightly a matter that is so vital. I hope that, if you have been practicing things that are exposed in these studies as
damaging to your home, that you will have an attitude that is willing to make
changes. On the other hand, if these writings reveal things that should be
happening in your home, but they are not, that there will be the same attitude
of willingness to seek those things. May God bless you and your family! May
your home be a joy for everyone in it and not a place of grief! That is the
desire that we want to pass on from our entire family to yours.
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| Summer 2014: Four children, daughters-in-law, son-in-law, and grandchildren |
(Please be informed that if you have Macintosh you will not be able to download the document mentioned... at least for the present. We will look for a solution.)
Click on photos for larger view.
Click on photos for larger view.
Use of the Law of God
Labels:
Important messages
I can’t remember ever recommending a Christian fiction
film before, but because of the value of the truth behind this one, I feel at
liberty to do so. The producers, I think, began with an apologetic theme and
built a story around it. It is called Time
Changers and, if I could persuade you to watch the film, it would probably
not be necessary to write this article.
Its subject is moral values without Christ, which at
first glance sounds like an issue that is harmless and acceptable enough in
evangelical circles. However, we often contradict ourselves, when what we hold
to in general terms, is challenged by an actual situation, in which our
so-called ‘convictions’ are put to the test.
Family
values and moral principles
Among the U.S. presidents, I suppose few were truly
born-again Christians. However, some were God-fearing men and others, although in
some cases immoral, professed a faith in the triune God of the Bible and His
Christ and they knew in which direction to point the nation, when it faced a
crisis. I remember well how George Bush Sr. brought Billy Graham into the White
House during the Persian Gulf conflict and called the nation to prayer.
Likewise after 9-11, George Bush called upon God and people filled the churches
for prayer.
Forming a Home for the Glory of God, Part III
Labels:
Important messages
Priorities in the Home
Raquel:
“We were brought up in the ways of God. I am so thankful to have had parents,
who taught us early about Him.”
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| Recent shot of Tom, Raquel and family (plus one) |
“And family
devotions were going to happen no matter what. I remember when Steve
got a job and had to get on the train to Munich early every morning. We
just had to get up extra early to have family devotions before he left.
There was no skipping. And there were family devotions at night too. Dad would
share what God was teaching him at the time, would always encourage us to
know God for ourselves and not just what we are taught.”
“And we were
always memorizing a new Bible chapter or reviewing a past one. They stay with
you always.”
“I was still young
(six-years-old), when I realized that I was a sinner and needed a Savior. I
remember, I was playing outside under a big tree. My older brother, Steve, told
me that if the tree would fall on me and kill me, I would go to hell, because
Jesus hadn’t saved me. That shook me up and I didn’t feel like playing anymore.
I wandered around our yard, pondering what I should do. I finally went to find
Mom. She took me into Dad’s study, where she explained to me that everyone was
a sinner and needed to be saved. When she asked me if I wanted to pray to Jesus
to ask Him to save me and live in my heart, I became excited. I was very happy
after praying. I wasn’t afraid of trees falling on me anymore, because Jesus
had saved me!”
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