Hope For Today
Hope For Today
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Our ministry may post information from other sources that may be useful and uplifting. We ask that you please use spiritual discernment as you grow closer to God through Jesus Christ, the One and ONLY way. We do not claim to be Psychologists or Healthcare Providers, but we would like to help others with what knowledge we do have. We seek to provide helpful and healing information to encourage others with spiritual enlightenment.
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Nuestro ministerio puede publicar información que puede ser útil y edificante. Le pedimos que utilice el discernimiento espiritual a medida que se acerca a Dios a través de Jesucristo, el único camino. No pretendemos ser psicólogos o proveedores de atención medica, pero nos gustaría ayudar a otros con el conocimiento que tenemos. Buscamos proporcionar información útil y sanadora para animar a otros con iluminación espiritual.
A Perscription For Healing Of All Ills
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28
God's healing power runs all through nature. If a tree is cut, if a human being is wounded or breaks a bone, nature begins at once to repair the injury. Even before the need exists, the healing agencies are in readiness; and as soon as a part of our body is wounded, every energy is bent to the work of restoration. So it is in the spiritual realm. Before sin created the need, God had provided the remedy. Every soul that yields to temptaion is wounded and bruised by the adversary; but wherever there is sin, there is the Saviour.
When the gospel is received in its purity and power, it is a cure for the maladies that originated in sin. The Sun of Righteousness arises, "with healing in His wings"...
The love which Christ diffuses through the whole being is a vitalizing power. Every vital part- the brain, the heart, the nerves-it touches with healing. By it the highest energies of the being are roused to activity. It frees the soul from the guilt and sorrow, the anxiety and care, that crush the life forces. With it comes serenity and composure. It implants in the soul joy that nothing eathly can destroy-joy in the Holy Spirit-health-giving, life-giving joy.
Our Saviour's words, "Come unto Me,...and I will give you rest," are a prescription for the healing of physical, mental, and spritual ills. Though men have brought suffering upon themselves by their own wrong doing, He regards them with pity. In Him they may find help. He will do great things for those who trust in Him...
If human beings would open the windows of the soul heavenward, in appreciation of the divine gifts, a flood of healing virtue would flow in. My Life Today Ellen G White
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You have the amazing privilege of knowing Christ intimately, yet this privilege is not an invitation to act as if you were His equal.
He wants you to worship Him as King of kings while walking hand in hand with HIm. In your heart is where you will know Him intimately; it is there He speaks to you in humble whispers. Some people give God total access to the home of their being right away. Others leave Him standing in the entry-way indefinitely. Many people allow Him to gain entrance slowly. When He knocks on different doors inside you, just know that He will never bulldoze His way in and break down the walls. He will simply knock persistently and quietly, and as He's invited, will come to gently occupy each corner of your life to clean and rebuild. He has given you a choice. Will you choose to open up and share every part of yourself with Him and let Him reign in your life? This is the prayer of submission to His will. God doesn't enforce obedience or submission. We often wish He would because it would be easier, but He gives us the choice. I have had to ask Him to teach me to be obedient out of love for Him and the desire to serve the One who has done so much for me. If you want the same benefits, you have to do the same thing.Seven Prayers/ Stormie Omartian
Don't be afraid of Christ as He knocks on the door of you heart. He will never lead you astray. He will never leave or forsake you. Allow Him access and see what He can do for you.
Father I pray
Help us to be willing and able to search our hearts Father. Let us weigh out the measure of eternal glory with you and with Jesus if we take these three steps to follow your Only Begotten Son who selfishly came down here to this earth, taking on the form of man, to die for us. He made the way for salvation of our souls. So many people have never heard of the saving grace of your salvation. Others have heard but have been deceived of how it truly works for them. And many don't even want to know. I pray that each person takes the time to search and see your gift is a gift of a lifetime, and that they wouldn't be without the greatest gift of your love. Your word says, Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1) I pray that those who are looking for something better than what their life currently offers them, of grief, sorrow, pain, confusion; that they are willing to look for something better in Christ our Saviour. Thank you for your endless love Father toward us, your longsuffering, and your grace and mercy. In Jesus name Amen.
The Divine Surprise
The night was long, and the shadows spread
As far as the eye could see;
I stretched my hands to a human Christ,
And He walked through the dark with me.
Out of the dimness at last we came,
Our feet on the dawn-warmed sod,
And I saw by the light in His wondrous eyes,
I walked with the Son of God
Bertha Geneaux Davis
Meeting Esther
Of the sixty-six books of the Bible, only two bear the name of a woman: Ruth and Esther. In each case, the woman is a central character in the story and a person of great faith. When we look closely at the story of Esther, we meet a woman who lived through a wide range of experiences and was used by God in stunning and beautiful ways.
To the casual observer, Esther's life can appear to be the story of two radically different women. On the one hand, Esther seems like a pawn on the chessboard of life. . . . powerless, abandoned, and opressed. She suffered the loss of her parents, which would have been deeply painful. She was a foreigner in a land not her own. As a Jewish person in ancient Persia, she would have felt displaced both physically and spiritually.
Esther was also a woman in a time of history and a place in the world where the idea of "women's rights" did not even show up on the cultural radar. To top it off, Esther caught the eye of the king's servants and was taken into the king's harem. Without any say on her part whatsoever, she was placed in a national beauty contest designed to find the king a new queen. She had chosen none of these things for herself and, to a large exent, had not had a say in much of anything that had happened in her life up till now. From this vantage point, the casual obvserver might see Esther as just a victim of the world around her.
But though many things went against her, Esther still had love and respect for her family. She had a faith in God and a passion to walk in obedience to the Lord's leading. She was willing to stand toe-to-toe and eye-to-eye with Xerxes, the powerful king of Persia, and make a heartfelt appeal for her people. She was able to navigate the poltical complexities of her day and outsmart the ruthless Persian leader Haman. For these actions, Esther has become a model of faith and courage for people throughout history.
Was Esther oppressed, abandoned, lonely, and tossed around by the world? Absolutely! Was she strong, bold, faithful, and influential? Yes, she was! What an example for women in every walk of life and in every possible situation.
What a woman of God.
Twelve More Women of the Bible.
"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, wherey we cry Abba, Father." Romans 8:15
Loveing Someone Who Is Homeless
Are the homeless being looked at as someone who is in need? Or someone who is an annoyance.
Can we look past the outer appearance and look inside?
Though there are those who like to scam, there are those who are realy reaching out for help. So many people are out there in ultimate needs. It may not have been their fault that they lost everything. But when we see a homeless person reaching out for help, so many people say its a scam. But do they really know that? Put yourselves in their shoes for a moment. They could have lost their job, which in turn caused them to lose their house, their vehicle, thier family. They have no where else to go. No money to feed themselves. They wear the clothes that they had on their back the day they lost everything. There are people who look at them as though they have the plague. They laugh and scorn them. Did Jesus do that to those who were in need of healing? Did He walk by them and look at them as though they are pond scum? No, He was quick to come to their aids. We must remember, what if it was us. What if the tables have turned and we were the ones that lost everything and ended up pan handling for food and help. Would you feel aweful if someone walked by you and told you to "get a job" not knowing your personal situation? They may have health issues that is preventing them from working in the first place. Without good health, you can't work. In turn you lose everything. Even Hope in all things. Show a little compassion to those who are less fortunate, and the reward will be unmeasurable to you.
Let our light so shine! Shine for those who are in the dark.
IN THE BEGINNIG GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND EARTH
Genesis 1&2 are the best introduction to mankind and it gives us reasons why we should worship and approach God daily, with joyful songs and gladness in our hearts! No one, no one could ever love us or come close to giving us such a wonderful and loving presenece, forgiveness and love.
In Genesis books 1&2 it shows that our creation was an absolute gift from God. Not only is He our God-Elohim, God Supreme, Majestic, Powerful and Strong, but He is also God-Yahweh, ever-present, ever-loving and always in a relationship with us because we are His, who only He formed in His own image!
GENESIS 1:1-12
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmametnt from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called He Seas: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, and herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
And the evening and the morning were the third day.
Genesis 1:14-25
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
And God set them IN the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light form the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
and God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that it may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creatures after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepers upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:26-31
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepers upon the earth. So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that move th upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of the tree yeilding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every down of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
THE EARTH IS FLAT ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE
JOB 37:18
Hast thou with Him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass?
In Revelation 4:6 it says; And before the throne (of God) there was a sea of glass like unto crystal:...
The blue sky that we see every day is the dome of water in the firmament that God separated from the waters below and made it the sea of glass above us. As you read above, that the sun, moon and stars were placed IN the firmament which is called heaven. Heaven is the place between the land and the Sea of glass we see every day. The firmament which is in between, God called heaven in verse 8.
Dominic Charma. Dominic comes from the name Dominicas which means; "Belonging to God." Charma means; Fixed massive irregular inequivalent shell. A shell is an outer protector of something that is inside of it. The dome is the shell that protects what is in the earth.
For so long we have been taught that the earth is round and has a shield called atmosphere made mostly of nitrogen and has plenty of oxygen for us to breathe. Also that this atmosphere protects us from incoming meteoroids, most of which break up before they can hit the surface. Also that humans are able to penetrate this atmosphere to go into space. But that is not so. Because the dome which we have over us is made of the waters which was divided from the waters below before the land was formed. And this dome of water cannot be penetrated. It is water like a crystal looking glass. It is called in Job AS a molten looking glass. And we know that molten means; fused or liquefied by heat. So if the dome of water above us is as a molten looking glass. Can anything pass through glass? God made it so strong that it cannot be penetrated.
At night when you see the heaven; the stars the moon and the black sky, remember God separated the light from the dark and the moon and stars are the lesser lights. The heaven you see at night is what's IN the firmament. Not outside of the earth. It is not space, it is the firmament or the heaven.
2 Peter 3:5 says; "For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth STANDING out of the water and in the water:"
STANDING means not rotating through space at a thousand miles per hour around the sun as we have been told for so long. If the sun is in the firmament, then it can't possibly be out in space a billion miles away.
Revelation 6:14 says; "And the heaven (firmament) departed as a scroll when it is rolled together;"
Remember the flood of Noah. In Genesis 7:11 it says that "the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened" and in Genesis 8:2 it says "the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained." It wasn't from clouds like we are told, but the dome of water in the heaven.
*Let us know the truth of the Word of God.
"He STRETCHED out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing." Job 26:7
"Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou Me. Where wast thou when I LAID THE FOUNDATIONS of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding. Who that laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof FASTENED? And who laid the corner stone thereof; Job 38:3-5
"And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is UPON THE FACE of all the earth..." Genesis 1:29
"And every living substance was destroyed which was UPON THE FACE of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed form the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark." Genesis 7:23
"And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went UPON THE FACE of the waters." Genesis 7:18
"And the earth was without form, and void; and the darkness was UPON THE FACE of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved UPON THE FACE of the waters." Genesis 1:2
"And His dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river, even to the ENDS of the earth." Zech 9:10
"He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end." Job 26:10. God had put ice walls that incase the earth to encompass us in.
"Or who shut up the seas with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb? When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it, and brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors, and said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further; and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?" Job 38:8
"Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, and He that formed thee form the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;" Isaiah 44:24.
"When He uttereth His voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and He cause the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; He maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures." Jeremiah's 10:13
"For He looketh to the ENDS OF THE EARTH, and seeth under the WHOLE heaven." Job 28:24
When the sun circuits around the earth, it starts out closer to the north, the center, and swings out nearer the edge in it's seasons. It's circuit does reach the ends of the earth, and then it comes back to the center. And there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. So it is encompassing the whole face of the earth. Circuit is a circle, or circular path. The sun moves in its circuit in the firmament, not the earth around the sun.
"The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and has teeth to his place where he arose. The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits." Ecc. 1:5
"Which commandeth the sun, and it raiseth not; and speaketh up the stars." Job 9:7
When Jesus comes the second time, EVERY EYE will see Him. Only on a flat earth can that happen.
"For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Mark 13:27
"Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." John 17:17
REMEMBER...
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all His work which God created and made.These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, and every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field beofre it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth,and there was not a man to till the ground. But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.
Genesis 2:1-7
Reverence For The Sabbath
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
"Remember" is placed at the very first of the fourth commndment. parents, you need to remember the Sabbath day yourselves to keep it holy. And if you do this, you are giving the proper instruction to your children; they will reverence God's holy day.... All through the week keep the Lord's holy Sabbath in view, for that day is to be devoted to the service of God. It is a day when the hands are to rest from worldly employment, when the soul's needs are to receive especial attention.
The Sabbath-Oh! make it the sweetest, the most blessed day of the whole week.... Parents can and should give attention to their children, reading to them the most attractive portions of Bible history, educating them to reverence the Sabbath day, keeping it according to the commandment... They can make the Sabbath a delight if they will take the proper course. The children can be interested in good reading or in conversation about the salvation of their souls.
During the portion of the day all should have an opportuity to be out of doors.... Let their young minds be associated with God in the beautiful scenery of nature, let their attention be called to the tokens of His love to man in His created works.... As they view the beautiful things which He has created for the happiness of man, they will be led to regard Him as a tender, loving Father....As the character of God puts on the aspect of love, benevolence, beauty, and attraction, they are drawn to love Him.
The Sabbath is the golden clasp that unites God and His people. It means eternal salvation to keep the Sabbath holy unto the Lord.
My Life Today Ellen G White
Sabbath Hymn
R. R. Cottrell 1853
Delightful Day! First gift of Heaven
To man, of Eden then possessed,
Jehovah's Rest-day, kindly given,
That all His creatures might be blessed.
Memorial of Creation's King
We welcome now Thy glad return;
Ad while His praise we join to sing,
Our hearts with love and rapture burn.
We bless Thy name Almight Lord,
We love the keep-sake Thou hast given;
Our voices raise, with one ccord,
In honor of the King of heaven.
All praise to Jesus, by whose blood
We are redeemed from sin and death;
Give glory to the Son of God~
Praise Him all creatures that have breath.
B sin, we were exposed to wrath~
He died for us, that he might draw
Our wandering feet to virtue's path,
Where we may keep God's holy law.
That law shall still be our delight,
The holy Sabbath is a part,
And when we gain that world so bright,
All flesh will keep it with one heart.
Sabbath, the day of rest from all labour. A time of rest.
God saw that a Sabbath was essential for man, even in Paradise. He needed to lay aside his own interests and pursuits for one day of the seven, that he might more fully contemplate the works of God and meditate upon His power and goodness. he needed a Sabbath to remind him more vividly of God and to awaken gratitude because all that he enjoyed and possessed came from the beneficent hand of the Creator.
We are told in Exodus 20:8-11 "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shall you labour, and do all your work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God: in it you shall not do any work, you nor your son, nor your daughter, your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor the cattle, nor the stranger that is with in your gates: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." In this commandment, God wrote this on a tablet of stone with His finger on Mount Sinai. God reminded man that His creation is to be acknowledged on this one day of the week. For six days man is busy with daily life, that this one day was to be Remembered that God in His love and grace and mercy created all that we have. And that we are a part of all His creation. He didn't want us to forget Him and all He had done in the beginning that we all have life through Him and from His creation we enjoy the beauties of this earth. But because man becoming engrossed in their own living the way they want, forget how they came to be in the first place, how they have so much in the first place. They toil in work, and then they take time after a long week of work to enjoy the life of pleasure and indulgence and forget how it all came about in the first place. People go to church on Sunday which isn't the day the LORD commanded us to REMEMBER and KEEP HOLY. For the first day of the week was the first day of creation. God did not rest on the first day before He created the heavens and the earth. But man says the first day of the week is worship day. And it is not. That is why in the commandments it says REMEMBER the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath; meaning, it is essential for man to rest and rejuvenate from a long week of work Remembering how God in His strength and power created all of this which we live on. And we are His creation too. Without His breath we are nothing. Without the intricate organs that were placed in our bodies we do not function. Without every detail to our being we are just a meaningless form. God made each one of us unique to His pleasure. And the Bible never claimed it any other way.
The christian church very early begun and still continue to observe the first day of the week, in commemoration of the resurrection of Christ on that day, by which the work of redemption was completed. Hence it is often called the Lord's day. The heathen nations in the north of Europe dedicated this day to the sun, and hence their christian descendants continue to call the day Sunday. But here in the United States, Christians have to a great extent discarded the heathen name, and adopted the Jewish name Sabbath. But the LORD'S day is the seventh day when He rested and hallowed it and sanctified it. Sanctified means made holy, consecrated; set apart for sacred services. Holy means entire or perfect. So if God made the seventh day holy, entire or perfect, then why would He change it to another day of the week? He never did. Nor did anyone else in the Bible.
Remember means to establish something in the mind, yet everyone Forgets.
Sabbath Rest
Lilla Warren 1907
Wonderous Saviour, blessed Healer,
Give my weary soul Thy rest
In the holy Sabbath coming,
That I may be doubly blessed.
Oh I long to know Thy power
From all sin to set me free;
Only speak the word, dear Saviour,
And I'll find sweet rest in Thee.
Let me know the same great power
That once formed the earth and sea,
And that made the holy Sabbath,
For a sign of power to me.
Let me know each coming Sabbath
More Thy power to save from sin;
Thus shall I the more adore Thee,
And Thy peace shall reign within.
Family Matters
One of my chief goals in this journey is for us to feel as if our feet have felt the warmth of the sand in every place where Jesus stood. In Luke 8, we have a fresh oportunity to adjust our mental images to include a few new people on the scene. In additioin to the Twelve, Jesus had other companions. "Women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene), from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna. . . Susanna, and many others" followed Him (v. 2)
Whether or not these received a verbal invitation the way the Twelve had, a powerful force drew them. After everything Christ had done for them, these women could not help but follow him. You don't have to talk many freed captives into serving Christ. Like Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:14, the love of Christ compels them.
But it didn't seem to compel some of those who might have seemed most suited to cling to Him ~ His physical family. When His mother and brothers came to see Him but could not get to Him because of the crowd, Jesus had some strong words for them.
But Jesus was not rejecting His family as mch as he was redefining it. His statement reflected inclusion more than exclusion. Christ's family probably came to take Him home to keep Him from appearing foolish. They surely weren't there to encourage Him. John tells us "even His own brothers did not believe in Him at this time." (John 7:5.)
Of course, we know that Mary certainly believed Jesus was the Son of God, but the pressure of family members can be quite forceful. Perhaps her other sons were intent on confronting Jesus, and she came along to act as a pecemaker. Sound familiar, moms? You don't have to be a mother to imagine how she felt in her present position.
Christ's revolutionary words that redefined His family dynamics are as critical for us today as they were for those who heard them then. Don't miss the profound importance of God's Word. According to Luke 8:21, our kinship to Jesus Christ is directly revealed through what we do with the Word of God. What you are doing right now ~ studying His Word ~ is not just a good idea, It is the very warmth and vitality of the family blood-line ~ proof that we are family to Jesus Christ.
Beth Moore
O Lord, may we be doers of Your Word and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own face in a mirror; for he looks at himself, goes away, and right away forgets what kind of man he was. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts ~ this person will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:22-25) may this be spoken of me as You continue transforming my heart. Amen
When the Unexpected Happens
Weather can be a tricky thing. Sometimes we arent ready for the disasters that happen or are prepared for the outcome of them. This testimony happened just this last weekend with these tornadoes that have been barreling through the mid eastern states during severe storms. In Clifton, Tennessee one of those tornadoes made itself an uninvited guest as it traveled through two counties.
A place called Bear Inn Retreat was having a women's retreat, then Friday night the alarm was sounded...
10:30 p.m. the phones go off with the tornado warning to take cover. The tornado was heading in the direction of the Bear Inn Retreat about 2 minutes from Clifton in the country area. Richard and Jody Mauzy of Zion Springs Ministry from Vulcan Missouri happened to be there at the retreat. As their phones go off with the alarm of tornado warning, they head to the bathtub in the cabin they were staying in. While sitting in the tub, they kept vigilant watch on their phones to see what the news was about the tornado heading in that direction. After a few minutes, the imminate danger had passed. Leaving the tub area, they decided to go to bed. While Richard fell asleep, Jody at that time could not. She laid there unable to get any sleep after the excitement.
While looking on her phone, she noticed that time had passed and it was then 2:30 a.m., when another warning alarm came through to her phone to take cover. Calmly she wakes her husband and tells him they need to return to the bathtub for cover. While sitting there, they were talking, waiting for the excitement to pass, about 6 minutes afterward, Jody asked Richard, "Do you hear that?" They suddenly heard a loud roaring noice over the top of them like a train passing through. This freight train roaring was over the cabin they were in. They were calm and had no fear about this tornado because they knew that God would protect them. After the sound passed by them, they waited a few minutes and decided to go to bed.
The next day, they were told that some other guests at the cabins could feel their floor shaking beneath them. And when the owner of the Bear Inn Retreat met up with Jody and Richard the next night, Saturday night, he had told them that being the cabins are in Wayne County but the Retreat is on the county line. He had gone to town to get updates on the tornado situation and those in Wayne County said that there was no destruction or deaths or anything. But as the tornado passed the county line, the next county over suffered 7 deaths and destruction. People in the next counties, don't know what is going on in the other counties when things happen.
The tornado came through Friday night came to the town of Clifton, and to the Bear Inn. This was a massive tornado from what was told the owner of the Inn. This tornado skipped town of Clifton, skipped over the lodge, Bear Inn, and landed a half of a mile on the other side of Bear Inn, desomated a few houses. The path of the tornado was seen through the woods right passed the lodge area. There is a two lane highway, some houses, and the woods where the tornado tore through.
The amazing part is that God heard the prayers of the guest at the Bear Inn Retreat that weekend, and protected all who were there. A couple there who were cabin neighbors of Jody and Richard slept through the whole incodent, but knew that the women who attended thi retreat were praying during the time of this incodent. The woman said she knew that God would protect them.
When you have never come in contact or have been close to a weather calamity, it is uncertain what the outcome will be. But when your Faith in God and in His mighty power; it is certain there is no fear. Through all things big or small, God is there to protect those who love Him and do His will.
In the word of God it says in Deuteronomy 31:6 "Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them. For the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you."
Isaiah 41:10 says; "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; yea, I will help you; yea, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness."
God is merciful and wonderful. He answers prayers. And bears witness to His glory for those who do not know Him.
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6.
The world boasts, "I am the master of my fate, the captain of my soul! " And the world also teaches us to live for self and put God and others second, if they come into consideration at all. But the wisdom of God found in Scripture teaches the opposite. We need to trust God's Word more than our own thinking and to accept all of the Bible's doctrines even when we don't fully understand them.Teach me, O Lord, to lean on your Word and not on my own understanding. Help me to trust you with all of my heart and to acknowledge your truths and your commands at each juncture of my path of life. Amen.
"Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance."
Let us slow down and look at the big picture. Life isn't about being impatient, but patiently being.
I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I honked again. Since this was going to be my last ride of my shift I thought about just driving away, but instead I put the car in park and walked up to the door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.
By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.
There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.
'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.
She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.
She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her.. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.'
'Oh, you're such a good boy,’ she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive
through downtown?'
'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly..
'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice.’
I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice.. ‘The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.
'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.
We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired. Let's go now'.
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.
Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move.
They must have been expecting her.
I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.
'How much do I owe you?' She asked, reaching into her purse.
'Nothing,' I said.
'You have to make a living,' she answered.
'There are other passengers,' I responded.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.
'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said. 'Thank you.'
I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life..
I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day,I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?
On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.
We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.
But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.
PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID ~BUT~ THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.
At the bottom of this great story was a request to forward this - I deleted that request because if you have read to this point, you won't have to be asked to pass it along you just will...
Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance.
Awesome World
Jayanthi Galahitiyage
Scriptures a Safeguard
