Where Is The United States in End-time Prophecy? (Pastor Greg Laurie) Pastor Greg Laurie is at the top of my list of great Bible teachers. I’ve listened to him a lot of my lifetime. In his blog (and I urge you to go there) he has a treasure trove of short thought-provoking messages from God’s word. Here’s an example. What part does the United States play in end–time prophecy? This is such an important message. Please allow me to share it with you right now.
Where Is The United States in End-time Prophecy? (Pastor Greg Laurie)
The American Pastor Imprisoned In Iran And His Wife Need Your Prayers
Naghmeh Abedini is pulling back her public fight to see her husband Pastor Saeed Abedini freed from an Iranian prison.
Christianity Today reports the emotional stress of the effort, along with “abuse” issues in her marriage before and since Saeed’s imprisonment, have taken a toll. CBN News contacted the American Center for Law and Justice, which represents the Abedini family, for a response.
“In recent days, Naghmeh — Pastor Saeed’s wife — has revealed that she is dealing with some very serious personal issues inside her family. She has asked for privacy and prayer. We are respecting her request. The ACLJ will not have any comment on the personal issues that she is addressing,” the ACLJ told CBN News.
The Christianity Today article is based mostly on two emails Abedini sent to supporters revealing the problems. In those emails she listed marital problems, including “physical, emotional, psychological and sexual abuse [through Saeed’s addiction to pornography] .”
The ACLJ gave CBN News the following statement from Naghmeh Abedini:
“I regret having sent the emails. I was under great psychological and emotional distress. I am now taking time off to heal and to rest and to spend much needed time with my kids. I would appreciate for those who care about Saeed and our family to give us time for rest and healing and to respect our privacy.”
Meanwhile, The ACLJ told CBN News it remains committed to seeing Saeed’s freedom.
“What we are focused on is this: bringing home an American pastor who has been wrongly imprisoned in Iran because of his faith. We know that Pastor Saeed remains in grave danger in prison where he continues to be beaten and psychologically abused by Iranian guards and remains in need of medical care,” the ACLJ said.
“We continue to pray for Naghmeh, Pastor Saeed, and their family. We will continue our work — in this country and abroad — to secure the freedom of this U.S. citizen,” the ACLJ statement concluded.
Naghmeh also asked for prayer to continue for Saeed and their family. Christianity Today reported she pointed out that Saeed still shares his faith in Jesus while imprisoned — and that she calls her husband a “treasure.”
“But that does not mean he has not been battling with his own demons which I am believing that he can be freed of,” Christianity Today quoted from Naghmeh’s writings.
“I will continue to pray for my husband’s release and advocate for him as he suffers in an Iranian prison for his Christian faith. I would also ask others to join me in continuing to pray for his release,” Naghmeh said in her statement to CBN News.
Saeed Abedini has spent more than three years in an Iranian prison simply for his Christian faith. He is still being mistreated, beaten and denied medical care.
Despite Naghmeh’s revelations, several groups that have stood with the family said they will continue to speak out on her husband’s behalf.
“Regardless of any struggles that Pastor Saeed may be experiencing it doesn’t change the fact that the faith community needs to be a powerful and passionate voice calling for his immediate release and standing with our persecuted brothers and sisters,” said Rev. Patrick Mahoney, who leads the Christian Defense Coalition.
Mahoney has led several prayer vigils across the country and met with political leaders to try and secure Pastor Abedini’s release.
Rev. Rob Schenck, president of the National Clergy Council, has also been actively involved in Pastor’s Abedini’s case.
“It’s hard to imagine the pressures that souls like Nagmeh and Saeed Abedini endure,” Schenck said in a statement released by his office. He reminded people who’ve prayed for the Abedini family that “they are not super heroes, just regular people facing the same problems we all do, only under extreme circumstances.”
Mahoney and Schenck will hold a press conference later on Friday to show their continued support for Pastor Abedini.
“God calls us to stand on principle and justice not personalities,” Mahoney said.
Meanwhile, reaction to Naghmeh Abedini’s personal family trauma on social media has been mixed.
Robin G., writing on CBN News’ Facebook page, said, “Something about his just doesn’t feel right in my spirit.”
Jan H. wrote, “I’m sad that she didn’t keep this private. What is the point in exposing this to the whole world?”
Jenny J. said, “This is absolutely heart breaking. I am shocked.”
Nadege S. added, “It is easy to accuse a man who is locked up thousands of miles away in a dungeon.”
Meanwhile, another poster, Teresa C., warned people not to judge the Abedini’s writing: “We don’t know the whole story and it is not for us to know.”
The emotional and psychological trauma of enduring a hostage or kidnapping situation can be extremely difficult for families and loved ones involved.
“There’s a lot of studies that have shown that families incur post-traumatic stress at the same rate that hostages do,” Chris Voss, founder and CEO of The Black Swan Group, a company that solves business negotiations with hostage negotiation strategies said. “The reality is that this is the family’s darkest hour.”
Voss is a 24-year veteran of the FBI’s negotiation team and was the lead international kidnapping negotiator for the agency.
“When someone is a hostage, the fear and trauma is overwhelming and unending they don’t know when it is going to end and it is a really horrifying experience for families,” Voss told CBN News from his office in California. “Families are held hostage as much as the hostages are.”
In a Washington Post, editorial Naghmeh Abedini wrote about the emotional toll the ordeal was taking on her family.
“The continued imprisonment of Saeed has taken a very emotional and tragic toll on our family,” Naghmeh said. “My kids have had to grow up without a father. Saeed has missed so many birthdays, anniversaries, and special occasions.”
Abedini said since the US and Western countries signed a nuclear deal with Iran, her husband’s physical condition has gotten worse.
“Saeed was being beaten and interrogated by Iranian guards in prison,” Abedini wrote in the Washington Post. “During that encounter, guards interrogated Saeed and used a stun gun on him. Although there was no detailed information provided, Saeed was told he would face additional new charges, possibly extending his eight-year prison sentence.”
Voss says in such cases where a hostage victim endures great physical and psychological torture at the hands of their captors, families back home also feel the pain.
“What we have a tendency to do as human beings is that we imagine it in a very horrific fashion so the people that love him [Pastor Abedini] and the people that care about him are really putting themselves through hell trying to get him out, thinking about what he must be going through. It is truly the families darkest hour,” Voss said.
CBN News will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
The American Pastor Imprisoned In Iran And His Wife Need Your Prayers
Joni Eareckson Tada – A Place Of Healing Chapter 2 – God and Healing: What’s The Real Question?
In the 1st and 2nd decades of my paralysis, there were seasons during which my yearning for complete healing and a return to life as it was gripped my heart. It’s not that those desires have gone away in this, my 5th decade in a wheelchair; it has more to do with the change in my perspective.
In the first place, any concept of “normal” is now something so long ago and far away that it seems more like a distant dream. A pleasant dream, yes, but one that has gradually, gently faded through the years, like a well loved snapshot in an old photo album. After 40+ years of quadriplegia, it’s hard to say what a normal life for me would be.
For another thing, as I have mentioned, I find myself in a whole new phase of the battle. It’s not so much the wistful disappointments were occasional frustrations I’m dealing with now, is the seemingly ceaseless attacks – wave after wave after wave of throbbing in my lower back and hip. Now when I think of “healing,” is more in the form of asking my Father for relief from the intensity of the suffering rather than the ability to pick a flower, write a horse, or dance across a field of clover.
Relief from chronic pain – even though I remain paralyzed – would be blissfully, peacefully, joyously “normal” for me these days… and all I could ask for. I don’t remember where I saw the following Mary Jane Iron quote, but it comes pretty close to my take on “normal”:
Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure You are…. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in my pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, Your return.
Joni Eareckson Tada – A Place Of Healing Chapter 2 – God and Healing: What’s The Real Question?
Today With Ray 8/26/2015 What in the world is happening?!!
Gunman’s ‘Bizarre Behavior’
Long before he filmed himself gunning down a TV reporter and cameraman during a live news broadcast, Vester Flanagan was fired from at least two stations for conflicts with co-workers, leaving colleagues with memories of an “off-kilter,” easily angered loner
Suspect in TV Broadcast Dead From Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound
Learn More About Virginia Shooting Victims Alison Parker and Adam Ward
A U.S. flag hangs above an entrance to the New York Stock Exchange on Aug. 26, 2015.
Stock Market Closes Sharply Higher After 6-Day Slump
The stock market had its best day in close to four years, as stocks are rebounding from a six-day slump that was prompted by concerns about the health of the Chinese economy. Markets have been volatile since China decided to weaken its currency
Walmart Will Stop Selling Assault Rifles
Walmart will stop selling AR-15 assault rifles as well as other modern sporting rifles because of lower consumer demand for those weapons, rather than for political reasons, the company said. The rifles are sold at about one-third of Walmart’s U.S. stores
McWhopper Concept Packaging
Burger King Orders Up a ‘McWhopper’ With McDonald’s
Burger King has offered McDonald’s a golden opportunity to come together and make one burger to rule them all—in the name of world peace, of course. The fast-food chain is proposing the “McWhopper”
Kentucky Clerk Must Issue Marriage License to Same-Sex Couple
A federal appeals court has upheld a ruling ordering a Kentucky county clerk to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis, who objects to issuing same-sex marriage licenses for religious reasons, must now issue the them
James Holmes sentencing trial Colorado
Colorado Theater Shooter Sentenced to Life in Prison
Colorado theater shooter James Holmes was formally sentenced to life in prison without parole, more than three years after he carefully planned and executed a merciless attack on hundreds of moviegoers who were watching a midnight premiere
Tropical Storm Erika is pictured in the Atlantic Ocean northeast of Venezuela in this NASA handout satellite photo
Tropical Storm Erika Approaches the Eastern Caribbean
Governments ordered schools, airports and even casinos to close and they prepared shelters as Tropical Storm Erika approached the eastern Caribbean. Erika, which had sustained winds near 45 mph was expected to move just north of Barbuda
Civil Rights Activist Amelia Boynton Robinson Dies at 104
The civil rights activist who nearly died while helping lead the “Bloody Sunday” civil rights march in 1965, championed voting rights for blacks and was the first black woman to run for Congress in Alabama, died at age 104
Joyze Zakary
Kenyan Runners Test Positive for Doping
Joyce Zakary, a 400-meter runner, and hurdler Koki Manunga tested positive for doping using unspecified substances in targeted tests after competing in Beijing. The pair were provisionally suspended, officials said
jennifer lawrence amy schumer
Amy Schumer, Jennifer Lawrence Team Up for Screenplay
Two of Hollywood’s funniest leading ladies are taking their friendship to the next level. Jennifer Lawrence revealed she and Amy Schumer are almost done writing a movie in which they plan to play sisters
50 Bodies Found on Migrant Ship Near Libya
Italy’s coast guard says some 50 bodies have been found in the hull of a migrant boat that was rescued off Libya’s northern coast. Coast guard Lt. Claudio Bernetti said the Swedish ship Poseiden rescued 439 surviving migrants from the ship.
Today With Ray 8/26/2015 What in the world is happening?!!
They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes.2 When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him,3 and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain;4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him.5 Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and gashing himself with stones.6 Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him;7 and shouting with a loud voice, he *said, “[a]What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!”8 For He had been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”9 And He was asking him, “What is your name?” And he *said to Him, “My name is Legion; for we are many.”10 And hebegan to implore Him earnestly not to send them out of the country.11 Now there was a large herd of swine feeding [b]nearby on the mountain.12 The demons implored Him, saying, “Send us into the swine so that we may enter them.”13 Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea.
14 Their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the country. And the people came to see what it was that had happened.15 They *came to Jesus and *observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the “legion”; and they became frightened.16 Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the swine.17 And they began to implore Him to leave their region.18 As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was imploring Him that he might[c]accompany Him.19 And He did not let him, but He *said to him, “Go home to your people and report to them [d]what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.”20 And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis [e]what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.
21 When Jesus had crossed over again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him; and so He [f]stayed by the seashore.22 One of the synagogue [g]officials named Jairus *came up, and on seeing Him, *fell at His feet23 and *implored Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her, so that she will [h]get well and live.”24 And He went off with him; and a large crowd was following Him and pressing in on Him.
25 A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years,26 and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse—27 after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His [i]cloak.28 For she[j]thought, “If I just touch His garments, I will [k]get well.”29 Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.30 Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My garments?”31 And His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”32 And He looked around to see the woman who had done this.33 But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has [l]made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”
35 While He was still speaking, they *came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the Teacher anymore?”36 But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, *said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid any longer, only [m]believe.”37 And He allowed no one to accompany Him, except Peter and [n]James and John the brother of [o]James.38 They *came to the house of the synagogue official; and He *saw a commotion, and people loudly weeping and wailing.39 And entering in, He *said to them, “Why make a commotion and weep? The child has not died, but is asleep.”40 They began laughing at Him. But putting them all out, He *took along the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and *entered the room where the child was.41 Taking the child by the hand, He *said to her, “Talitha kum!” (which translated means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”).42 Immediately the girl got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astounded.43 And He gave them strict orders that no one should know about this, and He said that something should be given her to eat.
From UNSOLICITED. HOPE – Pastor Tim Mossholder’s blog (Tim is the senior pastor of Santa Maria Foursquare Church in Santa Maria, California.)
The crush of bodies on a hot, dirty street; pressing, looking, reaching. Filthy mud, made of blood and dust, sticking to the feet of a distraught woman whose bleeding had not stopped in a dozen years.
This broken woman was seeking Jesus, but he was moving away, headed through the unrelenting crowd to bring relief to another.
But she would not be denied. Having heard of other broken ones who had touched Jesus and were healed, she pressed on, believing she could be healed as well.
Fighting her way closer, she finally was near enough to reach between others and brush her fingers against the back of Jesus’ garment.
Instantly something changed. The unwelcome bleeding didn’t just slow; it completely stopped. Right there in a mass of humanity, she received her miracle.
In this story, there are several things that bring me hope. First, is the persistent faith of a woman who never gave up. If I have a headache for more than a half-hour, I’m running for aspirin — but in spite of serious affliction for over a decade, she was pressing on, trusting that God had not abandoned her.
I’m also struck by the accessibility of Jesus. He was not being carried on a throne above the masses. He did not have bodyguards keeping the sick away. Even though he was surrounded to the point of being crushed by the crowds, he could be reached by the one seeking him.
And I’m most taken by the reality that this was not a God-directed miracle. While we find plenty of those in the Gospels, in this setting Jesus was actually headed away from the woman when she was healed. He was not seeking her out, yet she accessed God’s power just the same. I find hope here because sometimes I feel like God is headed away from me when I need him most. While theologically I know this isn’t the case (he has promised to never leave or forsake me), practically it can feel this way.
So this is a strong reminder: even when it seems God is not setting out to bring his power my way, I still have access to it. Just as this woman was made whole because of her faith in Jesus, I can press through whatever (or whoever!) is standing between me and a miracle, trusting God to meet my need.
Are there places in your life where it feels like God is absent, where it seems he’s moving away from you rather than toward you? Don’t give up and don’t give in to discouragement. Keep fighting. Keep pursuing him.
“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” (Hebrews 10:35-36)
Rayford has now discovered, much to his joy, that his helicopter pilot friend, Mac MacCullum, has become a Christian. Rayford has been told two different things about his wife, Amanda. Carpathia (the Antichrist) has told him that Amanda was killed in a plane crash. But Carpathia told Mac that Amanda has been working for him as a spy since before all the time she’s been married to Rayford. Meanwhile, Buck is still searching hard for his wife, Chloe. He has been told by a doctor that Chloe was badly injured and that she is in a hospital in Minnesota. He has also been told by the doctor that it is next to impossible to drive to Minnesota with all the torn up roads and highways and the jammed traffic between Chicago and there. Ray picks the story up at this point.
The Showdown: Chs. 8,9,&10 – Reunion, Accused, The Showdown
Suddenly a smudge mark is showing up on the forehead of every Christian. It is a mark given by God. Judd’s new friend, Pete, used to be a biker riding in a pack. Now that he is a Christian, Pete is going to go back to them and try to lead them to Christ. Vicki, Darrion, and Shelly, have just watched a television newscast from the Antichrist (Nicolae Carpathia) where his best friend, Leon Fortunato, claims that he has been brought back from the dead by Carpathia. The girls see right through that claim, but those at the Global Center who also watched Fortunato’s story are thrilled. Judd is looking for his friends. Lionel still has amnesia and with his friend Chad are part of Carpathia’s “morale monitors” but Chad is realizing Carpathia is a phony. Lionel and Chad are in the midst of flying back to Chicago. Ray picks the story up at this point and as an extra treat will be reading three chapters right now.
The Showdown: Chs. 8,9,&10 – Reunion, Accused, The Showdown
Take Time With God # 98 – Which Bible should you use?
In a recent survey among Christians of all denominations it concluded that nearly half of Bible readers read from the King James Bible. But is that really the best Bible for you to read? How would you know which one is the best one for you? Ray will answer that for you right now.
If you have died with Christ [a]to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as,21 “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”22 (which all referto things destined to perish [b]with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men?23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the[c]appearance of wisdom in [d]self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.
9 Getting into a boat, Jesus crossed over the sea and came to His own city.
2 And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, [a]son; your sins are forgiven.”3 And some of the scribes said [b]to themselves, “This fellow blasphemes.”4 And Jesusknowing their thoughts said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?5 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk’?6 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He *said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.”7 And he got up and [c]went home.8 But when the crowds saw this, they were[d]awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
9 As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He *said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.
10 Then it happened that as [e]Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and [f]sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples.11 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?”12 But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.13 But go and learn [g]what this means: ‘I desire[h]compassion,[i]and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
14 Then the disciples of John *came to Him, asking, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”15 And Jesus said to them, “The[j]attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.16 But no one puts [k]a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for [l]the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.17 Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”
18 While He was saying these things to them, [m]a synagogue[n]official came and[o]bowed down before Him, and said, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.”19 Jesus got up and began to follow him, and so did His disciples.
20 And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the [p]fringe of His [q]cloak;21 for she was saying [r]to herself, “If I only touch His garment, I will [s]get well.”22 But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has [t]made you well.”[u]At once the woman was [v]made well.
23 When Jesus came into the [w]official’s house, and saw the flute-players and the crowd in noisy disorder,24 He said, “Leave; for the girl has not died, but is asleep.” And they began laughing at Him.25 But when the crowd had been sent out, He entered and took her by the hand, and the girl [x]got up.26 This news spread throughout all that land.
27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”28 When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus *said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They *said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”29 Then He touched their eyes, saying,“[y]It shall be done to you according to your faith.”30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them: “See that no one knows about this!”31 But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout all that land.
32 As they were going out, a mute, demon-possessed man [z]was brought to Him.33 After the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “Nothing like this has [aa]ever been seen in Israel.”34 But the Pharisees were saying, “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.”
35 Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.
36 Seeing the [ab]people, He felt compassion for them, because they were[ac]distressed and [ad]dispirited like sheep [ae]without a shepherd.37 Then He *said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.38 Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
Take Time With God #85 – It doesn’t matter what you’ve done
Philippians 3:7-16 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.8 More than that, I count all things to be loss [a]in view of the surpassing value of [b]knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, [c]for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and [d]the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;11 [e]in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on [f]so that I may lay hold of that [g]for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to whatlies ahead,14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.15 Let us therefore, as many as are [h]perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;16 however, let us keep [i]living by that same standard to which we have attained.
19 Take Time With God – Are you content with your life?
There is a great deal of difference between being content and being numb. The content person can rest in the fact that they are going through a moment in their life, good or bad, that will lead to greater happenings with Christ no matter how wonderful or painful this day is for them. They may be experiencing “growing pains” but as that is happening they are content while expecting miracles. The numb person wallows in their discontentment with little vision beyond where they are at this precise moment.
The Christian life in the kingdom of God fulfills visions and then goes on to fulfill more because Christ has purpose for every Christian that goes beyond this day. The Christian who focuses on Christ knows that they are loved no matter how good or bad things are going at the moment. They believe Romans 8:28 and that is what makes them content but not numb.
To the Christ-focused Christian they know that this world is not their permanent home, but that Heaven awaits them. And while on Earth their goal, no matter what else they’re doing, is to bring people to Christ and glorify God with their own life. They know Christ died for them, conquered death, and is magnificently active in their life. That knowledge gives every day vital meaning and contentment.
Atheists and so-called “agnostics” have a tendency to be extremely bitter and most believe they have every right to do whatever they want. They focus on revenge and if they think of a god at all, without knowing it they picture Satan and his always cruel ways. They eradicate the one true God in their thinking and in doing that they shut off any knowledge of His great love for them. Still Christ waits and works in their life as far as the unbeliever will allow Him. Salvation is their only hope and those who know that need to be praying for them.
How has this played out in my own life and how is it playing out in yours? Let’s explore the answers on the days Take Time With God. –Ray
1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles –
2 if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s gracewhich was given to me for you;
3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief.
4 By referring to this, when youread you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;
6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellowpartakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,
7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.
8 To me, the very least of all saints,this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches ofChrist,
9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things;
10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the chhank youurch to therulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.
11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,
12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. This is take time with God a daily program
13Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,
15from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,
16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened withpower through His Spirit in the inner man,
17 so that Christ may dwell in yourhearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, and
18may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and lengthand height and depth,
19 and to know the love of Christ which surpassesknowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think,according to the power that works within us,
21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
19 Take Time With God – Are you content with your life? Content
I watched this and then watched it again. The stories you are about to hear are true. They come from Mike Shreve on Sid Roth’s television program “It’s Supernatural.” His message is to stand on God’s promises no matter what you see or hear, no matter who tells you something different or what is happening before your eyes. I’ve done this and have watched Christ do miracles through me or around me that contradict the laws of science too.
If you need a miracle or more than one miracle in your own family, or know someone who does, this will be especially powerful for you. But everyone should watch it so that they are prepared if such a time comes. –Ray
Family miracles from standing on God’s Word – Mike Shreve and Sid Roth
If you’ve been in almost any Christian bookstore or card shop, you’ve probably seen a plaque or bookmark, print or wall-hanging, featuring a story called “Footprints in the Sand.”
The Six Faces of Sloth
by Dr. James Emery White
If you’ve been in almost any Christian bookstore or card shop, you’ve probably seen a plaque or bookmark, print or wall-hanging, featuring a story called “Footprints in the Sand.”
It tells of a man who dreamed thathe saw his life in terms of a walk along the beach with God. Throughout the years, there were two sets of footprints. One was his, and the other was God’s. Yet he noticed that during the most difficult times of his life, only one set of footprints appeared in the sand. In his dream, he asks God about the single set of footprints and is told that those were the times God carried him.
“Awww.”
Let me give you a new and improved version that a friend once e-mailed me:
For some reason, I don’t think I’ll see that one hanging from a wall, much less printed on a greeting card. But it probably should be, because it speaks to one of the most critical barriers to the transforming work of God in our lives, the sin of sloth.
We don’t hear about sloth much these days, but it’s a good word, one we ought to get reacquainted with, because it holds a major key to life-change through the power of God. As described by Dorothy Sayers, sloth is that “…which believes in nothing, cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, interferes with nothing, enjoys nothing, loves nothing, hates nothing, finds purpose in nothing, lives for nothing, and remains alive only because there is nothing it would die for.”
Or in a one-word assertion that many in our day put forward, sloth merely says, “Whatever.”
Yet as all-encompassing as these descriptions might be, sloth is specific in its manifestations. The usual face we put on sloth is that of laziness. But consider the other faces of sloth, such as the face of tolerance, which leads us to accept how we are without any attempt at change.
Or the face of apathy. Soren Kierkegaard once declared, “Let others complain that the age is wicked; my complaint is that it is wretched, for it lacks passion.”
Or the face of procrastination, the persuasive whisper that there is no need to hurry, robbing us of a proper sense of urgency. Procrastination is knowing what we need to do, but never quite bringing ourselves to do it.
Or the face of activity. This is an ironic side to sloth, but very real. We can fill our lives with busy-ness, events and recreation to the point that we never attend to the matters that most need our attention.
Finally, sloth can carry the face of circumstance. It’s easy to exaggerate the power of circumstances, allowing the situations we encounter to dictate our lives – and specifically, dictate what we do not do. Sloth tells us not to bother, to just give in to the situation.
But regardless of its face, we must journey from sloth to diligence,
…or leave our butt prints in the sand.
James Emery White
Sources
Dorothy Sayers, “The Other Six Deadly Sins,” The Whimsical Chrisitan.
Soren Kierkegaard, A Kierkegaard Anthology, Robert Bretall, editor.
Editor’s Note
James Emery White is the founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, NC, and the ranked adjunctive professor of theology and culture at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, which he also served as their fourth president. His latest book, The Rise of the Nones: Understanding and Reaching the Religiously Unaffiliated, is now available on Amazon. To enjoy a free subscription to the Church and Culture blog, visit www.churchandculture.org, where you can view past blogs in our archive and read the latest church and culture news from around the world. Follow Dr. White on twitter@JamesEmeryWhite.
Elvis Presley was the Christian that all Christians will hear is saying again in Heaven. A member of the Oak Ridge Quartet told me whenever they got together with Elvis, he would want to sing gospel songs all night long. He loved them bashed he loved the Lord. So what about his messed up life? When someone asks Christ to come into their life as their Savior, they are forgiven by Him and their sins are washed clean in the blood of Christ. Elvis had done that and remember that he had given his life into Christ’s hands no matter how twisted and painful his life became. Christians will get to hear Elvis sing again in Heaven! – Ray
