A.W. Tozer : Testing the Spirits
Many tender-minded Christians fear to sin against love by daring to inquire into anything that comes wearing the cloak of Christianity and breathing the name of Jesus. They dare not examine the credentials of the latest prophet to hit their town lest they be guilty of rejecting something which may be of God. They timidly remember how the Pharisees refused to accept Christ when He came, and they do not want to be caught in the same snare, so they either reserve judgment or shut their eyes and accept everything without question. This is supposed to indicate a high degree of spirituality. But in sober fact it indicates no such thing. It may indeed be evidence of the absence of the Holy Spirit. Gullibility is not synonymous with spirituality. Faith is not a mental habit leading its possessor to open his mouth and swallow everything that has about it the color of the supernatural. Faith keeps its heart open to whatever is of God, and rejects everything that is not of God, however wonderful it may be. Try the spirits is a command of the Holy Spirit to the Church. We may sin as certainly by approving the spurious as by rejecting the genuine. And the current habit of refusing to take sides is not the way to avoid the question. To appraise things with a heart of love and then to act on the results is an obligation resting upon every Christian in the world. And the more as we see the day approaching.
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You Can Make Anything (well almost)
I know people are going to ask why I posted this but I enjoy learning and it is fascinating to see science become useful to ordinary people. Now we no longer have to rely on others to do a lot of things that we would like to do. Think of all the different ways this technology can be used for good. Like anything though it can be used for evil as well. God gives us this wonderful ability, we must use it for His purpose. God bless you and challenge yourself to always consider how He can be presented and how we can use the products that are new to spread His word and to teach our children!
What Did You Give Up When You Accepted Jesus?
Fear, worry, hatred, loneliness, sorrow, obsessions, and death! He took all my burdens on Himself and gave me life, hope, peace, companionship and so much more. I give thanks everyday for the opportunity that He gave and the sacrifice He made. No treasure on earth could possibly compare with the gifts that He has already given me. Thank you Jesus for accepting me as your own, thank you for the sacrifice that you made.
Source: mineisjesus.wordpress.com via Patricia on Pinterest
Prayer Request from Pastor Kerry Mauldin
I just got a call from Julie Norman. She and Ed are good friends in Phoenix. We have ministered together for years, doing Special Touch camps for those with disabilities, and elsewhere… Ed has been a quadraplegic for over 35 years because of an accident when he was 18.
Ed has been thru many tests of life and death especially the past 5 years, but in Sept we ministered together at Arizona Special Touch, his first time to minister in a long time.
Julie shared that Ed got an infection that has gone septic and progressed to where he is now in ICU with blood clots and many challenges….
She called and asked if I could get people to pray! SO PLEASE PRAY!!
Especially that Ed will know so clearly the PRESENCE OF THE LORD. He is not able to communicate, but is very restless….
“In His presence is fullness of joy” and His peace will settle deep inside Ed and he will not be anxious…
Thank you for praying! Many of you know Ed! He so loves the Lord and is such a wonderful Brother and so blessed at sharing God‘s Word!!
Melody and I are home 2 days now from India and Dubai, UAE. We are so thankful and so blessed to look back at God’s grace and the things that were accomplished in the villages, for Gods glory!!
Thank you all for praying and standing with us!! We go back to India, Lord willing, Around Feb. 15.
With so much thanks and prayers,
Kerry and Melody
Mauldin Ministries
PO Box 140402
Broken Arrow, Ok 74014
God is in Control of All Things
No matter how bad the moment seems or the future looks, God is still in control. We may wish that there was a different result to our current circumstances, but with everything, it is His plan that is in action, and the results are with Him. We have our instructions, and we have our faith. He is always there, we only have to acknowledge and accept Him. If we turn away because we desired a different outcome, we are denying that He alone is in control. God bless you!
Source: lamplightart.com via Patricia on Pinterest
The Gospel is Heavenly Wisdom
Dove of the Holy Spirit (ca. 1660, alabaster, Throne of St. Peter, St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Gospel is Heavenly Wisdom
1 Corinthians 2:6-16
However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory,
which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.
For “Who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
Christian Love that Defies Description by Francis Chan
This is a much watch video that shows one of the miracles of God. Please watch you will begin to hear of the miracle at about four minutes in. Simply awesome!!!
The Wonders and Glory of God’s Creation
Animation of the structure of a section of DNA. The bases lie horizontally between the two spiraling strands. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The beauty and wonder of God‘s handiwork surrounds in all it’s splendor! We see it in the mathematics of creation, in the blueprint of our own DNA and the structure of every single thing that exist on earth and throughout the universe.There are many who would rather assume that all things came together by accident and that is their choice. God forces no one to believe in Him, but those that would so willingly and blindly ignore the abundance of evidence around them are sad in a way. In denying God, they limit themselves to the smallness of their existence and erase any hope of taking part in the wonder of God’s majesty and wholeness of His promise. Each of the videos I am presenting below show us the majesty of God and the wonders that we are still finding to this day. The very last video is one that I think should impress even the skeptical who have an answer for everything. The Bible tells us that God knows the number of sands on the earth, and it seems as if He has many more ways to record that information than we even suspected. God bless and enjoy!
Psalm 8 God’s Glory and Man’s Dominion
O LORD, our Lord,
How excellent is your name in all the earth,
You who set Your glory above the heavens!
Out of the mouth of babes and infants
You have ordained strength,
Because of Your enemies,
That You may silence the enemy and avenge the avenger.
When I consider Your heavens, the
work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which you
have ordained,
What is man that You are mindful of
him,
And the son of man that You visit
him?
For You have made him a little lower
than the angels,
And You have crowned him with glory
and honor.
You have made him to have dominion
over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet.
All sheep and oxen—
Even the beast of the field,
The birds of the air,
And the fish of the sea
That pass through the paths of the seas.
O LORD, our Lord
How excellent is Your name in all the
earth!
Hat tip to Message to Eagle for this video
How Deep Is Your Love?
The Lord's Prayer (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Do you ever stop and consider the loves of your life? Your children, your husband or wife, your parents? What about your friends? The people that surround you everyday or sometimes live way too far away?
When we are growing up, sometimes we take the love of our parents for granted. Until something happens to make us realize just how much they care for us. Perhaps it is something traumatic that makes us reach out to those that we know instinctively, that love us. The ones that have always been there for us.
Or that deep rich love we have for the spouse that has been there through thick and thin. Through the good times, and especially through the bad. The one who we know we can cry on their shoulders or hold their hands. And that almost unbearable loss when something happens and they are taken away from us. Either through illness or accident. Or when we realize that they don’t love us the same way that we love them.
And then there is the love for our children! What can match that love. Seeing them born, or with adopted children, seeing that look on their faces when they realize that someone does want them. I have never experienced the loss of a child and I hope that I never do. I imagine this is one of the worst feelings that a person could have.
Think, then, on how deep is the Father’s love for us. How deep Jesus’ love for us! It is amazing that God could love us that deeply, to make the ultimate sacrifice. I want to think that I could give my life to save a stranger, but I realize that we never really know what we would do until we are faced with a situation like that.
But do we have the same love for the creator of all things? Do we have the same love for Jesus that we would sacrifice for Him? Do we sacrifice for Him? Do we put Him first in anything? Or do we regulate Him to the back burner to a certain degree?
My Pastor reminds us that He doesn’t ask a lot from us, really! Do you give 10% of your time? Or is Sunday morning enough for you? Does your church make exceptions when there is an important game on and perhaps instead of praising the LORD, you spend your time cheering for your favorite team?
For a few moments stop and think, how deep is your love? Compare it to the love of your parents, or your spouse, or even your child. How would you feel if these important parts of your life ignored you? Or regulated you to a couple of hours sometimes, if there wasn’t something else better to do!
Sad isn’t it? And yet that is what many of us do! We treat God, our creator, our Father, and His Son, Jesus, as if they were afterthoughts. Not first place! Truly not even second place!
“‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
“This is the first and great commandment.”Matthew 22:37-38
I wonder what our LORD God must think when He looks at us. Is He sad that so few of us really put Him first? Is He disappointed that all that He has done for us, is forgotten so many times?
Until we need Him? Fear is a great motivator. It drives us into the arms of the One that we know truly loves us. But why is it that it takes something drastic to make us realize how much we need Him? What if we spent time everyday, simply giving thanks for all that He has given us. Not asking Him for anything, but simply thanking Him for what He has already given us.
That wouldn’t be too much to ask, would it? To show not only respect, but appreciation for the sacrifice that was made for us?
A reminder of how richly blessed that we are!
“For what advantage is it to a man if he gains the whold wold, and is himself destroyed or lost? Luke 9:25
Where will that leave us when judgment day comes? Because it is coming and sooner than we would like to think sometimes. Will we face the LORD and say, “I am sorry Father, I didn’t obey that first great commandment?”
Will we just take it for granted that Jesus gave His life that we might have eternal life, and go about being part of this world as if nothing else that is written in the Bible has any relevance? If this were all that was needed, there would be no need for the rest of the book would there? Either it all has relevance and meaning and it is a blueprint for us to follow, or it is not worth the paper that it is written upon.
Either we strive to follow the instructions given to us, at the cost of the life of the Son of God, as well as the lives of the apostles who were killed, and many others along the way, or we relegate this Book, the Word given to us by God Himself, to a simple history book with little meaning other than examples of life in Christ‘s time.
So, how deep is your love for God, the Father and Christ, the Son? Is it deep enough to take time to understand what a sacrifice that He made for us? Is it deep enough to be grateful for what we have been given? Is it deep enough for us to realize that He expects us to follow the instructions that He gave us in how to live our lives and how to teach others that He is our creator and our Savior. Is it deep enough to show Him that He is first and foremost in your life?
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Thought of the Day
Proverbs 30:5-6
Every word of God is pure;
He is a shield to those who put their
trust in Him.
Do not add to His words,
Lest He reprove you, and you be found
a liar.
The Powerful Voice of God Psalm 29
The Cedars of Lebanon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones,
Give unto the LORD glory and strength.
Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name;
Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
The God of glory thunders;
The LORD is over many waters.
The voice of the LORD is powerful;
The voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars,
Yes, the LORD splinters the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes them also skip like a calf,
Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the LORD divides the flames of fire.
The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;
The LORD shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the LORD makes te deer give birth,
And strips the forest bare;
And in His temple everyone says, “Glory!”
The LORD sat enthroned at the Flood,
And the LORD sits as King forever.
The LORD will give strength to His people;
The LORD will bless His people with peace.
Take the Lowly Place
the first page of the Gospel of Luke (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Luke 14:7-14
So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them:
“When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him;
“and he who invited you and him come up to you and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.
“But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.
“For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friend, your brothers, your relative, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid.
“But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind.
“And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
Do Not Rob God
Malachi 3:8-12
“Will a man rob God?
Yet you have robbed Me!
But you say,
‘In what way have we robbed You?
In tithes and offerings.
You are cursed with a curse,
For you have robbed Me,
Even this whole nation.
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this.”
Says the LORD of hosts,
“If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.
“And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,
So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,
Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field.”
Says the LORD of hosts;
“And all the nations will call you blessed,
For you will be a delightful land.”
Says the LORD of hosts.
Do Not Worry
Matthew 6:25-34
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you no of more value than they?
“Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
“So why do your worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;
“and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
“Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
“For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
The Whitened Harvest
Jesus from the Deesis Mosaic (Photo credit: jakebouma)
John 4:27-38
And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, “What do Your seek? or, “Why are Your talking with her?”
The woman then left her water-pot, went her way into the city, and said to the men,
“Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?”
Then they went out of the city and came to Him.
In the meantime His disciples urged Him saying, “Rabbi, eat.”
But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.”
Therefore the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?”
Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.
“Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for the harvest!
“And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.
“For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’
“I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”
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Pharisees Commit the Unpardonable Sin Matthew 12:31-37
The Holy Spirit depicted as a dove, surrounded by angels, by Giaquinto, 1750s. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
“Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.
“Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in in this age or in the age to come.
“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.
“Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart a mouth speaks.
“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.
“But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
“For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
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“Sow in Tears…..Reap in Joy” Psalm 126
When the LORD brought back the
captivity of Zion
We were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with
laughter,
And our tongue was singing.
Then they said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for
them”
The LORD has done great things for us,
Whereof we are gload.
Bring back our captivity, O LORD,
As the streams in the South.
Those who sow in tears
Shall reap in joy.
He who continually goes forth weeping,
Bearing seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again with
rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him.
Christ Is the Theme of Ministry
Jesus from the Deesis Mosaic (Photo credit: jakebouma)
Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.
But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.
For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
Thought for the Day
Psalm 45:1
My heart is overflowing with a good theme;
I recite my composition concerning the King;
My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
