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Blessed Are Those Who Read And Study From The Book Of Revelation
There are a total of 66 books in our Bible, but there is only one Book that promises some kind of a special blessing for those who will attempt to try and read and keep the words, revelation and knowledge that is contained in it – and that Book is the very last book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation. Why would God single out the very last book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation, as the only Book that He will actually say that “blessed” is he who “reads” and “hears” the words of this Book? For those of you who are not aware of this profound verse, here it is, word for word: “BLESSED is he who reads and those who hear the words of this
prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.” (Revelation 1:3) Notice this statement is being made right at the very beginning of this last Book in the Bible, God is officially making the statement that “blessed” will be the man or woman who will attempt to try and read and keep what is in this Book. If all 66 Books of the Bible are highly anointed by God, and they are all coming directly from Him through the Holy Spirit to all of the authors who wrote all of these Books, then why is God purposely singling out the Book of Revelation as the one Book that will cause someone to become blessed in some way? When God is purposely making this kind of statement right at the very beginning of this Book, He is trying to tell all of us something very important – and that something is that He really wants all of us to try and read and understand what is in this Book. Otherwise He would have never made this kind of
From the Editor a direct statement right at the very beginning of it. Not even Hollywood, with all of its special effects and capabilities, could even begin to duplicate on the big screen what is going to happen to this world once we enter into the Great Tribulation, which will be the last 7 years on this earth before Jesus comes back to set up His Millennium Kingdom from the city of Jerusalem. I believe there are three main reasons as to why God really wants all of us to read this Book, and then make an attempt to try and fully grasp and understand the knowledge and revelation that is contained in this Book. The first main reason that God really wants all of us to read this Book is due to the fact that it is the very last Book of the Bible – it is the very last chapter. It is the climax to our whole story in the Lord. As such, each and every Christian should know exactly how everything will eventually play out and exactly what our final ending is
Go and walk through the land in every direction, for I am giving it to you. – Genesis 13:17
going to be in the Lord. Can you imagine reading a good, fiction novel, and then all of sudden you quit reading as you get to the last chapter, never finding out what the final ending came out to be? Can you imagine watching an exciting motion picture on the big screen, and then all of sudden you walk out on the last 10 minutes of the movie never finding out exactly how the movie was going to end? It’s the exact same way in our walk with the Lord. There will be an eventual end to all of the bad things that keep occurring on this earth on a daily basis. As Christians, we all should know exactly what our final ending is going to be in the Lord and how everything will eventually play out. Unless you have read from the Book of Revelation and all of the other Scripture verses that pertain to these coming end time events, you will not know that there are See STUDY on Page 38
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FROM THE EDITOR
Changing Times
He Is Faithful When We Are Not.
We need God more than ever in this country. If you have been watching the news or hopped on social media for a bit you know just how crazy this world is right now. With the racism, the protest, the riots, the child trafficking, the political drama, Covid 19, closed stores, mandated masks, and the fear that it all strickens in the heart of man. I mean this is enough to throw the strongest, most spiritual of us into a tail spin! As I was taking a break from it all I heard these words “He is faithful when we are not.” I knew right then and there that I could trust that everything would be alright not because of anything a man can do, but because of what He can do! He is. He always was and He always will be. He knows the beginning to the end. He has the hairs on our heads numbered. He knows the grains of sand on the sea shore. He clothes the flowers of the field and feeds the birds of the air.
Oh! How much more does He care about us. Here is a psalm of David, (Psalms 43), expressing just how a lot of us feel today: Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in the darkness like those long dead. So, my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed. I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. When our heart is faint, we should sit to reflect on the faithfulness of God and all of the works He has already done! Encourage yourself in the Lord! (1 Sam. 30:6) says that’s exactly what David did. “And David was greatly distressed,” ...But David strengthened himself in the Lord
his God.” (2 Tim. 2:13) tells us “if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for He cannot disown himself.” He is He El Hanne’eman, The faithful God. It is His nature and He cannot be anything else. (Is. 25:1) says “O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago .” He is to be trusted, what He says He will do, He will do. (Lam. 3:22) “The Lord's loving kindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is your faithfulness.” He is faithful to be compassionate, loving and kind. (Ex. 34:6) “And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness" I don’t know about you but this is the kind of God I want to serve! (Deut. 7:9) “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his cove-
Table of Contents From the Editor Men
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nant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.” His faithfulness extends to your children and their children and their children!!! (2 Thes. 3:3) “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” He promises to strengthen us and protect us from Satan. When the human heart faints we remember, we are in the palm of His hand “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) So, keep these verses, read them when you are feeling faint or dismayed. When your natural mind begins to worry at all of the uncertainty around you, I know there is great things in store for America, we haven’t seen anything yet! So just hold on and continue to be faithful and pray for Gods will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Blessings, Angelle >
Relationships Christian Living Leadership Spiritual Renewal
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What is a Godly Man? Some Attributes
Men
By Don Burrus
We talk a lot about it, but I’m sure many men have different ideas what it means. Dictionary defines Godly as: god·ly (gdl) 1. Having great reverence for God; pious. 2. Divine. Maybe an image some may have of a Godly Man is a dry, stiff & pious dude without fault, never loses his cool, is the perfect husband, father, and leader of men, can recite entire books of the Bible from memory – and does frequently, the one others naturally expect & look to in a group to pray, mild and meek, never farts, or laughs at themselves, never has to endures the loss of jobs, or the disappointment of betrayal by friends or family conflicts, never truly knows the struggles, pain, regrets, failures, and self-doubt of those less “godly” than himself. He is not the most interesting man in the world, but yes, the most “pious” and he and everyone else knows it. If you look closely you will notice the halo radiating around his head. No, this man does not exist! Instead it is regular guys like you and I, if we are willing to surrender our will to His. Reading the Word, it speaks of a godly man being highly imperfect, but willing to lose their life to save it. (Psalm 37) identifies many traits of a godly man. He grapples daily with temptation, pride, and just living in this fallen world, but not being of the world. He has learned the true meaning of self-control and humility. A godly man works hard at an honest living doing his best to provide for his family, but doesn’t love the pursuit of money, or having the most toys, wandering from true faith and piercing themselves with many sorrows. True godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. (1 Timothy 6:6-10) Though it may be a daily struggle, he learns not to become angry and strives to avenge wrongs suf-
fered by wicked people; he trusts that the Lord will settle all debts on their day of judgment. He learns to trust in the Lord and strives to act with integrity even when one’s looking, committing all he does to Him, while resting on the promise that He will richly bless the godly man that does this. The godly man learns to be still in the presence of the Lord and wait on His lead and answer to prayer. He loves his wife faithfully, above all else, is willing to die for her, but would rather live to be the man she needs him to be for her. The godly man prays diligently for and teaches his children by word and example to follow God, and trust in him. He trains and girds them up to withstand a world increasingly hostile to God’s law. The godly man continues to put his faith in the Lord, even though the path he travels maybe hard and world is mocking him. The godly man’s steps are directed by the Lord, He delights in us, and when he stumbles, he never falls completely because the Lord holds him by the hand. The godly man both encourages his brothers in faith, and stands beside them in tough times, ready to pick them up or allowing others to speak truth also into their lives. The godly man is honest in business and his endeavors, loves peace & kindness, especially for those less fortunate and willingly gives of his time or even opens his wallet freely to help another or further the Good News. He rubs shoulders daily with his non-believers friends and co-workers, shows love for them, prays for them, and while they may never accept the Good News he shares with them, they know he lives an authentic life. He is willing to stand for his faith despite great risk or derision, as he knows his battle armor is a belt of truth, a bullet proof vest of righteousness, combat boots of peace, a shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and his sword, the Word of God. The godly man knows the Lord is his strength and shield. When he is weak, the Lord is strong. And unlike the non-believer, the day of his death is not draped with sorrow but great joy and celebration.
When He is gone, a godly man leaves a legacy of a good life he can be proud of for his children and for everyone whose lives he touched. "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers." (Psalm 1:1-3 ) Let us endeavor to live as godly men! ©2020 FaithWriters.com. All Rights Reserved >
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MEN
Changing Times
Men, One Way To Take Charge Of Your Life Is By Having Accountability Partners By John Clark
Are you a man who is struggling with bad habits or addictions? Maybe everything is okay in those areas but you simply want to become a better husband or father? Then too, it is possible that if you are a Christian or religious person you desire to have a more disciplined walk in your faith? In all of these cases, one of the things that could be of help to you is getting one or more accountability partners. Accountability partners are other Christian men who really care about you and are committed to your personal maturity. Let's say you are struggling to overcome temptation, anger, depression, or just anything in your life or relationships that you
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believe is not right or does not belong. You may benefit from talking to other men for counseling, wisdom, and support. If you are a religious person maybe you need someone who will pray with you. You need man to man conversation and interaction. Do man things together, and while you are, talk about your problems. Have your accountability partners call you once a week, or however often you believe is necessary, to see how you are doing. Provide them with a list of key questions to ask you that will help you own up to taking charge of your life. These questions should be tailored to your specific needs. I have listed some sample questions at the end of this article. You can also meet with them on a regular basis over a cup of coffee. These men should be ones who you can call at a moment notice, within reasonable hours, if you find yourself really tempted or falling into a negative pattern of behavior or thinking, and you need some "emergency" help. Have their numbers programmed into your cell phone. You may need accountability partners over a short-term or long-term basis, depending upon your situation and how quickly you are experiencing victory over your struggles. Accountability is like counseling in that you get practical and ongoing wisdom and support. Best of all, its free, but it should not replace professional counseling if that is what is necessary for you to experience freedom over your issues. Your accountability partners should probably include a pastor and someone who has been through
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what you are experiencing. They must be people who will not judge you when you fall. Your goal should be to wean yourself off of your accountability partners, but still retain them in case you need them again at a later time. One last but very important thing, tell your wife you have an accountability partner, and why. I am sure many wives would be excited and encouraged to know that their husbands are holding themselves responsible to someone in order to overcome some struggle or to be a better husband. Now, here are some sample questions for your accountability partner to ask you: 1. How is it going with your wife in terms of attitudes, having mean-
ingful conversations, doing things together, etc.? 2. Are you wrestling with something in secret? 3. How are your finances doing? Are you using your money wisely? 4. Were you tempted this week in some area? 5. Have you been with a woman this past week that might be seen as compromising? 6. Have you just lied to me? Having accountability partners is working for me. I hope it might be of help to you. Reminder: General questions are fine, but try to make them fit the need of the moment as much as possible. ©2020 FaithWriters.com. All Rights Reserved >
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is owned by Save The Nations Ministries, Inc. and is Published every other month by On Eagles Wings Unlimited, Inc.
For Advertising or Distribution call On Eagles Wings Unlimited, Inc. P.O. Box 3268, Covington, LA 70434 (504) 455-6900 • (985) 871-0238 • Fax: (985) 871-0241 For Editorial Department e-mail: changingtimes@bellsouth.net • The appearance of advertising in Changing Times does not constitute an endorsement nor does it reflect the opinion of Changing Times or On Eagles Wings Unlimited, Inc. • Changing Times is not responsible for the content of advertising inserts. The publisher and the editor reserve the right to refuse any advertisement or article.
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Curbing the Craving for Praise By Nancy Demoss Wolgemuth
In 1995, following a week when I addressed a large conference for Christian workers on the topic of brokenness, I experienced a dramatic increase in invitations to speak at other gatherings. I was truly grateful and deeply awed by what God had done. But the publicity poured fuel on a fire I had battled most of my life—a craving for human applause and recognition, or what the Bible calls “love of the praise of men” (see John 12:43). I found myself relishing what other people said about how God had used me. I was quick to pass along complimentary letters, emails, and write-ups about my ministry to others in hopes that they would think highly of me. I loved
seeing my name in print and at times would take steps to ensure that full credit was given to me. As the scope of my ministry grew exponentially, so did my battle with pride and self-exaltation. And all this was taking place as I was traveling around the country delivering what had become my signature message on humility and brokenness! As is always the case with sin, the solution was to get my pride out “into the light.” I realized that I needed to humble myself before others. The Danger in the File Folder One morning I sensed the Lord directing me to write a letter to about a dozen of my “praying friends”—men and women whom I knew cared for my soul. I admitted my struggle with pride to them and asked them to pray that I would be delivered. One of those individuals wrote back and shared an idea that had come to him as he had prayed for me: Perhaps for a season you might
collect letters of commendation, praise, and anything that could be the occasion for pride. Do you have a fireplace? If so, once a week, light the fire, and then read through at least a few of them. Then tell the Lord that you know everything will someday be tried by fire and only the gold, silver, and truly precious things will last. At that point, toss some or all of the letters into the
Jesus wept. - John 11:35
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CHANGING TIMES DISCLAIMER
As editor of Changing Times, there are often concerns that both On Eagles Wings and Save the Nations Ministries share. Sometimes, there are articles or advertisements that do not exactly line up with the views of Changing Times. Changing Times continues to be published by advertisement and offerings of the readers. While Changing Times advertises businesses, videos, books, and articles, we attempt to do so without contradiction to scripture. We pray that these are used to build the Church and not lead it astray with doctrines that were not given to the Disciples (Galatians 1:8). It is almost an impossibility to research each advertisement or article to reveal error in enough time before publication. As humans we all make mistakes, but as Christians we must remember that error will always ride in on the back of truth. This is what makes it seem so good. It is with these statements, that we ask the following of our readers. The Bereans were recognized for being good stewards over the word of God (Acts 17:10-11). They studied and checked the things, which were taught to be sure they were true and lined up with the scripture. As such, we are no different. Each of us has the responsibility to do the same. This paper attempts to be conservative in belief and bring the gospel to the readers in a balanced fashion, as scripture demands. The Cross of Christ should always be the center of each and every Christians understanding of the gospel to include salvation, sanctification and glorification. Jesus the Christ is the source and the Cross, is the means. Due to reason of deception, many have begun falling away from the purity of that message. There is little said about sin, repentance, the saving Blood, the completed work of the Cross and the necessity of placing our faith in Jesus, and that completed sacrifice. We not only ask, but also beg our reading audience to also be good Bereans. If we find something we understand to be against scripture, we will remove it as we find it, but there are some things that get by us. The Bible speaks of a last day deception that if it were possible, would deceive the very elect of God (Matthew 24). Help us help you. Please, in these last days — Be good Bereans. We pray that each article and advertisement will serve to bless, encourage and increase knowledge and understanding of a relationship with the King of Kings. These are most assuredly troubling times — hold fast to that which is true. In His Service, Save the Nations Ministries
fireplace as a symbolic gesture. As I read this suggestion, my thoughts flew to a file in my study that contained memorabilia related to that week in the summer of 1995. In that file I had placed flattering letters, published accounts, and articles about the event, reprints of
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WOMEN
Changing Times
Encouraging Helpfulness in Your Child: How to Create a Lifelong Love of Service By Suzanne Gosselin
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Every afternoon, when I begin to make dinner, I hear a familiar clatter as my 3-year old eagerly drags her stool across the wooden floor. “Can I help?” she asks, excitement in her voice. Wanting to take advantage of her helpful spirit, I usually allow her to pour something into the bowl or stir. While I appreciate her sweetness, allowing my little one to “help” can sometimes be more work than doing it myself. Nevertheless, I want to make the most of her desire to help now so she will want to be a helper her whole life. Here are four ways to encourage helpfulness in your young child: Encourage. When you notice your little one being a helper, praise him. Say, “Wow! Thank you for helping your brother pick up his toys. You’re such a good helper.” Because correction is often a big part of raising young children, encouraging their helpful tendencies can provide you with many positive interactions each day. Engage. As I mentioned, sometimes allowing little ones to help with chores can be a chore. Don’t let that stop you. Find kid-sized chores your child can do and expand her responsibilities as she grows. You can also look for opportunities to serve others as a family so that helpfulness is a natural part of your family culture.
Expect. Along with encouraging helpfulness and engaging in service opportunities with your child, set an expectation that your child be a helper. Read and discuss a few verses that talk about helping others and being kind, such as (Acts 20:35, 1 Thessalonians 5:14 and Galatians 5:22). Have him make suggestions of how he can help others. (For example, he could help a teacher clean up toys at the end of class.) Enable. We tend to think of enabling as a bad thing, but a toddler can’t exactly drive herself to a homeless shelter to serve. In order for your child to grow in helpfulness, you must be an enabler. When Shae’s 4-year-old son Spencer told her that he wanted to give a house to every homeless person in their city, she helped him and his older brother, Brayden, 6, come up with a doable plan. Since they couldn’t give houses, they began giving sleeping bags. She helped her sons collect money to purchase the bags and drove them to downtown Portland, Oregon, to hand them out. Now ages 12 and 14, the brothers continue to operate their sleeping bag ministry. “They come up with new and creative ways to raise money every year,” Shae says. “Last year they had a babysitting night and babysat 10 kids for 3 hours.” Brayden and Spencer have handed out over 1,000 sleeping bags, and it all began when their mom enabled her sons’ giving spirits. My 3-year old may not be able to do much now, but by encouraging her desire to help, I can lead her toward a lifelong love of service. © Revive Our Hearts.>
Teens www.changingtimes.info
Dangers Of Young Men, Part 3
Teens
By J. C. Ryle
There are some special dangers that young men need to be warned against. (1) One danger to young men is PRIDE. (2) Another danger to young men is the LOVE OF PLEASURE. (3) Another danger to young men is THOUGHTLESSNESS. Not thinking is one simple reason why thousands of souls are thrown away forever into the Lake of Fire. Men will not consider, will not look ahead, will not look around them, will not reflect on the end of their present course, and the sure consequences of their present days, and wake up to find they are damned
for a lack of thinking. Young men, none are in more danger of this than you. You know little of the perils around you, and so you are careless how you walk. You hate the trouble of serious, quiet thinking, and so you make wrong decisions and bring upon yourselves much sorrow. Young Esau had to have his brother's stew and sold his birthright: he never thought how much he would want it in the future. Young Simeon and Levi had to avenge the rape of their sister Dinah, and kill the Shechemites: they never considered how much trouble and anxiety they might bring on their father Jacob and his house. Job seems to have been especially afraid of this thoughtlessness among his children: it is written, that when they had a feast, and the "period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, 'Perhaps my children have
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sinned and cursed God in their hearts.' This was Job's regular custom" (Job 1:5). Believe me, this world is not a world in which we can do well without thinking, and least of all do well in the matter of our souls. "Don't think," whispers Satan: he knows that an unconverted heart is like a dishonest businessman's financial records, they will not bear close inspection. "Consider your ways," says the Word of God--stop and think--consider and be wise. The Spanish proverb says it well, "Hurry comes from the devil." Just as men marry in a rush and then are miserable with their mate, so they make mistakes about their souls in a minute, and then suffer for it for years. Just as a bad servant does wrong, and then says, "I never gave it a thought," so young men run into sin, and then say, "I did not think about it--it did not look like sin." Not look like sin! What would you expect? Sin will not come to you, saying, "I am sin;" it would do little
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harm if it did Sin always seems "good, and pleasant, and desirable," at the time of commission. Oh, get wisdom, get discretion! Remember the words of Solomon: "Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm" (Proverbs 4:26). Some, I dare say, will object that I am asking what is unreasonable; that youth is not the time of life when people ought to be grave and thoughtful. I answer; there is little danger of their being too much so in the present day. Foolish talking and kidding, and joking, and excessive amusement, are only too common. I don't argue the fact that there is a time for all things; but to be always flippant and joking is anything but wise. What does the wisest of men say--"It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living See DANGERS on Page 10
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TEENS
Changing Times
WE ARE OPEN • YOU ARE WELCOME BACK
What Is Life To The Fullest? By Greg Laurie
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“For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.” (Psalm 36:9) W. M. Lewis said, “The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it.” I think we all really want life to the fullest. We want more than mere existence; we want life that is worth living. When I was seventeen, I went on a diligent search in my life. My mom had married and divorced seven times. She was a big drinker, a big partier. And this got me searching for the meaning of life at a very early age. When I looked at the adult world I was exposed to, I found nothing in it that I wanted. I couldn’t think of any person that I really had that much admiration for, and I thought there had to be more to life. So, I began my search.
Interestingly, I was attracted to things that were good. I was looking for something wholesome, something solid and stable. I came to faith on my high school campus after I saw a group of Christians having a Bible study. These Christians were living life to its fullest, and it radiated from them. So, I decided I wanted some of that. Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10 NKJV). The abundant life is not necessarily a long life, though it may be. We will live as long as God wants us to live. Nor is it necessarily a life free of sorrow, heartache, or tragedy. Even Christians experience all of that. The abundant life is one in which we are content in the knowledge that God’s grace is more than sufficient for our needs. It’s the knowledge that nothing can suppress it and that God’s favor for us is unending. That is the abundant life as presented by Jesus. Copyright© 2020 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.>
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should take this to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure" (Ecclesiastes 7:2-4). Matthew Henry tells a story of a great statesman in Queen Elizabeth's time, who retired from public life in his latter days, and gave himself up to serious thought. His former merry companions came to visit him, and told him that he was becoming somber: "No," he replied, "I am serious; for everyone around me is serious. God is serious in observing us--Christ is serious in interceding for us--the Spirit is serious in striving with us--the truths of God are serious--our spiritual ene-
mies are serious in their endeavors to ruin us--poor lost sinners are serious in hell--and why then should you and I not be serious too?" Oh, young men, learn to be thoughtful! Learn to consider what you are doing, and where you are going. Make time for calm reflection. Commune with your own heart, and be still. Remember my caution--Do not be lost merely for the lack of thought. GRACE GEMS! A Treasury of Ageless Sovereign Grace Devotional Writings Our Purpose To humble the pride of man, to exalt the grace of God in salvation and to promote real holiness in heart and life. ©GraceGems.org 2020 >
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Don't Criticize Our Youth By Jessica Gerald
Some people tend to be judgmental, condemning, and critical of children or teens. They catch wind of some misbehavior and secretly gloat that "their children would never do that". They reason that if those parents had just raised their sons or daughters right, they wouldn't have acted that way, or gotten into that trouble. There are several reasons why we should not judge others. 1. We bring judgment on our-
selves. You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. (Romans 1:1) Even God reserves judgment till the end of our lives. He waits patiently for us to come to him. We need to extend kindness to lost teens and young adults, hoping to lead them to repentance. 2. Our children are not perfect. So, when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? (Romans 1:4) There have been many times that my own sons did things I never dreamed they would do. They knew better and had been taught better. They were good kids, but sometimes made very foolish choices. Watch your words - you may have to eat them! 3. Our goal is to love our young people to the Lord. Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance
and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance? (Romans 1:4) Today's youth battle enormous pressure in a very ungodly society. They are struggling. If my sons are wavering between the world and the Lord, the last thing they need is for a Christian to be condemning of them. That's not going to make them want to go to church. They'll
Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. – 1 Samuel 8:6
feel more like walking out the door and not coming back. Let's develop an attitude of love, mercy, and forgiveness toward children, teens, and young adults. Pray for their faults and sins instead of condemning them. Show kindness instead of criticism. Align yourself with God to reap the harvest of their souls. Š2020 FaithWriters.com. All Rights Reserved >
Back to School 2020 11
CHILDREN
Changing Times
Flight Training David Jeremiah
Eagles have been used as national symbols by Egyptians, Romans, Americans... and fittingly. Soaring bald eagles stir us to look heavenward. America almost lost this symbol. Only diligent conservation and powerful parenting practices saved our majestic bald eagles. Surviving eaglets can give credit to their parents' skills. Let's look at the parenting techniques of America's greatest bird and see how they prepare the young to soar in the real world, and how we can do the same. Parenting with Protection Bald eagles nest atop the highest trees. Mom shades her eaglets while she's there, and piles up sticks and debris for shade while hunting. Bringing an evergreen branch to the nest with each breeding cycle may be an effort to provide additional shade (Ez.17:3-4).
lessons continue. Parents often fear a child's anger and won't stretch him beyond his comfort zone. Those children stay weak like muscles that aren't exercised. God tests and stretches His adult children so we learn to walk by faith (Exodus 20:20). Stretch your children. They may get angry, but later they'll be more upset if you don't. Parenting by Lifting Up Homes need to be safe havens for Once young eagles learn the children. Young people today often basics of flying, it's time to "soar seek safety—a place to escape the like an eagle!" Leading the young heat of society and often their own to lofty heights, a parent provides homes—in gangs or disreputable lift in his powerful wake. Did peer groups. I ache for children Moses observe this? As an eagle unable to take secure cover under stirs up its nest, hovers over its mom and dad's protective wings. young, spreading out its wings, takProvide your child's favorite shelter ing them up, carrying them on its in your home. Expect thanks later. wings (Deut. 32:11). Parenting by Example Every child needs a lift. A hug Bald eagles mate for life. Like an can send 'em back into the game. "old married couple," the male may "Find the good and applaud it!" push the female out of the nest to (Zig Ziglar). Lifting up a child give her a break from warming eggs. takes a parent who is plowing Train children to have successful, through his problems, making a permanent marriages by example. So way for his children to follow. what if the relationship gets a little Few children learn to soar any peculiar through the years? I've never higher than their parents (John 13:16). met a young person who would swap Set the pace. Lead your children to his parents' worn-slipper relationship heights they can't reach on their own. for a divorce. Children need to know Eagles are diligent parents and love works. With God's help, mardistinguished emblems for America. Teach the young residents of your nest to soar in the real world: Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31). This article w a s excerptNeurofeedback also Treats ed from • Panic Attacks • Post Traumatic Brain Injury Turning Points, Dr. • Addiction • Learning Disorders David Jeremiah's • Depression • Fibromyalgia • PTSD • Anxiety Disorders devotional maga• Insomnia • Post Stroke Syndrome zine. • Memory Loss • Migraine Headaches Call Turning Point • Asperger's Syndrome • Effective for Chemo Brain at 1-800-947-1993 for your complimenDr. Nancy Gravel tary copy of Turning Care Chiropractic Points.> 2201 11th Street • Mandeville, LA 70471 • 985.626.4422 riages can be repaired. Give kids courage to try to love themselves. Reassure your children that their parents will always be there—together. Parenting According to Knowledge The female bald eagle lays two or three eggs. The first hatched is always largest and a fierce food competition begins. But each eaglet is fed according to its need and appetite. Every youngster is different. So they're raised differently—a principle for wise parents. Swindoll suggests we're to train each child in the way he individually should go (Prov. 22:6). The way he can walk with self-confidence for a lifetime. Children are different and must be raised accordingly. God's unique creations—each child has a distinct purpose in God's plan (Psalm 139:1316). Wise parents feed their children instructions on an individual basis according to knowledge and need. Parenting by Stretching Mom and dad teach young eagles to fly solo by flying back and forth in front of the nest with food. Hunger forces the eaglets to reach out for it. Leaping from the nest, they flutter to the ground. Rewarded with enough food for strength, the
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Go To The Storehouse! By David Wilkerson
Here is how you go to God’s storehouse and get what you need; 1. Come boldly to His throne and ask largely for all the grace and mercy you need to see you through every temptation and trial. The devil has a million ways to make you feel guilty, fearful, condemned and confused and he’ll tell you, “You feel this way because you’ve got junk in your heart!” But I stopped looking in my heart a long
time ago, because it’s always black. Yet it is white to my Father because it is covered with the blood of the Lamb! It does not matter how you feel. Simply look to God’s Word for what Jesus has done. He has wiped your slate clean! 2. Remind God that it was His idea for you to come in. You did not go the Lord saying, “Father, I want everything you have!” He invited you in saying, “All I have is yours.
Come and get it!” 3. Take God at His Word! The Bible says that everything He has for us is obtained by faith. You need only say in faith, “Lord Jesus, flood me with Your peace because you have said it is mine! I claim rest for my soul.” You cannot work this up. You cannot sing or praise it down. It comes from being rooted and grounded in a revelation of God’s love for you. This comes not in a feeling but rather in the Word that He himself has spoken: “In My house is bread enough to spare!” 4. Take God’s Word and hammer all your fear, guilt and condemnation to pieces! Reject it all—it is not of God! You can say, “Let the devil come at me with his lies. My Father knows it already, and He has forgiven and cleansed me. There is no guilt or condemnation toward me. I am free!” Beloved, I believe that if you ask the Spirit right now to help you seize
He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart; - Psalm 15:2
this truth—to get rooted and grounded in it—the coming days will be the greatest you have ever had. You can say, “Lord Jesus, I know I am going to make mistakes, but nothing is going to shake me because you have everything, I need to attain the victory and to live in it.” Come into His storehouse and claim all that is yours from your loving Father! Copyright © 2020 by World Challenge, Inc., P.O. Box 260, Lindale, Texas 75771 >
Back to School 2020 13
Changing Times
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Portions For Those Who Lack By J. R. Miller
After eating the fat and drinking the sweet of the feast in their own homes, the returned captives were bidden by Nehemiah to send portions to those for whom nothing had been prepared. "For this day is holy," was added to the exhortation. Part of the holiness of worship, is loving service. We are never to eat our bread alone; we are to share it. In Job's self-justification, when his friends had spoken bitterly against him, he says among other things: "If I have withheld the poor from their desires, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail, or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten thereof, then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder-blade, and my arm be broken from the bone." We may never eat our morsel alone, while others are hungry. This lesson was taught thus emphatically in the Old Testament and still more earnestly in the New. In the Lord's Prayer, we are bidden to pray not for our own bread alone—but for bread for others as well. "Give us this day our daily bread." While we are feasting at our own table, we must remember those who are hungry outside, and send portions to them. The days are holy—all the days are holy, and no day set apart for God must be
H M
stained by selfishness. The direction that the people, after eating the fat and drinking the sweet of their feast, should send portions to those for whom nothing had been prepared, is in keeping with the teaching of the Bible throughout. The poor were always to be remembered. The stranger was never to be forgotten. He, who let the needy go hungry when he had plenty on his own table, was severely condemned. In the New Testament, the lesson was taught with marked emphasis. Generosity is a quality of all true Christian character. To think only of ourselves and give no thought to others, is contrary to the Spirit of Christ, who teaches us to share our plenty with those who lack. Stinginess is always condemned. Generosity is always praised. It is a large word. It has a root which means excellence, goodness. It is a word of rank. Its first definition in the dictionary is "nobility." The word was applied only to the good, the brave, and the noble. Christ was generous. He had largeness of heart, magnanimity. He taught his followers to be generous. The lack of generosity in one, who calls himself a Christian, is a blot on his name. It marks him as unworthy. It dishonors him, as cowardice dishonors the name of him who calls himself a man. The brightest deeds that shine in the story of humanity, are the deeds of generosity. Generosity does not merely return good for good, does not merely measure its giving by what it has received. Like Christly love, it blesses the hand that has smitten, it repays cruelty with gentleness, and it serves most unselfishly, those who have done the sorest wrong. Generosity is the perfect flower of love. It does not think who it is, who is in need—but gives and serves the most unworthy. It thinks only of the See PORTIONS on Page 34
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How To Show The Woman You Married That You Love Her By Angie Lewis
What have you done lately to show the woman you married that you love her? Did you take her out to dinner? Maybe you bought her some flowers or chocolates? A man likes to do these things for a woman because it’s easy and fast. But is your wife really appreciating the flowers and chocolates? In this article I have mentioned a few other useful tricks you can do to show your wife that you love her. 1. Validate the woman you married A woman needs her man to validate her feelings. I know sometimes this is challenging for you to do, especially if you disagree with something she needs your support on. There is a correct way to do this without being offensive and hurting her feelings. First of all be understanding of your wife’s feelings and then collaborate her on her thoughts and ideas even if they differ from yours. In essence, when you listen to your wife’s feelings, without criticizing
I Do.
her, you have essentially given her the validation she needs. Everyone needs validation from time to time; it makes them feel useful and productive individuals. By trying to be more understanding, essentially you will be respecting the woman you married. Tell her how much you like her decorating style, or how she manages the home, or the way she dresses. Find the things about your wife you really like, be honest and tell her the great things you love about her instead of keeping those feelings inside. Validation is a form of acceptance that you can give your wife. By accepting her for the woman she is it will make her feel safe and secure being your wife. A woman who feels safe and loved will ultimately give more of herself to her man. Ironically, a husband can validate his wife’s feelings better when he takes the role of spiritual leader in the home. A man who feels secure in his position is more likely to make his wife feel good about
Marriage who she is in the marriage. They work better together as a team, accomplishing more for themselves and the marriage. 2. Be more Affectionate with your wife Hold your wife’s hand while watching TV, taking a walk, or driving in the car. Massage her back or feet without asking for anything in return. Your wife likes to be touched and fussed over occasionally, know when that time is by being attune to your wife’s feelings, and paying special attention to your wife on those days. 3. Surprise your wife with something totally unexpected Instead of golfing with your buddies on Saturday, take your wife to a romantic outside lunch if it is summer or fireplace lunch in the winter. Then take her to a romantic comedy matinee movie. Or if you have the money to spend, book a hotel room for the night with a Jacuzzi and enjoy the night together! Your wife will love all this. Make her a homemade all-occasion card on the computer telling her how important she is to you in your life. Make her feel special. Get creative, draw her a picture, and spend time on creating this card, she will love it that you took the time to make her a card rather than simply buying one from the store. It is the simple things in life that
I Do.
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mean the most. 4. Give your wife the whole day off from cooking, children, and house cleaning. This isn’t too hard. On your day off do everything for her. Do all the things she does for you. If you don’t know how to cook, order pizza or Chinese food. Let your wife spend the day with her friends shopping or going to lunch, etc. When she comes home give her a back rub, take her shoes off, draw her a hot bubble bath and let her take a long bath. When she comes out from her bath, light the candles, caress her some more and just be there for her all the rest of the evening. Be her loving, romantic and protecting man so she can be the woman God made her to be for you. 5. Appreciate all that your wife does All of the above will show your wife that you love her and appreciate her for everything that she does. Being understanding of your wife’s feelings and needs on a consistent basis will improve the quality of your marriage a great deal. By taking the respective roles that God has designed for each gender will greatly enhance the happiness of your marriage. Be the man of the house so she can be the lady of the house. © 2002-2020 Heaven Ministries. All Rights Reserved. www. heavenministries.org >
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MARRIAGE
Changing Times
A Word For Wives
In (1 Peter 3:1-4), we learn about all kinds of attitudes and attributes that make a Christian wife a godly wife — the kind of wife she ought to be. Submission "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands". God has given headship in the home, and God has made the husband the head. That doesn't make the wife inferior. It doesn't make the husband superior. This idea that if we're in submission to somebody we're inferior is plain false. According to (1 Corinthians 11:3), Christ has authority over every man. There is an order to God's authority. First God the Father, then God the Son, then man, then woman. Is the woman inferior to the man because she is under him? Of course not. We worship one God who has revealed Himself in three persons, all equal, all one in essence. Jesus' submission doesn't make Him inferior to His Father. It's not a matter of equality. Everybody knows that women and
men are equal (see Galatians 3:28). With God there is no respect, or favoritism, with persons, race, or face. We are one in the sight of the Lord Jesus Christ. Men and women are equal; they are not the same. It is the devil's attempt to make modern men and women alike under the guise of making them equal. God made us different, that He might make us one. For our differences attract us to one another. Ruth Graham, the wife of evangelist Billy Graham, said, "It is the woman's job to love her husband; it's God's job to make him good." Submission isn't inferiority. In fact, in a sense, it's superiority. You are never more like Jesus than when you're in submission — and you're never more like the Devil than when you're in rebellion. Speech "Be in subjection to your own husbands that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives". No man was ever nagged into being a Christian. In fact, the Bible has a lot to say about nagging wives (see Proverbs 19:13 and 21:9). Now this doesn't mean that a wife can't be a witness to her husband. It doesn't mean that a woman can't state her case during a disagreement. It doesn't mean that a woman can't make her desires known. She ought to do her best to
influence her husband. But she is under the command of headquarters. They weren't weak. It's also not to nag him. A wife is to be so clean and so used to describe a wild stallion who pure that her life speaks louder than has been trained to wear a bridle her words. An unsaved husband and harness. That stallion isn't with that kind of wife lives with a weak. But it controls its strength sermon! He eats with a sermon, and places it under its rider's authorsleeps with a sermon, talks with a ity. That takes more strength than running free. sermon. And the word "quiet" doesn't Serenity "Whose adorning, let it not be mean mousy. It means "tranquility" that outward adorning of plaiting or "serenity." There is a beautiful the hair, and of wearing of gold, or serenity about a strong woman who of putting on of apparel; but let it be places herself under her husband's the hidden man of the heart, in that authority. It shows the presence of which is not corruptible, even the Jesus in her. It comes out in her ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, speech and her actions. Service which is in the sight of God of great Service is our last aspect of a price". The New American Standard godly woman. When Peter says in Bible translates this passage, "Let verse 6 that Sarah obeyed Abranot your adornment be merely ham, he literally means that she met external." I'm glad for the word his needs. Sarah was Abraham's "merely." This passage simply says servant — not in the sense of a that ladies can have a ministry with slave but in the sense of a helpmeet. their husbands only if their beauty Sarah met Abraham's emotional, goes deeper than external adorn- spiritual, and physical needs. She completed him; she didn't finish ments. Peter writes of a meek and quiet him off! She was a bow to her husspirit. But meekness isn't weakness. band's violin. UVA-20-ChangingTimes-5x6.5.pdf 1 2/5/20 Save 12:12 PM the Nations Ministries> This word "meek" described soldiers in the Roman army, who were
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Point Kids To The Gospel Through Great Books
Education
By Tim Keller
One morning, while strolling through Oxford, J. R. R. Tolkien described Christianity to C. S. Lewis as the “true myth.” Christ, Tolkien explained, is the full revelation of God; all other great stories merely echo that truth. Lewis later credited this discussion with Tolkien as instrumental to his Christian conversion. A century later, the wisdom of that dialogue resurfaced in my personal life, though in humbler circumstances. I didn’t walk with scholars among halls of erudition. Instead, I sat at our kitchen table, a worn copy of The Fellowship of the Ring in hand, reading aloud while my kids munched peanut butter and jelly. The Ring Bearer and his companions had just fled across the bridge of Khazad-dûm. As Gandalf wheeled about to face the balrog, my son and daughter paused midbite and leaned in, enraptured. The bridge gave way; my kids leaned in farther. Then the balrog’s whip lashed around Gandalf’s ankle. The beloved wizard urged the fellowship to save themselves, and then he sank into the abyss. I paused and studied my kids warily. Was this too much? I worried. They were both silent and wide-eyed. I counted the passing seconds, and my anxiety mounted. Will I be soothing them through nightmares tonight? Finally, my son spoke up. His voice was calm. “I think he gave himself for the others, Mum,” he said. “Kind of like Jesus did for us.” Splintered Light Tolkien, a devout Catholic, gave his readers ample opportunities to discuss Christian themes. Yet when he claimed that myths offer fragments of divine truth, “splintered from a single White to many hues,” he wasn’t talking about his own fiction.
A passionate linguist, Tolkien relished Welsh and Norse tales, and Lewis enjoyed Greek and Roman mythology. Their dialogues revolved around ancient stories brimming with drama and artistry, epic tales revealing our fallen condition and highlighting God’s grace. The day we journeyed through Middle-earth over lunch, my kids and I were contemplating an imaginary realm with fictitious characters. Yet, thanks to regular Scripture reading as a family, coupled with a masterfully crafted story, the gospel broke through. When we apply the truths of Scripture to conversations about great books, we open our children’s eyes in fresh ways to God’s majesty, his mercy, and his incredible grace. In other words, we point them to the gospel. Giving Your Kids Great Books Epic stories aren’t the easiest reads on the family bookshelf. Their language can be ornate or archaic, and the themes are often mature. As we curl up with our kids to read, a picture book with less potential for nightmares may seem the safer choice. But, with care, these concerns are surmountable. Here are five points to guide you along the way as you journey into great literature with your children. 1. Give them Scripture first. The gospel will come alive through great books only if kids already know the Scriptures. So, give them the Bible first, foremost, and regularly. Then use literature as a supplement. The goal is to enhance your family devotions, not to replace them. Teach your kids that God’s Word is a lamp to their feet and a light to their path (Ps. 119:105), then help them to perceive glimmers of this truth through stories. 2. Know your kids. It takes a discerning eye to present mature material in ways that will excite and educate but not terrify. Preview any book ahead of time. When possible, pick a story with which you’re already familiar, so you can edit sections that would overwhelm your children. Ensure the illustrations aren’t too graphic
or upsetting. Kids’ sensitivities vary. The best stories will challenge and inspire without causing distress. 3. Find the right version. With some books, the original text is so engaging that it holds the attention of even the squirmiest of listeners. The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Jungle Book are great examples. For more complex tales, good abridged versions can recount sophisticated themes in simple language without sacrificing the elements critical to the story. 4. Make it a habit. A habit of reading aloud with your kids facilitates interweaving great books with Scripture. A child
unaccustomed to read-alouds may initially grumble, but as the routine melds with your regular rhythms, the complaints will ebb. A child unaccustomed to readalouds may initially grumble, but as the routine melds with your regular rhythms, the complaints will ebb. Pick whatever time works for your family—after school, during a meal (which offers the added benefit of a captive audience), before bed—whatever enhances and doesn’t hinder your busy family life. Audiobooks in the car count, too, provided you dialogue with your kids about what they hear. See GOSPEL on Page 36
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School budgets are already stretched these days which comes alongside the increasing pressure for the children to academically perform at increased rates. If schools can provide breakfast to students on a regular basis, this one factor can create a foundation for the student to progress academically. School & Parent Responsibility Although, it is the responsibility of the parent to provide a healthy breakfast to the student, how many children are lacking in this area? And, how many are suffering academically due to this situation? If schools and parents would partner together to create a positive foundation for the children, then more positive changes could transpire in the area of academics. Programs which offer free breakfast, in addition to free lunches, for children should also be highly considered. Ensuring the future of our children comes one day at a time in the present, helping them to be able to fully succeed in life. Dr. Don Colbert is a graduate of Oral Roberts School of Medicine and shares his years of experience and research in nutritional medicine in all of his work. He is a national speaker, bestselling author and host of a national talk show titled Your Health Matters. © 2020 Dr. Don Colbert, MD PA www.drcolbert.com >
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Positive Results Arise Positive results were the consequence – the students who ate a higher quality breakfast outperformed their peers. Students who outperformed their peers did so by at least 50 percent in most cases. To date, this appears to be the biggest study conducted in this area of refinement. Children who consumed chips and sweets for the morning meal did not improve academically during the study period. Through the following, students consistently listed all foods eaten over the period of twenty-four hours. The times of day were also included in this documentation. Other students who were provided with a healthy breakfast performed at much higher standards. These students were given fruits and veggies routinely for snacks through the day. A significant difference was referenced within the data collected. The Evidence Strongly Noted The evidence is noted in the Public Health Nutrition Journal, providing strong standings to ensure children have a healthy breakfast provided to them. There is a positive link which is strongly associated with increased school performance for these children. The Importance of Health Improving the overall health of the children is very important.
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Morning Routines: Three Simple Steps To Enhance Your Mood By Dr. Don Colbert
Health Drinking a sufficient amount of water through the day boosts the immune system and improves health. Try adding a squeeze of lemon to drinking water in the mornings. Healthy Smoothies Sipping a vitamin packed healthy smoothie is another way to start the day off right. Healthy smoothies are easy for the body to digest. Many recipes are quick to create and can be enjoyed by all in the family Here is a delightful recipe to get you started: Green Smoothie with Coconut Water • One ripe banana • Eight oz. coconut water
• One tsp. coconut oil • One dozen raw cashews • One handful of spinach Blend ingredients and sip slowly. Protein powders, potato starches, and superfood formulas can also be added to the smoothie if desired. Three Simple Steps Taking these three simple steps can make the day go so much better. So, why not give it a try? Stop to breathe more deeply, purpose to increase body movement, and make healthier breakfast choices. A healthy morning routine will make the day go much better! © All rights reserved 2020 - Dr. Don Colbert. >
heart rate, and depressing arousal levels. These exercises are also useful for clearing the mind. Box breathing involves inhaling (count to four), hold breath in (count to four), exhaling (count to four), hold breath out (count to four), inhaling (count to four), hold breath in (count to four), exhaling (count to The morning routine can “make four), so forth. The four-count can or break” your day in no time. For also be changed to another number many of us, the a.m. routine includes if needed. dragging ourselves out of bed, 2) Increase Movement dreading to start even the day. A pot Increasing body movement leads of coffee is added to the morning to a more fulfilled and healthier “to get us going” only to find chal- lifestyle. Our bodies are created to lenges lead the way. run, play, climb, crawl, lift, balMaking the most of the morning ance, as well as other complex routine changes “the mood” for the moves. Moving the body improves Family Owned & Operated Since 1990 rest of the day. The first sixty min- mood and develops a happier state utes of the day is the most impor- of mind. Blood flow expands with vazquez Seafood & Po-Boy ReStauRant tant in determining how the rest of increased movements; lymph Open Monday-Friday • 10am-8pm — Sat. 10am-2pm the day will go. Here are three removes toxins more quickly with simple steps to help provide a more amplified efforts. 985-893-9336 positive (and healthy) attitude for Body Shaking 515 E. Boston St., Covington, LA 70433 the remaining hours: As strange as it may sound, body 1) Change Breathing Patterns shaking is a wonderful stress relievBreathing patterns are important er. It is one of the best things to do and related to stress levels. Indi- to take away tension and decrease viduals who are “stressed” all the the effects of stress on the body. D D S LLC time are usually not breathing prop- Body shaking increases the blood Steven E. Pfingsten D.D.S. erly. Their bodies are in the “fight flow, helps to remove toxins, and or flight” response mode, and their awakens the body for additional breathing is shallower. During this movement. Family Dentistry for All Ages time, the heart rate also increases. A Locomotion Exercises RestoRative, CRown & BRidge, dentuRes, PaRtials & whitening vicious cycle then occurs, and the Locomotion exercises improve body is in “shallow” breathing the overall mobility of the body and Caring Christian Atmosphere • New Patients Welcome much of the time. also encourages the release of Saturday Appointments Available The goal is to pay attention to the endorphins (feel-good chemicals). We Accept Medicaid & Most Insurances breathing patterns being used. Take Mood is improved during these time to breath more deeply on a self-powered actions. Locomotion 985-892-3250 regular basis. If you feel the tension exercises do not require any equip71623 Hickory Street, Abita Springs, LA 70420 coming in during the day, take a ment. Some of the movements (on the St. Tammany Trace in Historic Abita Springs) few minutes to do deep breathing include walking, hopping, leaping, while focusing on relaxing. rolling, sliding, skipping, climbing, Five Minute Meditation and swimming. During the morning, take five 3) Healthy Eating During minutes to meditate mindfully. Breakfast Focus on breathing in a comfortMaking healthy choices for the able position. Breath deep with a first meal of the day gives the body steady inhale into your stomach “sound nutrition” to get started. region (ten times) and focus on Consuming the right food deterbringing stress levels down. Prac- mines how well the body functions tice bringing your mind “back to for the remaining hours of the day. the breathing” if thoughts consis- Eating improper foods will result in tently come into your head. If need- feeling “down and out” before you ed, this can also be done during the even begin your routine. day at break time, or even lunch Drinking Water time. Drinking a glass of water in the Try Box Breathing Exercises morning (every day) will help the Box breathing exercises are great body to fight inflammation, provide for decreasing anxiety, lowering hydration, and alkalize the system. My son, do not forget My law, But let your heart keep My commands. - Proverbs 3:1 Back to School 2020 19
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The Top 14 Herbs of the Bible by Divine Akorli
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People have been using herbs for thousands of years because of their culinary and medicinal benefits. I’ve listed out some of the most popular herbs of the Bible, and what they were traditionally used for. Hopefully, you can pick up a tip or two on how to incorporate these Biblical herbs into your diet today. Aloes The Aloe vera plant has been used for thousands of years to heal a variety of conditions, most notably burns, wounds, skin irritations, and constipation. Aloe was also used to embalm the dead, as well as for perfume. Today, aloe is used in many ways including treating burns, sunburns, healing bruises and rashes, moisturize skin, fight athletes foot, prevent scarring and stretch marks, speed up hair growth, and many more. Anise All parts of the anise plant were used during Biblical times. The seeds, leaves and stem were used to cool high temperatures, as well as for other medicinal purposes. Today, Anise can be used to help with digestion and can be used as an anti-flatulence agent, a relief aid for coughs and colds and also can help with insomnia. Usually taken by crushing the seeds into a tea. Balm Balm refers to an extremely fragrant substance that was extracted from the balsam tree. In Biblical times, balsam was considered extremely valuable. Its gum was used as incense, while the oil that came from the bark, the leaves and the berries worked well as medicine. Bitter Herbs Bitter herbs are a collective term used for lettuce, horehound, tansy, horseradish, endive and coriander seeds. Bitter herbs were mostly used for food. In fact, the people of Israel were commanded to have bitter herbs with their Passover lamb. Today, they can be used to help with urinary tract infections, kidney stones, fluid retention, achy joints
and gout. Cassia
Cassia oil was popularly used as anointing oil during Biblical times. Cassia has aromatic properties quite similar to cinnamon. Today, Cassia can be used as natural hair care, coloring and conditioning. The leaves are harvested, dried, and ground into a powder used for natural hair care. Cinnamon Cinnamon, once considered more precious than gold, has some amazing medicinal benefits. The bark, where the oil comes from, was traditionally collected for anointing oil, as well as perfume. Today, cinnamon can be used for athlete’s foot, indigestion, improve brain function, helps lower blood glucose levels, among many others. Cumin The ancient Israelites took cumin seeds, dried them, and used them to flavor their food. Today, cumin can help with digestion, cardiovascular disease, urinary disorders, and fever. Frankincense Most popularly known for incense, Frankincense was used during ceremonial offerings and considered an article of luxury. Today, it can be used as an analgesic, antidepressant and sedative, in addition to being a powerful healing herb. Frankincense is also a primary ingredient in stress-reducing incenses. Garlic Garlic has been used as both food and medicine in many cultures for thousands of years, dating back to when the Egyptian pyramids were built. Today, garlic is used to help prevent heart disease, including atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries (plaque buildup in the arteries that can block the flow of blood and may lead to heart attack or stroke), high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and to boost the immune system. Garlic may also help protect against cancer. Hyssop Hyssop is a sweet smelling plant
from the mint family. It was used in many ceremonial rituals of the Israelites, as burning hyssop typically meant an inner cleansing. Mint Mint has been used for thousands of years as a culinary herb and for medicine. Today, mint can help with stomach aches, poor digestion, fever, hiccups, ear aches and sinuses. Mustard Seed One of Jesus’ most famous parables was about the mustard seed. This may be because mustard grew so abundantly in Palestine. Today, mustard can be used for soar throats, muscle and back relaxing, and as a hair conditioner to treat damaged hair. Myrrh In Biblical times, it was sold as a spice or an ingredient of the anointing oil used in the Tabernacle, or as a salve for the purification of the dead. In the Roman world, it was considered a natural remedy for almost every human affliction, from earaches to hemorrhoids. Today, myrrh can be used as a cleansing agent, and to help with ulcerated throats and mouth sores. Saffron The most expensive spice in the world today was also very dear during ancient times. Because of its distinct yellow color, saffron was used not only for flavoring but to make ancient dyes as well. Ancient peoples used saffron to treat stomach upsets, bubonic plague, and smallpox. Today, recent studies have indicated possible health benefits, including cancer-inhibiting properties, aiding in allergies, help combat depression, and promote a feeling of fullness (in terms of diet). www.officialdivinea.com Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com / ©2020 FaithWriters. com. All Rights Reserved >
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Impulse Buying: Why We Do It And How To Stop
Let’s be honest here: Impulse buying is kind of fun—at least in the moment. You walk into a store not meaning to buy anything until . . . boom. The perfect sale pops up right in front of you! It’s meant to be, right? Uh, not so much. Get this: Americans impulsively spend an average of $450 every month.1 That adds up to an extra $5,400 spent every year. Ouch! But just think—if you invested that $450 every month, after 10 years at an 8% rate of return, you’d have over $83,000! Nothing like the magic of compound interest to put things into perspective. WHAT IS AN IMPULSE BUY?
Anytime you purchase something you weren’t planning to, that’s impulse buying. It can be as small as grabbing a candy bar in the checkout line that wasn’t on your grocery list or as big as walking into a car dealership and saying, “I’ll take that convertible, please.” If it’s not planned for in your budget ahead of time, it’s an impulse. Almost all of us have fallen for the temporary excitement of impulse buying. In fact, 88.6% of Americans say they’ve done it!2 And the other 11.4% are probably in denial, really. WHY DO WE STRUGGLE WITH IMPULSE BUYING? Do you ever wonder why we buy on impulse? Hint: Emotions play a huge part. Our personal finances are just that—personal. So it makes sense that when something’s going on with us personally, it shows up in our money habits too. When you’re having a rough day, does a little retail therapy sound
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like the cure? Maybe it’s nothing extreme. Maybe it’s just grabbing a new baseball cap or swinging by the mall for another pair of earrings. You tell yourself it’s not a big deal or anything. You just want to get something nice to make yourself feel better. Danger! Danger! Listening to our emotions is a surefire way to let impulse buying take control. And it’s really easy to do too. Sneaky marketers know this and try to purposely play on your emotions with their advertisements. They hope their ad tactics will hit a nerve with whatever emotions you’re feeling when you walk into their store, see their commercial, or scroll past their marketing email.Hey, we get it. Buying stuff is fun, and it feels good. But did you know a lot of it is actually scientific? We get a temporary “high” from buying things. Buying something on impulse feels exciting. That’s because it releases dopamine (the chemical that makes you feel good) in the brain. Instead of turning to impulse buying to give you that high, try going for a run, hanging out with friends or family, dancing in your living room—anything that makes you feel happy (without spending money)! HOW TO STOP IMPULSE BUYING All right, so how the heck do you keep impulse buying at bay? Glad you asked. Whether you’re on Baby Step 1 or Baby Step 7, we’ve come
up with 10 tips to help you dodge the temptation to overspend. 1. Make a budget and stick to it. Okay, first things first: You need a budget. If you don’t already have one, then stop and take 10 minutes to do it right now with our free budgeting app, EveryDollar. But here’s the kicker—you have to actually stick to it! A budget isn’t a magic wand that will suddenly make all of your money behave. It’s on you to tell your money where to go each month and then follow through with that plan. If it’s not already budgeted for, don’t spend the money. Yep, it’s as simple and as hard as that. You can do it! 2. Give yourself permission to spend. Yes, we just told you to stick to your budget—and you always should. But it’s also important to throw a little fun money in there too! Give yourself (and your spouse if you’re married) a line item in the budget with your name on it for your fun spending. This is money you can spend how you want and on what you want. Depending on your budget, this might be $10 a month or $100 a month. Just make sure the amount is reasonable and affordable for your budget! So, the next time you’re walking See IMPULSE BUYING on Page 23
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IMPULSE BUYING Continued from Page 22 through the mall and something catches your eye, just check your fun money fund. You’ve already budgeted a small portion of spending money for it, and you get to decide how to spend it. 3. Wait a day (or longer!) before you make a purchase. Give yourself a day or so to calm down when an impulse buy gets you jazzed. Once you have a cool head and a fresh perspective, ask yourself if you’ll actually use this thing and if you can pay cash for it now. That’s a no-nonsense way to look at the purchase with clear eyes. And watch out for deals that are only good for 24 hours—don’t let a countdown rush you into buying anything! Remember the offer, save some money, and be ready for it next time if you can’t afford it right now. Because a sale will come back around. Trust us. “When you sleep on the decision, you put some time between your emotions and the transaction.” — Rachel Cruze 4. Shop with a plan in mind. Figure out what items you want to buy and how much you’ll spend before you ever start shopping. With a plan in place, you’ll be less likely to give into overspending. Your shopping list can range from grocery items to the Christmas gifts you plan to purchase for your extended family—just know what it is you want to buy before you go. 5. Beware of joining too many email lists. Signing up for a store’s email list can be a great way to snag 15–20% off coupons or even (gasp) free shipping! If you have a purchase you know you’ll be making soon, go ahead and sign up for the company’s email list to score that extra discount. But keep in mind that an email blast can also be your worst enemy. Picture it: You’re doing great sticking to your budget. Everything is accounted for, and every purchase is planned. Things are going great. That is, until you check your inbox and find 15 different emails announcing one sale after another. Look out! You weren’t even thinking about shopping. But now they’ve caught your attention and you just have to see what’s on sale, right? Nope. Step away from the wave of emails as fast as you can! 6. Don’t shop when you’re emotional. We just talked about this, but it’s
FINANCIAL 10. Get off social media. worth mentioning again—don’t let It’s true—if you’re having trouble businesses with flashy sales and your emotions control your spending habits! You might have a great with comparisons, social media isn’t new products for you to spend your day and make an impulse buy in the going to make it any better. If you hard-earned dollars on. 11. Do a no-spend challenge. thrill of the moment. Or maybe know you have trouble being conDesperate times call for desperate you’re having a bad day and you tent when you scroll past everyone’s measures, and sometimes a no-spend tell yourself you deserve something highlight reel (aka your newsfeed), challenge is just what the doctor nice, that this item will make you then remove the source of the problem. We’re not saying you have to ordered. If you haven’t heard of one feel better. We’ve all been there before. Both kick social media to the curb forev- of these before, it’s pretty much just of these things can happen pretty er, but try deleting Instagram and like it sounds—you don’t spend any easily. So how can you fix it? Facebook for a week (or more) and money (on non-essential items). That means you still pay things Whether you’re celebrating or try- see if you notice a difference. And even if you don’t find your- like your rent or mortgage, regular ing to cheer yourself up, don’t buy anything when your emotions are self falling into that comparison bills, utilities, groceries, etc. But you trap, the reality is that social media don’t spend money on things like eatriding a roller coaster. 7. Bring someone with you is one big, major billboard for ing out, getting your hair done, buyimpulse buying. Everywhere you when you shop. See IMPULSE BUYING Accountability goes a long way scroll, someone is trying to get you on Page 36 here. Do you have a sibling or friend to spend your money. If you’re not who’s willing to get in your face and on the app, you won’t see all the tell you not to buy something? Bring them on your shopping trip. Tell Covid-19 Testing them what you plan to buy, and ask them to talk some sense into you if 48-72 Hour Results you start straying from the strategy. No Symptoms Required Sweeten the deal by offering to buy __________ them coffee afterward. Open 8-5 Monday-Friday 8. Take only the amount of cash you’ll need. & Saturday by Appointment Figure out how much money you need for the items you want to buy and only take that amount in cash. You could even go a step further and leave your debit card at home BUSINESS OWNERS: so that you don’t tempt yourself to CALL TO SCHEDULE YOUR buy more with plastic (even the debit card kind). BUSINESS FOR ON-SITE TESTING! If you stick to your shopping plan and don’t bring any extra money along on the trip, you can’t make an impulse buy. It’s pretty Stay Safely In Your Car For Your Test! much impossible. Now that’s the power of cash! 9. Stop the comparisons. WE PROVIDE THE PAPERWORK TO FILE WITH This is a game changer when it YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY! comes to impulse buying. If you always compare what you have (or Call Today To Schedule Your Appointment don’t have) to others, you’ll never be satisfied. It’s just like Rachel 504-455-6000 Cruze said in her book Love Your U.S. Bio-Chem Medical Life, Not Theirs, “When we start (Since 1961) comparing ourselves to other peo4449 North I-10 Service Road West• Metairie (Behind Clearview Mall) ple, we’re playing a game we’ll WWW.USBIO-CHEM.COM never win.” Instead of looking at what someone else has and thinking, Oh, I need that too, Serving Miss-Lou STATEWIDE Since 1992 take a step back and be thankful. Learn to be grateRichie Culotta ful for what you FIXED INDEXED ANNUITIES do have. If you MORE GAINS • NO LOSSES • SAFETY change your perUp to 10% IMMEDIATE INTEREST BONUS on Deposits spective, you ROLLOVER CD OR 401K TODAY! might find you already have a lot Zach Dustin to be grateful for. SAFE RETIREMENT STRATEGIES, MEDICARE SUPPS, LONG-TERM CARE, MEDICAL & LIFE
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Changing Times
FEATURE ARTICLES
Remnant - This Is Your Hour - A Word By Andrew Strom
Deaths, job losses, closures. We are all surrounded by tragedy at this moment - and as we all know; the damage will go on and on - well after the deaths decline. Livelihoods ruined, homes and businesses gone, millions devastated and left bankrupt. Most do not realize exactly how much has been lost. And so, we will weep with those who weep. We cannot downplay the tragedy of what is happening here. But I have a very different word for the Remnant of God. You know who you are. Despite all this tragedy, to those who have been "waiting" in the caves and the rocks and the depths of the wilderness - I say, "Lift up your eyes." The very season you have been waiting for is here. Your
true ministry is about to begin. We are living in the "sudden stop." We are living in the great 'Reset'. In 100 years when they speak of this era, they will speak of this as the moment when everything changed. Like World War II, like the Great Depression - this is the hour after which nothing will ever be the same. And Remnant - this is the season you were built for. I am speaking to those who have been set apart. You have allowed yourself to be broken. You have trained yourself for battle. You know how to preach Repentance and Conviction of sin. You have been trained in the healing of the sick and the moving of the Holy Spirit. You know how to baptize, to pray powerfully - and to train others. You are a fully-equipped preacher of the true gospel. You have used your time well. You have paid down your debt. Your hands are free of shackles and you're ready to go. You have a boldness and an audacity about you. While others shrink back, you
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will jump forward. You were built for such a time as this. Some of you 65+ will come out of retirement. Your latter years will be much more fruitful than the former ones. The old era did not welcome you. The new era has no choice. "Fortune favors the brave," goes the saying. And this has never been truer than it is now. While others fear - you are bold. While others play it safe - you see this hour for what it is - and you seize the moment. Those who shrink back will miss out. Those who are alert - and move forward with boldness - will have the field almost to themselves. I say to the remnant, "Lift up your eyes." Everything has changed. Do not confine your gaze to your own nation. Many of you will be headed overseas. "But," you say, "The planes are grounded. Most nations are closed." Yes - for now that is true. But before long there will be travel again. And the people will be hungry for a word from the Lord. Especially the poor. Where once you were ignored -
now you will be welcomed. Where once you were constrained - now you will be loosed. Where once you were disregarded - now you will be respected. "Who dares wins." Go forth like Joshua and take the land. Do not be distracted. Politics is a distraction. Current events are a distraction. Social media is a distraction. Keep your eye on the prize - the big picture. Today's harvest is whiter than it's ever been. Be alert. Watch for the doors to open and for the Lord's timing. Act with boldness. Seize the day. Most of the world will be in turmoil. Most of the people will be shrinking back. Very few will be travelling. Many churches and businesses will be in trouble. But you will be looking around with alert eyes - for where the Lord may send you. Do not fear. Go forth with boldness. The former things are passed away. Remnant - this is the hour you were built for. Don't let it pass you by. Special blessings to all, Andrew Strom.>
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The Covid Crazy Full Life By Pastor Doug Gilford
What a year 2020 has been for not only America, but for the whole world! History will write about this time as an unprecedented one! From protests to pandemics, and riots to people exerting pent up frustrations of past injustices. From questions of lockdowns and reopening and vaccinations and masks, to government control. Sigh. It has already been a crazy year. One day while reading the news, I said to myself, “We are Covid crazy.” The Covid virus has driven some to drinking again and losing their faith. People have become bitter enemies of their neighbors over not wearing masks. Other people have not even left their property for months, because they are scared of getting this horrible virus. Or worse, they are scared of passing it to someone else. I understand. I get it. It has been one crazy time. I am sure there have been thousands of sermons this year preached on fear and strengthening our faith. It never hits home until you are thrust into a “war” for your self-existence. One sobering reality this year is the fear of death and the love for life, that is the love of living. The joy of waking up and going to work, a night out with friends, and of giving and receiving love. Life can be beautiful. Living can be wonderful. Some people during this time have learned to look past the simple, stupid, and unimportant things. They have learned to appreciate the things that are good and that matter most. Others, not so much. I faced a wakeup call this year. On May 9, my beautiful mother died of Covid. Her health was not good, and her body had already stroked in January. Even so, she contracted the virus while in a medical facility, and died shortly thereafter, at the young age of 70. I was and am still devastated. Do not waste another day trying to “fix” the people around you that you forget to appreciate and honor them.
My sweet mother was an inde- someone else. People who take you have spent countless hours trypendent, and lively Italian lady. She time to appreciate and not criticize ing to “fix?” Step back and ask yourloved doing what she wanted the pointlessly. Isn’t that what Christ self, “Would I even care about the way she wanted it to. Because of did for us? He gave His everything, thing I am trying to fix, if they sudthat she acted out, spent all her so that we can have something denly were gone?” Ask the Lord to money, and did not save for retire- more than the world gave us. He show you the best way to appreciate ment. I spent hours trying to “fix” gave us His Love, to love others. them and love them anyway. Life is my mother, attempting to form her We have no life outside of love. too short to waste another moment. into what I thought was a better There is NO reason to exist if we Doug Gilford, person. I tried to make her develop cannot love. Senior Pastor, a budget. Or become disciplined in Imagine if everyone you loved Cornerstone something, anything. She was liv- right now suddenly died, and there Church , 23051 ing out her retirement after 30+ was no one to love or receive love Hwy 1088, Manyears of nursing, in the best way from. What kind of life would you deville, La 70448. she could. I failed to appreciate that have? That is no life! 985-624-8652 or what she wanted from life was livemail doug@ilovecornerstone.com> Is there someone in your life that ing. Her death made me see that, unfortunately, after the fact. What is our life -if it is not lived out? Jesus said something similar in (John 10), “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” What does a “full” life look like? Many Christians would say having a full life is simply a life with Christ at the center. Yes...that is true, but I know many people who have Christ at their center but are not living it out to the full. A full life is a life lived out with people who love and receive SCOOTERS MOTORCYCLES OFF ROAD ATVs SxS GENERATORS love. Those who are willing to sacri152 Holiday Square Blvd. Covington, LA 70433 fice their (985) 892-9730 HondaofCovingtonPowerSports.com Monday-Friday: 8 AM – 6PM Saturday: 8AM – 5PM wishes for the best Honda SxSs ARE FOR DRIVERS 16 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER. PASSENGERS MUST BE ABLE TO GRASP THE GRAB BAR WITH THE SEATBELT ON AND BOTH FEET ON THE FLOOR. FOR YOUR SAFETY, DRIVE RESPONSIBLY, READ YOUR OWNER’S MANUAL, WEAR A HELMET AND EYE PROTECTION, ALWAYS WEAR YOUR wishes of
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So don’t go to war without wise guidance; victory depends on having many advisers. – Proverbs 24:6
Back to School 2020 25
Changing Times
Guiding Light The Sacred Rhythm Of Spending Time In God’s Word By Chip Ingram
We all have rhythms in our everyday life. For some of us, we have a specific workplace we go to every day and a certain time when we go workout. For others it’s a morning routine: we grab our phones, check the Wall Street Journal or our Facebook account and then drink some coffee. What we think, what we watch, what we do – every aspect of our life – whether intentional or unintentional, is our rhythm. But we have sacred rhythms, too. Sacred rhythms are a specific way we arrange our life to cultivate a personal and intimate relationship with Jesus. That means everything – from what we read, to what we think about, to what we do and why – is arranged in a very specific way in order to have a very personal relationship with Christ. The goal is what I’d like to call True Spirituality. It’s nothing more than the life of Christ reproduced in us through the Holy Spirit as we cooperate and respond to God’s Word in faith and obedience. Some of us think this means reading the Bible more, praying more, being more moral, doing all kinds of certain things to somehow earn God’s favor. But it’s not! True spirituality is about allowing Jesus’ life to get reproduced in
us. Every up, every down, every relationship, and every circumstance, God is sovereignly orchestrating to get our attention, to draw us to Himself, and then to, little by little, make us more and more like Jesus so that our thoughts, words, deeds, and even our motives reflect Him. The goal is to become so much like Christ that He would begin to live out through our personalities in everything we do every day. The question is: How does that happen? How does the Spirit of God take normal, regular people like us and, over time, produce the life of Christ in us? Here’s what we need to understand: For God to significantly work through us, He must first work deeply in us. In (Mark, chapter 4), Jesus illustrates this truth in a parable about a farmer and the seed that falls on four different paths. On three of the four paths nothing happens. Only one path produces a crop. “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But
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when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” (Mark 4:3-8) In this story, the seed represents God’s Word. The farmer is Jesus. And the soil is our hearts. The seed is always life giving. In good soil, the seed will produce everything God wants it to produce. But if the soil is hardened, shallow, or full of thorns, it can’t produce. The same is true of us in our lives. How we respond to God’s Word will determine our relationship with Him. We need to be taking in His Word regularly. But we can’t merely gain knowledge about God’s Word. Or just hear it only. We need to be able to receive it and live it out. And this begins in our hearts. If our hearts are hardened, then we might not want to hear what God is saying to us. Or maybe we are zealous about the Word and think, “Oh! That sounds so excit-
ing!” But then we neglect to follow through. Or, we may hear the Word and begin to grow spiritually, but we can quickly become distracted by many things: the worries of relationships, the worries of a child, the worries of finances, the deceitfulness of riches. But, if our hearts are open, we can realize when God is speaking. Then we can know when it’s Him who is telling us that He is good and we can trust Him and believe Him. And then we can act on it. Remember, cultivating a sacred rhythm of getting into God’s Word is not about checking a box. “Oh, I read a chapter in my Bible today.” Or, “I read my verse of the day on You Version and I bet God loves me even more now.” It’s about a living, powerful Word that has to be received in our hearts before it can be applied. By Chip Ingram Copyright © Living on the Edge. All rights reserved >
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Power Of The Blood Of Jesus By Andrew Murray
What is it that gives to the blood of Jesus such power? How is it that in the blood, alone, there is power possessed by nothing else? The answer to this question is found in (Leviticus 17:11, 14). "The life of the flesh is in the blood"; and "I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul." It is because the soul, or life, is in the blood; and that the blood is offered to God on the altar, that it has in its redemptive power.
The soul or life is in the blood; therefore, the value of the blood corresponds to the value of the life that is in it. . . . The life of man is more valuable than that of many sheep or oxen. And now who can tell the value or the power of the blood of Jesus? In that blood, dwelt the soul of the holy Son of God. The eternal life of the Godhead was carried in that blood (Acts 20:28). The power of that blood in its divers’ effects is nothing less than the eternal power of God Himself. . . it is offered to God on the altar for redemption. When we think of blood as shed, we think of death; death follows, when the blood or the soul is poured out. Death makes us think of sin, for death is the punishment of sin.
God gave Israel the blood on the altar, as the atonement or covering for sin; that means--the sins of the transgressors were laid on the victim, and its death was reckoned as the death or punishment for the sins laid upon it. The blood was thus the life given up to death for the satisfaction of the law of God, and in obedience to His command. Sin was so entirely covered and atoned for; it was no longer reckoned as that of the transgressor. He was forgiven. But all these sacrifices and offerings were only types, and shadows, till the Lord Jesus came. His blood was the reality to which these types pointed. His blood was in itself of infinite value, because it carried His soul or life. But the atoning virtue of His
blood was infinite also, because of the manner in which it was shed. In holy obedience to the Father's will He subjected Himself to the penalty of the broken law, by pouring out His soul unto death. By that death, not only was the penalty borne, but the law was satisfied, and the Father glorified. His blood atoned for sin, and thus made it powerless. It has a marvelous power for removing sin, and opening heaven for the sinner; whom it cleanses, and sanctifies, and makes meet for heaven. This is My blood of the covenant, which is to be shed on behalf of many for forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:28). By Andrew Murray ©2002-2020 SermonIndex.net >
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will be wholeness; beyond the death, there will be a new experioffering relief therapy biblical counselor certification ence of His abundant life. my message in other publications, In the days after I placed the conFour Programs to Choose From: and other complimentary responstents of that file into the fire, God es. • Certified Belief Therapist (CBT) • Certified Reentry Crisis Counselor (CRCC) began to grant me an unusually • Licensed Belief Therapist (LBT) • Certified Youth Behavioral Advisor (CYBA) I understood at once that the file had served to fuel my pride and had sweet sense of His presence. I found Therapon Certification is recommended for any caring Christian desiring a full-time been a means of the Enemy gaining my heart growing in tenderness for or part-time ministry helping hurting people through the confusing maze of a wide range Him, and His Word was quickened a foothold in my life. of recovery issues such as divorce, marriage counseling, grief, compulsive behavior, A Bonfire of Vanity to my heart in richer and more peranger management, problematic thinking errors, emotional trauma, abuse, relapse prevention, As the Lord would have it, a sonal ways than had been true for a and criminal recovery. couple of weeks after receiving the long time. The Therapon Institute conducts certification schools as well as CEU seminars. For letter from my “praying friend,” I more information, please contact us at (504) 328-2249 or www.therapon.org. New Life from the Ashes was scheduled to be in the city You may or may not relate to my where he and his wife lived. I con- particular battle with pride as a tacted them, explained how the public speaker. The point is that, Lord had spoken to me, and asked whatever our form of temptation, if they would be willing to meet pride and self must die. Then, with me when I was in town to witness the burning of the material in through our brokenness, we will experience the release of the resurmy file. They graciously agreed. A journal entry I made at that rection life of the Lord Jesus and OPEN 7 DAYS time offers a glimpse into what was the free-flowing power of His Holy Spirit. going on in my heart: Making it personal There is a dying involved in walking through this process— What causes you to struggle with dying to be able to ever go back and pride? Your looks? Your intellireread the words of praise, dying to gence? A particular gift or ability? anyone else ever reading and being Find some means—not just as a 22132 Level Street impressed by what’s in there, dying gesture but in reality—to give up Abita Springs, LA 70420 to ever being able to draw affirma- your desire for worldly recognition. tion or a sense of personal worth © Revive Our Hearts. Adapted from from those flattering words. Brokenness: The Heart 985-400-5025 This exercise gets to the heart of God Revives by Nancy some of the deepest needs in my www.abitaspringscafe.com Leigh DeMoss. Used life. Flesh dies hard—but I know with permission.> that beyond the brokenness, there When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful. – Proverbs 29:18 Back to School 2020 27 PRAISE Continued from Page 7
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"Finding Hope" In Difficult Times Even in the Darkest Moments By Samuel L Mills
Hope means, "to desire something with confident expectation of its fulfillment." The state of Hopelessness has been aptly described as a type of "Hell on Earth," filled with endless despondency and despair. Today, more and more people are finding themselves alone and depressed, and few of us have not at one time, or another felt the sting of despondency and despair. But Good news! Help is available, not the kind the world has, wherein it wishes for the best. It is one thing to wish and quite another to have hope based on the promises of God.
God is Our Source Paul wrote that when you place your trust in God, He will fill you with peace, joy, and assurance, (Rom 15:13). Throughout the Bible, God proves His faithfulness to His people by leading them safely through or delivering them from all their predicaments and troubles. He will never leave or forsake His people; His plans are to prosper, not to harm them (Jer. 29:11). People and things will always let us down. In (Psa. 33:17), the horse, often used as a symbol of power, is declared a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength, it cannot save. In (Jer. 17:5) God sternly warns against placing our dependency on man and calls it a curse. God wants us to trust in Him. (Psa. 147:11) tells us that He is delighted when we put our trust in Him, and in (Heb 10:23), we are told to rely on Him for He who promised it is faithful. Finding Help
To reap the benefits of the Christian life and to have protection, guidance, freedom from depression, and advice from the Holy Spirit, one must first be born again and become a Child of God. The born-again Child of God has the unique privilege of talking to and hearing from God, but this, the greatest resource available, is often neglected. Christians should always pray! Even in the darkest moments when you don't feel His presence and think you will never smile again, pray anyway because He is there. He is listening and is an "everpresent help in time of trouble," (Psa. 46:1). "He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. On Him, we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us," (2 Cor 1:10). When we place our faith in God and the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, we then trust Him to take us to Heaven. If we can trust Him with our eternity, surely we can
trust Him for our earthly/daily cares. Jesus said that as God clothes the grass of the field, so will He clothe us even more. He tells us not to worry about what we shall eat or drink or how we will be clothed. The "heavenly father knows that you have need of all these things," (Matt 6:30-32). "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love Him," (1 Cor 2:9). Hope in Difficult Times Even if you reach what you consider to be your lowest point, God's Word says that He will never leave or forsake you, (Matt 28:20). He will give you peace and comfort even in the worst of circumstances, then lead you through, over or around the muck and mire of your situation, and again set your feet on solid ground. See FINDING HOPE on Page 29
COVID-19 is here. The Devil would love to stop the Word of God from being spread. With your help, Changing Times will prevail. We are all in this together! Can we count on your support? ❏ Yes, I will pledge my support for Changing Times by donating $ ________________. Make check payable to Save the Nations Ministries, Inc. [A 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization]. ❏ I prefer to pay by credit card. ❏ Visa ❏ MasterCard ❏ American Express Number __________________________ Exp. Date ___________ Name ______________________________________________ Address ____________________________________________ City _________________________ State _______ Zip _______ Phone (
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FINDING HOPE Continued from Page 28
cheerful in spite of this knowledge. 'I am grateful that fate has hit me so hard,' she told me. 'In my former life I was spoiled and did not take spiritual accomplishments seriously.' Pointing through the window of the hut, she said, 'This tree here is the only friend I have in my loneliness.' Through that window she could see just one branch of a chestnut tree and on the branch were two blossoms. 'I often talk to this tree,' she said to me. I was startled and didn't quite know how to take her words. Was she delirious? Did she have occasional hallucinations? Anxiously I asked her if the tree replied. 'Yes.' What did it say to her? She answered, 'It said to me, "I am here-I am here--I am life, eternal life." Jesus is Our Solid Rock Christians can find peace during times of crises and trials that often drive others to drink or suicide. This is the blessed comfort of the Holy Spirit, who indwells every born again Believer. Through Him, even in the midst of terrible devastating and humiliating experiences, Christians can have the peace, joy, and hope that passes all understanding, (Phil 4:7). Hope for Eternity Jesus is our solid rock and because of Him, death is not the end. Even when the angels carry us to our glorious home in Heaven, we can know that He is with us and that it is just the beginning. Claim His Promises God's promises are indeed a genuine source of hope that does not disappoint. It is in His promises you will find everlasting life and confi-
The Overcomer
dent hope. "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes," in Christ, (2 Cor 1; 20). "May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope." (Rom 15:13).
"Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God," (Psa. 42:5). By Samuel L Mills © Copyright 2006-2020 Trusting-in-Jesus.com. All Rights Reserved. >
Our God is the God of new beginnings, with Him, nothing is impossible. Whether you are very young or considered to be very old, trust in Him because with Him, it is always just the beginning. You may even find yourself in such a situation through divorce, death of a spouse, loss of health, finances, or whatever, that may force you to begin all over again, but is that so bad? Trusting God in difficult times forces us to seek His guidance and to trust in Him. Trusting God through these uncharted waters takes faith and courage, but is worth every effort. The path of His choosing is the only one that leads to true happiness, isn’t this a wonderful promise "...those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint," (Is. 40:31). Even in the Worst of Situations A shining example of living with hope is Victor Frankel, a former prisoner in a Nazi prison camp. "As a long-time prisoner in bestial concentration camps he [Viktor Frankly] found himself stripped to naked existence. His father, mother, brother, and his wife died in camps or were sent to gas ovens, so that, excepting for his sister, his entire family perished in these camps. How could he with every possession lost, every value destroyed, suffering from hunger, cold and brutality, hourly expecting extermination, how could he find life worth preserving?" In one of his darkest moments while digging in a cold icy trench, he writes: "In a last violent protest against the hopelessness of imminent death, REE E DIP F Open for Lunch & Dinner I sensed my spirit piercing through CHEES SMALL THIS AD the enveloping gloom. I felt it tranMonday-Sunday WITH scend that hopeless, meaningless Y AN WITH R world, and from somewhere I heard VALID O (NOT ER OFFER OTH MOTION) a victorious 'Yes' in answer to my PRO question of the existence of an ultimate purpose. At that moment a light was lit in a distant farmhouse, which stood on the horizon as if painted there, in 137 Taos St. • Slidell, LA the midst of the miserable grey of a dawning morning in Bavaria. 'Et lux in tenebris lucent'--and the light Also Visit Us At: shineth in the darkness." 70380 Hwy. 21, Covington, LA • 985-871-6674 From one of His Counseling 2320 Veterans Blvd. • Metairie, LA • 504-837-6696 Sessions 1821 Hickory Ave., Harahan, LA • 504-305-4833 "This young woman knew that www.carretasgrill.com she would die in the next few days. But when I talked to her she was This also comes from the Lord of hosts, who’s wonderful in Back to School 2020 29 counsel and excellent in guidance. – Isaiah 28:29
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What Gospel Ministers Do By Alistair Begg lose heart. But we have renounced Jesus' sake. For God, who said, disgraceful, underhanded ways. We “Let light shine out of darkness,” refuse to practice cunning or to has shone in our hearts to give the tamper with God's word, but by the light of the knowledge of the glory open statement of the truth we of God in the face of Jesus Christ. would commend ourselves to “Why the large crowds? Was it everyone's conscience in the sight because Moody was a special man? of God. And even if our gospel is Was it because he preached a gosveiled, it is veiled to those who are pel tailored to meet the insistent In (2 Corinthians 4:1–6), we perishing. In their case the god of demands of his contemporary age? find Paul making a series of great this world has blinded the minds of No. It was because the Gospel he declarations concerning the ministhe unbelievers, to keep them from preached declared Jesus as Lord. try of the Gospel—declarations that “We proclaim Jesus Christ as seeing the light of the gospel of the stand to encourage today’s pastors glory of Christ, who is the image of Lord.” in their vital work: God. For what we proclaim is not In our last post, we noted Paul’s Therefore, having this ministry JJ-NOLA_ChangTimes-3rdpgv_BckSch_Aug20_JJ_NOLA-ChangTimes-3rdpgv.BckSchool_Aug2020 7/31/2020 11:28 AM Page 1 that Gospel ministers ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, insistence by the mercy of God, we do not with ourselves as your servants for must avoid the temptation to preach ourselves. But what, then, are we to preach? The apostle provides us with a clear, definite answer: “We proclaim . . . Jesus Christ as Lord.” Jesus declared, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Our congregations, friends, and neighbors are often quite prepared to agree with us on that point—until, that is, we finish the verse: “No one comes to the Father except through me.” Our contemporary culture simply cannot cope with such a conclusion. (An undefined Christianity is able to be absorbed, but a defined Christianity will always be unpopular.) As Gospel ministers, we are called to preach Jesus Christ as Lord, with “ourselves as mere servants for Christ’s sake.” In the context of the pluralism in which we TOTAL MOSQUITO ELIMINATION are now living, that alone will give INSPECTION • TREATMENT OPTIONS • MAINTENANCE the biting edge to our ministry. -One time contact treatments for parties and social gatherings ranging When the apostles preached, there from the smallest to the largest events. -Misting systems for on or around your home to protect your entire home was a divine invasion, a waft of the and yard. $ supernatural, a mysterious power Save 50 Off like the stirring of a dawn wind. - Limited Time Offer! Initial Annual Mosquito Elimination agreement. Mention prior to service please.They were not simply saying, “Here’s a historical record”; there was a sense in which God was there Always keeping your families and our technicians’ safety as top-ofwith them. Don’t you long for that? mind during these cautionary times. I know I do. E.P.A. and State approved. In his commentary on (2 CorinEXTERMINATING thians), John Calvin writes, “The Termites, Pests & Mosquitoes more determined men become to despise the teaching of Christ, the jjext.com more zealous should godly minisyears... ters be to assert it and the more Shielding what’s near and dear in Louisiana! strenuous their efforts to preserve it New Orleans 504.833.6305 • Houma 985.872.5019 entire, and more than that, by their Mandeville 985.674.9004 • Hammond 985.345.8650 diligence to ward off Satan’s attack.” In other words, the harder
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the times, then the clearer and more persuasive our proclamation needs to be. When our people seem deaf and dull, instead of capitulating to the spirit of the age, we must become even more committed to proclaiming the Bible and the power of the Spirit, believing that by this means God brings life from the dead. To conclude our series, then, let us consider an illustration from the life of an exemplary minister of the Gospel: D. L. Moody. In the nineteenth century, there was perhaps no preacher in the entire world who was more likely to be rejected by my native country of Scotland than Moody. As one of his contemporary biographers noted, He who would edify a congregation of Scotchmen must come to them with the beaten oil of the sanctuary; and pour it out from vessels of a proper and traditional form. He should be a man of high attainments in learning; the stamp of some college should be upon him; and more than all, he should come with the endorsement of some eminent body of divines. All of these things were lacking in Moody. When he and Ira Sankey concluded the Edinburgh leg of their 1873 evangelistic tour, though, the farewell meeting (writes the biographer) had to be held on the great, grassy slope of Arthur’s Seat, “no building being at all adequate to accommodate the vast congregation.” Why the large crowds? Was it because Moody was a special man? Was it because he preached a gospel tailored to meet the insistent demands of his contemporary age? No. It was because the Gospel he preached declared Jesus as Lord. It is a glorious story. May God make us men who are eager to tell it. © 1994 - 2020 Truth For Life. All Rights Reserved.>
Relationships
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C.S. Lewis On Relationships
We live in two contrasted realities when it comes to our relationships. Some of our deepest joys have been the result of people, while some of our most painful hurts have been the result of people. (Maybe even the same person!) Which is your relational reality right now? Maybe you’re experiencing the best and worst of both simultaneously? Regardless of where you are, the biblical fact of the matter is that you were made for relationships. (Genesis 2:18) tells us that it is not good for man to be alone. (This statement has to do with God’s design for humanity.) He created us to be relational beings because He is a social God. The Creator lives in a community within the Trinity as Father, Son, and Spirit, and He made humanity in His likeness. We were meant to experience the joy of conflict-free horizontal community while verti-
cally communing in the presence of the Triune God. It didn’t take long for sin to ruin what God had intended. In (Genesis 3), husband and wife engage in accusation and slander, and then a man murders his brother in (Genesis 4). While we may not be convicted murderers, we have been living in conflict-ridden relationships ever since, and we do our fair share to contribute to that conflict every day! Why are our relationships so conflicted? One of the biggest reasons is because we tend to worship and serve the creation rather than the Creator (Romans 1:25). The very thing God created to reveal His glory becomes the glory we chase. I find the words of C.S. Lewis so helpful when applied to our relationships: “Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
How does this apply to your relationships? Ask yourself: Have you settled for finding satisfaction in horizontal relationships when they are meant to point you to vertical relational satisfaction found only with the Triune God? The irony is that when we reverse the order and elevate creation above Creator, we destroy the relationships God intended—and would have enabled—us to enjoy. Consider these additional words from Lewis: “When I have learnt to love God better than my earthly dearest, I shall love my earthly dearest better than I do now. In so far as I learn to love my earthly dearest at the expense of God and instead of God, I shall be moving towards the state in which I shall not love my earthly dearest at all. When first things are put first, second things are not suppressed but increased.” This proper order will only be perfected and complete in heaven, but there is much we can enjoy now. The Bible promises that our relationships can be characterized by humility, gentleness, patience, edifying honesty, peace, forgiveness, compassion, and love.
But first, we must confess that sometimes our desires are too weak and our loves are reversed. Then, we must ask the Creator for the grace to experience relationships as he intended! Isn’t it wonderful that God’s grace makes this possible today? God bless, Paul Tripp Reflection Questions 1. What have been some of your greatest joys in life, experienced as the result of good relationships? 2. What have been some of your greatest sorrows in life, experienced as the result of bad relationships? 3. In what ways may your “desires be too weak” when it comes to your relationships? In what other ways in the Christian life are you “far too easily pleased”? 4. What is the “more” that God wants from us when it comes to our relationships? How does that apply to you specifically today? 5. Consider one relationship (preferably not your spouse or child). How will that relationship become more God-honoring when you put God first over that person? www.paultripp.com >
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Changing Times
Five Ways You Can Encourage Others By Adrian Rogers
Barnabas was a man who had the gift of encouragement. (Acts 4:36) introduces him as, "Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation)." The apostles gave him a nickname that meant "encouragement." By looking at some events in the life of Barnabas recorded in the book of Acts, we can learn some ways to encourage others. Encourage Others by Practicing Stewardship
According to (Acts 4:37), Barnabas, "having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet." Barnabas saw a need and moved in to meet that need. That encourages everyone. You may say, "I am not rich. I have nothing to sell; therefore, this does not apply to me." But there's more than money to give. (Acts 3) relates a story about two other apostles, Peter and John. They were not rich, but they gave what they had. They said in verse 6, "... silver and gold have I none; but such as I have given I thee..." Then they healed the crippled man. Giving back what God has given to us serves to encourage and comfort those around us. Encourage Others by Extending Friendship. In (Acts 9) we read of Saul who
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had been an enemy of the early Church-even having some Christians killed. He became a believer, but the Church was still scared of him. (Acts 9:26-27) says, "And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus." Barnabas encouraged Saul by extending love and friendship to him. He befriended this new believer. Encourage Others by Building Partnerships Another episode in the life of Barnabas included the church at Antioch. Revival had broken out there, and the church at Jerusalem sent Barnabas to make sure this church was teaching Truth. (Acts 11:22-23) says, "... they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord." Barnabas took the opportunity to encourage them. He saw the grace of God and reported, "These are brothers and sisters and we need to get with them." He was not a divider or a wall builder; he was a bridge builder. He encouraged others by building partnerships. Encourage Others by Developing Leadership When Barnabas saw what God was doing in Antioch, he realized they needed a leader with an organizational mind and some spiritual insight. He knew Saul could help them and also that Paul had spiritual gifts that needed to be discov-
ered and developed. In (Acts 11:25-26) we read, "Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people ..." Barnabas never wrote a book in the Bible, but he encouraged two people who later did-Paul and Mark. Barnabas was the man that God used to encourage and develop leadership. Encourage Others by ReBuilding Relationships. Let's look at one last example found in (Acts 15:36-41). Earlier in their ministry, Paul and Barnabas had taken a young John Mark with them on their first missionary journey. Somewhere along the way, Mark left the team and went home. Later, when they wanted to retrace their steps. Barnabas wanted to take Mark with them, but Paul refused. Barnabas took Mark one way, and Paul took Silas another. Barnabas sought to mend the broken relationship. Later, in (2 Timothy 4:11), Paul asks for Mark to come to him. Paul's relationship with Mark was restored and their ministries continued in part because Barnabas refused to let go of a good man just because he failed. Barnabas was an encourager, and we too are called to be encouragers. In (2 Corinthians 1:3), the Bible calls God the God of all comfort or encouragement. So, for us to encourage others is to be like God. We need some Barnabases. For the glory of God, will you say, "God, make me an encourager?" Š 2020 Love Worth Finding Ministries, P.O. Box 38300, Memphis, TN 38183, www.lwf.org >
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Four Ways God Leads His People By John Piper
I see at least four methods that God uses to leads us in his will. I put them in four "D’s" to help me remember them. 1) Decree: God sovereignly decrees and designs circumstances so that we end up where He wants us to be even if we don’t have any conscious part in getting there. For example, Paul and Silas found themselves in jail, and the result was the salvation of the jailer and his household (Acts 16:24-34). This was God’s plan, but not Paul’s. God does this often, putting us in places that we did not plan or decide to be. This is the leading of decree. It is unique above the other three leadings because it includes them (since God’s decrees include all our decisions) and because it happens infallibly (since “no purpose of [God’s] can be thwarted,”(Job 42:2). The other three leadings of God involve our being consciously led. 2) Direction: This is simply what God does for us by giving us the commands and teachings of the Bible. They direct us specifically what to do and what not to do. The Ten Commandments are one example. Don’t steal. Don’t kill. Don’t lie. Or the Sermon on the Mount: Love your enemies. Or the Epistles: Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Put on humility. This is the leading of direction. God reveals His directions in the Bible. 3) Discernment: Most of the decisions we make are not spelled out specifically in the Bible. Discernment is how we follow God’s leading through the process of spiritually sensitive application of biblical truth to the particularities of our situation. (Romans 12:2) describes this: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” In this case God does not declare a specific word about what to do. But His Spirit shapes the mind and heart through the word and prayer
so that we have inclinations toward what would be most glorifying to Him and helpful to others. 4) Declaration: This is the least common means of God’s leading. He simply declares to us what we should do. For example, according to (Acts 8:26), “An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, ‘Arise and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.’” And according to (Acts 8:29), “The Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go up and join this chariot.’” Notice three implications. First, we should always rest in the decrees of God. They will always be for our good if we love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). This should remove worry from our lives and put us at peace as we seek the "directed," "discerned" and "declared" leading of the Lord. Second, there is the implication that God’s leading of decree may bring about acts that are contrary to His leading of direction, discernment or declaration. In other words, He may direct, “You shall not kill,” but decree the murderous death of His Son (Acts 4:28). There are mysteries here, but it is manifest in dozens of places in the Bible that God wills that some things come to pass which He forbids in his word. Finally, our confidence that we are tracking accurately with God in each of these leadings increases as we move from the bottom to the top of this list. Subjectively perceived declarations from God are the least common and most easily abused of all the ways God leads. Our confidence that we have known the will of God in this method will not be as great as in the other methods which relate directly to God’s written word. Discerning what to do on the basis of biblical principle when we do not have a specific command for our exact decision will yield less confidence than when we have an explicit direction in the Bible. And the truth that God is sovereign and guides all things is the rock bottom confidence under all others. It is a good place to rest. Pastor John ©2020 Desiring God Foundation. Website: www.desiringGod.org. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 888-346-4700 >
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Spiritual Renewal
Changing Times
A Day Each Week For Spiritual Renewal
It is important that we understand the meaning of the Sabbath in relation to our individual spiritual life. We are apt to look at the day and its observance chiefly from the side of duty. We should remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy. We learn from the Bible that the day was set apart by peculiar sanctions. But the devotional value of the Sabbath is not so often considered. To the individual Christian, however, this is a most important phase of the subject. What is the purpose of the day as a "means of grace"? What help is it intended to be to us in our spiritual life? No doubt it is meant to be a day of rest from the ordinary labors and tasks which occupy us during the week. For six days we are to work diligently, and then on the seventh
day we are to rest. The more completely we can get away from our weekday occupations the better. There is a blessing in Sabbath rest. We cannot go on forever without rest. We must pause now and then to take our breath and renew our strength. But rest is not the only purpose of the Sabbath. It is to be a day also for spiritual renewing. The tendency of our life in the world, with its entertainment, its cares, its grinding and pinching, is to make us forget God and the things of the spiritual life. The Sabbath not only calls us away to rest for a day from this wearying toil, but invites us also for a season to thoughts and occupations which will lift heart and mind out of the entanglement of earthly and material things into a range of thought and feeling altogether different. For one day, we can go up out of the valley, with its little space and dreary outlook, and stand on a mountain top to get a vision of glory and beauty which will give us new thoughts of life. This purpose of the Sabbath suggests also how the day should be
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spent. If we make it a day of merely worldly pleasure, we only substitute one class of secularities for another, and this will give us no spiritual uplift. To get from the Holy Day what it is meant to give to us, we should occupy heart and thought with things that are spiritual. It should be a day for thinking of God and of the things that are eternal, of our own relation to God and to our fellow-men, of our duties, obligations, and responsibilities. A tourist among the Alps tells of climbing one of the mountains in a dense and dripping mist until he had passed through the clouds and stood on a lofty peak in the clear sunlight. Beneath him lay the fog, like a wave- less sea of white vapor. He could hear the faint sounds coming up from the vales below. But there he stood on the tall platform, far above all the vexed, troubled, broken life of the vales, with only Heaven's deep blue above his head and the glorious mountain peaks round him. Something like can be felt when you give God center-stage in your mind on this Holy Day of rest. Through the weekdays, we dwell in the low valleys, among the mists. Life in this world is full of struggles, of failures, of disappointments, of burden-bearing. Then the Sabbath comes and we climb up out of the low places of care, toil and
tears, and spend the day in the sweet, pure air of God's love and peace. We get near to the heart of Christ. We come into the good fellowship of Christian people and get fresh inspiration from our contact with them. We have wider views. We see life from the Heaven side. We see God's face and hear His voice. Such an hour on the Sabbath changes all life for us for the whole week before us. We see everything in a new light. We have a new perspective after that, in which all things appear in their true relations. The world is far more beautiful, for we see it now as our Father's world. The Sabbath songs sing in our heart all the week and make the way easier and the burdens lighter. It is when we thus make the Sabbath, a day to get into God's presence and to hold converse with the things of the spiritual world that we find the blessing it has for us. Then it sends us into the week braver and stronger, with new inspiration for gentle living, for kindly ministry, for heroic struggle. Our heart gets out of tune, its strings become rattled and jarring, in the difficult life of the weekdays, but the Sabbath sets us right again and prepares us for living sweetly, so as to please God and to be a blessing in the world. Resting in His peace, Save the Nations Ministries >
PORTIONS Continued from Page 14 fact that there is one for whom nothing has been prepared, and sends a portion to him that he may share love's fat and sweet. Love is very sweet when it pours out its gifts for those who love us; but it reaches its sweetest and most divine--when it brings its blessing to those who do not love us, perhaps, who will never thank us, nor remember what we have done, nor return gratitude for our kindness. Let us cultivate the spirit of generosity, thinking ever, in our enjoyment of God's goodness, of those who lack the blessings we enjoy, and sending to them love's portion. Thus, shall we continue the work which our Lord began in this world? Thus, shall we enlarge our own hearts and the ministry of love we have been sent here to perform. Thus, shall we come nearer and nearer to those who need us and
more and more able to be a blessing to them? This is a lesson we cannot learn too well, nor fix too deeply in our hearts. We sometimes forget that nothing is given to us--for ourselves alone. When abundance of blessing or prosperity in any form comes to us, we may not shut ourselves in with it, and use it only for ourselves. We are to think of those outside who have no such blessing or favor as we are enjoying, and are to send portions to them. GRACE GEMS! A Treasury of Ageless Sovereign Grace Devotional Writings Our Purpose To humble the pride of man, to exalt the grace of God in salvation and to promote real holiness in heart and life. ŠGraceGems.org 2020 >
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Review Corner: In a Nook with a Book
What Is A Healthy Church? – Mark Dever By Peter Basirico
Pastor Mark Dever has written a ings range from gorgeous catheBeginning with expositional drals, to store-front buildings to Semi-Brief ‘handbook’ describing preaching means the preacher what he calls a ‘healthy’ church. home churches, but Christ died for exposes God’s word. The PastorThe Term ‘Healthy’ is an appropri- the people, not the edifice! And Teacher takes a passage of scripate adjective when describing a since a church is about living peo- ture, explains the passage and church because The New Testament ple, in these days dealing with applies the meaning of the passage clearly defines the True church of Corona, we want to be part of a to the life of the congregation. This Jesus as ‘the Body of Christ’. Who well (!) group. Pastor Mark’s own type of preaching presumes that the doesn’t want to be attached to a definition; ‘A healthy church is a listeners should hear and need to congregation that increasingly hear what God is saying to them ‘healthy body’? reflects God’s character as his char- through his Revelation. Pastor Devers book ‘What is a acter has been revealed in his word’. Expositional preaching is not so healthy church?’ attempts to flesh Hence, knowing and reflecting out what characterizes a vibrant God’s character must begin with much a style of preaching, but a Current-Day church. True follow- God’s Word, the Bible. The Bible determining of content of a sermon. ers of Jesus or even people search- basically tells a story, a narrative With expositional preaching the ing for that fulfilling missing piece from Genesis to Revelation. Pastor Pastor does not read a verse and in their lives need a biblically Dever, in compact summary, out- preach on a topic loosely related to sound, healthy church! lines the narrative. ‘In the begin- that verse. But by ‘exposing’ the Now, to get down to who really ning, God created the heavens and passage alone, the message becomes needs to read this book. We will the Earth’. Our creator God created what God wants to say to his people start with the Christian, defined first us, mankind, in His image. But our through that portion of his word. of all as one who has been recon- fore-father Adam fell, choosing to The point of the biblical text ciled to God in Christ. The sins and disbelieve God. God early-on becomes the point of the sermon. guilt of this individual have been chose a people-group to represent The preaching of the Word of God transferred to Christ and he/she has him uniquely. Because of Israel’s is the heart of worship for a sound, become a free man or woman. failures to truly represent his char- healthy church. Quoting the Author of ‘What is a Speaking of this finished work of acter, he sent Messiah Jesus to this Christ, the apostle Paul in Chapter 2 planet. And because not only did Healthy Church’ on the second of the Book of Ephesians says, “For Christ perfectly represent God the essential of a healthy church; “Bibhe himself is our peace, who has Father on this Earth, but completed lically Sound Theology”, then, is made the two one and has destroyed the mission to The Letter by dying theology that is faithful to the teachthe barrier, the dividing wall of hos- for the sins of mankind. ‘He made ing of the entire Bible. It reliably him who knew no sin to be sin for and accurately interprets the parts tility…His purpose was to create in us, that we might become the righ- in terms of the whole. This is what himself one new man out of the two, teousness of God in Him! (2 Corinthus making peace, and in this one thians 5:21). Upon the astounding the apostle Paul exhorts over and body to reconcile both of them to resurrection of Jesus, the church we again, sound doctrine! Complex God through the cross, by which he have been referring to was formed, and even controversial doctrines put to death their hostility.” (Eph. Jews giving their hearts and lives to must not be avoided, but explored 2:14-16). By reconciling Jews and Messiah, followed by Gentiles and understood, teachings such as Gentiles, God has made it possible, throughout the then-known world. the Biblical doctrine of election or in Christ, for all people-groups to This will be followed by glory now of God’s sovereignty. The third harmonize, but only in Christ! for Jesus and his people and then essential is the biblical understanding of the Good News. EncomOnce we are at peace with a Holy into eternity! God, we must seek a place to worPastor Mark Dever our Author passed here are; 1.) The sovereignty ship this God with Like-minded, differentiates two kind of people in of God as creator. 2.) Humans made equally forgiven i.e. redeemed peo- his book; those who listen to God’s in the image of God but horribly ple in order to share the New Life word and follow it and those who fallen, 3.) A clear understanding of we experience in Jesus. Having do not. In its narrative form in Jesus the God-man as mediator experienced the conversion similar much of the Old Testament the between God and humans, and 4.) to that testified to by true believers Word of God describes people who There must be a heart response to world-wide, we must find a local followed God’s word and those the gospel whereby sinful man is ‘body’, a church, a ‘faith family’ who were disobedient to God’s rev- turned from a futile path to a life of The New Testament righteousness. where we can best live-out the elation. Pastor Dever closes his book with Christ-centered life we are destined describes similar people in a more to experience. Therefore, it practical, instructive fashion. The six more important marks of a becomes vial to find an assembly centrality of the message from God healthy church. This book is a highly recommendwhere Christ’s word is central, and is the very heart of the Scriptures. ed review of what a that music, and prayer, and service, Therefore, a healthy church begins God-honoring and disciple-making are the focus with three essentials, according to church membership of that assemblage. We will attempt Pastor Dever; Expositional preachshould look like! ing, biblical theology, and a biblical to picture such a congregation. By Peter Basirico > First and foremost a church is a understanding of the Good News, people. Not a place! Church build- the Gospel. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant. - Matthew 20:26
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ATTORNEY Bono Law Firm 3801 N. Causeway Blvd., Suite 206 Metairie, LA 70002 504-835-9909 bonolawfirm.com AUTOMOTIVE DEALERS Bergeron Automotive 3525 Veterans Blvd., Metairie, LA 70002 504-888-2131 Honda of Covington 100 Holiday Square Blvd. Covington, LA 70433 985-892-0001 www.hondaofcovington.com Premier Automotive Group Toyota of New Orleans 504-940-0000 Premier Nissan of Metairie 504-455-5800 Premier Kia of Kenner 1-866-744-5083 AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR Covington Garage 105 West Jessie Jones St. Covington, LA 70433 985-893-4333 www.covingtongarage.com Zoom Tech 815 Asbury Dr. Mandeville, LA 70471 985-624-5080 zoomtechautomotive.com
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GOSPEL Continued from Page 17 5. Point them to the gospel. As you read with your kids, be alert to biblical themes. The avenues for discussion in Tolkien’s novels are plentiful: his descriptions of the Ring of Power offer some of literature’s most vivid illustrations of sin, emphasizing how such a little thing, so pleasing to the eye, could coerce and ultimately enslave its wearer. Other authors offer equally fertile ground. Shakespearean tragedies vividly portray the destructive power of sin. Dickens stirs us to compassion for the poor, for widows, and for orphans (Deut. 10:18; James 1:27). Even Greek mythology, with its rampant idolatry of false gods, can prove instructive when silhouetted against Scripture. Vindictive Zeus and conniving Hera sharply contrast with the God of the Bible, whom we know is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast 36 Back to School 2020
PHARMACY Lee Road Family Pharmacy Your Trusted Family Owned Pharmacy 19705 Hwy. 40, Covington 985-400-2595 leeroadfamilypharmacy.com PLUMBING Elliot’s Plumbing Residential & Commercial Renovations, Additions Gas Lines & Service 985-966-5598 POWERSPORTS Honda of Covington Powersports 152 Holiday Square Blvd. Covington, La 70433 985-892-9730 hondaofcovingtonpowersports.com VEIN CARE La Bella Vita Laser & Vein Center 1431 Ochsner Blvd., Suite B Covington, LA 70433 3100 Galleria Blvd., Suite 301 Metairie, LA 70001 www.labellavitavein.com
IMPULSE BUYING Continued from Page 23 love and faithfulness” (Ex. 34:6). Even bad guys help us emphasize how the grace of God is so radical, so astounding, and such good news. In his biography of Tolkien, Humphrey Carpenter recounts Tolkien’s thesis that “inevitably the myths woven by us, though they contain error, will also reflect a splintered fragment of the true light, the eternal truth that is with God.” When approached with a careful eye and a firm grounding in Scripture, light-splintering myths that have inspired readers for centuries can also point our kids to Christ. Dare to wander with your children in those reflections. Read great stories with them, to direct their minds to the greatest Story of all. Copyright © 2020 The Gospel Coalition, INC. All Rights Reserved >
ing new shoes, or picking up a new kitchen accessory. Basically, don’t even set foot in a store unless it’s to buy groceries (that are on your list!). 12. Keep your goals in mind. Here’s a real shocker: Giving in to an impulse buy won’t help you achieve your goals—whether that’s getting out of debt, paying off your mortgage, or investing for your future. Buying on impulse and overspending will eat up any extra money you were saving to put toward those awesome goals. So don’t shoot yourself in the foot here. Help yourself out by remembering the important goals you’re working toward! “Children do what feels good. Adults devise a plan and follow it.” — Dave Ramsey Don’t Get Sucked Into Impulse Buying There’s no denying the fun of unexpectedly buying something, but that excitement never lasts. So control the urge to fork over money
when you discover a jacket on sale or when a sweet offer lands in your inbox. Learning to be disciplined with your money will get you something much more priceless—peace of mind. And that’s one thing you’ll never regret investing in! Keep those impulse buys in check and dodge overspending with EveryDollar, our free budgeting app. It makes it easy to actually plan for your upcoming purchases—no impulse buying required.> * Dave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and business. He’s authored four New York Times bestselling books: Financial Peace, More Than Enough, The Total Money Makeover and EntreLeadership. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 5 million listeners each week on more than 500 radio stations. Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the web at daveramsey. com.
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As Businesses Open, Ampol Steps Up To Provide Disinfection And Training Services By Amanda McElfresh, amcelfresh@theadvocate.com This story is brought to you by AMPOL.
With more offices and businesses opening, managers across the region are turning to AMPOL to ensure their workplaces are virus-free. In recent weeks, company staff has performed disinfection work at restaurants, hotels, offshore living quarters, boats, schools, offices, industrial facilities, manufacturing facilities and more, said AMPOL CEO and President Kirk Headley. In terms of cleanliness levels, Headley said it has been a “broad spectrum.” “It’s really been a range,” Headley said. “We do a pre-sample and a postsample to show the owner where they were and where they are now. That can be really eye-opening. The owner can use that data however they wish. Some like to keep it themselves. Some want to show employees and clients. We provide the information, but it’s up to them to decide how to use it.” Headley said some clients request AMPOL’s disinfection services because their place of business is preparing to re-open. In those cases, owners want employees and customers to feel safe and assure them that all steps have been taken to remove any virus. In other cases, a client or employee has tested positive for COVID-19. “Those two situations are treated differently,” Headley said. “When we get
the call to provide a disinfection, we separate those so we know what type of cleaning we need to be doing.” In either situation, AMPOL’s teams focus on high-touch surfaces such as door handles, doorknobs, faucets, light switches, keyboards, phones and more. “We really pride ourselves on having a good understanding of high-touch surfaces, and we laser-focus on those quite a bit,” he said. Headley said some clients bring in AMPOL for a one-time disinfection, while others ask for regular visits to maintain a high level of cleanliness. If an owner requests it, AMPOL staff will provide training to a business staff and custodians so they can learn how to keep areas as clean as possible. “We do not suggest that somebody who is not a professional clean a COVID positive area,” he said. “That should be done by someone who is trained and has all the proper equipment. However, if it is a regular disinfection, we have some trade secrets that we’ve learned through a lot of trial and testing on what works and what doesn’t. We can show people steps to take to keep a space in a clean condition.” Headley said business owners should remember that if someone with COVID-19 enters a building, it will nullify any disinfection steps that were
previously taken. That means owners should be mindful about screening people who come into a business, checking temperatures and turning away anyone who shows COVID-19 symptoms. “The best thing you can do is try to take precautions on who comes in and who doesn’t,” he said. “Use your best judgement and the best tools you have. We are prepared to disinfect any facility that needs us. I have faith that we are going to get through this. We just have to be as smart as we can. We just can’t put our guard down yet.” For more information on AMPOL services, visit www.ampol.net.
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Back to School 2020 37
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STUDY Continued from Page 3
occur is that all of the saints who have been living with Jesus up in heaven will be coming back down with Him to rule this earth during His Millennium Kingdom. This Millennium Kingdom will last 1000 years.
After this 1000 years has passed, the next, last and final event will be God the Father creating a brand two more chapters that will play New Heaven and a Brand New itself out after you had already died Earth where He will then bring and entered into heaven. Himself and a brand new city of After you have died and entered Jerusalem down upon our new earth into heaven, the next thing that will where He and Jesus will then rule this new earth from this new holy city of Jerusalem for the rest of all DID YOU HEAR WE DELIVER? eternity. The Bible tells us that our world is a world that will know no end. We are now offering Unless you have studied from the delivery in our Book of Revelation, along with all Covington Location. of the other Scripture verses perWe are delivering your taining to these coming end time delicious Outback events, you would not have been favorites from our curb to yours! aware of these two remaining chap($5.99 delivery fee) ters. The heaven where God and Jesus now live in is not going to be our 60 Park Place Drive final address. The New Heaven and Covington, LA 70433 985-893-0505 outback.com the New Earth will be our final address and resting place with the 985-302-5134 PROOF SHEET Lord, and this information and 530 E. Rutland St. knowledge can only be found in the We have the Covington Book of Revelation. biggest selection The second main reason that 985-206-5092 Attached a proof ofOil your in ad that will run in the October/November issue of EDGE of the Lake magazine. This ad will run as is unless we ofis CBD each and every Christian should receive changes by Wednesday (09.14.2018) at 5:00 PM. Please make4958 any changes or approve Louisiana 22via email. have basic knowledge on how Louisiana! Mandeville everything is going to eventually play out and end up is so they can share and transmit this knowledge to other Christians who do not have this knowledge and information under their belt. Until more churches start to preach and teach on this subject matter, you are going to have many thecannabidiolshop.com Christians, especially in the times,
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we are living in right now, who are going to be very hungry for information on this topic and they will seek out teachers who can educate and feed them on this topic. The third main reason that every Christian should be fully armed with knowledge on this topic is because we will never know which generation will be the one to start to really live through these end time events. And once these end time events start to take place, your knowledge on this subject matter and your faith in the Lord will be the only two things that will help get you through some of these horrific events. You will need to know how everything is eventually going to play out. If you do not, you could easily lose your faith in the Lord due to the extreme activity that will be occurring during these times. This is why the Lord goes more than overboard in the Bible on this entire subject matter. He wants to give all of us more than enough fair warning on exactly what will be coming down the road so we can properly prepare ourselves to be able to handle all of it once it does start to come our way. Many teachers who are anointed by the Lord to be teaching and preaching on this subject matter in this day and age believe that there is a very good possibility that our current generation may be the generation that will see the return of our Lord back to this earth. After all, look what has happened all over the world in 2020! No one obviously knows the exact date of our Lord’s return back to this earth, but there is no question that the end time events prophesied to occur from our Bible are all starting to form out. Only time will tell if our generation will be the one to see our Lord’s visible second coming back to our earth. But sooner or later, all of these end time events will eventually occur because our Bible tells us so. As such, each and every Christian should have some basic and fundamental knowledge on this part of their walk with the Lord so that they cannot only have it for themselves and their own knowledge base in the Lord, but so they can also have it to be able to teach and educate others about it. Save the Nations Ministries >
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