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Post by GinNJ on May 19, 2014 9:58:36 GMT -5
Good morning gals! I hope that everyone had a great evening! I had the pleasure of cooking an Italian dinner for Miami and another friend last night. I love cooking for friends and family. I am so thankful for this time of fellowship that The Lord has blessed us with. It is winding down now. I think the day before a vacation ends goes faster than any other day. I am going to try and enjoy every moment. Well...the Lord has led us to start a new thread. We are looking forward to seeing how He intends to use it. ******* "Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert." Is 43:19 One of the most exciting...and scary at times... things about being a Christ follower is that God is ALWAYS working in our lives. He never stops even when we are not aware of what He is doing, why He is doing it and how He will reveal it to us. As we seek His specific will for our lives within His overall plan of brigning the good news of the gospel to the world we find that our livees take all kinds of twists and turns. This is where faith comes in. As we start this new week and this new thread I pray for all the gals who are in a season of transition...maybe it is in living arrangements, employment, illness, ministry, relationships, or place of worship. Maybe a tragedy has turned your life upside down. Maybe a great blessing has come which is bringing a big change. Whatever it is I pray that we continue to look to the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) for direction (Prov 3:5-6), comfort (2 Cor 1:3-4), love (Ps 86:15), forgiveness (1 John 1:9) and even discipline if we need it (Pov 3:11-12). And that we will make ourselves available to Him to be used for His glory in whatever situation we are in. In Jesus' name. Amen! Have a blessed day gals!
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Post by GinNJ on May 19, 2014 10:04:11 GMT -5
I'm unsure what Sin is Overrated is trying to say. Are you saying that since we are believers, saved by the redeeming sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we are now not able to be "sinful"? I understand that as far as our eternal destiny, we are sealed forever as God's children and when we stand before Him we will be righteous, but if you are saying that we cannot be stained by sin, or that we cannot sin any longer, I don't get it. That would seem to indicate that we are "Teflon", that we can engage in any activity or thought, and that God doesn't give a rip about it. As I understand it, God doesn't tolerate sin, and would not want His children to be playing in the filth of sin. Of course, He forgives when we repent, but to say that He isn't concerned with cleaning us up from sin (as Judah says in his book) tells me that it's OK to freely do what you want, and not to worry about it, because God will get around to "fixing me" when He wants to. Until then, I can have at it and not worry about it. Is that what you are saying?
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Post by GinNJ on May 21, 2014 8:13:54 GMT -5
Good morning gals! I hope that everyone is having a great week. Well, my vaca is officially over. I am so thankful to God for the safe travels, fellowship, beautiful scenery, great weather, fun and rest. I just wanted to share some encouragement for those going through a difficult time right now... Rain Without Clouds? Never! If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth Ecclesiastes 11:3 Why, then, do we dread the clouds which now darken our sky? True, for a while they hide the sun, but the sun is not quenched; He will shine out again before long. Meanwhile those black clouds are filled with rain; and the blacker they are, the more likely they are to yield plentiful showers. How can we have rain without clouds? Our troubles have always brought us blessings, and they always will. They are the black chariots of bright grace. These clouds will empty themselves before long, and every tender herb will be the gladder for the shower. Our God may drench us with grief, but He will not drown us with wrath; nay, He will refresh us with mercy. Our LORD's love letters often come to us in black-edged envelopes. His wagons rumble, but they are loaded with benefits. His rod blossoms with sweet flowers and nourishing fruits. Let us not worry about the clouds but sing because May flowers are brought to us through the April clouds and showers. O LORD, the clouds are the dust of Thy feet! How near Thou art in the cloudy and dark day! Love beholds Thee and is glad. Faith sees the clouds emptying themselves and making the little hills rejoice on every side. Sent from the Faith's Checkbook Devotional, by Charles Spurgeon. For devotionals like this one for your iPhone, visit us at 43rdElement.com Have a blessed day!
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Another Former Poster
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Post by Another Former Poster on May 21, 2014 14:51:11 GMT -5
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Post by GinNJ on May 21, 2014 20:57:55 GMT -5
Hi there! Well, for starters, I think that he will make a lot of money with the book that he was promoting with that interview. I believe that we only need to look to the bible for the truth. The bible teaches that: - we must be transformed (Rom 12:2) - we must be born again / born anew / born from above and converted (John 3:3) - if we love Jesus we will keep His commands (John 14:15) - we are to the salt of the earth (our righteous living should 'flavor' the world) (Matt 5:13:16) - we are to put to death what is earthly in our lives (Col 3:5-10) - be doers of the Word (James 1:22-27) - we must live a 'new life' (2 Cor 5:17) - control our thought life (Phil 4:8-9) - avoid sexual immorality (Eph 5:5) - avoid satisfying the desires of the flesh (Gal 5:16-26) I could go on and on with citations just from the NT...don't get me started on the OT. Truth is that what he calls 'behavior modification' is what the bible calls taking up our cross and following Jesus. Following means...well...following. Living like He lived. But the bible also teaches that we can not transform ourselves. That is an exercise in futility and not what scripture teaches. That is the work of the Holy Spirit. We need to trust in God's grace for the transformation. "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit." 2 Cor 3:18 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Gal 2:20 Hebrews 4:13-16 says: “And there is no creature hidden from His sight but all things are opened and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses but one who has been tempted in all things as we are yet without sin. Let us therefore, draw near with confidence to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” See, God knows that we are a mess but He still loves us! He loves us way too much to watch us hurt ourselves and others. He wants to change us. He doesn't want us to change us...and, besides, He knows that we can't. He wants to make us more like Jesus. He has more patience with us than we could ever have with ourselves. And He wants and deserves the glory for changing us. First, though, we really have to want to change. We need to spend time with Him...in prayer, in His word and in fellowship with other believers...and allow His grace (unmerited favor) to work in our lives. And it is work and it doesn't happen overnight. Just the other night I was sharing the story of how God delivered me from my cigarette addiction. After YEARS of trying to do it myself...for Him in obedience to glorify God in my body and not hurt my witness...I finally threw my hands up one day (March 28, 2007 btw) and told Him that if He didn't deliver me it wasn't going to happen!!! I finally gave up trying to do it in my strength and made the decision to 100% rely on His grace. I really came to the end of myself. Five minutes later He delivered me totally and completely...by His grace...not my strength. So, God will take us how we are but He doesn't intend for us to stay that way. And by His grace we are saved, healed and transformed. "No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins." Jesus in Mark 2:22
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Another Former Poster
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Post by Another Former Poster on May 21, 2014 22:35:29 GMT -5
Thanks for taking the time to read the interview and reply.
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Another Former Poster
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Post by Another Former Poster on May 21, 2014 22:35:56 GMT -5
Thanks for taking the time to read the interview and reply.
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Post by GinNJ on May 22, 2014 14:51:29 GMT -5
A new letter from Pastor Saeed has been received. It is both heart breaking and inspiring at the same time.
Pastor Saeed After Beatings and Torture: “I did not recognize myself” By
Jordan Sekulow
Iran 10:04 AM Mar. 22, 2013
We have just obtained a new letter from imprisoned American Pastor Saeed Abedini written to his wife, Naghmeh, and his family in Iran. In it, as in his previous two letters written inside the brutal Evin Prison, he documents the results of the continued abuse and torture he endures.
This letter, likely written weeks ago, was received by his family just yesterday. Written on the margins of scraps of newspaper, it is only the third letter Pastor Saeed has been able to get to his family in the past nearly 180 days of imprisonment and underscores the difficulty of getting any information from Iran about his condition.
Pastor Saeed writes that he cannot even recognize himself after all the beatings and torture he has endured: “My hair was shaven, under my eyes were swollen three times what they should have been, my face was swollen, and my beard had grown.”
After multiple beatings in interrogations at the hands of the radical Islamic regime, Pastor Saeed wrote that the nurse who was supposed to treat injured inmates told him “‘in our religion we are not suppose to touch you, you are unclean. . . . Christians are unclean!’” He explained, “they would not give me the pain medication that they would give other prisoners because I was unclean.”
This further confirms the fact that until this week, Pastor Saeed had not received any medical treatment. Because of the immense pressure from the international outcry of hundreds of thousands who have demanded his release, Iranian officials have promised him medical treatment, but this new letter sheds light on how difficult it will be to ensure that Iran keeps its word.
In his letter, Pastor Saeed also shares how he has personally witnessed the toll his imprisonment has taken on his parents and how he longs to once again be with his wife and children. He wrote, “You, my wife, on the other side of the world, alone with the kids. Alone and worried. My family here in Iran, being interrogated, tired and under so much pressure.”
Even through all the persecution, Pastor Saeed remains resilient in his faith. He writes of the importance of forgiveness, even to the point of forgiving the interrogators who beat him and the doctors who refused to treat him. He says that we must all forgive, “So that we don’t become like the person we despised and who persecuted and tortured us.”
He told of the power he has witnessed through forgiveness when after telling one of his persecutors to his face that he forgave him, the interrogator came to “respect” him. “Love is as strong as death,” Pastor Saeed explained. He concluded, “The Joy of the Lord is my strength.”
This is another powerful testament of his Christian faith and his eternal hope that one day he will again be free to return to his wife and kids in America.
It is critical that we redouble our efforts and do all we can as a nation for this imprisoned pastor, one of our own, a U.S. citizen.
Please continue to sign and share the petition to #SaveSaeed today.
You can read Pastor Saeed’s letter below:
Hello to my dear love and wife,
When I saw my family for the first time behind the glass walls, I could see my mom four meters away. As she approached me and saw my face, she broke down and could not get closer. She was crying. I understood what she felt because after weeks of being in solitary confinement in Evin Prison, I also got to see my face in the mirror of an elevator that was taking me to the prison hospital. I said hi to the person staring back at me because I did not recognize myself. My hair was shaven, under my eyes were swollen three times what they should have been, my face was swollen, and my beard had grown.
It was a few days ago when one of my family members, with weary eyes and after running around for 15 weeks in trying to get me out of prison, said that my dad says every single day that “this week I will get my son out of prison.” But this does not happen and he is not able to get me out of prison. In that instant I looked into the wrinkled and tired eyes of my dad. I could clearly see that he had ran around for months and he had no more strength left in him. It was very hard seeing my family in such a situation.
You, my wife, on the other side of the world, alone with the kids. Alone and worried. My family here in Iran, being interrogated, tired and under so much pressure.
With the loud voice of the prison guard, our visitation had ended and they put covers over our eyes and we returned to the dark room void of any natural sunlight.
I started praying for my family. My dear Naghmeh. You are the love of my life. I am always in love with you.
Dear Naghmeh, I have been stung so many times that I have become full of poison. This is an Iranian saying. A lot of people say that they have been stung by so many people that their whole being is full of poison like a poisonous snake. It means that we have been bitten by the snakes of this world so many times that, that all of the poison has collected in us and that we are like the poisonous snake. But if we sting anyone, we will die. This Iranian saying is full of spirit of revenge and unforgiveness and every time I would hear this in Iran, I would get very sick hearing it.
A few days ago they brought a young war veteran who was disabled in 80% of his body in my cell. He had been put in solitary confinement with his horrific condition. And this had made him very mad and he kept saying “why did they do this to me? I gave my whole life for their sake. See what they have done to me!!!” And when he would get very mad he would say “I will take my revenge!”
I spoke to this young man until 4 in the morning. I spent time with him and spoke to him to forgive. When we don’t forgive, we drink the poison ourselves and then wait for the other person to die. And we take the knife that has hurt us and we stab ourselves with it again! And this is the will of the evil one who wants to destroy us.
But when we forgive, we pour out the poison of the enemy and of the devil and we don’t let the poison stay in us and we don’t let the poison make us into poisonous snakes! So that we don’t become like the person we despised and who persecuted and tortured us.
Maybe you ask, what is the secret of being so happy in such a hard situation?
Forgiveness and a change of attitude. When we forgive, we become free and we become messengers of peace and reconciliation and goodness. And whoever stings us, we can take into our embrace and love them. And in this dark and evil time, we can live full of love and full of peace and full of joy and shine like the stars! Glory be to His Name.
I forgave the prison doctor who did not listen to me and did not give me the medication that I needed. I forgave the interrogator who beat me. Every day when I would see the interrogator and for the last time when I saw him, I forgave him. I smiled at him and with respect shook his hand and I said my goodbye. The minute I forgave them and loved them, that second I was filled with unspeakable joy. I saw in the eyes of the interrogator that he had come to respect me and as he was leaving, he could not look behind him. Love is as strong as death.
We have to get rid of the poison in our body because if we don’t, we will die. We have to get rid of both poisons; first the poison of the snake that bit us and also the poison in us that was created by that bite. We can get rid of the first poison by forgiveness and we can get rid of the second poison by humility, by dying to ourselves, and allowing the band-aid of love and goodness to replace the empty place of the wound. So that we are not a tool of darkness and revenge, but that we can be light and love and a vessel of forgiveness and we can be transformed in the process.
Surely you have someone in your family, city, work or environment that have become like poisonous snake who have bitten you and tried to make you poisonous. So, forgive them and use the antidote of love and be Victorious!
One of the chances of forgiveness came when I was blindfolded and a guard was holding my hand guiding me. He asked “what are you here for? What is your crime?” I said “I am Christian Pastor.” All of the sudden he let go of my hand and said “so you are unclean! I will tell others not to defile themselves by touching you!” He would tell others not to get close to me. It really broke my heart. The nurse would also come to take care of us and provide us with treatment, but she said in front of others “in our religion we are not suppose to touch you, you are unclean. Baha’i (religion) and Christians are unclean!” She did not treat me and that night I could not sleep from the intense pain I had. According to the doctor’s instructions, they would not give me the pain medication that they would give other prisoners because I was unclean.
I could not fall sleep one night due to the pain when all of a sudden I could hear the sound of dirty sewer rats with their loud noises and screeches. It was around 4 in the morning. It sounded like laughter in a way.
Even though many would call me unclean and filthy and would not even want to pass by me and they had abandoned me and they were disgusted to touch me because they were afraid that they would also become unclean, but I knew that in the eyes of Jesus Christ, and in the eyes of my brothers and sisters, I am like the sewer rat, beautiful and loveable – not disgusting and unclean – and like the rats I can scream with joy within those prison walls and worship my Lord in joy and strength.
The Joy of the Lord is my strength. Amen.
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Post by GinNJ on May 22, 2014 14:53:36 GMT -5
Thanks for taking the time to read the interview and reply. Hi Another...you are welcome. Did you decide to attend that conference that you posted about last week?
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Post by Miami on May 24, 2014 7:36:47 GMT -5
Good Morning All!! Happy Saturday!! I pray everyone has a blessed day on this blessed day!! May the Lords Peace cover us all.
Sorry I've been a little MIA, this past week's been crazy. Had a wonderful time with NJ last weekend, good fellowship and fun. Then a crazy week. I was traveling yesterday, I'm visiting one of my dearest friends in Nashville. Love this area.
NJ thank you for posting the piece about Pastor Saeed, I saw it earlier in the week. What an inspiration. Love this man. I look forward to the day when I can hear him preach. If I don't see him in this world, I look forward to visiting with him in heaven. What a message in that letter.
Ephesians 4:31-32 NIV
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Sometimes it's so hard. One of our biggest struggles. But if we can't forgive, we do become poisonous to ourselves and everyone around us.
Shalom
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Post by GinNJ on May 25, 2014 7:30:05 GMT -5
Good morning gals! I hope that everyone is having a great weekend so far! I am so excited to get to church this morning. I encourage everyone to spend time today in God's word and in praise and worship of Him. You know...we use those words a lot...especially on Sunday's. They are so common we probably don't stop to think about what they mean. > Praise means to say something about God from His word that is true. Like..."God is faithful" and "God is worthy". Or, directly to Him..."You are merciful", "You are Sovereign", "You are righteous", "You are slow to anger and rich in mercy", etc. That is praise. > Worship means to surrender. We worship God when we surrender all that we are and have to Him for His purposes. So today, as we praise and worship or Creator God, let's be mindful of what we are actually doing. Also, let's mindful of His glorious presence among us as we allow Him to change us, heal us, deliver us and love on us as we connect with Him and our brothers and sisters in Christ on this blessed day. Remember...we have access through the Lord and Savior...one mediator between God and man...Jesus, the Christ:
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Post by GinNJ on May 25, 2014 20:23:23 GMT -5
Great reminder...
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Post by GinNJ on May 26, 2014 8:09:40 GMT -5
Good morning! Wishing all a blessed Memorial Day as we honor those who have sacrificed much in the service of others. God bless!
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Post by GinNJ on May 27, 2014 8:07:40 GMT -5
Good morning gals! I hope that everyone enjoyed their Memorial Day Holiday!
As many of us return to work today I wanted to share a prayer:
PRAYER TO START THE WORK DAY Lord, as I enter this work place I bring Your presence with me. I speak Your Peace, Your Grace and Your perfect Order into the atmosphere of this office. I acknowledge your Lordship over all that will be spoken, thought, decided and accomplished within these walls. Lord, I thank You for the gifts that You have deposited in me. I do not take them lightly, but commit to using them responsibly and well. Give me a fresh supply of truth and beauty on which to draw as I do my job. Anoint my creativity, my ideas and my energy so that even my smallest task may bring You honor. Lord, when I am confused, guide me. When I am weary energize me. Lord, when I am burned out, infuse me with the light of Your Holy Spirit. May the work that I do and the way that I do it bring hope, life and encouragement to all that I come in contact with today. And Lord, even in this day’s most stressful moments….. May I rest in You. It is in the wonderful and powerful name of Christ Jesus that I pray.
AMEN.
I hope that everyone has a blessed day!
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Post by GinNJ on May 27, 2014 11:13:07 GMT -5
A great reminder of what a faith in the God of the bible should look like. We all need a reminder from time to time. Today's blog post from Padtor Floyd: Faith That is Active | Ronnie Floyd We seem to see quite a bit of passive Christianity today. There are many who claim Christ in the same way they claim to be fans of a particular sports team. They are “Christian” because they are not Muslim, Hindu, or Atheist. This is hardly the way biblical Christianity is portrayed in the scriptures. Faith should look different The Bible gives us a number of vivid images of active faith. In fact, the great “Hall of Faith” features many whose faith led them to great exploits for God. Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Moses are well-known heroes of the faith. But, unnumbered and unnamed multitudes were also praised: women, men, those who were beaten and killed, those who were destitute and afflicted, and even homeless vagabonds. These in Hebrews 11 are praised for being faithful to the God who had saved them. Faith that is active results in lives different from the world. As MaryJo Sharp wrote, “We all want to be accepted by others. This explains our tendency to follow trends and what’s ‘in’ at the moment. While many of these trends are amoral (neither good nor bad in a spiritual, moral, or ethical sense), the human desire to be like everyone else can lead us to compromise or to lose our distinctiveness as followers of Christ. God calls us to holiness–to live separate and distinctive lives, set apart from what the world calls us to do.”1 Faith requires sacrifice One of the thoughts Christians often wrestle with is, “Is it worth it? Are the sacrifices I make for God’s kingdom worth it?” The answer, according to the Apostle Paul, is a resounding, “YES!” Writing to the Romans, Paul says, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us…Now in this hope we were saved, yet hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience” (Romans 8:18, 24-25). Peter reminds us that we should be obedient in accordance to our new lives, “But as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, ‘Be holy, because I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:15-16). The Apostle James also makes reference to active faith. “But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith from my works” (2:18). The New Testament knows nothing of a “faith” that ignores needs, closes eyes to injustice, and keeps one’s mouth closed to the truth of the gospel. Faith is not a state of mind or a box to check on a census report. Faith reflects a relationship with God that grows and is fruitful. That is the norm. What we consider exceptional faith today is what the Bible sees as normal faith. Showing a light to the world comes from an active faith. Such faith demonstrates that God is real, personal and caring. Dead faith reveals nothing true about God, and likely hinders the lost from coming to faith in Christ. May we never cause the testimony of salvation to be misrepresented to the world. Yours for the Great Commission, Ronnie W. Floyd Senior Pastor, Cross Church General Editor, Bible Studies for Life 1- Bible Studies for Life, Resilient Faith, MaryJo Sharp All scripture HCSB
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