TGIM! GOOD NEWS

GOOD NEWS FOR YOUR WEEK

TGIM! - Thank God It’s Monday!

THE WORD IS: But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son. Galatians 4:4
 
THE POINT IS:  Timing is absolutely critical to everything.  If a car’s timing is off, it won’t run properly.  If our timing is off, we miss our appointment, lose our investments, have accidents, etc.  Because of our human limitations, as well as all the other variables involved, we are not always able to gauge our time correctly.  But God’s timing is always perfect!  God sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world at just the right time.  And now He can be there for you in that very same way!

      
THE APPLICATION IS:  Are you on God’s timetable?  If not, then you need to get on God’s timetable so you can be on time!  You begin by receiving the gift of His Son Jesus Christ whom He has sent for you.  But wait, there’s more, so much more that God has in store for you.  Just as God sent forth His Son into your life, He desires to send forth His Son through your life.  However, you must remain on His timetable for that to happen.  Therefore, you must trust Christ moment by moment to come forth in you.  And He will—at just the right time, in just the right way.  Now that’s perfect timing!

 

Merry Christmas,



Lewis & Lue Gregory

P.S.  At this Christmas season, enjoy your family, enjoy the festivities, but most of all enjoy your Lord!  Christ was born so that you could be born again in Him.  He came and died so that He might come again in you.  He has made you alive so that He can live again through you.  May the glory of the living Lord shine round about you!

 

P.S.S. Be sure to take advantage of the CHRISTMAS SPECIAL on our books so you can help others enjoy the true meaning of Christmas.
  

http://sourceministries.net/Resources/newyou.htm

Believe it, receive it, print it, post it.
Most of all, live it!
This is really good news, so please pass it on.

Source is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), faith-based discipleship ministry.
Visit us at http://www.sourceministries.net

The preceding message is provided as a service of Source Ministries © 2008.  If you have a comment about this teaching material, would like more information about SOURCE MINISTRIES, or want to be added or removed from this mailing list, please contact us with your name and email address at: source@integrity.com or call 770-979-9804.  It is a pleasure to serve you!

Sunday Service December 21

Services are on schedule but be careful coming as the roads may be a little slick.
Worship Service begins at 9:30 AM.

 

Tim Holbrook

 

FW: TGIM! GOOD NEWS

 

 

Tim Holbrook

---

From: Source Ministries [mailto:source@integrity.com]
Sent: Monday, December 15, 2008 10:40 PM
To: GN T
Subject: TGIM! GOOD NEWS

 

GOOD NEWS FOR YOUR WEEK

TGIM! - Thank God It’s Monday!

THE WORD IS: I do not frustrate the grace of God.  For if righteousness come by the law then Christ has died in vain.  Galatians 2:21

 

THE POINT IS:  “That’s so frustrating!”  There’s nothing worse than being hindered, stifled, or prohibited from doing what you want.  We’ve all been there, and none of us like it.  Yet we do it to ourselves all the time.  Our human efforts to get what we want, achieve the desired goals, or accomplish the required objectives will eventually leave us all falling short.  The best that we can do, regardless of how good it is, or how good our intentions may be, is simply not good enough.  Furthermore, the harder we try or the more we do, the worse it seems to get.  And therein lies the frustration.  Yet the very effort we have exerted is the culprit.  Paul exposed this fallacy with the phrase “by the law.”  What does that mean?  It is a description about what we do: our best efforts, our attempts at keeping the law, obeying God, etc.  Paul went on to explain that the human tendency is to attempt to be “made perfect by the flesh.”  The flesh is a reference to all of our human strengths, talents and abilities.  Paul then made a distinction between the “works of the flesh” and the “hearing of faith.”  The works/faith contrast is huge.  It’s what we do vs. what God does, and there’s no comparison.  Frustrating the grace of God occurs when we through our fleshly human efforts attempt to live life, obey God’s law, do the right thing, or any other thing for that matter.  All of this is what Christ is here to do, and in fact what He alone can do. The best that we can do pales in comparison to His best.  And anytime we attempt it, frustration is sure to follow.  That is why Christ died, to put an end to this old futile way and usher in a new and living way.  Please, don’t let it be in vain!

     
 
THE APPLICATION IS:  Let’s face it, there are a lot of frustrations in life, most of them self-imposed.  When you try to do your thing, it prohibits God from doing His thing, which is everything in your life.  All of your sincere human efforts to solve your problems, meet your needs, or make things happen are thwarting the grace of God in your life.  The reason being—good works don’t work; they never have and they never will.  As a result, you are missing out on the wealth of resources that God has made available to you “in Christ.”  And that, my friends, is frustrating.  So do not frustrate the grace of God! Instead, allow Christ to have His way with you.  Trust Him to live His life through you.  He does all things well, and He will certainly do right by you.
 
 

Merry Christmas,



Lewis & Lue Gregory


P.S. Be sure to take advantage of the CHRISTMAS SPECIAL on our books so you can help others enjoy the true meaning of Christmas.  
http://sourceministries.net/Resources/newyou.htm

P.S.S. I really like the following poem by my good friend Chuck Solomon.  It’s packed with relevant truth.  Enjoy!

REST IN HIM

Dr. Charles Solomon 11-27-08

Be anxious for nothing (Phil. 4:6a)
Is our Lord's command;
His grace is sufficient, (2 Cor. 12:9)
Our cares to withstand. (1 Pet. 5:7)

Be prayerful for everything; (Phil. 4:6a)
He knows what is best.
Seeking first His will (Matt. 6:33b)
Allows us to be blessed. (Matt. 6:33b)

Be thankful for anything; (1 Thes. 5:18)
It's all for our good. (Rom. 8:28)
With all needs supplied, (Phil. 4:19)
We can pray as we would. (John 16:24)

Believe it, receive it, print it, post it.
Most of all, live it!
This is really good news, so please pass it on.

Source is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), faith-based discipleship ministry.
Visit us at http://www.sourceministries.net

The preceding message is provided as a service of Source Ministries © 2008.  If you have a comment about this teaching material, would like more information about SOURCE MINISTRIES, or want to be added or removed from this mailing list, please contact us with your name and email address at: source@integrity.com or call 770-979-9804.  It is a pleasure to serve you!

 

 

FW: Jimmy Davis Evangelistic Association Newsletter

 

 

Tim Holbrook

---

From: Jimmy Davis Evangelistic Association [mailto:jimmy@jdea.info]
Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 6:01 AM
To: holbrookt@comcast.net
Subject: Jimmy Davis Evangelistic Association Newsletter

 

Having trouble viewing this email? Click here

 

Jimmy Davis Evangelistic Association Tim , Merry Christmas! December 2008 A Change In Plans   I would like to share with you that the Executive Committee of the Greater North Atlanta Franklin Graham Festival has prayerfully made the decision to reschedule the upcoming Festival for late spring 2010. While they originally planned to hold this evangelistic outreach in 2009, after much prayerful consideration, they have decided to reschedule the Festival for the following year. Though they desired to bring this unique proclamation of the Gospel message to North Atlanta next summer, they believe that the extended timeframe will strengthen the Festival, with better planning, musical artist and church participation. Therefore, I am busy rescheduling my year. Please pray for us as we make calls and contacts.     Info www.jdea.info   P.O. Box 25 Pilot, VA 24138   540-641-1099     Think About It LEARN TO MAKE BETTER DECISIONS  Proverbs 14:15 If you're still making the same mistakes at fifty that you were at twenty, you need to ask God for wisdom. "The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge." (Prov.18:15) What you are in the present, was determined by decisions you made in the past. If you want to change your future, learn to make better decisions. Be wise; let these principles guide you: 1.        Never make permanent decisions based on temporary circumstances. 2.        Don't let your emotions blind you to reason. Pray, weigh things carefully and base your decisions on mature judgement. 3.        Surround yourself with sharp people and draw on their gifts, without being intimidated by their expertise. 4.        Take the time to consider all options. What looks good to you today, may not look so good tomorrow. 5.        You can't fight successfully on every front, so chose your battles carefully. Simply stated: Some things are not worth fighting for. 6.        Take time to get all the facts; conjecture leads to crisis. 7.        Consider the consequences of each action. Ask yourself, "Am I ready to handle this right now?" 8.        Make sure your expectations don't exceed your potential and your resources. Be realistic. If you can't count, don't apply for a job in the finance office. If you can't sing, don't cut an album. Focus on what God gifted you to do. That's where you'll suceed. 9.        Time is your most valuable resource. Don't waste it. 10.     Allow yourself a 10% risk of being wrong, a 50% likelihood of betrayal, and a 100% committment to trust God, go forward and survive it all. From the devotional of Jentezen Franklin.       Merry Christmas from our family to yours. Thank you for helping us share Jesus all year through your prayers and financial gifts.     Upcoming Events January I'll be ministering in Florida. Detailed schedule will be on my website.   Hong Kong Trip     We saw a confirmed 545 precious people come to Christ. We had many churches involved who are actively doing the follow-up. Pray for these new Christians as they grow in their new life in Christ.   While in Hong Kong I had the privilege of working with a praise team  from Richmond, Indiana, Hillcrest Baptist Church, Pastor Martin Holman. What a great group of folks. Also my friends, Evangelist Pete Rice and Evangelist Toru Marshall. God used our team. There was unity and love among each other. Most of of us had just met on this trip. It's great to be part of the family of God.   Hong Kong Church      I had the privilege of ministering in a few churches while in Hong Kong. One of them, Lighthouse, was a great blessing. Though the church only was running about 150, there were 21 countries represented in that congregation. The worship was sweet and I thought," This must be a little touch of what Heaven is like". Every nation in one accord lifting up the name of Jesus! GLORY!! I had lunch with one brother from Australia. I felt I had known him all my life.     Keep praying for RV   The need for an RV is growing all the time. It would allow my family to travel with me more. It also would allow me to broaden out in our ministry. If you would like to give toward this need our contact information is on our website, www.jdea.info . Please note your gift for "RV Fund". Thanks!      OUR NEEDS   We're in desperate need of a PA system. I have the joy of ministering in smaller churches that usually don't have a good PA system. After much research I've found what I believe is the best for our situation. It's a Bose tower system. It's portable, quick set up, and will easily take care of the type of venues that I'm in. The cost is about $3500.00. Please pray that we can buy this soon. We want to be as effective as possible.     Continue to Pray  Pray for the Harvest Divine appointments Safety in travel Financial support Health Upcoming Brazil Crusade RV for my family to travel in America's leaders and our troops " ...The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much"  (James 5:16)  "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."  (Phl 4:6)     Thank you again for your encouragement and support this year. I enter into 2009 with a spirit of expectation continuing to partner with you to reach our world with the gospel!   In HIS Grip,    Jimmy Davis Jimmy Davis Evangelistic Association

 

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CHRISTMAS is a Time for Giving!

      CHRISTMAS IS A TIME FOR GIVING!

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             Dr. Lewis Gregory

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Celebrating Advent with Martin Luther

Celebrating Advent with Martin Luther
The Protestant reformer loved Christmas, as these excerpts from his sermons
show. Compiled and introduced by Paul L. Maier a professor of ancient
history at Western Michigan University and an editorial adviser for
Christian History.

In the theological tumult that was Martin Luther's life, the great reformer
seemed to be heartened each year by the great festivals of the church,
particularly Advent and Christmas. The man who "invented" the Protestant
parsonage was also sustained by a blazing sense of humor and a happy home
life. It was open house all year in the large converted monastery at the
east end of Wittenberg where Luther, his wife Katie, and their six children
lived, along with numerous students who stayed there as well. One of them
wrote that as Christmas approached, Luther grew increasingly cheerful: "All
his words and songs and thoughts concerned the incarnation of our Lord. Then
he sighed and said, 'Oh, we poor people that we should be so cold and
indifferent to this great joy that has been given us. For this is indeed the
greatest gift, which far exceeds all else that God has created. Yet we
believe so sluggishly, even though the angels proclaim and preach and sing,
and their lovely song sums up the whole Christian faith, for 'Glory to God
in the highest' is the very heart of worship."

Luther's writings contain a multitude of references to Advent and Christmas.

The following excerpt from a sermon on the Nativity that he preached in
1530:
If Christ had arrived with trumpets and lain in a cradle of gold, his birth
would have been a splendid affair. But it would not be a comfort to me. He
was rather to lie in the lap of a poor maiden and be thought of little
significance in the eyes of the world. Now I can come to him. Now he reveals
himself to the miserable in order not to give any impression that he arrives
with great power, splendor, wisdom, and aristocratic manners. But upon his
return on that Day, when he will oppose the high and the mighty, it will be
different. Now he comes to the poor, who need a Savior, but then he will
come as a Judge against those who are persecuting him now.

In 1543, as Christmas approached, Luther gave a lecture on Isaiah 9:6 in
which he portrayed Christ as a ladder: The Son of God did not want to be
seen and found in heaven. Therefore he descended from heaven into this
humility and came to us in our flesh, laid himself into the womb of his
mother and into the manger and went on to the cross. This was the ladder
that he placed on earth so that we might ascend to God on it. This is the
way you must take. If you depart from this way and try to speculate about
the glory of the Divine Majesty-without this ladder-you will invent
marvelous matters that transcend your horizon, but you will do so at very
great harm to yourself.

Again in 1543, Luther preached a Christmas sermon in which he identified
Christ as our brother: When one of several brothers becomes a great magnate,
how happy the other brothers become! How gladdening they find this, as you
see in Genesis when Joseph reveals himself to his brothers. And this is
indeed a natural joy. But why is it, then, that we also are not joyful and
our hearts are not touched and we do not praise and thank God upon hearing
that our God became our flesh and blood and now sits above at the right hand
of God as Lord over all creatures?

Among his many roles-theologian, reformer, professor, scholar, exegete,
hymnodist, and prolific author-Martin Luther probably considered his role as
preacher to be most important.

Biographer Roland H. Bainton writes, "Luther is at his best and most
characteristic in his sermons on the Nativity," and then excerpts one of
them in which Luther unfolds the familiar story of Joseph and Mary traveling
to Bethlehem: The inn was full. No one would release a room to this pregnant
woman. She had to go to a cow stall and there bring forth the Maker of all
creatures because nobody would give way. Shame on you, wretched Bethlehem!
The inn ought to have been burned with brimstone, for even though Mary had
been a beggar maid or unwed, anybody at such a time would have been glad to
give her a hand. There are many of you in this congregation who think to
yourselves: "If only I had been there! How quick I would have been to help
the baby! I would have washed his linen! How happy I would have been to go
with the shepherds to see the Lord lying in the manger!" Yes you would! You
say that because you know how great Christ is, but if you had been there at
that time you would have done no better than the people of Bethlehem.
Childish and silly thoughts are these! Why don't you do it now? You have
Christ in your neighbor. You ought to serve him, for what you do to your
neighbor in need you do to the Lord Christ himself.

Martin Luther loved Christmas. The joy he derived from the festival each
year not only overflowed in his own composition of such familiar carols as
"From Heaven Above to Earth I Come," but also recharged his spirit for the
many struggles in his continually challenged life.

The first three excerpts above are translated from the German edition of
Luther's works. The final excerpt is from Roland H. Bainton, Here I Stand: A
Life of Martin Luther (Abingdon, 1950). You can buy individual volumes of
Luther's Works (American Edition) or all of them on CD-ROM at
ChristianBook.com. Also check out Martin Luther's Christmas Book, edited by
Roland H. Bainton (Augsburg Fortress, 1997), and What Luther Says by Ewald
Plass (Concordia, 2006).
Copyright C 2008 by the author or Christianity Today International/Christian
History & Biography magazine.

My Times are in Your Hands

My Times are in Your Hands
Alistair Begg

"In you, O Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my
rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me."

In the opening verses of Psalm 31, it is apparent that the Psalmist is in
anguish. As we read on, he seems to find himself in a position of assurance
just a few verses later, but then quickly returns to a state of distress.

This cycle of pain and joy is not an unusual experience in our Christian
pilgrimage. Most of us are a jumble of emotions and a cross section of
experiences. The good, the bad, and the ugly wash over us regularly. The key
issue is what we do with these experiences: how does being a believer shape
the way in which we view these events and our world?

Verse 15 of Psalm 31 reads, "My times are in your hands." These six words
are the affirmation of the person who knows himself to be-despite disasters
and difficulties- under the care of Almighty God. It is this certainty that
will bring equilibrium to us in the span of events that would either inflate
our egos or crush our souls. As I have reflected on this verse, I have found
nine truths which emerge from the simple statement, "My times are in your
hands."

1) I am not trapped in the grip of blind force.
The blind impersonal force has been referred to simply as "nature" for
centuries, just as it is today. You only have to turn on the Weather Channel
to hear talk of Mother Nature and her forces.

This notion is more profoundly evident in the pantheistic ideas of earth
prayers that are frequently propounded not only at New Age gatherings, but
unfortunately, also in many church buildings. The idea that we are viewed as
individual cells in a single global organism that constitutes the earth. God
is not distinct from His creation, but instead, is part of it. Have you
embraced this philosophy too? If so, then how do you sleep at night? When
you wake up in the morning, what puts a spring in your step? Are you living
life trapped, caged by a blind, cold, merciless fate, destined to die and go
to an unknown eternal destination?

One of the most distinctive features of the Christian today is the way in
which we are able to articulate our view of the world. The believer says,
"My times are in your hands, and I am not trapped by a blind force."

2) I am not tossed about on the ocean of chance.
In the movie Dead Poets Society, Robin Williams' character reports the
successes of his past students and tells his current students to do their
best in the moment that they have.

In one sense, that is a very fine piece of advice- it is important to make
good use of our time. The underlying notion, though, is that we must make
good use of our time because yesterday's time is gone and there may be no
tomorrow.

Do you ever get that sense? The Christian must respond by saying, "My times
are in your hands. I'm not trapped by blind faith, and I am not tossed
around on the sea of chance."

3) I am being trained in the school of God's providence.
The Christian affirms the truth that God has not abandoned the world He
created - that is deism. Nor has He become absorbed by His creation, which
is pantheism.

Rather, the Christian believes God is distinct from what He has made, and He
is working out everything in relationship to His creation according to His
plan. By the same power and divine energy in which He created this universe,
He preserves all of His creatures. He operates in all that comes to pass in
the world, and He directs everything to its appointed end to bring
".everything into conformity with the purpose of His will and to conform
people to the image of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. As strange as it
seems, the Sovereign Creator fashions everything in time and history to this
eventuality: He will redeem for Himself a people who are His very own.

What does this mean for us? We are not trapped in the grip of a blind force
or being tossed about by chance. It means we are being trained in the school
of God's providence. It means that our times are in His hands.

4) Prosperity should not be the occasion of pride.
A proud or arrogant individual is someone who has never come to grips with
providence. The person who delights in saying, "I did it my way," puffs out
his chest congratulating himself and is on the wrong end of discovering the
doctrine of God's providence.

The degree to which I boast of what I have achieved is an indication that I
have not come to terms with the fact that my times are in His hands. It is
an indication that I have not appreciated the words of Deuteronomy 8, which
clearly tells me that when I experience wealth, it is the Lord who gives us
the ability to produce it, and in doing so He confirms his covenant with us.
When the doctrine of providence takes root within our hearts, we begin to
say, "My times are in your hands." and we recognize that prosperity is no
occasion for pride.

5) Uncertainty should not be the occasion of panic.
What do you put your head on at night? Yes, a pillow, but what do you really
put your head on at night? The only thing we can put our heads on in order
to sleep is the providence of God.

The Puritans said providence is a soft pillow for anxious heads. Most of us
face anxiety at some time. I usually can trace my occasions of worry to a
loss of confidence in the doctrine of providence. I may be prepared to say,
My times are in your hands." but I am not always prepared to live in the
light of that truth.

When trouble comes, the only place I can lay my head is on the knowledge
that somehow in the mysterious purposes of Almighty God, my times are in His
hands. These evil times in which I live have not taken Him by surprise.
These dark and dreadful days have not overwhelmed me because I know that He
is still at the tiller.

6) Adversity must not become the occasion of self-pity.
Most of us have lived through cries of anguish and pools of tears. The fact
is, though, that with the passage of time or the change in circumstances, we
may be able to look back over our shoulders and begin to recognize that
there is no trying or tragic circumstance that God has not sovereignly
permitted.

He is sovereignly involved in the life cycle of the sparrow and, therefore,
He is profoundly involved in the circumstances of those whom He has made the
special objects of His love. As a result, we can be assured that even in the
face of difficulty the fatherly providence of God has permitted these
things, and He has done so for our good and His glory. He will sustain us
and watch over us in the midst of them. One day, He will make clear to us
what now we see through a glass dimly.

7) There is a responsibility to be faced.
Now, this little phrase in Psalm 31:15 does not relieve us of the need to
accept personal responsibility for our lives. Although the Lord is ruling
over all things according to His purpose, you and I are still responsible to
Him for all that we are and all that we do. Therefore, we must be sensible
in our decision-making and righteous in our planning.

I often meet people whose reaction to the events of life is to sit down and
wait for the Lord to act. That is not a good plan. On the other hand, some
people are totally frantic in their endeavors. They are trying to take care
of everything, as if somehow the destiny of the world depended upon them.
Every so often, though, I will meet someone who has a fragrance about him or
her, a busied restfulness, because they recognize that the providence of God
does not remove them from the realm of responsibility.

8) Humility must be fostered.
When Pharaoh needed his dream interpreted, he asked for Joseph because he
heard that Joseph was skilled in this task. Joseph's reply in Genesis 41:16
was quite humble: "I cannot do it," Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "but God will
give Pharaoh the answer he desires."

Unlike Joseph, we usually want people to know about us and our skills rather
than the Almighty God. At every level our lives are utterly dependent upon
God- instead of drawing attention to ourselves and displaying pride in our
power and achievements, we should humbly acknowledge our total trust in
God's providential rule.

9) There is a security to be found.
This is the great security in life: "my times are in your hands." The humble
believer fearlessly commits himself to God instead of living in the fearful
expectation of what fate may bring, and instead of viewing the world as
tumbleweeds blown in the winds of chance. Calvin says, "His solace is to
know that his heavenly Father so holds all things in His power, so rules by
His authority and will, so governs by His wisdom that nothing can befall
except He determine it."

That is not to say that we like everything that happens. It is to say,
though, that we do not need to be concerned that we contracted some sickness
we were not supposed to get. Here is the security- our Father has it under
control.

We are not at the mercy of arbitrary impersonal forces. We are in the hands
of our heavenly Father. He is the one who says to us at this moment, "Come
to me all of you who are weary and are heavy laden. Come to me with all your
burdens and all your fears and all your panics and all your anxieties and
all your heartaches and all your disappointments. I want you to come to me
and take my yoke upon you. Live underneath my jurisdiction, live underneath
my hand, because my yoke is easy and my burden is light and you will find
rest for your souls."

Is this not a message for us today? "My times are in your hands." My Father
knows best.

*** Hummm, Think About It ***
"Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud."
"The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the
wise forgive but do not forget."
"If your lips you'd keep from slips
/ Five things observe with care
/ To whom you speak / of whom you speak
/ and how and when and where."
*ASAP (Always Say A Prayer)

Want to listen to the Bible? Go to:
http://www.audio-bible.com/bible/bible.html

Every Abortion: 1 Dead, 1 Wounded, and Untold Collateral Damage
Only GOD is truly AWESOME! pm

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God in the Winter by Charles Spurgeon

God in the Winter

By Charles Spurgeon on December 2nd, 2008 at 12:01 am in Devotional, Devotional For Men

 

Originally written by Charles H. Spurgeon, published in “Mornings & Evenings,” entry for December 1st, AM.

Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2008.

“It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.” Psalm 74:17

My friend, as we begin on this wintry month, begin it with God. The cold snows and the piercing winds all remind us that God keeps His covenant in day and night, and assures us that He will also keep the glorious covenant which He has made with us in the person of Christ Jesus. God, who remains true to His Word during the turning of the seasons in this poor sin-polluted world, will not prove unfaithful in His dealings with His own well-beloved sons and daughters.

Winter in the soul is often an uncomfortable season. If now you are facing uncomfortable circumstances or discouraging experiences, it will feel very painful to you. But there is comfort in the fact that the Lord makes both summer and winter. He knows your pain. He sends the sharp blasts of adversity to nip the buds of expectation. He scatters the frost like ashes over the once lush meadows of our joy.

He does it all. He is the great Winter King, and rules the realms of frost. Therefore you should not murmur against Him. Losses, crosses, heaviness, sickness, poverty, and a thousand other ills can, if we choose, be turned into a blessing of the Lord, and such trials come to us with wise design. Frosts kill deadly insects, and restrains raging diseases. I truly hope that such good results would always flow from our winters of turmoil!

Let us wrap ourselves in the warm garments of His promises, and go forth to work for His glory during this season, for it those who slack off in their work during the winters often are forced to beg in summer due to their inactivity, and end up with nothing. Just as during winter we cherish a fire’s pleasant glow and warming heat, let us cherish our Lord, who is the constant source of warmth and comfort in every time of trouble. Let us draw near to Him, and in Him find joy and peace in believing.

Question: Regardless of the weather outside, how do you handle the winters of your soul?

About this Author: Charles Spurgeon

Share with children

Subject: Share with children

I came across this and felt based on my past failures, this would be
good for fathers to consider.

If you could choose just seven statements to share with children, what
would they be? Consider these seven statements. They are simple to
share, yet guaranteed to profoundly impact elementary-age children need
to hear from parents, child workers, and other close adults.
* I believe in you.
* You can count on me.
* I treasure you.
* I'm sorry, please forgive me.
* Because.
* No.
* I chose to love you no matter what.
May this educate, equip, and motivate parents and children's ministry
teams to carefully choose words that build up children's hearts. Say
them frequently, and to do so in creative ways. What children hear from
trusted adults significantly influences their self-image, their current
relationships, and future relationships-including that a

*** Hummm, Think About It ***
You can't control the length of your life, but you can control its width
and depth. You can't control the contour of your face, but you can
control its expression. You can't control the weather, but you can
control the atmosphere of your mind. Why worry about things you can't
control when you can keep yourself busy controlling the things that
depend on you? It is comforting to know that the God who guides us sees
tomorrow more clearly than we see yesterday. *ASAP (Always Say A Prayer)

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Every Abortion: 1 Dead, 1 Wounded, and Untold Collateral Damage
Only GOD is truly AWESOME! pm

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