A mother is overheard saying "Relax, Janie. Calm down, Janie. take it easy, Janie."
An onlooker said "You're a wonderful Mother to keep your temper so well while little Janie is acting up."
The mother replied "Her name is Jennifer. I'm Janie."
Janie is her name
A mother is overheard saying "Relax, Janie. Calm down, Janie. take it easy, Janie." An onlooker said "You're a wonderful Mother to keep your temper so well while little Janie is acting up." The mother replied "Her name is Jennifer. I'm Janie."
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Janice and Wesley Russ love good ole Gospel singing. Their favorite group is the Booth Brothers.
You may Click Here to see and hear the Booth Brothers sing this most inspring song about God's healing power. For your enjoyment in reading the lyrics I have copied and pasted them for your benefit: Let The Healing Begin I'm tired of these walls That have held my captive heart And I'm ready for the change To come and reach me through these scars I long to hear You speak Sweet peace into my soul Reach into the depths that no one knows Let Your healing waters flow 'cause I'm Moving on to better days Let the healing begin Up ahead, I can hear You call my name Let the healing begin Let the healing begin Your love for me is deep And Your mercy is so wide Somehow You reach beyond the boundaries Of all my foolish pride So come and wash away these things That have held me to my past 'Cause Jesus You're the One and only One That can set me free at last, 'cause I'm Moving on to better days Let the healing begin Last Tuesday, November 22, 2016, Janice Robinson Russ received her first of four treatments of "immunotherapy" (keytruda) that targets the kind of cancer that has invaded her body. It is less toxic than chemotherapy and only requires 4 treatments of about 30 minutes each every three weeks. Her doctor said there have been reports of high success rates with this therapy, with only minimal side effects. (Including President Jimmy Carter who had Stage IV brain cancer that had spread and is now cancer free; and the doctor said he had a patient that had Stage IV melanoma that was completely cured. So this is a little encouragement -- I will take all I can get of that!) At the end of the four treatments, they will do another PET scan to see if the cells have shrunk. The good news is that Janice was able to take the first treatment with flying colors. Join me so many others in asking God for a "creative miracle" in Janice's body. We believe that God specializes in things thought impossible and He can do for Janice what no other power can do. Jesus won the victory at Calvary. His healing virtues continues to flow from his supreme sacrifice. King David prayed this prayer as He blessed the God of heaven and earth: 1 Chronicles 29:10-11 "Blessed are You, LORD God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever. 11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; (Janice belongs to God) Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, And You are exalted as head over all. NKJV The prophet Isaiah wrote: Isaiah 53:5 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. NKJV The apostle Peter wrote: " . . . by whose stripes you were healed." NKJV We believe the Word of God and receive it for our sister in Christ Jesus, Janice Robinson Russ. iIn 1972, I was the director of pastoral care and counseling at the USAF Regional Medical Center at Wright-Patterson AFB, in Dayton, Ohio. I think it was that year we, i.e., Air Force chaplains were required to go Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, at least those of us on the east side of the Mississippi River, for five days of seminars. The theme was "Hope." One day the Rev. Dr. George A. Buttrick, one of the great preachers (liberal) of the 20th Century, was the guest speakers in the chapel service. I don't remember what he preached about that day. All I remember was his condemnation of those of us who were chaplains in the military, and associated us with the Vietnam War. He apparently did not understand that we were there to provide for the spiritual, moral, and ethical needs of the men and women in the military and to provide for the free exercise of religion. Regardless of his verbal reprimand of us something supernatural happened that transcended what was said or preached. It was amazing. There was a holy hush that swept across that large congregation, not only of seminary students, Air Force chaplains, but citizens in the community. I would estimate there were about 700 people present. The entire congregation walked silently out of that chapel without saying a word. You could have heard a pin drop. The sound of silence was deafening but declaring the glory and majesty of the presence of the unseen holy God Who loves us and cares for everyone. It was in the fall of the year. Leaves were falling. The ground was covered in a rich multi-colored blanket of leaves. It was a beautiful sight and reminded me of my college and seminary days in Wilmore, KY, at Asbury College (for one year) and Asbury Theological Seminary for three years. As I walked in silence I begin singing inside of me, not out loud, a song I had not sung in many years. It was Franny Crosby's hymn or Gospel Song, "Rescue the Perishing." For the life of me, I could not remember the stanzas of this song. We were staying on campus in a men's dormitory. As soon as I got back to the dorm where I was staying, I found a Broadman Hymnal that had this song of evangelism. The fourth stanza goes like this: Down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter, Feelings lie buried that grace can restore; Touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness, Chords that were broken will vibrate once more. My dear friends--that's it. This is the key to counseling, psychotherapy, group therapy, etc. Franny Crosby captured the essence of what the Holy Spirit can and will do if we will allow the Comforter to operate in the lives of our people. Every person has needs and our God can and will meet them. We are talking about the supernatural workings of the Holy Spirit. As you and I travel from our homes to Sunday school and church this Sunday, let us go in the Spirit expecting supernatural things to happen. A great revival and break out in our local churches can happen this Sunday. Lord Jesus, may it be so! As the providence of God would have it, my attention was suddenly directed to a young Chinese couple with their five and a half year-old daughter. I was waiting for our Delta Flight to Seattle, Washington, to arrive at our gate in the Hong Kong International Airport. It was Thursday, May 14, 2015. Melvine, Greg, and I would soon be on a flight to the United States of America. We had attended the 5th IPHC Global Assembly in Hong Kong, and flew with a large group of IPHC folks Beijing, China. This beautiful Chinese girl was a natural dancer as she skipped, swirled, and skillfully cast a moving concentric shadow across this large waiting room carpeted floor. Her father was taking multiple photos of her with his expensive digital camera. Her mother watched with joyful admiration. I spoke to the mother and asked if I might take a photo of her daughter. She consented without hesitation. I asked if she would have her little girl make some of the gestures she had made as she danced gracefully across the large waiting area. I asked the mother if I might make a photo of her with her daughter. She granted me that privilege. I thanked them for allowing me to take the photos. The mother came and sat next to me. She introduced herself as Zoe Cheng, and her daughter as Ayu. I gave Zoe my name and that we were on our way back to the United States after 10 days in Hong Kong, and Beijing, China. Her daughter whispered in her mother’s left ear asking if she could sing a song for me. I responded by saying, “I would love it.” She sang, “Frosty, the Snowman” in perfect English with all the gestures she had learned. She was adorable and captured my heart as she sang for me. Naturally, I applauded with approval and enthusiasm. That made her feel happy. You could see the delight in her face. It was apparent that Ayu is a highly intelligent child, and a little girl who likes to perform by singing and dancing for others. She is truly gifted by God and no doubt God will use this gift of dance and song to bless Ayu in her worship of God as well as others. Then, I asked if I might sing them a song that my mother, who had been a missionary to China, taught me to sing as a little boy,“Jesus, Loves me, This I know for the Bible tells me so” in Cantonese Chinese. To my utter amazement, this little Chinese girl immediately began to sing it in Chinese using the identical words my mother had taught my sister, Mary Evelyn, and me to sing. Of course, her pronunciation was in perfect Cantonese. It is amazing how God can use what little we know, even with our own imperfections, to communicate His love for others in a different culture and language. I was pleased to have won the heart of a five and a half year-old Chinese girl. Only God could do that. To view this song both with Chinese characters and words in English click Here. Mel Tinney, my webmaster and friend who resides in Pepin, WS, has created my first YouTube video. It is now on YouTube. To watch and hear Chung-Chung, one of the four children who sang for us at the 2015 IPHC Global Assembly in Hong Kong at the Wing Kwong Church, please Click Here to see her sing on YouTube. Once again, I applauded, but this time with deep love and joy knowing that this Chinese girl had learned to sing this song every child needs to learn about Jesus’ love for them. Unfortunately millions of children have never heard this song, even children growing up in the communities where we live in the United States of America. Immediately, the mother spoke these startling words that revealed her openness, honesty, sincerity and transparency, “My daughter, is a Christian, my husband is a Christian, but I am not a Christian, yet!” Wow, what a divine moment had come, and I said, “But you are getting ready to become a Christian.” Like the woman, by the name of Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, mentioned in the Book of Acts 10:11-15, God opened the heart of this Chinese mother by the name of Zoe Cheng (changed last name to protect her identity) to receive the Gospel that I was prepared in that moment to share with her. She and her family were going to Hokkaido, Japan to have holiday. Their flight was boarding at the adjacent gate to ours. She hung on to every word I shared about becoming a Christian. Finally, she had to run. All the passengers for that flight had boarded and the lady at the gate gave the final appeal to board the aircraft over the public address system. However, before she hurriedly left to board the airplane, she gave me her business card. She made the flight and was on her way to Hokkaido, Japan with her family. Since then, I have been corresponding with Zoe by e-mail. She wrote that after she got back home to Hong Kong and to work, she had shared meeting me with two of her Christian colleagues. Then, I was pleased to learn that Ayu will be promoted to Primary 1 in a Christian primary school on September this year. Her parents are "planning to give her a name as she begins classes in this Christian primary school," wrote her mother in an e-mail. They desire a Biblical or Christian name for her. Although Zoe has not given witness that she has become a Christian her desire for Ayu is that she will grow up under the guidance and influence of Jesus Christ in this Christian primary school. What an added blessing it will be when Zoe makes her commitment to invite Jesus into her heart and life. She is almost there, and I invite you to join me in claiming Zoe Cheng for Christ. The Holy Spirit has empowered you and me to be witnesses wherever we go in this wide world He has made. He uses what we have been given, even a children’s song, to be the springboard for sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to complete strangers we might meet. Our calling as Christians is to lift up Jesus to everyone who will receive our witness. And through lifting Him up, some may come to believe and be redeemed through the cross of Jesus Christ. Please join me in prayer that this young Chinese mother will make her decision to receive Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior very soon. She will become a witness in her own country and other countries where she will travel in the global business enterprise. How will the Chinese people become Christians? I think one of the many ways God will use to win Chinese people is through the anointed witnessing of Chinese Christians like Zoe and Ayu, and of course Mr. Cheng, Zoe's husband. [Hugh's footnote: Please join me in praying for the salvation of Zoe Cheng. As of this writing she has not reported that she has made a commitment to receive Jesus Christ. I have done all I know to do. I do know this that God is far more interested in Zoe's salvation than my desire to hear she has been born again and a member of the family of God. I am indebted to Celia Cheng, one of the angels assigned to us by the leadership of the Wing Kwong Church in Hong Kong. She is a gifted linguist who transliterated the theme song, "Place of Hope, People of Promise," that we learned to sing at the 2015 IPHC Global Assembly in May from Chinese characters to words in English. The composer is Ernece Ma. The lyrics were written by Donavan Ng, Ernece Ma, Jennifer Kwok, Jonathan Magre. Because of her talents in linguistics I asked if she would transliterate the characters of the song, "Jesus Loves Me This I Know for the Bible Tells Me So," into English words. I provided a hyperlink above so you could see her exceptional work that will now go around the world for all to see and read. In addition, I wanted a Chinese girl to sing this song about Jesus' love for children. Here is what she wrote in her wonderful response about accomplishing the mission I asked her to complete: "The little girl in the video is called Chung-Chung("Chung" literally means "praise"), a very obedient and adorable girl from our church. By Chung-Chung's good behavior, we all know that her mom, Ms. Yi-Jing Man is really good at parenting. When I asked Ms. Man for a favor about recording the song, she practiced singing with Chung-Chung for a week! I'm impressed by their seriousness. So here it comes the perfect Cantonese version of the song!" Sometimes it takes quite a while to get a story all together, especially when communicating with people across the world in another culture and language. I want to thank Chung-Chung for singing for us, for her precious mother, Ms. Yi-Jing who worked diligently with Chung-Chung to learn the song and be ready to sing for the video produced by Celia Cheng. And, I can't thank Celia Cheng enough for this video and transliteration of Chinese characters into English. To see and hear Chung-Chung, a darling Chinese girl from the Wing Kwong Church in Hong Kong you may Click Here on this link to my first YouTube video. Micah 1:1-16 Micah is one of the twelve Minor Prophets. They are called Minor Prophets simply because they wrote shorter books. Hosea through Malachi are the Minor Prophets.
Judgment on Israel and Judah 1 The Word of the LORD that came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. The Coming Judgment on Israel 2 Hear, all you peoples! Listen, O earth, and all that is in it! Let the Lord GOD be a witness against you, The Lord from His holy temple. 3 For behold, the LORD is coming out of His place; He will come down And tread on the high places of the earth. 4 The mountains will melt under Him, And the valleys will split Like wax before the fire, Like waters poured down a steep place. 5 All this is for the transgression of Jacob And for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what are the high places of Judah? Are they not Jerusalem? 6 "Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of ruins in the field, Places for planting a vineyard; I will pour down her stones into the valley, And I will uncover her foundations. 7 All her carved images shall be beaten to pieces, And all her pay as a harlot shall be burned with the fire; All her idols I will lay desolate, For she gathered it from the pay of a harlot, And they shall return to the pay of a harlot." Mourning for Israel and Judah 8 Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked; I will make a wailing like the jackals And a mourning like the ostriches, 9 For her wounds are incurable. For it has come to Judah; It has come to the gate of My people — To Jerusalem. 10 Tell it not in Gath, Weep not at all; In Beth Aphrah Roll yourself in the dust. 11 Pass by in naked shame, you inhabitant of Shaphir; The inhabitant of Zaanan does not go out. Beth Ezel mourns; Its place to stand is taken away from you. 12 For the inhabitant of Maroth pined for good, But disaster came down from the LORD To the gate of Jerusalem. 13 O inhabitant of Lachish, Harness the chariot to the swift steeds (She was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion), For the transgressions of Israel were found in you. 14 Therefore you shall give presents to Moresheth Gath; The houses of Achzib shall be a lie to the kings of Israel. 15 I will yet bring an heir to you, O inhabitant of Mareshah; The glory of Israel shall come to Adullam. 16 Make yourself bald and cut off your hair, Because of your precious children; Enlarge your baldness like an eagle, For they shall go from you into captivity. NKJV Micah 5:2
2 The Coming Messiah "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting." NKJV Grandpa was telling his young grandson what life was like when he was a boy.
"In the winter we’d ice skate on our pond. In the summer we could swim in the pond, and pick berries in the woods. We’d swing on an old tire my dad hung from a tree on a rope. And we had a pony we rode all over the farm." The little boy was amazed, and sat silently for a minute. Finally he said, "Granddad, I wish I'd gotten to know you a lot sooner!" I want to thank all who subscribe to Hugh's News and many more who read this electronic newsletter that is read daily in more than 22 countries by several thousand people.
Thank you for allowing me to share the good news of the Gospel with you. It is such a joy for me to produce this newsletter. I do not do it alone. I have tremendous help from many people. God had given me favor and success. On December 15, I will celebrate my 84th birthday. I know my parents would be very proud of me and that I am making a contribution to the communications media for the International Pentecostal Holiness Church. In January 2017 should the good Lord allow me to live I will be celebrating 20 years of producing Hugh's News. It has not always been called Hugh's News. I think it was called the Sentinel in the beginning. I really didn't want my name to be in the name of this electronic newsletter that belongs to God, not me. However, in the mix of things, my good friend Joel S. McGraw of Huntsville suggested it be called Hugh's News. Some how that name caught my attention and it was branded in my mind where I sometimes think. This year I will be announcing the names of the 2016 Hugh's News Man of the Year, and the 2016 Hugh's News Woman of the year. Both the man and the woman are entrepreneurs and business owners. They live in two different parts of our country. They are church members and are faithful and loyal to their local church. You will enjoy getting to know them. We have had some incredible men and women who have been named either the Man of the Year or the Woman of the Year. I can assure you that I think about it and pray daily for person or persons God wants me to select. Let me give to you one of the greatest blessings ever written in the Bible. It was King David who wrote it and these words that he penned are recorded in 1 Chronicles 29:10-20: David's Praise to God Therefore David blessed the LORD before all the assembly; and David said: "Blessed are You, LORD God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever. 11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the Kingdom, O LORD, And You are exalted as head over all. 12 Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all. In Your Hand is power and might; In Your Hand it is to make great And to give strength to all. 13 "Now therefore, our God, We thank You And praise Your glorious Name. 14 But who am I, and who are my people, That we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from You, And of Your Own we have given You. 15 For we are aliens and pilgrims before You, As were all our fathers; Our days on earth are as a shadow, And without hope. 16 "O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have prepared to build You a house for Your Holy Name is from Your Hand, and is all Your Own. 17 I know also, my God, that You test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things; and now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here to offer willingly to You. 18 O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the intent of the thoughts of the heart of Your people, and fix their heart toward You. 19 And give my son Solomon a loyal heart to keep Your commandments and Your testimonies and Your statutes, to do all these things, and to build the temple for which I have made provision." 20 Then David said to all the assembly, "Now bless the LORD your God." So all the assembly blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed their heads and prostrated themselves before the LORD and the king. NKJV Dr. Moore,
A well deserved honor! We became friends in 1971 when his church became one of our supporting churches and continued all the time we served in Africa. When we returned from Africa he was Assistant Director of World Missions. I was invited to join the team at the office in Oklahoma City where we worked closely together for years. Our friendship continues until this day. Yes, Dr Moore has left a great legacy! Harold Dalton I had not heard the hymn “For All the Saints” until 1972 in a chapel service at Union Theological Seminary (now Union Presbyterian Seminary). The words and music struck a deep chord in my Pentecostal heart. To this day I love that hymn; it was sung at my mother’s funeral, and I hope it will be sung when that day comes for me. You can listen to a beautiful version here. The opening lines connect me to the saints of God who have gone before. I think of their courage, their faithfulness, their fears, their struggles, and their abiding faith in the Lord of glory: “For all the saints, who from their labours rest, Who Thee by faith before the world confessed, Thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed. Alleluia, Alleluia!” November 1 is All Saints Day in the life of much of Western Christendom. It follows the secular perversion of Hallows Eve, contemporary Halloween, October 31. Meant to draw our hearts into remembering the connections we have by faith in Christ with those who have gone before us, it has been perverted into darkness and All Saints Day is barely, if at all, known by many of us. These connections for me are not about “saint worship.” Rather, the connections are those of hearing the voice and words of the same God, the same Son of God, the same Holy Spirit. These are connections of history, biography, tradition, a communion of saints that spiritually transcends time, language, culture; connections realized in the person of Jesus the Son of God. This seminary introduction became something more spiritually significant in the mid-1980s. At that time the International Pentecostal Holiness Church had a training center in Finsbury Park, London known as the Centre for International Christian Ministries (CICM). For nearly 15 years I had the privilege of teaching there on an annual basis. Among the many blessings of that experience was the discovery of All Hallows-by-the-Tower, an Anglican church that in those years became a place of spiritual refuge. It was quiet in that church. I would usually go late in the afternoon. Though I never attended a worship service, I always felt that God was nearby. It was the perfect place to reflect on what I had learned from IPHC students who came from around the world to CICM in London. As a pastor and later conference superintendent in those years, it was where convergence of learning, family, personal growth, purpose, could occur. I always felt that I was in “the shadow of His wings” while there. Now I find myself reflecting on All Saints Day while listening and reading the swirling news of politics. The media madness of this final week of the U.S. presidential campaign reminds me of Malcolm Muggeridge’s comment about journalism in England prior to World War II: “Journalists follow authority as sharks do a liner, hoping to feed off the waste it discharges, with perhaps someone occasionally falling overboard to make a meal, and once in a way the whole ship going down and providing a positive feast.”[i] Amid the swirl of polarization, anger, accusations, recriminations (and that just among Christians!), I find myself thankful for All Saints Day. I remember that through Israel’s history (that great cloud of witnesses who “yet speaketh” in Hebrews 11), and through the 2000 years of people who “looking to Jesus” have “run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1, 2) that I am not alone. In fact, as bad as I think it is, it really doesn’t compare to what most Christians have experienced and are experiencing now. I remember them. I take courage in them. I find solace in them. I hear their witness. I find hope in them. I remember that long after politicians are forgotten, the name of Jesus will still be heard. I join them in singing this closing refrain from the great hymn, praying that I will have the courage to be faithful and the simple humility to trust in Jesus: “From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast, Through gates of pearl streams in the countless host, Singing to Father, Son and Holy Ghost: Alleluia, Alleluia!” Amen. By Doug Beacham [i] Chronicles of Wasted Time (Vancouver, BC: Regent College Publishing, 2006) p. 313. I believe that every problem facing us as Americans is basically a spiritual problem. Crime is a spiritual problem. Inflation is a spiritual problem. Corruption is a spiritual problem. Social injustice is a spiritual problem. The lack of will even to defend our freedoms is a spiritual problem. In pleading with ancient Israel, God said, “‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ says the Lord, ‘though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword’; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Isaiah 1:18–20). Will America turn to God at this late hour, or will America continue on the broad road that leads to destruction? (Adapted from “Will America Survive?” in the November 2016 issue of Decision magazine) Prayer Dear Lord, we confess that our nation is infested with problems rooted in sin, and we acknowledge that You are the only answer. Please forgive us, and help us—first as individuals, and then as a church and nation—to live fully dependent on You and in fellowship with You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. Jude 1-25
Greeting to the Called 1 Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: 2 Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. Contend for the Faith 3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Old and New Apostates 5 But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; 7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. 8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said,"The Lord rebuke you!" 10 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. Apostates Depraved and Doomed 12 These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. 14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him." Apostates Predicted 16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. 17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. Maintain Your Life with God 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And on some have compassion, making a distinction; 23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. Glory to God 24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, 25 To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen. NKJV Jude 24, 25
24 Now to Him Who is able to keep you from stumbling [falling], And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, 25 To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen. NKJV TWAS THE NIGHT OF THANKSGIVING,
BUT I JUST COULDN'T SLEEP. I TRIED COUNTING BACKWARDS, I TRIED COUNTING SHEEP. THE LEFTOVERS BECKONED -- THE DARK MEAT AND WHITE, BUT I FOUGHT THE TEMPTATION WITH ALL OF MY MIGHT. TOSSING AND TURNING WITH ANTICIPATION, THE THOUGHT OF A SNACK BECAME INFATUATION. SO, I RACED TO THE KITCHEN, FLUNG OPEN THE DOOR, AND GAZED AT THE FRIDGE, FULL OF GOODIES GALORE. GOBBLED UP TURKEY AND BUTTERED POTATOES, PICKLES AND CARROTS, BEANS AND TOMATOES. I FELT MYSELF SWELLING SO PLUMP AND SO ROUND, 'TIL ALL OF A SUDDEN, I ROSE OFF THE GROUND. I CRASHED THROUGH THE CEILING, FLOATING INTO THE SKY, WITH A MOUTHFUL OF PUDDING AND A HANDFUL OF PIE. BUT, I MANAGED TO YELL AS I SOARED PAST THE TREES.... HAPPY EATING TO ALL -- PASS THE CRANBERRIES, PLEASE. MAY YOUR STUFFING BE TASTY, MAY YOUR TURKEY BE PLUMP. MAY YOUR POTATOES 'N GRAVY HAVE NARY A LUMP. MAY YOUR YAMS BE DELICIOUS. MAY YOUR PIES TAKE THE PRIZE, MAY YOUR THANKSGIVING DINNER STAY OFF OF YOUR THIGHS!! HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL [Editor's Comment: I am grateful to Lonnie Rex of Spring, Texas for sending this poem to me. Lonnie has been a friend since 1954 when I met him and his wife, Betty Sorrels Rex, at the National Pentecostal Holiness Church in Washington, DC. Ray Stewart was the pastor, and later Walter J. Nash was our pastor. I was stationed at Quantico Marine Base and played trombone and sousaphone in the Quantico Marine Band for three years. Lonnie is a world ambassador and has provided food, clothing, medical supplies, and much more to people in crisis through the David Livingstone Foundation which he founded. He and Betty are gifted pianists, and often play twin concert grand pianos in Gospel music of hymns and Gospel songs. He taught music at Southwestern College the second year of its beginning. He has directed great 100 voice choirs for General Conference and the Sunday School Convention.] 1 Chronicles 29:10-20 David's Praise to God
Therefore David blessed the LORD before all the assembly; and David said: "Blessed are You, LORD God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever. 11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness,The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the Kingdom, O LORD, And You are exalted as head over all. 12 Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great And to give strength to all. 13 "Now therefore, our God, We thank You And praise Your glorious name. 14 But who am I, and who are my people, That we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from You, And of Your own we have given You. 15 For we are aliens and pilgrims before You, As were all our fathers; Our days on earth are as a shadow, And without hope. 16 "O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have prepared to build You a house for Your holy Name is from Your hand, and is all Your Own. 17 I know also, my God, that You test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things; and now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here to offer willingly to You. 18 O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the intent of the thoughts of the heart of Your people, and fix their heart toward You. 19 And give my son Solomon a loyal heart to keep Your commandments and Your testimonies and Your statutes, to do all these things, and to build the temple for which I have made provision." 20 Then David said to all the assembly, "Now bless the LORD your God." So all the assembly blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed their heads and prostrated themselves before the LORD and the king. NKJV When [the Holy Spirit] comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 in regard to sin, because men do not believe in Me; 10 in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see Me no longer; 11 and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned” (John 16:8-11). Jesus prophesied the Holy Spirit would be the Counselor and Teacher Who is the Spirit of Truth in the age of the church. The truth is that all people who have not confessed Jesus as the Son of God are living in the independence that is rebellion against God. It is the role of the Holy Spirit to convict and convince them they are on the wrong path. All people have a conscience, a moral sense of right and wrong with roots going back to Adam’s sin in Eden (Genesis 3:7-11; Romans 2:15). It is the work of the Holy Spirit to work in the conscience of people to prosecute, get a guilty conviction, and announce the sentence of the judgment to come for their failure to accept Jesus Christ as God’s Son and their Savior. If people recognize Who Jesus is and repent, it is God’s nature to forgive their independent spirit that so routinely rejects God’s Son. Jesus will extend saving grace. “He that cometh to Me,” Jesus taught, “I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37; see John 3:16; Revelation 3:19-20). This is the essence of the New Birth (John 3:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:17).The Apostle John expressed the Lord’s intent this way: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, KJV). THINK ABOUT IT: Whole populations of people, yes even in the twenty-first century, angrily reject Jesus’ diagnosis of man’s separation from the God Who loved them enough to die in their place. Holding on to their own self-righteous religious systems, entire ethnic groups choose to live independently of God and actually become enemies of the Gospel. This wooing of the Spirit embraces a three-fold indictment. The first indictment reads, “[They] do not believe in Me.” The Spirit convicts people for their sin of unbelief, motivating them to admit their guilt before God. The Lord is talking here about “sin” as the predisposition in the heart of all people anywhere to reject the identity and Lordship of Jesus as the Son of God and live independently of God as revealed by His Son. Sins spring out of this inclination in the heart of each person who refuses to believe all of the evidence Jesus provided for His divine identity. An abundance of eyewitness testimony exists that confirms Jesus was indeed raised from the dead. Jesus is exactly Who He said He is. It is the role of the Holy Spirit to serve as the great evangelist in the era of the church Who makes people feel remorse because they have not received Jesus. When the Gospel is proclaimed effectively so that people can see Jesus on His cross they begin to comprehend the price Jesus paid for their redemption. It is normal for heavy condemnation to follow. The Spirit’s goal is to motivate unbelievers to realize with Godly sorrow how deeply their sins have hurt the heart of God and defamed His good Name (2 Corinthians 7:10). Achieving this goal is the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. Without this convicting power of the Spirit, people will not feel their guilt and there will be no evangelism in the church. A pastor who does not regularly teach his people to expect the Holy Spirit to bring this conviction to bear on the conscience of unbelievers will see very few, if any, new people born again. How important for every congregation to celebrate Jesus as the great Shepherd of the church, and the Holy Spirit as the great Evangelist. This convicting work of the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential to the ongoing success of the church. I said I’ll go down and peep in at the door; And the devil said don't you go in. I said it won’t hurt me I'll just step inside And sit as far back as I can. But something got a hold of me, praise God! Yes something got a hold of me! I went there to fight but oh my, that night, God surely got a hold of me! Writer Unknown to me Dear pastor, have you preached a sermon recently on Holy Spirit “conviction?” The second indictment stems from rejecting Jesus as the standard for righteousness. The Holy Spirit works to stir up guilt that brings people to the point they admit Jesus is the model, the yardstick for what is right. Jesus is “the truth” (John 14:6). The ultimate evidence Jesus is the sole standard for right, and the perfect example of holiness is embraced in Jesus’ statement: “I go to My Father and you see Me no more.” The heavenly Father would have never received Jesus in exaltation at the throne of God and seated Him at His right hand, if any disobedience had been found in His life during His incarnation. To that end Jesus challenged the Pharisees while teaching in the temple on one of His visits to Jerusalem: "Which of you can truthfully accuse Me of one single sin? [No one!] And since I am telling you the truth, why don't you believe Me? Anyone whose Father is God listens gladly to the Words of God. Since you don't, it proves you aren't His children" (John 8:46-47, TLB; I Peter 2:22). Israel’s religious officials could not pin a single sin on Jesus, so they responded to this challenge by resorting to an age-old tactic. When you are embarrassed for losing the debate, switch quickly to name calling, demeaning, and snickering. They certainly did it against Jesus. For example: "You Samaritan! Foreigner! Devil!" the Jewish leaders snarled. "Didn't we say all along you were possessed by a demon?" (John 8:48, TLB). The Holy Spirit leads people to accept all of the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. This includes embracing Jesus’ character, teaching, and example. Said another way, the Spirit works to bring people to accept Jesus as the Son of God Who is the sole pattern and yardstick for righteousness. When a person’s guilt motivates him to accept Jesus for who He is – blessed truth this – repentance follows and forgiveness flows out of the righteousness in the heart of God. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, KJV). THINK ABOUT IT: The Holy Spirit delights to pour saving faith into any repentant person’s heart. Saving faith is the confidence to believe Jesus will forgive all of my sins, even mine. And yours too. This convicting work of the Holy Spirit reaches worldwide, even to the people in the isolated villages of the world hidden in the deep valleys of tall mountain ranges (John 3:3-8; 6:44; Romans 5:10; Jeremiah 17:9; 1 Corinthians 2:14). Many people stumble here as they choose to believe other paths lead to God, and that Jesus cannot be the ultimate and final standard for defining what is right, or righteous. But the Gospel leaves no wiggle room. Jesus claimed, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). All other so called paths grow out of man’s self-righteous independence and produce false confidence and arrogant pride. Many people have convinced themselves they can frame a better plan of salvation than Jesus did. The Apostle Paul was very specific: “If a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law” (Galatians 3:21-22). The law can judge, assess fines, and punish with jail time, even execute. But no one has ever been able to write a law that will duplicate the New Birth and yield righteousness in God’s sight. The wonderful-beyond-expression-truth of the Gospel is that we receive our righteousness because of Jesus Christ. This righteousness is based not on law (that defines the punishment we deserve) but on grace (that defines the forgiveness we will receive even though we do not deserve it). When the Apostle Paul pictured Jesus on His cross he received the revelation of “credited righteousness” and realized it was illustrated in the life of Abraham. “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:5-8). Hence, Paul taught when a person believes in God, his faith too is “credited as righteousness.” This understanding was also celebrated by King David who said “the same thing when he spoke of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: ‘Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him’" (Romans 4:5-8; Psalm 32:1-2). If this kind of grace sounds too good to be true, then be assured that it is true. God keeps His promises; indeed, He cannot lie (Psalm 145:13; 2 Corinthians 1:20; 2 Peter 1:4; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18). What peace follows when we comprehend that we are saved by grace through faith as Jesus credits His personal righteousness to each of our accounts! Dear pastor, how often do you preach sermons defending Jesus as the standard for “right” and “righteousness?” (Galatians 5:18). The third indictment is that people deny the judgment to come. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to compound the guilt that motivates people to acknowledge they will stand one day before the Judge of all the earth. The cornerstone proof by which the Spirit “convinces the world” that a great judgment day is coming is that “the ruler of this world has been judged” (John 16:11, GW). Satan threw everything in his arsenal at Jesus when He was arrested, and the capstone of his evil was nailing Him to a cross. THINK ABOUT IT: Did the devil think he had won the victory when Jesus died? Perhaps. But I doubt it. Is it not reasonable that Lucifer knew when it was clear Jesus would not come down from the cross that Jesus had won? Are we to believe Satan did not know Jesus would walk out of His tomb? The minions, the demons in hell might have celebrated some, but I think it was a shallow party that lacked greatly in enthusiasm. Satan had to know Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, and if Lazarus could be raised, the heavenly Father could resurrect His Son too. Satan’s last and best chance was to make the cross so brutal Jesus would stop the sacrifice by overriding the guidance of His Father and the Holy Spirit. But coming down from the cross would have meant Jesus would not have succeeded as our Passover Lamb. Then Jesus’ righteous character would have been successfully impeached and the bond between Him and His Father broken. Jesus did stay on the cross until His death. That achievement meant Satan was “weighed in the balances, and found wanting,” and the devil knows it (Daniel 5:27). The proof, therefore, of the coming judgment is the fact that “the ruler of this world has been judged” (John 16:11, GW). Since God judged Satan and did not spare him, is it not obvious He will judge all people who reject His Son’s death for their salvation? The Apostle John said the reason Jesus came was to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). Satan’s defeat at Calvary should convince everyone that a worldwide judgment day is coming. THINK ABOUT IT: “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Hebrews 9:27-28, KJV). No one should take for granted the coming day of reckoning on the great judgment day. “Be sure your sins will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). God “has set a day when he will judge the inhabited world, and do it justly, by means of a Man Whom He has designated. And He has given public proof of it by resurrecting this Man from the dead” (Acts 17:31, Complete Jewish Bible). Dear pastor, when is the last time you preached on the judgment to come, and did it with tears in your eyes like Jesus had when He wept over Jerusalem? (Luke 19:41-44). Yes, the great price Jesus paid to redeem mankind guarantees a Judgment Day is ahead. ‘“As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:11-12, KJV; Revelation 6:15-17). I dreamed that the great judgment morning Had dawned, and the trumpet had blown; I dreamed that the nations had gathered To judgment before the White Throne. From the throne came a bright, shining angel, And he stood on the land and the sea. And he swore with his hand raised to Heaven That time was no longer to be. And, oh, what a weeping and wailing, As the lost were told of their fate. They cried for the rocks and the mountains. They prayed, but their prayer was too late. By: Bertram H. Shadduck (1894) What a grand and glorious meeting it was on Tuesday, November 22, 2016, when nine-year-old Reagan Gurley had her picture made with the CEO of Falcon Children's Home in Falcon, NC. This was the third year that Reagan's parents brought her to Harvest Train from Athens, GA. They represented Christian Life Worship Center, a Pentecostal Holiness Church in the LifePoint Ministries Conference (Georgia Conference). Shakeenah Gurley, Reagan's mom, is one of the most creative and innovated ladies you will ever meet. The idea, no doubt a God-Idea, was this: She purchased a large baby bottle and Reagan would walk around in the church sanctuary prior to the worship service soliciting money, large or small, from the people of our congregation for Falcon Children's Home, as well as after the service. Their goal was $1,000. They exceeded that goal by $230.79 for a total of $1,230.79. I know the people who gathered at the Culbreth Memorial Auditorium were delighted to see this nine-year-old girl who raised that kind of money. Russell Gurley is the father who is a member of our church council. He is a builder, contractor and a master carpenter. He does excellent work. He is a gifted teacher, and wants Reagan to love and study the Bible. Russell and Sakeenah invited Scott and Kathy Bray from our church to go with them. What a wonderful way to enlist and educate others about Falcon Children's Home. (The following remarks are from the presentation by Bishop Randell O. Drake who serves as New Horizons Ministries Conference Superintendent and Southwestern Christian University Board of Regents Vice-Chairman.) When the Dan Beller Legacy Award is given to an individual, it is always important to understand the purpose and criteria of the award. The purpose is “to honor those individuals who have made a lasting impact on the Kingdom of God and left a legacy that will affect generations to come. The criteria is that the “recipient has demonstrated Christian character and leadership in service which has produced tangible evidence in individuals or organizations bringing an impact to the Church or Community for today and the future. Dr. Ronald Quentin Moore definitely fulfills this purpose and criteria. Our focus will be on 5 areas of Dr. Moore’s life in: Family, Ministry, Missions, College Presidency and Conference Leadership. |Family Dr. Moore was born August 12, 1939. He married the love of his life, Doris Lorene Jones on July 5, 1959. Miss Doris has had a celebrated career and Christian ministry of her own as Executive Director of the IPHC Women’s Ministries and as a Trustee Board Member of Holmes Bible College. Three sons were born to the Moores: David, Tim and Phillip. These sons excelled as youth and godly men in their own right. David, serves as the IPHC National Royal Ranger Commander and is married to Carol; Tim, serves as a United States Navy Chaplain and is married to Pam; and Phillip, serves as Executive Pastor of ARK Church and is married to Ellen. The Moores have 9 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. (Note: A few years ago, I mistakenly identified as a son of the Moores. That mistake was an honor and privilege for me. I love the Moore family and am glad to be an honorary member and son.) Ministry Dr. Moore was licensed as an IPHC minister in 1959 and ordained in 1962. As a credentialed Pentecostal Holiness minister, Dr. Moore served as pastor of 3 churches early in his ministerial career. He pioneered and planted the Belvedere, South Carolina church; was pastor of Easley First PHC, becoming the first full-time pastor and relocated the church to much larger facilities; and was pastor of Taylor Memorial PHC in Anderson, SC where he led the church to being the first IPHC church to average 500 in Sunday School attendance and had a strong emphasis in Christian Education. Dr. Moore’s love for people, shepherd heart and servant leadership were the foundations for his pastoral success. World Missions For 15 years, Dr. Moore served as the Assistant Director of World Missions for the IPHC. He was the office manager and was responsible for assisting missionaries in securing financial support. Dr. Moore traveled and ministered in more than 40 countries during this time, preaching, teaching and doing public relations work for the Missions department. College President Education has always been important to Dr. Moore. His degrees include a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Central Wesleyan College; a Bachelor of Theology from Holmes Theological Seminary; a Master of Education from Clemson University; a Master of Ministry from SCU; and two honorary doctorates from Holmes College of the Bible and SCU. In 1990, Dr. Moore became the president of SCU, known as Southwestern College of Christian Ministries and served in that capacity for 8 years. During his tenure, enrollment increased from 84 to a high of 222. Dr. Moore was instrumental in helping to establish the SCU Graduate School and the A.B.L.E (Adult Degree completion) program. During his presidency, he was well-loved by the students and worked diligently to increase the student enrollment by traveling to churches and numerous events representing SCU. IPHC Conference Leadership After leaving SCU, Dr. Moore served as the senior pastor at Calhoun Falls PHC before being elected as the Assistant Conference Superintendent for the Upper South Carolina Conference, serving full-time as Director of Evangelism and World Missions Ministries. In 2002, Dr. Moore was elected to lead the Upper South Carolina Conference as Superintendent, which happened to be the same year I was first elected superintendent. We were the new guys together. During his 8 years as conference superintendent, Dr. Moore led the conference to new heights in giving to missions and in church membership and attendance. His impact is still honored today. (Read letter from Bishop Ray Boggs.) Today Dr. Moore is semi-retired. He serves as an adjunct professor at Holmes Bible College and assisted in developing their adult degree completion program: B.E.A.M. – Biblical Education for Adults in Ministry. Of course, when you have the many gifts, talents and abilities of Dr. Moore and you have the call of God on your life, you are never really retired. You might just slow down…a little. Dr. Ronald Quentin Moore is an extraordinary man of God, an anointed minister of the Gospel, a dedicated missions-minded servant, an educated collegiate innovator and a revered and honored leader in the IPHC and Kingdom of God. When Dr. Moore’s grandchildren were asked to describe their PaPa in one word, here’s the list they compiled: awesome, wise, inspirational, example, influential, generous, dedicated and best storyteller. He’s our PaPa! I think we can all agree with those descriptive words about Dr. Moore! It is my special honor and distinct privilege to present to you at this time the recipient of the 2016 Dan Beller Legacy Award: Dr. Ronald Quentin Moore. [Editor's comment: David (Moore) was gracious enough to stay with Ron's mom so that Ron and Doris could travel to OKC. Tim, of course, is stationed in Guam and, therefore, unable to attend. A Trilogy of Thanksgiving--The editor's Thanksgiving Message for 2016 from the Word of God11/23/2016 A Trilogy for Thanksgiving Scripture Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 November 19, 2015 16 Rejoice evermore. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. KJV These three verses have been called “The standing orders of the church.” It is interesting to note that they are in the imperative mood, forceful commands directing our attention and actions. The very mention of the imperative forces us to regard rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks as things other than mere feelings. We all know that feelings cannot be commanded. They are spontaneous and often get us into trouble if we act on them without thinking . . . taking a deep breath and counting to 12. Telling your spouse not to feel angry or your child not to feel badly seldom leads to a happy evening at home. But behaviors can be called for. I did a residency in adult psychiatry at Georgia Mental Hospital as a chaplain in clinical training to be certified as a supervisor in Clinical Pastoral Education. Our chief of Psychiatry instructed us to tell patients that when they were misbehaving this, “Your behavior is unacceptable.” We did that without rejecting the person, and believe me it worked. First, “Rejoice evermore.” This command is not the same as commanding one to feel happy at all times. Feeling happy is the natural response to experiences that bring us rewards. Please don’t ask me to feel happy when I’ve just smashed my thumb with the hammer or even when I’ve just lost the tennis match. But neither smashing my thumb nor losing my tennis match need have anything to do with my joy and rejoicing in life. However, throughout the Bible, we are called to joy and rejoicing in our sufferings. I can’t make any sense of this without distinguishing between joy and happiness. I have long accepted the fact that I cannot be happy at all times. But I’m satisfied that there can always be a basic joy in my life. The basis of that joy is Jesus Christ Himself. For in Him, I am able to distinguish between appearances and reality. Joy is tied to reality, not merely to appearances. This is so clear when I am with a family at the time of the death of a loved one. I have been with my congregations in all seasons. Death is real and it brings grief and sadness, and sheer shock. But as the months pass by after a death, reality transcends appearances. The reality of life eternal in Jesus Christ is central to their minds and hearts. The reality of God’s love and presence through their grief is more than a slogan. The appearances were all very real, but the ultimate reality is Jesus Himself. And in this, they rejoice. Even in the little things that make up most of our lives, the same truth is our hope. For a time, the smashed thumb and the lost tennis match appear to be terrible things. But the reality shines through in the light of God’s love. The thumb will heal, and if not, I still have my fingers. The lost tennis match remains lost, but I have the health and leisure to play again, win or lose. There is a perspective on life in Jesus Christ that enables us to rejoice always, even when we are unhappy. And this is something we can choose to do, whatever the tone of our feelings. It really becomes a matter of obedience. Second, “Pray without ceasing.” As with the first command, we need to untangle some definitions and assumptions. Obviously, to pray without ceasing means something other than saying prayers, or the command is an impossibility. J. B,. Lightfoot clarifies this point in his oft–quoted “It is not the moving of the lips, but in the elevation of the heart to God, that the essence of prayer consists.” But having made the distinction between saying prayers and praying with the heart, the question of unceasing prayer demands deeper reflection. To pray without ceasing establishes prayer, not as a part of the Christian life, but as all of it. To pray day and night, in good times and in bad, without cessation or interruption, is not the experience of most people I know. Is this just a high ideal to be achieved by a few spiritual super athletes, or is it within the reach of ordinary folks like us? I once heard about the “Jesus Prayer” that was discovered by a Russian peasant. He felt if he repeated it hundreds of times a day it would be unceasing prayer for him. It goes like this: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” While I think it is a good prayer, it just doesn’t seem to work for me. Henri Nouwen has helped me to understand something about the essence of unceasing prayer. In his Book, Clowning in Rome, he has this title of one of the chapters, “Prayer and Thought.” He encourages people to convert our thinking into prayers. From the cradle to the grave, our minds never stop thinking. The brain is always active. Sometimes our minds wonder off when we need to concentrate or keep our focus. Sometimes our minds keep us awake when we desperately need to sleep. So, Nouwen encourages us to convert our unceasing thinking into unceasing praying. When we consciously do this we we learn to think and live in the presence of God. That means to live with a growing awareness of God and that He is always present in our lives. When we do, it will enable us to consciously bring all of our words and deeds into God’s presence. Just think for a moment of love. When one is truly in love with another person, there is an unceasing awareness of the other person. It means that the presence of the other person is constant in our awareness. Universal experience makes it clear that daily periods of intentional prayer, reflection, and meditation are essential to establish the climate of unceasing prayer for the rest of the day. The place of daily Scripture reading also is well established as an essential discipline. It is good to read a statement of Jesus every morning and consciously reflect on it all during the day. Nouwen, a Catholic monk, finds the daily Eucharist, a practice all too foreign to us Protestants, as essential to the climate of prayer. In his life. Third, “In everything give thanks.” This is the third command and grows out of the first two. Joy and unceasing prayer flow forth in a constant stream of gratitude. I am not in agreement with the interpretation of this phrase that calls us to praise and thank God for literally everything that happens. I can’t even imagine God being thankful for everything that happens. Things that happen because of the selfishness of ourselves or others need to be changed, not accepted. I prefer to thank God for being God and to focus on Him rather than on the things that happen. The great drama of the Bible centers in the belief that God is at work for good in the lives of His people, no matter what. There was nothing good in Joseph’s brothers selling him to the Ishmaelite traders. There is nothing good about the injustices he experienced from Potiphar’s wife. But, in retrospect, Joseph could say of it all: “You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20). This belief is articulated by the Apostle Paul: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Unfortunately, our translation tends to make “all things” the subject rather than “God.” A better translation is that “in everything, God is at work for good.” We must never forget that God is at work in and through, and often in spite of the “things.” To rejoice always, to pray without ceasing, and to give thanks in every thing “is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (v. 18). Obedience to these three commands is difficult. But Christ calls us to a life of joy, prayer, and gratitude. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy, but the rewards of obedience to these commands are rich and full. |