Ignorant sins? Deep, forgotten wounds?

Tue, Aug 24 2010
BERLIN (Reuters) – A Polish man living in Germany went about his business for about five years without noticing he had been shot in the head because he was drunk when it happened. Police in the western city of Bochum said on Tuesday doctors found a .22 caliber bullet in the back of his head after the 35-year-old went to have what he thought was a cyst removed.
Presented with the 5.6mm projectile, the man recalled he had received a blow to the head around midnight at a New Year’s party “in 2004 or 2005,” but had forgotten about it because he had been “very drunk,” a police spokesman said.
“He told us he remembered having a sore head, but that he wasn’t really one for going to the doctor,” the spokesman said.
The wound later healed around the bullet and it was not until the man decided to have the lump examined due to recurring pains that the discovery was made.
Police said they were not treating the incident as suspicious as the bullet might have got lodged in the man’s head when a reveler fired a gun in celebration.
“It may have been a shot fired up in the air which entered his head on the way down,” the spokesman said.
The resident of Herne, who has lived in Germany for several years, was expected to be released from hospital later this week after the bullet was removed on Friday, police said.

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I want deliberately to encourage this mighty longing after God. The lack of it has brought us to our present low estate. The stiff and wooden quality about our religious lives is a result of our lack of holy desire. Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people. He waits to be wanted. Too bad that with many of us He waits so long, so very long, in vain.

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1 John 5:14-15 (NKJV) Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

Confidence

Boldness = “Come boldly before the throne!”

Confidence in Him, not in ourselves!

Speak the language of faith, not fear! Because God doesn’t respond to fear!

Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Faith can never go past your question!

God’s Will

Our confidence comes from asking according to God’s Will…

His Will is His Word! The two flow and do not violate one another!

Learn to pray God’s Word and you will know His will!

Pray the sermons/messages you hear also…

Romans 10:17 (NKJV) So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Mix the Word with faith…

Hebrews 4:2 (NKJV) For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

If you know His Word, you will know His will…

Mark 1:40-41 (ESV) And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.”

Once you know the will of God (which is the Word of God), you will pray confident prayers!

Too many people are praying in darkness; thus the Word of God “enlightens” you…

Psalms 119:105 (NKJV) Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

Psalms 119:130 (NKJV) The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.

God hears us

God listens to faith-led prayers, prayed in accordance to His will…

1 John 5:14 (NKJV) Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

Get to know the Word of God and you will be praying the will of God…

Salvation of the lost…

2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV) The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

John 3:16 (NKJV) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Mark 16:15-16 (NKJV) And He said to them, ”Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

Healing…

Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV) 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.

And we KNOW He hears us!

How do we know He hears us? By praying according to His will (which is His Word)!

1 John 5:15 (NKJV) And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

NOTICE what happens to prayer warriors who pray the Will of God… WE HAVE (receive) THE PETITIONS THAT WE HAVE ASKED OF HIM!

Ask in faith believing…

Know His Word and you will know His will…

Pray by faith; not by sight!

Pray in the spiritual realm, not the natural realm!

You know the will of God, so quit expecting BAD things to happen!

DON’T NULLIFY YOUR PRAYERS WITH DOUBT!

Matthew 21:21-22 (NKJV) So Jesus answered and said to them,“Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. 22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

James 1:6-7 (CEV) But when you ask for something, you must have faith and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like an ocean wave tossed around in a storm. 7 If you are that kind of person, you can’t make up your mind, and you surely can’t be trusted. So don’t expect the Lord to give you anything at all.

Myron Powell is the pastor of The Church of Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska. Read Myron’s blog, ‘Sound Words‘, and purchase his books from LuLu.com.

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This article can be used for numerous cases as a sermon illustration:

1. not realizing a brother/sister has fallen away until it’s already too late.
2. the reality of calamity and trial in our lives… How grief adds to grief. Job?
3. any other ideas?

Fri, Aug 20 2010
PARIS (Reuters) – A French woman discovered her 42-year-old son had been buried in the same cemetery where she was attending her brother’s funeral, after she had tried to invite him to the ceremony, a newspaper said Friday.
The family were leaving the cemetery near Lille, Wednesday when one of them noticed a temporary wooden gravestone bearing the son’s name and date of birth in an area reserved for poor people.
“In two or three seconds, everybody started to scream,” the man’s father Elie Langlet told La Voix du Nord newspaper. “Josiane (the mother) collapsed. She buries her brother and finds her kid in a grave near him. It’s unthinkable,” he said.
The local council confirmed the father of one, Olivier, had died on July 5 from natural causes.
Josiane Vermeersch said she had tried to contact her son a few days before to invite him to his uncle’s funeral, to no avail, and had thought he was ignoring her after a row.
“Someone hasn’t done their job,” she told news channel I-Tele. “I demand explanations,” Vermeersch said, adding it was unbelievable in a time of modern technology that nobody had attempted to contact the family.
Citing the funeral parlor that buried the man, the newspaper said it was not uncommon for families not to be informed if there is no immediate contact address.
French law stipulates that a burial must take place within six days of a death.
(Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Nina Chestney)

http://www.reuters.com/assets/print?aid=USTRE67J3P520100820

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One generation finds a standard, and teaches that standard to the next generation.
That generation believes in the standard, but does not understand why it was instituted, and then teaches the same standard to the next generation.
The next generation questions why the standard exists, and the previous generation does not have a good answer for it.
At this point, one of three things will happen with the minister who received the standard without the knowledge…

1. He will continue to teach the standard without reasons, causing the next generation to discredit not only that standard, but all other things they’ve been taught.
2. He will find out the “why” and teach it with supporting biblical and practical evidence, causing the next generation to receive it with understanding, or
3. He will decide the standard was not worth defending, and now both he and the next generation dismiss the standard.

Note that I use the term, “standard” here instead of “principle”, because I believe the issue lies more with taught standards as they are developed out of principles than it does with the principles themselves. We need to be careful that we do not let down on biblical principles, but that we are able to effectively teach them to this generation. When standards are created, they must be based on scriptural principles (even if there is not a specific scripture that defines the standard), and must be taught thoroughly, intelligently and with honesty. If we do not, we will all lose out.

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Jehovah – The Lord – Exodus 6:2-3
Jehovah-Adon Kal Ha’arets- The Lord of Earth – Joshua 3:13
Jehovah-Bara – The Lord Creator – Isaiah 40:28
Jehovah-Chatsahi – The Lord my Strength – Psalm 27:1
Jehovah-Chereb – The Lord the Sword – Deuteronomy 33:29
Jehovah-Eli – The Lord my God – Psalm 18:2
Jehovah-Elyon – The Lord Most High – Psalm 38:2
Jehovah-Gador Milchamah – The Lord Mighty in Battle – Psalm 24:8
Jehovah-Ganan – The Lord Our Defense – Psalm 89:18
Jehovah-Go’el – Lord my Redeemer – Isaiah 49:26, 60:16
Jehovah-Hamelech – The Lord King – Psalm 98:6
Jehovah-Hashopet – The Lord My Judge – Judges 6:27
Jehovah-Helech ‘Olam – The Lord King Forever – Psalm 10:16
Jehovah-Hoshe’ah – The Lord Saves – Psalm 20:9
Jehovah-Jireh – The Lord my Provider – Genesis 22:14, I John 4:9, Philip 4:19
Jehovah-Kabodhi – The Lord my Glory – Psalm 3:3
Jehovah-Kanna – The Lord Jealous – Exodus 34:14
Jehovah-Keren-Yish’i – The Lord is the Horn of Salvation – Psalm 18:2
Jehovah-M’Kaddesh – The Lord my Sanctifier – I Corinthians 1:30
Jehovah-Machsi – The Lord my Refuge – Psalm 91:9
Jehovah-Magen – The Lord my Shield – Deuteronomy 33:29
Jehovah-Ma’oz – The Lord my Fortress – Jeremiah 16:19
Jehovah-Mephalti – The Lord my Deliverer – Psalm 18:2
Jehovah-Metshodhathi – The Lord my Fortress – Psalm 18:2
Jehovah-Misqabbi – The Lord my High Tower – Psalm 18:2
Jehovah-M’gaddishcem – The Lord my Sanctifier – Exodus 31:13
Jehovah-Naheh – The Lord who Smites – Ezekiel 7:9
Jehovah-Nissi – The Lord my Banner – I Chronicles 29:11-13
Jehovah-Rohi – The Lord my Shepherd – Psalm 23
Jehovah-Rophe – The Lord my Healer – Isaiah 53:4,5
Jehovah-Sabaoth – The Lord of Hosts – I Samuel 1:3
Jehovah-Sel’i – The Lord my Rock – Psalm 18:2
Jehovah-Shalom – The Lord of Peace – Isaiah 9:6, Rom 8:31-35
Jehovah-Shammah – The Lord who is Present – Hebrews 13:5
Jehovah-Tsidkenu – The Lord of Righteousness – I Cor 1:30
Jehovah-Tsori – The Lord my Strength – Psalm 19:14
Jehovah-Yasha – The Lord my Savior – Isaiah 49:26
Jehovah-’Ez-Lami – The Lord my Strength – Psalm 28:7
Jehovah-’Immeku – The Lord Is With You – Judges 6:12
Jehovah-’Izoa Hakaboth – The Lord Strong /Mighty – Psalm 24:8
Jehovah-’Ori – The Lord my Light – Psalm 27:1
Jehovah-’Uzam – The Lord Strength in Trouble – Isaiah 49:26

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The rewards of godly leadership are so great and the responsibilities of the leader so heavy that no one can afford to take the matter lightly.

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To realize
The value of ten years:
Ask a newly
Divorced couple.

To realize
The value of four years:
Ask a graduate.

To realize
The value of one year:
Ask a student who
Has failed a final exam.

To realize
The value of one month:
Ask a mother
Who has given birth to a premature baby..

To realize
The value of one week:
Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize
The value of one minute:
Ask a person
Who has missed the train, bus or plane.

To realize
The value of one-second:
Ask a person
Who has survived an accident.

Time waits for no one.
Treasure every moment you have.

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Faith puts no limits on God, and God puts no limits on faith.

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Acts 2:13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.

Some men marvelled, others mocked.

Marvelled: something that causes wonder, admiration, or astonishment; a wonderful thing.

Mocked: To attack or treat with ridicule, contempt, or derision. To ridicule by mimicry of action or speech; mimic derisively. To mimic, imitate, or counterfeit. To challenge; defy.

Consider the account of Michal, the daughter of Saul. At one time she marveled at David, when he displayed his love for the Lord in defeating the enemies of God. Later when his display of love included a dance of humble praise, however, she no longer marveled but mocked him.

One has to wonder what turns a marveler into a mocker? In Michal’s case, it appears to be when she left her first love. She was originally in love with David, and Saul gave her to him for his wife. Later, after she helped David flee from a jealous and murderous Saul, her father then gave her to another man named Phalti the son of Laish. It was much later that David sent back and demanded for Michal to be returned to him. When she was brought to him, 2 Samuel says that Phalti followed behind weeping for her… apparently they had fallen in love together. Her love was no longer toward David, but to her new husband Phalti. At one time she was called, “The wife of David”, but now again, “The daughter of Saul”.

It seems, then, that a person will change from a marveler to a mocker when they fall away from their first love.

Even in Acts 2, there were Jews who had a heart of love for God, and some who obviously were no longer serving him out of love, but some other motivation. Duty? Obligation? Self-righteousness? Those who were in love with God must have marveled. Those who weren’t seemed to have mocked. It appears it’s the display of the spirit of a man that tells us whether they’re truly in love with Him or not.

The men present on the day of Pentecost took one of two positions. Some marvelled, others mocked. These responses usually come up when we are challenged by the Word of God, the Spirit of God or any issue, including but not limited to, seperation issues. When you hear of someone’s commitment to separation, even if you do not share that commitment, how do you respond?

Do you marvel, (admire, astonishment, it’s a wonderful thing), their dedication and their attempt to give something up as a love sacrifice; or; do you mock, (ridicule, mimic, challege), their stance?

(This is a mixture of thoughts shared by Jeff Ready and myself.)

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