New Every Morning~February 17

[Pat]

.

"I have a great need for Christ;
I have a great Christ for my need."
~C. H. Spurgeon~

Morning Devotional...

The Holy Spirit:
Dead Churches

..These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead."
--Revelation 3:1

I think we are going to have to restudy this whole teaching of the place of the Holy Spirit in the Church, so the Body can operate again. If the life goes out of a man's body, he is said to be a corpse. He is what they call "the remains." It is sad, but humorously sad, that a strong, fine man with shining eyes and vibrant voice, a living man, dies, and we say, "the remains" can be seen at a funeral home. All the remains of the man, and the least part about him, is what you can see there in the funeral home. The living man is gone. You have only the body. The body is "the remains."

So it is in the Church of Christ. It is literally true that some churches are dead. The Holy Spirit has gone out of them and all you have left are "the remains." You have the potential of the church but you do not have the church, just as you have in a dead man the potential of a living man but you do not have a living man. He can't talk, he can't taste, he can't touch, he can't feel, he can't smell, he can't see, he can't hear--because he is dead! The soul has gone out of the man, and when the Holy Spirit is not present in the Church, you have to get along after the methods of business or politics or psychology or human effort. 
Dr. Tozer in The Counselor, 112-113.

"Lord, send Your Holy Spirit in power, that we might not be a dead church, striving to look alive, pretending to function as though alive, while the life is actually gone. Amen."

[mybcjazz]

Hi Pat,

Wow, a powerful devotional!  Thank you. 

And thank you and others for praying for me today.  Well, I went to the licensing center and it was a day of study, driving simulations, and a written exam.  Oh yeah, there was quite a fee for the course.  But because I was willing to take the course and did well on the test, there was no fine.  I am quite fluent in Japanese, but having to anwer 40 questions in 20 minutes was a BIG challenge.  But our God is so BIG and so many of you were praying, so I was able to do well.

I have learned a good lesson.

In His Grip,
kevin

[Marilyn]

Good Morning all y-all. Nothing new here today.

Thank you Pat for the fine devotional this morning. So appropriate for the churches today.

I am doing a bit worshing (spelled wrong on purpose 'cause tha'ts the way I say it.) before I go to Fay's. I am not sure yet whether or not I will be going to Joanne's this afternoon, I have to call and find out  when I am done at Fay's. Fay just called me and told me that when the electricians were putting in a new street light they cut through the sewer line. Oh joy that's all we needed.  It won't be fixed until sometime this afternoon.

Ok I'll be back later.

[Nita]

Good morning everyone.  We have frozen everything again this morning.

I won't complain.

I just read about the mudslide in the Phillipines that covered an entire village, including a school house that was in session.  1500 people are believed to be buried beneath the mud.  Only a few survivors so far.  It breaks my heart.

[Chris & Margit Saunders]

In the great day, when the muster-roll shall be read, of all those who are
converted through fine music, and church decoration, and religious
exhibitions and entertainments, they will amount to the tenth part of
nothing; but it will always please God by the foolishness of preaching to
save them that believe. Keep to your preaching; and if you do anything
beside, do not let it throw your preaching into the background. In the first
place preach, and in the second place preach, and in the third place preach.

Believe in preaching the love of Christ, believe in preaching the atoning
sacrifice, believe in preaching the new birth, believe in preaching the
whole counsel of God. The old hammer of the gospel will still break the rock
in pieces; the ancient fire of Pentecost will still burn among the
multitude. Try nothing new, but go on with preaching, and if we all preach
with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, the results of preaching will
astound us.

--Charles Spurgeon, "How to Win Souls for Christ"

[Chris & Margit Saunders]

-/\/\-----------------------------------------------------------------
\  /  TODAY'S VERSE from HEARTLIGHT   --   http://www.heartlight.org/
                                                     February 17, 2006
VERSE:
   Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness,
or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed
all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay,
in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that
loved us.
    -- Romans 8:35-37

THOUGHT:
   Conquerors! We win!! When you open up the final book of the
Bible, Revelation, that is the message - Christians win because
Jesus is the one true conqueror. No matter how the battle is going
for you right now, remember that in the end, we win!

PRAYER:
   El Shaddai, God Almighty, thank you for securing the ultimate
victory for me by raising Jesus from the dead. I know he is coming
with victory on the day you have determined, but I pray that I may
live victoriously for you until that day. Through Jesus my
conquering King I pray. Amen.

[Etta Sue]

I am tired.  I deep cleaned the living room.  It is all Windexed and Pledged for now.  I know...those women in the Euchere Club aren't coming to see my house but at least, I will have my Spring house cleaning done! 

Tony called last night.  They had to put their second dog to sleep in less than two weeks.  They found out his dog, Boagie, part Rotweiller, part German Shepherd but a docile lamb, had stage 3-4 cancer.  He had a tumor on his leg when they took him to the Animal ER Saturday or Sunday night.  He was examined thoroughly then.  Then they took him to their vet Thursday night and three more tumors were discovered.  Said he might live 2-3 months but the tumors would keep coming.  So they had him put to sleep.  Tony is so sad....losing two dogs so close together. 

Ivalou and I are going to the funeral home visitation tonight.  I know it will be sad.  Julie was so young!

Papa John ~ It is wonderful to hear good news about Cornelia, your sweetheart.  She'll be making those lists again soon!

>^<+>^<>^<+>^<>^<+>^<>^<+>^<>^<+>^<>^<+>^<>^<+>^<>^<+>^<

[Pat]

Hi Everyone...

Been busy doing errands, etc. and now just feel like going to lie down.  We've had very strong winds here.  Stuff blowing all over the place.

Such great news about Cornelia, Papa John.

[Pat]

Karma, it would be so nice to see some recent photos in here:

http://www.christianphotographers.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=lastup&cat=10015

[Chris & Margit Saunders]

http://hometown.aol.com/jesusandsue8/Carpenter.wav

[mybcjazz]

...it would be so nice to see some recent photos in here:

http://www.christianphotographers.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=lastup&cat=10015

I agree, though I am not Karma, so I put another in, another macro, like the one above.  Maybe everyone is waiting for spring to get out the cameras... 

In His Grip,
Kevin

[Larry Hanna]

Hi everyone.  Most of the day was spent going to the dentist and then taking a nap when I got home as I was tired when I got up this morning.  The dentist was able to refill my tooth but said this is probably the last time and it isn't a candidate for a crown so will have to be pulled the next time the filling comes out or more of the tooth breaks.  Neither Pat or I had any new cavaties and that was good news.

I was saddened this afternoon to learn that a good coffee drinking buddy, who has been fighting liver cancer probably for a year or more, has been told that he probably has only 2-4 more weeks to live.  He has gone done hill so quickly the last couple of weeks and is now too weak to speak on the phone or have visitors.  He was at our Friday coffee either two or three weeks ago but looked really bad.

Pat, that was a very good devotional today.   Sorry to hear that you are having so much snow.  Hope you have someone who can scoop it for you.

Papa John, glad to read your good news concerning Cornelia. 

Etta Sue, you sound like my mother used to be in terms of having to do her spring and then fall house cleaning.  Everything had to be cleaned whether it needed it or not. 

Nita, I just heard on the news about that terrible mudslide and that the USA is making two ships available to help provide relief.

Marilyn, sure you felt very badly about pinching Fay's finger.  Something like that can happen so quickly.  I appreciate you clearing up about the pastor's wife for whom you are working.  I am sure you must be a very kind and caring caregiver.

Hope everyone has a good evening.  Be back tomorrow.

[Nita]

Larry, in case you don't know.....you are an absolute sweetheart.  I'm sure Pat knows that more than any of us.   I just had to tell you. 

[Papa John]

     Just a quick note tonight.  I got to the hospital at 6:30 this morning hoping to talk with our cardiologist but as it turned out he was out of town this morning and so I stayed until 2:00 this afternoon and came home for awhile.  I'm going back at six.  Anyway she really had a good day and I think tomorrow we will bring her home or possibly will take her to a rehab center for a few days.

I am so thankful.  It is almost like she left us and yet she came back.  God is good.  Praise the Lord.

Papa John

[Janet]

This is how I feel this evening.  I've been on the run since 7:30 this morning, getting things in order for Beth to come home; making arrangements for her; picking up more medical equipment, etc.  Now I HOPE I don't have to leave this house again before Saturday has arrived! 

We brought Beth home this afternoon, and boy, was her little dog ever happy to see her!!  I don't think she has been off Beth's lap since.    We will be ordering a "New Step" for her, which is an expensive exercise machine like she used while in Dodge in rehab, and she enjoyed it.  She really must build up her muscles more, and hopes to regain her ability to walk, too.

Papa John, glad to read another good report on Cornelia, your Sweetheart.

Larry, sorry about your tooth.  Ouch!  Also sorry to hear about your coffee buddy.

The weather has turned viciously cold here, down to 7 degrees tonight. BBBRRRRRRR! Another reason I don't want to go out again.

Etta Sue, would you like to come and clean for me now?  Pretty please?  Thanks! 

I think I'm so tired I'm getting goofy, so I'd better stop and go see what's new in the Gallery.  I have some stuff to post, if I don't fall asleep here first.

[Janet]

Okay, I have posted five new photos, 4 under Janet's Photos, and one under Art.  Please have a look and tell me what you think!  Thanks!

[Marilyn]

I feel the same way Janet. I have been running since I left here at 8:45 this morning. First to Fays, then  the store, back to Fay's; Over to Joanne's to do the bathroom and kitchen,nack to fAy's to wash the dishes (the water finally came back one) home to weed whack the front yard a bit, doing laundry, vacummung the floors. Whew, I am  : I hope I can  well tonight. Still 2 more loads of clothes to fold, fix supper and eat. Whew!!!!!

I have beent o the gallery and posted some comments to janets phots and to Kevin's macro of the blue flower. There are some awesome photos in there.

Back to work now.

Laters maybe?

[Al Moak]

  This is what we do every morning over at the Mad River Community Hospital Rehab and Fitness Center.

Just got our power back on.  We had an outage in our area for about 2 hours.  Thankful to have it back.

Thursday early evening, about 6:30, Marbeth felt another of her "panic" attacks coming on.  Since her BP goes way up when that happens, we immediately made the decision to go over to the Emergency Room.  They kept her there, ran blood tests, etc.  The computer in the lab went down, so that took much longer.  The doc wanted to observe her, take another blood test in a couple of hours.  By this time it was after midnight.  This old man isn't used to doing such things.  So, since they weren't even going to do the next test until 3AM, I came home, got about an hour and a half sleep (?).  Then I called them about 3:20AM, found that they were just waiting for the results to come back, so I went back over there and stayed until about 4:20.  She was then discharged, and we came home, tried to sleep some hours, which was only moderately well accomplished.  Last night, though, we both slept through most of the night, so that was wonderul!  Everything's been relatively alright today.  Pray.

[Marilyn]

My goodness just look at all the typos in my previous post, I didn't bother with my spell check in my Google bar at the top of my page, I must have really been frazzled. I have had my supper, got all the laundry folded, now I am goign to put on my pj's and  I will go to bed and watch TV in a little over an hour, I am already yawning.So for now I will just say Good Night all.

[Pat]

Cute graphic, Marilyn! 

Sorry to read of Marbeth's visit again to the hospital, Al.  I'm praying.

Thanks to those of you who have added photos to our gallery.

I'm not posting more tonight as I must get to my bed and try to shake a silly dose of flu.

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