Christian Photographers Community

Morning Devotional...


As His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue.
2 Peter 1:3

What a comfort it is to know that nothing will cross our paths, which we have not been equipped to face.  In Christ we have everything.

Notice it is His power that enables us. As we see how He has worked in the past, we are fortified to deal with the pressures of today.

How do we tap into this power? Through the knowledge of Him. It is as simple as that.

To know Him is to experience the overwhelming confidence that any trial, small or large, can be overcome with His help.

Are you relying on Him today?
                                                                 --Crawford Paul


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Pat (OUCH) You caught my head in the door that time ..LOL..
Please don't show any graphic views of what it could of looked like.
Now I have to start over here ! LOL
Meika-We will miss you -I have friends (pastors)that have been going to China the last couple years to minister-I have been doing a website for them ..www.gonowhelp.com
there is alot of photos in the photo gallery.
f.r.o.g. means-fully rely on God...
Things have been good here-keeping really busy with life, kids and keeping up with the house-I have been shopping for a new monitor but, think I am just going to get a dell monitor to go with my computer-I have a 25 dollars coupon and also another coupon for 40 dollars through dell..I didn't get it when I ordered the system because of $ at the time, but our refund should be here this week...so, I will be getting it soon. Our current monitor is having problems, and won't last much longer.
What book Sonja is it that your reading that someone suggested to you? I can't remember their names..Sounds like a good book.
Lee that is a beautiful photo from your area-I have a few like that too..Did you have snow today? their were snow flurries here in Post Falls..
Hello to all my new friends..
Hugs
Rachelle

Oh, dear...sorry about that, Rachelle!  Usually it's poor Lee whose head gets bumped.

The book that Etta Sue suggested to Sonja is "The Purpose Driven Life" and we're discussing it HERE[/b].  

Come and join us.

For Mieka


Words:deborah d. smith
Music: michael w. smith

Packing up the dreams God planted
In the fertile soil of you
Can't believe the hopes he's granted
Means a chapter in your life is through
But we'll keep you close as always
It won't even seem you've gone
'cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong

Chorus:
And friends are friends forever
If the lord's the lord of them
And a friend will not say "never"
'cause the welcome will not end
Though it's hard to let you go
In the father's hands we know
That a lifetime's not too long to live as friends.

With the faith and love God's given
Springing from the hope we know
We will pray the joy you'll live in
Is the strength that now you show

But we'll keep you close as always
It won't even seem you've gone
'cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong

Oh, Karma!  

Karma we will have to find the words for that.  I love to hear Michael W Smith sing it, don't you?  Really applies to Meiks

Hi Lee   ....... yesterday you were asking me about EE.   I went out last night with my team and had an amazing time.   When I got in late I posted to you about the results of the evening.   I think because it was very late you might not have seen what I wrote, so here it is again.   This is another divine appointment.

Quote from: ruthie on October 28, 2003, 11:16:39 PM


Lee..... I have been in EE for 18 years.  I have taught Level 1,  2,  and 3,   and right now I teach Level 2.  Because I have attended an EE clinic many years ago, I am a trained teacher/trainer.

Tonight we went cold calling or knocking on doors.   The very first person we talked to, came to faith in Jesus Christ, right in the hall of an apartment building.Please pray for Clare, that she will grow in the Lord.

We then walked down the hall and knocked on another door.   A muslim family invited us in and I presented the gospel for the second time.   They are from Pakistan and are very interested.   I am going to get Ravi's book "Jesus amongst other gods" and "More than a carpenter"   for the young Grade 11 son.

We were so excited.   My new trainee wants to go door to door every week!    My face was all pink and flushed from the excitement of the evening.    

Thank you for your prayers.      

Praise God.


Ruthie

Pat.........

THis time I stayed in the car and waited for the paper boy to deliver the morning paper.  I then knew it was safe.  Gad, how silly can I get?


Ruthie........

I beg your forgiveness.  I read your post and had intended to respond and just by golly forgot because I had been reading so many posts.

I had no idea you had been in EE for so long.  As I had said previously, I know of its efectiveness because I've been there many times.  You've taken it a step further than I have by going cold to a home unrequested.  The responses you received proves the Word of God is stronger than man's words.  Yes, EE is a mix of both, but god's Word is by far more powerful.  You're quite a lady Ruthie, and your rewards await.  What's neat about you is that you don't just talk it, you walk it.  

If anyone reading this post is not a Christian, Ruthie and I are talking about a program called Evangelism Explosion.  Simply stated, a group or groups of Christians meet (Most often in a home atmosphere) and learn how to witness Jesus Christ to people who are not Christians.  They then go to the homes of people who have visited their church, and have stated that (he/she) would like to know more about Christ, Christianity, or even the church.  This may not be exactly as Ruthie's church conducts EE, but it gives you an idea as to what we are discussing.  MIght I add:  When they come to your door, they are telling the truths of God's salvation for man.

Nita~that is great that you go door to door to speak with folks.  I have many years to go before I will be able to do that.  I pray that you will help someone who needs it come to Christ.

Karma~That is one of my favorite songs.  He is an awesome singer.  This song brings up past memories.  Good ones!  

Click Here ------> Friends Forever <------ Click Here!

This is a webpage I dedicated to a dear friend of mine who would sing Michael W. Smith's songs and also Scott Westley Browns songs.  He was a wonderful man.

Rachelle.........

Yes we did.  Last year at this time it was 7 degrees and we had a mild winter.  It's now 25 degrees and dropping.  Every prediction is that this winter is going to be a duzzy.  We're ready for all but the unexpected.

To all the song birds in the choir......What are the three missing words in the following hymn, and what's it's title?.........

"TO______ A_____ ______ME."
If you can't get this easy one, go back to bed.


Sonja........

My, you are up late.  You CAN learn to witness, and you can learn it in a very few short weeks.  I'm speaking of EE, or DE.  However Sonja, most often the best witness is your own personal salvation story. (How you came to the Lord).

Good morning all 9.05AM

Pat thank you very much for the devotional and
yesterday evening for Amazing Grace

Lee i don't no what there must stand  i know only
the Dutch Songs not the American or Canadian

Yesterday Jenny has writen a song we in Holland also
singing that song thank you again dear Jenny where are you am i the first European?

It is dark in Holland today i think we will have rain today.

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.
                                                   Chisholm

I wish you all a very good day
Bye for now
Love RIA

  RIA Good morning sister.  See I have arrived.

Thank-you dear Pat.  Yes God the Father provides all that is necessary in the "growing school"....He also uses other things in our lives to "bring to completion that work which He has begun  in us". (Phil1:6). Well He is the Potter, we are only the clay!

"God has reserved for His children the priceless gift of eternal life; it is kept in Heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.  And God in His mighty power will make sure you get there safely to receive it...because you are trusting Him...It will be yours in  that  coming last day for all to see.....

                          SO BE TRULY GLAD

there is wonderful joy ahead, even though the going is rough for a while down here."         (1Peter1:4-6)

A nice bright, sunny morning here in England.....Thank-you Father in Heaven.

Prayers continue for the inhabitants of California and those working to put out the fires. May we ALL learn the lesson which HE would teach us in this...Amen!

Prayerfully,
Jenny.

                                   RUTHIE

TWO BOOKS which I found useful re witness to Moslems and other faiths.....

WHAT ABOUT OTHER FAITHS.......Martin Goldsmith. (Hodder)

SHARING THE TRUTH IN LOVE......Ajith Fernando. (Discovery House)

Just a thought.
The Lord Bless you and Multiply your work in the field...Amen!

Jenny X

Once again Pat I hope that I dovetail with your thoughts as well as Ria and Jenny's this morning.

Karma - that song was absolutely beautiful sis.

Meika - Make sure you take is with you. Our prayers will be following you each step of the way.

Ruthie & Lee - Forgive myignorance folks but I have never come across EE and I was trying to figure out what you guys were talking about. Thanks for the explanation.

'We cannot BUT speak of the things which we have seen and heard.'

Sonja - Just going to have a look at youe link when I have finished this post.

Love to all.

'But if not............' I find these words truly remarkable!

For me they should be written in gold, carved in granite and engraved in the heart of all true believers in Christ. The words in verse 17 show wonderful faith and trust, yet these three words at the beginning of verse 18 are greater still.

There are days when I simply cannot find words to write. I always have a desire to encourage my brethren as best as I can and I feel so downhearted when I am unable to write even a few lines that may prove to be a blessing to some needy soul.

It is usually when I am in desperate need of encouragement myself that I am able to write for others.

Some call this a ministry while I see it simply as an individual Christian trying his best to help others along the way. The way is tough and can be painful for many.

Death, illness and pain never seem to be far from our doors. The hardships of unemployment, debt, a broken relationship, a failed marriage, a wayward son or daughter all add to our woes in this life.

I cannot imagine living without Jesus. I just could not function. There would be no hope, no deliverance from trouble and no eternal rest to contemplate. Last night as I lay me head upon my pillow, I once again unburdened my problems and fears over to my Saviour.

I slept in the knowledge that there are some things that are simply beyond my 'fixing!' Some things only God can do.

It is not a nice position to be in. You see, I am a very independent person and where possible I try not to be a burden to anyone. Though I am in constant pain, I try not to make a fuss of it.

Whenever a feel my chest pains coming on, I use my spray in 'secret.' I do not like adding to the stress of those whom I love. (Can you follow what I am trying to say here?)

Life would be a whole lot easier if I conformed to some 'worldly' tricks! Perhaps I should give up 'trying' to earn an honest living and simply lie back and accept state benefits! There would also be less conflict if Dad would only allow a greater degree of freedom for his teenagers!

I could give up this writing business and just surf the Net for pleasure. Why should I take the time and effort to try and help others when things are so difficult for myself?

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego also had a choice. They could have saved themselves a lot of grief had they simply bowed their knees to Nebuchadnezzar's golden image! Who would have known?

Their names would not be known to us today, the furnace would have been put out and life would have gone on.

This is not the way with the chosen of God. It cannot be. We are 'Born Again' into warfare, a conflict that rages within and without. There is no getting away from it.

We are either alive in Christ Jesus or dead in trespasses and sin. We either love the Lord and all that He stands for or we stand against Him. Choose you this day whom you will serve.

Daniel's three friends made their choice and they made their stand before the king. They had the faith to believe that God was able to deliver them out of the hand of the king and surely this was their prayer. It would certainly have been mine!

It takes courage and strength to make a stand and these three men showed great courage. Their stand and their courage did not make their problem disappear.

God did not dramatically remove the problem or the furnace. It is important to note that though we may make the right decision and do God's Will it may not remove the furnace.

Some days it seems that my soul is overwhelmed with difficulties and problems. Often I feel as though I am at the end of my tether and that things cannot go on the way they are, but they do! Sometimes they even get worse!

When trials come my way I have been thankful for the hope of deliverance from these trials. I have the faith that knows that my God is able to deliver me and to set me free from all my difficulties. He can do all things and for a while I am expectant.

What happens when the trials drag on and there is no sign of deliverance? Has God forgotten about me? Has He lost His power to deliver? Does He want me to live like this? Can He truly love me when all these things are against me? Gradually hope itself fades. If things were difficult before then this is the pits!

Do I give up on God? Do I curl up in bed and fall into depression? Believe me, it is easy to do! We are frail creatures and we can only take so much! A deadness and hopelessness envelops the soul at such a time. Everything is an effort, a monumental task and the outlook is always a darker shade of grey.

But God.

But God does not allow us to mourn though He is putting self to the sword. A resilience is nurtured in our darkness and self is put on the back burner with only the glory of God and His honour in view.

Our furnace may still be facing us, we know that God could easily have delivered us, but now instead of our selfish freedom we desire His name to be glorified come what may. We want more than anything else for our God to be exalted, no matter what may happen to us in the process.

This faith is a gift from God. This is the faith that Daniel's three friends were given when they were enabled to say,' but if not....' It is our chief end to glorify God. This is something we are quick to forget.

We are happy to take all His blessings and His favour yet we revolt when things turn sour. It is a learning process for us all and the school of faith can prove a difficult place for many.

There is no better place to be than to be in the company of the King. Our troubles this day may abound, we may indeed have to go into the furnace, but there will be Another along with us in the midst of the fire. Not a hair will be singed, our clothes will not need changing, and neither will anyone smell the fire from us.

God's name will be glorified among the heathen. We will be delivered and the heathen shall utter the same words as Nebuchadnezzar, 'there is no God that can deliver after this sort.'

'.......our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O King. But if not.......'

LOL

Your brother in Christ

Iain

Sonja - Beautiful sis. I have bookmarked it and I am going to pass it on for others to enjoy, especially a couple in Holland whose 23 years old son was tragically taken from them a couple of years ago. They are still hurting but I am sure that a balm will be apllied when they read your song.

  Hi Ms Rachelle, I thank you for this place you share.
www.gonowhelp.com
It was a fun for me to read it when I did not get asleep tonight.

Ms Karmat,   I love you so much, you are such a help to me in so many ways.

(((hug Ms Janet))))

I love you mum Pat, I thank you that you are a wonderful mum here for me. (((hug)))

IAIN DEAR BROTHER I DO APPRECIATE YOUR WORDS THIS MORNING...I SEND THESE FEW WORDS FOR YOU, PRAYERFULLY,


                         CREDO


Not what, but WHOM I do believe,
That, in my darkest hour of need,
Hath comfort that no mortal creed
To mortal man may give:-
Not what, but WHOM!
For Christ is more than all the creeds,
And His full life of gentle deeds
Shall all the creeds outlive.
Not what I do believe, but WHOM
WHO walks beside me in the gloom?
WHO shares the burden wearisome?
WHO all the dim way doth illume,
And bids me look beyond the tomb
The larger life to live?-
Not what I do believe,
But WHOM!
Not what,
But WHOM!

John Oxenham.

Quote from: Pat Scott on October 30, 2003, 12:18:27 AM





Are you relying on Him today?
                                                               

So we leave in His dear hand
all we cannot understand,
While our God with heart of love
leads His own to heights above.

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Yes, I am relying on Him, Pat!

I will leave in His dear hand all I cannot understand!
Thanks Pat!

Iain, your words go perfect with Pat's devotion. I will trust the Lord today with my problems.  I will give them all to him knowing that he will relieve me of the pain.  Thanks!

Quote from: Iain on October 30, 2003, 06:16:34 AM
Sonja - Beautiful sis. I have bookmarked it and I am going to pass it on for others to enjoy, especially a couple in Holland whose 23 years old son was tragically taken from them a couple of years ago. They are still hurting but I am sure that a balm will be apllied when they read your song.

Thanks, Iain! That means alot to me.  

Sonja:  What a lovely message from that poetry.

We had a good discussion at Spirtuality last night and next week we will discuss the first chapter of "A Purposeful Life".  I have been meaning to pick that up.  

It is snowing just a tad which will help the firefighters here.  

Carol

Hi folks!

I heard from my Uncle in CA - they are about 60 miles from the fires, but the house they used to live in is apparently in danger.
My cousin and his fiance, on the other hand, are on watch, - the fires are only about 5 miles from them.. then the winds changed and the fires started to go the other way yesterday.
I am praying for all in its path, and for those who suffer.

I have taken a turn around the bend with my cold - today I can hear, breathe, and talk better

Now, to paper mache my son's Holloween mask and shield (he is to be Kopaka, the Toa of Ice *for those of you who know about Bionicles* ). I hope it dries in time for the paint tomorrow..
It was supposed to be done by now.. but being sick I have not been able to do it..
So.. today is "catch up day" for everything

Smile... it is a beautiful day here, and I will pass this warmth to those who need it most.

Karen

Good morning!


Carol, KarenB, Sarah

Thanks, Carol!  Snow is good.  I will pray that is smothers the fire.

KarenB, How's this for a smile?    I am glad you are feeling better.  

Wonderful poem by John Oxenham, Jenny. Took me reading it a couple times to fully understand it. Thanks for sharing it.

HI Nita!!!  How is your day going?

I am up early.  Thought I would start the coffee and get the donuts ready.  

Good morning all.

I was to the clinic last night and the Dr gave me another inhaler as well as antibiotics.  Will be well soon.

Jenny beautiful poem,

QuoteWonderful poem by John Oxenham, Jenny. Took me reading it a couple times to fully understand it. Thanks for sharing it.

It took me a few readings too.

We have had a couple of beautiful days here in the north.  +10*C and really bright.  The leaves are all gone and we can see farther into the bush.  Our neighbor has bulldozed a road into the front bush so I will be able to use the tarajet for bringing in the sap from the maple trees.  I would like to have my own syrup this year.  

Well I have to go and get teaching,
Bye all
Judy

Hey Marilyn  Morning Sis

I see you are up and going,  

Have a good day.  God Bless you


JudyB

Thank you Pat and Iain for the devotionals they dove tailed perfectly.

Iain you said:
Do I give up on God? Do I curl up in bed and fall into depression? Believe me, it is easy to do! We are frail creatures and we can only take so much! A deadness and hopelessness envelops the soul at such a time. Everything is an effort, a monumental task and the outlook is always a darker shade of grey.

Have I ever been there. That is exactly what I did for a full year before I met Jesus. He is the one who took me out of that fiery furnace.

That is the paragraph that really jumped out at me this morning. Been there and done that. Not a nice place to be.

Sorry but I don't know how to quote a single portion of text.

On a lighter note, I am  taking Bea to the eye doctor today and must be getting ready for work very soon. Soooo I will be back later.

TTYL

Hi Judy we were posting at the same time.

Good Morning Sonja, thanks for getting the coffee ready, sure did need it this mornng for some reason it really tasted good. Thanks sister.