INTRODUCTION

Jesus Christ is the most EXCITING person Ive ever met! If you want adventure, Christian life is the most adventuresome life in the world! If youre bored it will ta!e the boredom out of life" If you want love there is no love li!e the love of God as #e wraps #is arms around you" $hen the problems of life %ome up, &ust as! the 'ord to put #is arms of love around you a little ti(hter, and s)uee*e you a little harder, and somehow in #is (reat and mi(hty love, all problems will be solved" If you want a life that is darin( I %hallen(e anyone to the Christian life" There are moments when (reat darin( is needed and yet these are the moments when Jesus is felt the most in our lives be%ause #e never fails us" If you want the unusual Christianity %an (ive you the most unusual life in the world in a +fabulous, way" If you want a %hallen(in( life you &ust that" If you would dare to be different life is different! Jesus will (ive the Christian

-o put them all to(ether, and if in one sin(le life you want e.%itement, adventure, love, darin(, the unusual, freedom from boredom, %hallen(e, and a life thats different then &ust (ive Jesus the reins and see what happens"

/f %ourse, if you want a humdrum e.isten%e, a borin( life with no adventure, no %hallen(e, no e.%itement, then youd better stop readin( ri(ht now be%ause you %an have that !ind of life all by yourself, without any outside help!

INDEX INT0/12CTI/N 4 9 3 = < 8 > A 9 4; 44 49 43 4= 4< 'ET JE-2- C/5E 6'I7E E:#E-I6NC/'/--I6N6CTTI5/T#? :#I'I::I6NC/0INT#I6N56TT#E$ I J/#N J21E '2BE J/#N :ETE0 T#E 0E7E'6TI/N 56TT#E$ #/$ 1/ ?/2 T0E6T 5? -/N JE-23 8 3; <3 >; >@ A< @8 4;9 4;= 4;8 4;> 494 43< 4=< 4<8

LET JESUS COME ALIVE Its been almost nine years sin%e I %ame into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and the )uestion thats as!ed me more than any other one is, +#ow do you stay on top all the timeC, +6re you always li!e thisC, ?es, beloved, Im always li!e this" There isnt any reason for a Christian to ever be +down in the dumps", Now dont misunderstand me, Im not sayin( youre not (oin( to have any problems, be%ause Ive had more than my share sin%e I be%ame a Christian, but I7E G/T T#E 6N-$E0" $ho %ares how many problems you have when youve (ot the answerC $hat would happen if I announ%ed ri(ht now that all of you who wanted to have somethin( to do tomorrow, %ould have a halfDhour appointment with Jesus ChristC -uppose I told you #e would be within wal!in( distan%e of your house tomorrow and Id be very (lad to ma!e an appointment for you to have a 3;Dminute %ounselin( session with #im %on%ernin( your needsC ?ou %ould %ounsel with #im about whatever sub&e%t you wanted to, you %ould %ounsel with #im about your needs, you %ould %ounsel with #im %on%ernin( your problems" Jesus is (oin( to be available to you for personal %ounselin(! #ow many of you would rush to (et your name on that list so that you %ould be ri(ht here for the first appointmentC $ouldnt we all really li!e to be where we %ould tal! to Jesus in personC

5ay I su((est somethin(C -tart thin!in( about readin( your Eible as bein( a personal %ounselin( session with Jesus Christ! For every need that you have in your life, there is an answer wrapped up in the pa(es of that Eoo!" There are so many people who dont believe it" 1o you !now whyC They dont 0E61 Gods $ord, and %onse)uently when they dont read Gods $ord, they dont !now what God has to say to them, but E7E0? problem in todays livin( has an answer in this Eoo! if we would &ust open it and read it" God tells ea%h one of us how to have an e.%itin( Christian life, if we will &ust open the Eoo! and hear what #es (ot to say! 6nother )uestion thats as!ed almost as mu%h as the first one as we travel around the %ountry is, +#ow do I !now what God wants out of my lifeC #ow do I !now when God is spea!in( to meC #ow do I !now what God is tellin( me to doC, The minute anyone says that to me, it tells me a real interestin( thin(" It says that person isnt readin( Gods $ord enou(h! From the moment I be%ame a Christian, God instilled in my heart the most fanati%al desire to read #is $ord" I %ouldnt stand it"""" I thou(ht the Eible was (oin( to (o out of print the ne.t day! I thou(ht theyd %ome and ta!e all my Eibles away from me! I thou(ht Id never be able to read Gods $ord and I would never !now what God wanted out of my life, so I literally %hewed up Gods $ord" I &ust ate it up! Everywhere I went I had a Eible with me so that I %ould open it and see what God was sayin( to me" >

God spea!s to us in many different ways! :eople have sometimes said to me, +1oes God %ome out of the woodwor! and say, GFran%es, I want you to do thisC, No, God has never %ome out of the woodwor! and has never spo!en to me li!e that" Im sure that there are those whom God has spo!en to in an audible voi%e" God has spo!en to Charles and %alled him by name, but God has never spo!en to me that way" 5any times God spea!s to us in the form of an instantaneous thou(ht" $e pray" God answers us, and then the very ne.t thin( that happens is the old devil %omes and throws in that se%ond thou(ht! Then we (et all %onfused and thin!, +Now whi%h one was GodC, +$hi%h one of those two was really GodC, 'et me &ust tell you this" If youre really in earnest with God, the first voi%e will always be from God" The first one will always be positive" Eut wat%h out for that se%ond one, be%ause when the se%ond one %omes in there, you be(in to (et so %onfused you say, +$ho was firstC, Then you lose tra%!" 'isten %arefully for that small, still voi%e of God" God also uses people many times in our lives to let #is messa(e %ome throu(h to our hearts, and #e really uses #is $ord" The most ne(le%ted area in the lives of the +defeated, Christians is probably Eible readin(" It shouldnt be! This should be the most e.%itin(, stimulatin( part of your day, or at least one of the most e.%itin( parts" 6nd it %an be if youll do &ust a few thin(s" I (uarantee you if youll do what I tell A

you, Jesus and James and John and :eter will all %ome alive and romp a%ross the pa(es of your Eible, &ust li!e they wal! throu(h the pa(es of mine" Now dont tell me you dont have time, be%ause nobody +has, time" 1id you !now that +almost 3; per%ent of all 88 boo!s in the /ld and New Testaments have fewer than si. %hapters that are easily read in less than 9; minutesC 1urin( the time re)uired to read ten pa(es in toni(hts newspaper, you %an read the almost =;,;;; words whi%h ma!e up all 4<; :salmsC -ta((erin(, isnt itC """ Ten of the shortest boo!s %ome from the /ld Testament and 4= are found in the New Testament" +6ny of these boo!s %an be read in less time than it ta!es to wat%h 3; minutes of any television pro(ram" The volumes in%lude 0uth, 'amentations, Joel, /badiah, Jonah, Nahum, #aba!!u!, Hephaniah, #a((ai, 5ala%hi, :hilippians, Colossians, I I II Thessalonians, II Timothy, Titus, :hilemon, James, I I II :eter, the three epistles of John, and Jude" +Issues e.plored in these 3;; to 3,;;; word %apsules from God in%lude %are of inDlaws J0uthK, mispla%ed priorities in missionary strate(y JJonahK, %orruption on Capitol #ill JNahumK, money mana(ement J5ala%hiK, se. roles in marria(e JColossiansK, how to suffer su%%essfully JI :eterK, and others" +1r" G" Campbell 5or(an, noted En(lish author, on%e reported that a person %an read every verse from Genesis throu(h 0evelation in @

appro.imately A; hours"""" /ne study %ondu%ted by the 2"-" 6rmy -i(nal Corps indi%ates that the avera(e 6meri%an reads only one boo! and <> ma(a*ine arti%les per year, but wat%hes more than 4,9;; hours of television",L -o the answer to Eible readin( lies in how mu%h you really want to read your Eible" #ow mu%h of your time do you spend wat%hin( T7C #ow mu%h of the newspaper do you really need to readC The last time I read the newspaper, someone was murdered, someone was raped, someone %ommitted a bur(lary and had been %au(ht, and someone had died from an overdose of dru(s" I de%ided to spend my time readin( Gods $ord where I %ould find thin(s that would build me up instead of lettin( me down! It all started when I was a new Christian and I had this tremendous hun(erin( in my heart for Gods $ord, and then someone told me that there were over >;,;;; promises in Gods #oly $ord, and I remember thin!in(, +-eventy thousand all for meC, Then I said, +'ord, let me live lon( enou(h to %laim all those promises", I dont really !now if there a%tually are that many Jor moreK in the Eible, but all I can say is Praise the Lord that someone gave me that figure because it really started me in the Bible. After all, if God had 70,000 promises for me, how could I possibly know what they were unless I read His Word to find out what promises I could claim? So I started! I guess maybe because I was selfish it started me to be a fanatic about reading Gods Holy Word. 4;

$hen you read the Eible, read it see!in( G/1! This is where so many people (et hun( up" They (et all involved in see!in( and learnin( !nowled(e" Ive heard some (reat theolo(ians tal! who !new about all the verses in the EibleM they !new when :aul went where, and they !new where and when :eter went, but they didnt !now Jesus! They didnt !now Jesus! $hyC Ee%ause they read the Eible see!in( !nowled(e instead of see!in( God" IF ?/2 $6NT T/ EN1 2: 6 T#E/'/GI6N, T#6TG0E6T" -tudy it that way, but Ill let you in on a little se%ret" If I were somebody who didnt have a lot of time, Id study it one way, &ust see!in( God, be%ause you have no idea what %an happen to you when you do" There are only four little points Im (oin( to (ive you, but they %an revolutioni*e your entire life, if you will read this %arefully" 5any people +!now, the Eible and %an )uote verses, but they dont !now how to apply it to daily livin(" They dont !now a 'I7ING Jesus, and theres all the differen%e in the world in &ust readin( -%riptures or lettin( them %ome alive in your own life" First of all, its important to spend at least an hour a day in the Eible" 6nd I dont mean brea!in( it up into 4<Dminute se(ments" It really ta!es you 4< minutes to (et into the $ord of God and to (et all the thin(s of the day out of your mind" 1id you !now thatC There is that point when you %an be so %ompletely submer(ed in Gods $ord and in #is will and in worshipin( #im that everythin( else is ta!en away and youre really in the spirit, but you dont (et there the minute you open your Eible" 44

Thats why you should set aside one hour of uninterrupted readin(" Now I !now this is hard if you have little %hildren, but you %an always (et up an hour earlier in the mornin(M you %an always stay up an hour later at ni(ht" Charles li!es to (et up at <N3; in the mornin(" Thats when he does his spe%ial Eible readin( alone" $e read the Eible to(ether a lot, but we usually do that at ni(ht" I do most of my Eible readin( durin( the day be%ause I have a little more time in the daytime than Charles" $hen I used to wor! in my printin( offi%e before Charles and I were married, I read my Eible at ni(ht be%ause that was when I (ot the most out of it" 1urin( those hours when everyone else was sound asleep, I %ould &ust %rawl into Gods $ord" Then it was +?ou and me, 'ord, and thats all" Find somewhere in your day an hour that you %an set aside to (et into Gods $ord if you want the real abundant life" -e%ond, I praise the 'ord for the pastor of the little %hur%h where I be%ame a Christian" I praise God be%ause #e sent me some people who really had a tremendous effe%t on my life, espe%ially when I was a new Christian" I had a King James Bible that had been (iven to me in 4@9=, and I really treasured this beautiful Eible" I too! e.tremely (ood %are of it! 6s a matter of fa%t, I didnt want to wear it out, so I never read it" O really wanted to take good care of it! Even the (old was never %ra%!ed on my Eible" Ill have to be real honest and tell you this, I never %ould understand the King James version" The Revised Standard Version had be%ome very 49

popular by the time, I be%ame a Christian, so I as!ed my pastor if he would sele%t a version for me that he thou(ht I would really understand be%ause in my heart was %reated this desire for Gods $ord, and yet for some reason or other, King James &ust didnt (o over with me" I tried to read it, but I didnt (et very far" #e went to the Eible boo!store and pi%!ed out a Revised Standard for me and Ill never for(et the day he (ave it to me" #e brou(ht it into the offi%e and handed it to me, but he didnt really (ive it to me" #e held ti(htly to the one side and said, +Fran%es, dont you 160E Jand he s%ared me to death the way he said itK ever open this boo! without as!in( Gods #oly -pirit to reveal the truth to you", The Eible is nothin( but a bun%h of printed words upon plain old paper until Gods #oly -pirit reveals the truth to you" $ho is the -pirit of TruthC The #oly -pirit" +$hen the #oly -pirit, who is truth, %omes, he shall (uide you into all truth, for he will not be presentin( his own ideas, but will be passin( on to you what he has heard", JJohn 48N43K The #oly -pirit is the /N'? person who %an reveal the truth of the Eible to you" The Eible ou(ht to be as easy to understand as a firstD(rade reader, and it is, if you will as! the #oly -pirit to reveal the truth to you" I hope youll remember to never open the Eible without as!in( the -pirit of God to reveal the truth to you" I (uess my pastor really did a (ood &ob in impressin( me with this fa%t, be%ause I never open the Eible without as!in( the #oly -pirits (uidan%e" 6s a result, from that day on, the Eible be%ame as easy to understand as a beautiful firstD 43

(rade reader" Thats probably the reason I '/7E to read the Eible, be%ause its so easy to understand" Eefore you ever open your Eible, as! God to do somethin( for you! Just pray a simple little prayer" +God, may ?our #oly -pirit reveal the truth to me" $hat have ?ou (ot for me todayC Not yesterday, not last year, but T/16?C, -o many times people study the Eible and thin! its so important to !now where :aul went, and when" 1id he (o to Ephesus first, did he (o to Galatia first, did he (o to Thessaloni%a first """ but may I as! you a )uestionC Is that really important to youC Is it, when youre see!in( GodC Is that really importantC /r is the important thin(, +#ow did God use :aul to affe%t my lifeC, +#ow did God use :aul to say somethin( that spea!s to me todayC, +#ow %ould #e have said somethin( 9,;;; years a(o that is relevant to me now, and answers whatever problem Ive (ot in life todayC, 0ead the Eible that way and see the answers you find! There isnt anythin( in the Eible whi%h would indi%ate that Im s%ripturally %orre%t on this third point, but Im sure that God approves wholeD heartedly" $henever Im readin( the Eible, after Ive as!ed God to reveal the truth to me, I (et my little hotDpin! pen out be%ause I always underline" $hen I %ome a%ross somethin( thats (ood, I underline it on%e" $hen I %ome a%ross somethin( thats 0E6' (ood, I underline it two times" $hen I %ome a%ross somethin( thats out of si(ht, I underline it three times, and you should see a few pla%es in my Eible where I have &ust underlined all 4=

over the pla%e! -%ribble, s%ribble, s%ribble! This means God really spo!e to me throu(h those verses" #ow many of you have ever had a spiritual +down,C 1id you ever have a day when you felt +blah,C The best way to (et over feelin( +blah, is to (et into Gods #oly $ord, but dont (o to a portion that you havent underlined, or mar!ed up in some spe%ial way" Im always sure to stay out of the +be(at, %hapters, be%ause theres nothin( there that will turn you on and brin( you out of the doldrums" Get into a portion thats all underlined, or all mar!ed up" This means that God really spo!e to you throu(h a %ertain passa(e" $hen I need a spiritual lift, I (o over to a part where God really spo!e to me in an e.%itin( way" I )ui%!ly thumb throu(h and find a %hapter thats all mar!ed up be%ause I !now that Gods (ot somethin( spe%ial for me a(ain" Consider (ettin( a new Eible every year" 1o you !now that we have a tenden%y to (et hun( up if we dontC $e dont reali*e how many beautiful verses there are in the Eible" 1id you noti%e we !eep )uotin( the same verses year after year after year after year" I made up my mind that for the ne.t year Im (oin( to use all new verses of -%ripture! 1ont throw out the old verses, but learn some new ones! The Eible is &ust loaded with some fantasti% truths" The reason we su((est a new Eible is so that you %an start underlinin( afresh and anew" ?ou have no idea how your underlinin( will %han(e from year to year" I loo! ba%! at the Revised Standard that I %arried when I first be%ame a Christian" I still love the verses that I underlined then" Eut the verses that I left out are the ones that 4<

today I have underlined as bein( very important and very spe%ial" $hats really ama*in( are the ones I left out! ?ou may never really (row the way you should if you &ust !eep the same edition all the time" ?oull always have a favorite, but I thin! its fun to ma!e a %olle%tion of Eibles" Every Christian ou(ht to have every translation there is" There ou(ht to be a Eible every pla%e in your house where theres room! There ou(ht to be a Eible by every telephone in the house, be%ause somebody mi(ht %all you who needs a verse of -%ripture, and you dont want to have to say, +$ait until I (o and find my Eible somepla%e", If you &ust put a Eible by every telephone in the house, I (uarantee you that e.%itin( thin(s will happen to you! ?our livin( room should have one, your bedrooms should most %ertainly have one, but do you !now one of the best pla%es to put a EibleC In your bathroom! I was at a youth %onvention in /!lahoma on%e and I (ave this tal! on Eible readin(" I often say if I only had one tal! to (ive to a (roup I would share with them how to ma!e Jesus %ome alive throu(h the $ord, so I told them to put a Eible in their bathroom be%ause thats the best pla%e I !now of" There was a prea%her sittin( there who loo!ed at me and thou(ht, +/ooooooohhhhhhhh!, 'ater he said he thou(ht I was sa%rile(ious when I su((ested that, but after hed been there all wee! lon(, he said, +-omehow or other you &ust bubbled over every mornin( and the love of God was so obvious in your life, I thou(ht there must be somethin( to it", #e said, +I went home and snea!ed a little tiny 48

po%!et testament and put it in a drawer in the bathroom", J#e didnt want anyone to see it"K -i. months later I saw him and he said, +?ou !now, you were ri(ht" Ive never read the Eible so mu%h in my whole life as I have the last si. months sin%e I put one in the bathroom", #allelu&ah! Try puttin( one in your bathroom" Charles and I have stayed in the homes of many pastors a%ross the nation and we have a little sayin(, +Ey their bathroom literature shall ye !now them!, ?ou have no idea what we have found in the bathrooms of pastors and the homes of wellD!nown Christians! It seems to be an 6meri%an pastime to read there, so why not put some (ood literature there to read! The fourth thin( I want you to remember is probably the most important of all, be%ause this is where the se%ret of %omin( alive really %omes in" I (uess it was ri(ht after I be%ame a Christian, I snea!ed into the offi%e early one mornin(" I had a bi( %ounter around my des! in the printin( %ompany and I always !ept a Eible sti%!in( under there, so when there werent any %ustomers around, I would )ui%!ly pull the Eible out and read one or two little verses" This parti%ular mornin( God seemed to dire%t me to read in Galatians" I started readin( the first %hapter" 5any of the letters in the New Testament start with all the fan%y (reetin(s, +#ello my dear brothers and sisters, and un%les and aunts, and nie%es and nephews, and :hoebe and Euni%e and all 4>

the (irls that wor! in Caesars pala%e, in the (arba(e department, and washin( dishes and so forth,"" Then :aul would ta!e up a few verses sendin( (reetin(s from +all the dear brothers and sisters, and un%les and aunts, and nie%es and nephews, and :hoebe and Euni%e, and all the (irls that wor! here and there", 6nd I used to thin!, +$ho needs to read that !ind of stuffC, Those flowery (reetin(s didnt turn me on at all" I (uess I heard a sermon early in my Christian life on the sub&e%t of (ettin( off the mil! and (ettin( onto the meat of Gods $ord" I always thou(ht the flowery (reetin(s were the +mil!y way, stuff and I was in a hurry to (et down to the hambur(er! 6s I started readin( Galatians this one day, I flew throu(h all the flowery stuff and then (ot settled with my teeth into the meat" 6ll of a sudden I heard the real small, still voi%e of God" 5any times we dont hear that small voi%e of God" It was so soft and )uiet I %ould have passed it by e.%ept that I was really listenin(, and God said, +Go ba%!!, I thou(ht, +I wonder what I missedC, -o I went ba%!, and this is the way I read it +:aul an apostle not from men nor throu(h man ,but throu(h Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead!, 6nd thats &ust the way I read it, as fast as I %ould, and all run to(ether" Then I (ot down into the meat a(ain and on%e a(ain I heard that small, still voi%e say, +Go ba%!!, -o I went ba%! and thou(ht, +5aybe I read it a little too fast", -o I read it a little slower, sayin(, +:aul, an apostle not from men nor throu(h man, 4A

but throu(h Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead", RSV! 6nd I said, +Eut God, I didnt !now :aul" #e died a few years before I was born", I (ot down into the meat a(ain and a(ain I heard God say, +Go ba%!", I said, +God, that &ust didnt do a thin( for me,, and then I heard somethin( that revolutioni*ed my whole Eible readin(" #e said, +Im tal!in( to ?/2!, I had said +:auls dead, I didnt !now him", Eut God said, +Im tal!in( to ?/2!, 6ll of a sudden I reali*ed that God didnt write the Eible &ust for :aul and James and John and :eter" :aul didnt write it &ust for Timothy" God wrote it throu(h those men for 5E! 5y Eible is my personal love letter from God" /ver and over throu(h the years sin%e then Ive heard God repeat those words, +Im tal!in( to ?/2!, I really (ot e.%ited! I loo!ed around to ma!e sure no one was loo!in( JI for(ot that God was wat%hin( all the timeK and I did somethin( I had never done in my life before" I too! a pen%il Jbe%ause I thou(ht in %ase its sa%rile(ious I %an erase itK and s%rat%hed out Erother :auls name and put my own name in the Eible" 7ery softly in pen%il, I wrote +Fran%es", Then I read that same verse of -%ripture, and listen to what it said nowN +Fran%es, an apostle, not from men nor throu(h man Jbe%ause who saved meC No man or %hur%h ever saved meK, but throu(h Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised #E0 from the dead", ?ou see, I had been spiritually dead all those years" $ho %ommissioned meC 1id a %hur%hC 1id a pastorC No, 4@

God the Father and Jesus Christ were the ones who %ommissioned me" I (ot so e.%ited I started throu(h my Eible and I s%rat%hed out everybodys name I %ould find and put my own in" Every time I %ame a%ross James and John and :eter, et%", I &ust s%rat%hed them out and wrote Fran%es, Fran%es, Fran%es all throu(h the Eible" $hyC Ee%ause all of a sudden I reali*ed that God was tal!in( to me! Today when I read the Eible, God is tal!in( to 5E, and to no one else" #e is not sayin( these words to #is dis%iples" Jesus is sayin( these words to you and me today" Thats why every problem that you have in life has an answer, and that answer is in Gods #oly $ord, and no pla%e else" If people who have marria(e problems Jor any other problemsK would only reali*e that God laid down the (uidelines for marria(e 9,;;; years a(o and has never %han(ed them" No matter what todays %ir%umstan%es are, God never %han(ed #is mind about the perfe%t plan for marria(e" Those same rules, if we abide by them, will (ive ea%h one of us a marria(e that is as perfe%t as 6dam and Eves before they sinned" I (ot so turned on, I didnt want to do anythin( but put my name in the Eible" #owever, let me tell you this" 1ont put your name in the (ood pla%es unless youre willin( to put it in the +bad, ones! God %an (et very nasty in pla%es" Try puttin( your name in First Corinthians" Get over there in Galatians where #es tal!in( about those who are not filled with the #oly -pirit and God %an really (et nasty with you" Eut I praise #im for this, be%ause #e had to (et nasty with me Jand still doesK 9;

before I a%%epted Jesus, and #e had to ma!e me see myself for &ust what I was, and not the way I thou(ht I was" I had to see myself in real li(ht, be%ause #is #oly -pirit revealed what I really was and not a%%ordin( to my own personal opinion" -o I put my name in the +bad, pla%es too" I &ust went throu(h the Eible and really had fun" Id li!e to ta!e a little verse of -%ripture ri(ht now and show you the differen%e when you read somethin( the way it was ori(inally written in the Eible and the way it spea!s to you when you ma!e it personal" This is ta!en from " #rances 8N44D49" JThats what my Eible says"K /ri(inally it said Timothy, but now it says #rances$ $hen I first read it, this is what is saidN +/h, Timothy, you are Gods man" 0un from all these evil thin(s and wor! instead at what is ri(ht and (ood, learnin( to trust him and love others, and to be patient and (entle" Fi(ht on for God" #old ti(htly to the eternal life whi%h God has (iven you, and whi%h you have %onfessed with su%h a rin(in( %onfession before many witnesses", $hat (ood did it do me to have God tell Timothy that he was #is manC $hat (ood did it do me to have God tell Timothy to run from all these evil thin(sC It didnt do a bit of (ood, but listen when I put my own name in there" 5y Eible saysN +/h, #rances% you are Gods woman", Now, #es tal!in( to me" #e says, &#rances% you run Jnot TimothyK, ?/2 run from all these evil thin(s and you wor! instead at what is ri(ht and (ood, learnin( to trust him and love others, and to be patient and (entle", #es not tal!in( to Timothy to be patient 94

and (entle and to love others" #es tal!in( to Fran%es #unter and 4Dle says, &#rances% ?/2 be patient, ?/2 be (entle, ?/2 love others", 6nd then #e says, &#rances% fi(ht on for God", Not Timothy, be%ause he died a lon( time a(oM #es tal!in( to 5E! &#rances% ?/2 hold ti(htly to that eternal life whi%h God has (iven you and whi%h you have %onfessed with su%h a rin(in( %onfession before many witnesses", -ee how different the Eible be%omes when you ma!e it personalC 6s I said, God %an step on your toes, but when you reali*e that all of #is love is dire%ted at you, then it be%omes very vital" :robably the (reatest pla%e in the Eible to start puttin( your own name is John 3N48" I remember learnin( this verse when I was a little !id (oin( to -unday -%hool be%ause my mother and daddy made me" I didnt en&oy it a bit and didnt (et a thin( out of it, but I %ould say thin(s faster than anybody else, so I (ot a (old star for sayin( +For God so loved the world that he (ave his only be(otten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have ever lastin( life", Thats e.a%tly the way I said it and thats &ust e.a%tly how mu%h I (ot out of it" ?ou !now what John 3N48 says in my EibleC 0emember, this is 5? Eible" 5y personal love letter from God" 5y Eible saysN +For God so loved F06NCE- #2NTE0 that he (ave his only be(otten -on, that if Fran%es #unter should believe in #im Jand she doesK, she should not perish, but have everlastin( life,! #allelu&ah! God said it to me in #is #oly $ord, and the day that you %an understand that Gods $ord was 99

written for you is the day #is $ord will turn your life upside down" -ay that verse with me ri(ht now, will youC Close your eyes so you %an %lose out the rest of the world and say it with your name in it" +For God so loved PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP that #e (ave #is only be(otten -on, that if PPPPPPPPPPPPPPP should believe in #im, heOshe should not perish, but have everlastin( life", 1oesnt that (ive you spiritual (oose pimplesC I have said that thousands of times and I have never said it but that I see Jesus on the %ross, dyin( &ust for me" 6nd you !now what else I seeC I see Jesus %omin( out of the tomb, &ust for me! Not for all the rest of you, but &ust for me" God would have done it if Id been the only person in the whole world whod ever been born! Just li!e God would have done it for you if youd been the only person in the whole wide world! If there had never been another person born, God would have let Jesus die &ust for you! I want to share one %hapter in the Eible that I thin! is fantasti%ally beautiful" God (ave Charles and me a &oint ministry when we were married, so there are many pla%es in my Eible and in Charles Eible where we have written +Charles and Fran%es, be%ause we believe in the oneness of marria(e! This is the seventeenth %hapter of John, and Im )uotin( from The 'iving Bible( +$hen Jesus had finished sayin( all these thin(s he loo!ed up to heaven and said, GFather, the time has %ome" 0eveal the (lory of your -on so that he %an (ive the (lory ba%! to you" For you have (iven him authority over every man and woman in all the earth" #e (ives eternal life to 93

ea%h one you have (iven him" 6nd this is the way to have eternal life by !nowin( you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth! I brou(ht (lory to you here on earth by doin( everythin( you told me to" 6nd now, Father, reveal my (lory as I stand in your presen%e, the (lory we shared before the world be(an" +GI have told )harles and #rances all about you" They were in the world, but then you (ave them to me" 6%tually, )harles and #rances were always yours, and you (ave them to meM and they have obeyed you" Now )harles and #rances !now that everythin( I have is a (ift from you, for I have passed on to )harles and #rances the %ommands you (ave meM and they a%%epted them and !now of a %ertainty that I %ame down to earth from you, and they believe you sent me" +G5y plea is not for the world but for )harles and #rances whom you have (iven me be%ause they belon( to you" 6nd )harles and #rances% sin%e they are mine, belon( to youM and you have (iven them ba%! to me with everythin( else of yours Jand really listen to thisK, and so )harles and #rances are my (lory! + JCharles and Fran%es are my (lory! Eill is my (lory, 0uth is my (lory, -usan is my (lory, Tom and :atty are my (lory, Joan and Eob are my (lory! Thats what your Eible ou(ht to say, whatever your name is!K +GNow Im leavin( the world, and leavin( them behind, and %omin( to you" #oly Father, !eep )harles and #rances in your own %are all those you have (iven me, so that they will be united G&ust as we are, with none missin(" 1urin( my time here I have !ept safe within your family all of these you 9=

(ave me" I (uarded them so that not one perished, e.%ept the son of hell, as the -%riptures foretold" +G6nd now I am %omin( to you" I have told )harles and #rances many thin(s while I $6$IT# T#E5 -/ T#6T T#E? $/2'1 EE FI''E1 $IT# 5? J/?" I have (iven them your %ommands" 6nd the world hates them be%ause they dont fit in with it, &ust as I dont" Im not as!in( you to ta!e )harles and #rances out of the world, but to !eep them safe from -atans power" )harles and #rances are not part of this world any more than I am" J6nd to that I say :raise the 'ord!K 5a!e them pure and holy throu(h tea%hin( them your words of truth" 6s you sent me into the world, I am sendin( )harles and #rances into the world Jand I want you to listen to this promise of the livin( Jesus ChristN #e saidK, and I %onse%rate myself to meet )harles and #rances* need for (rowth in truth and holiness" JJesus said +I %onse%rate myself to meet )harles and #rances* need for (rowth in truth and holiness", " %onse%rate myself to meet +whoever you are, need for (rowth in truth and holiness" 6nd let me tell you somethin( I do not believe is prea%hed enou(h in %hur%hes today is holy livin(" /h, if we only understood the beauty of holiness" God says, +Ee ye holy as I am holy,, and Jesus Christ said, +I C/N-EC06TE myself to meet Charles and Fran%es need for (rowth in truth and holiness",K GI am not prayin( for )harles and #rances alone but also for the future believers who will %ome to 9<

me be%ause of the testimony of these" 5y prayer for all of them is that they will be of one heart and mind, &ust as you and I are, Father that &ust as you are in me and I am in you, so )harles and #rances will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me" +GI have (iven )harles and #rances the (lory you (ave me the (lorious unity of bein( one, as we are I n )harles and #rances and you in me, all bein( perfe%ted into one so that the world will !now you sent me and will understand that you love )harles and #rances as mu%h as you love me" JIsnt that beautifulC 6s mu%h as Jesus" #e loves 2- as mu%h as #e loves Jesus"K Father, I want )harles and #rances with 5E" JThat turns me on! Jesus sayin( I want Charles and Fran%es with #im" The resurre%ted -on of the livin( God says #e wants us up there with #im" #allelu&ah!K these youve (iven me so that they %an see my (lory" ?ou (ave me the (lory be%ause you loved me before the world be(an! G; ri(hteous Father, the world doesnt !now you, but I doM and )hares and #rances !now you sent me" 6nd I have revealed you to them, and will !eep on revealin( you so that the mi(hty love you have for me may be in )harles and #rances% and I in them" Thats one %hapter in the Eible made personal" $ill you ma!e your own Eible personalC ?our Eible is God spea!in( dire%tly to you" The God who wants to transform your life" The God who wants to ma!e that brandDnew %reature out of you! 98

These are Gods personal love letters to you" 1id you ever (et a love letter from your husband or wife before you were marriedC 1id you throw it in a %orner and say, +I dont have time to read that today this wee! this month" Ill (et around to readin( it some one of these times!,C /r did you do &ust li!e I did when I (ot love letters from CharlesC I opened them up immediately and read them throu(h on%e, then twi%e, then three times and sometimes more often than that" Eefore I met Charles, I opened up the %he%!s for my printin( %ompany first of all, but when those love letters started %omin( from my beloved, I threw everythin( else aside to open them first" $e should feel the same way about Gods $ord! I wonder what e.%use were (oin( to have when we stand before #im on that day of &ud(ment and #e saysN +1id you read 5y love letters all of themC, Thin! of some of the flimsy e.%uses some of us are (oin( to have! +I was too busy """ I always meant to, but &ust never found the time!, #ow is God (oin( to feel when we say, +$ell, &ust some of them be%ause I %ould never understand the /ld Testament,C 'ets pray, shall weC Father, we than! ?ou for ?our #oly $ord" -omehow ri(ht now, Father, ?our presen%e is so real and so near and so dear as ea%h one of us reali*es that our own Eible is our personal love letter from ?ou" Father, Tom and :attys Eible, and Joan and Eobs Eible, doesnt have Charles and Fran%esM it has Tom and :atty, and Eob and Joan, so 9>

thats your spe%ial word &ust to them" Father, we than! ?ou for the fa%t that ?ouve (iven to ea%h one of us a personal love letter" 6 love letter to ta!e to heart, a love letter to read, reread and reread and reread" 6 love letter where we %an &ust wallow in ?our love, as we reali*e that ?oure &ust tal!in( to us and not to anyone else in the entire world" Father, we love ?ou, we worship ?ou, we bow down before ?ou bow down before ?ou, be%ause ?ouve (iven us su%h a simple, easy plan to follow, be%ause all we have to do is read ?our $ord and !now what ?ou say to us, and thats the answer to it all" Thats the way to the abundant life" Father, we pray ri(ht now that every person in this moment of prayer will &ust somehow lift upD whatever need they have" Jesus, we &ust as! ?ou to rea%h down and ta!e every need out of every hand be%ause weve never !nown anybody to rea%h up where ?ou didnt rea%h down, and answer their prayer" $e &ust than! ?ou for what ?oure doin( in hearts ri(ht now" 'ord Jesus, if there are those who need to ma!e a new de%ision to serve ?ou and (ive their life to ?ou, let them %ry out ri(ht now in silen%e sayin(, +Jesus, its all the way with me from now on!, Father, if there are those readin( these pa(es who have un%onfused sin in their lives, may they, in the holiness of ?our :resen%e in these pa(es, %onfess that sin ri(ht now and say +'ord Jesus, for(ive me", Father, may ea%h of us who have read this %hapter have a renewed determination to spend 9A

more time in ?our love fetters" Than! ?ou for lovin( us" I often wonder why ?ou do, but Im not )uestionin( it" Im &ust (oin( to a%%ept ?our love and say +Than! ?ou, Jesus" Than! ?ou, Jesus" Than! ?ou, Jesus, that ?ou did all of this &ust for me,, &ust li!e every person readin( this boo! %an say +&ust for me", Than! ?ou for what youre doin( in the heart of every person who reads this boo!"

9@

EPHESIANS Ephesians 1 :4-8 Long ago, even before he made the world, God chose us to be his very own, through what Christ would do for us; he decided then to make us holy in his eyes, without a single fault we who stand before him covered with his love. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for us. And he did this because he wanted to! Now all praise to God for his wonderful kindness to us and his favor that he has poured out upon us, because we belong to his dearly loved Son. So overflowing is his kindness towards us that he took away all our sins through the blood of his Son, by whom we are saved; and he has showered down upon us the richness of his grace for how well he understands us and knows what is best for us at all times. I often refer to Ephesians as the +wow, boo! of the Eible" The promises in this boo! are really earthsha!in( and almost beyond the s%ope of the human mind to understand" There is some tremendous advi%e throu(hout on how to live the Christian life" God always does #is part, but there are many areas of our life where #e always (ives us the %hoi%e of doin( what #e wants us to do, or 3;

followin( our own natural desires" -omehow if we understand what God e.pe%ts us to do, and if we understand how #e e.pe%ts us to live, it ma!es it mu%h easier all the way around" $e dont have problems tryin( to live as God wants us to, as lon( as we BN/$ what it is #e wants, and #e doesnt have problems with us when we are tryin( to be the !ind of a person #e wants us to be" 'oo! at what this part of Ephesians has to say %on%ernin( you" -in%e my Eible is personal all the way throu(hout, I want to let you see what it saysN +God %hose Fran%es to be his very own, throu(h what Christ would do for herM he de%ided then to ma!e her holy in his eyes, without a sin(le fault Fran%es, who stands before him %overed with his love", J:ut your own name in there and see what it does to you when you read it out loud, ri(ht now!K That is almost beyond the %apabilities of my finite mind to understand that God in #is love and #is (ra%e and #is mer%y was willin( to %hoose me, and to ma!e me holy in #is eyes, without a sin(le fault, and today I stand before #im %overed with #is love" 6t this point I am sayin( this about myself be%ause of what that verse does for me, and I !now at this moment it must be doin( e.a%tly the same thin( for you when you reali*e the ma(nitude of this beautiful promise of God" 0ead on" +#is un%han(in( plan has always been to adopt Fran%es into his own family by sendin( Jesus Christ to die for her" -nd he did this because he wanted to!. Just thin!, in #is beautiful plan to adopt you and me into #is own family, #e let Jesus 34

die for us be%ause #e wanted to" Not be%ause #e had to, but be%ause #e wanted to" 0ead on in verse >" +-o overflowin( is his !indness towards Fran%es that he too! away all her sins throu(h the blood of his -on, by whom Fran%es is saved", #ow %an we possibly understand the fullness of #is love and !indness toward us when He removed all of our sins through the blood of Jesus! Did you ever try to total up all the things that have ever been sin in your life, and then be aware of the fact that God took them all away? All I have to do is even think of a few of the things Hes done for me in the way of forgiveness, and I know it would take me more than a hundred years to even attempt to write down all the things Hes forgiven me for. Hallelujah! And yet all you and I have to do is to accept it. And this promise assures you that you are adopted into His own family. Youre not a stepchild, youre a real part of His family, just like Jesus. Now !eep readin( onN +6nd he has showered down upon Fran%es the ri%hness of his (ra%e for how well he understands Fran%es and !nows what is best for Fran%es at all times", Isnt it beautiful to !now be%ause of #is !indness #e has showered down upon me Jand you, tooK the very ri%hness of #is (ra%e and #is (ra%e will lift you above the thin(s of this world" Isnt it e.%itin( to !now how well #e understands you Jand me, tooK and isnt it beyond ones ability to des%ribe to have the promise that #e !nows what is best for me Jand youK at all timesC #avent you ever 39

wondered what would be the best thin( for youC 6nd then havent you shillyDshallied ba%! and forth tryin( to ma!e up your mind" Its beautiful to !now that #e !nows what is best for me at all times, and all Ive (ot to do is to wal! with #im moment by moment and the best is always mine" Not be%ause Im smart at all, not be%ause Im a favorite at all, but be%ause #is $ord says so! #allelu&ah! Ephesians 1:9-1 2 God has told us his secret reason for sending Christ, a plan he decided on in mercy long ago; and this was his purpose: that when the time is ripe he will gather us all together from wherever we are in heaven or on earth to be with him in Christ, forever. Moreover, because of what Christ has done we have become gifts to God that he delights in, for as part of Gods sovereign plan we were chosen from the beginning to be his, and all things happen just as he decided long ago. Gods purpose in this was that we should praise God and give glory to him for doing these mighty things for us, who were the first to trust in Christ. 1id you ever wonder what Gods reason was for sendin( ChristC #is purpose was +that when the time is ripe he will (ather us all to(ether from wherever we are in heaven or on earth to be with him in Christ, F/0E7E0", Forever, forever, forever, forever, forever" No more ni(ht or day, no 33

more time to worry about, no nothin(, &ust the privile(e of bein( with #im in heaven" 1id you ever reali*e that Gods $ord says Jand so its a promiseK that you be%ome GIFT- to God that #e deli(hts inC I %ant thin! of anythin( about me that God mi(ht want as a (ift, and yet #is $ord says when I ma!e it personal that +be%ause of what Christ has done Fran%es has be%ome a (ift to God that #e deli(hts in, """ God, please dont throw any of ?our (ifts away, even thou(h they may not be all that ?ou want" Eut than! ?ou, 'ord, that ?ou deli(ht in this old (ift of my life" $hat was Gods purpose in all thisC 'oo! what #is $ord saysN +Gods purpose in this was that we should /raise God and (ive glory to him for doin( these mi(hty thin(s for us, who were the first to trust in Christ", Father, we praise ?ou, we ma(nify ?ou, we (ive ?ou the honor and the (lory" $e than! ?ou, Father, that ?ou allowed us to be%ome (ifts that ?ou %ould deli(ht in" Father, may we never run short of praise to tell ?ou how mu%h we love ?ou, and may we never short%ut ?ou on time to praise ?ou and worship ?ou and (ive ?ou the (lory for doin( these mi(hty thin(s for us" Father, we love ?ou! Ephesians 1:13-14 And becauseof what Christ did, all you others too, who heard the Good News about how to be saved, and trusted Christ, were 3=

marked as belonging to Christ by the Holy Spirit, who long ago had been promised to all of us Christians. His presence within us is Gods guarantee that he really will give us all that he promised; and the Spirits seal upon us means that God has already purchased us and that he guarantees to bring us to himself. This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God. Father, that verse &ust says it so spe%ifi%ally that the presen%e of the #oly -pirit within us is ?our (uarantee that #e will (ive us all that ?ou promised and that promise in%ludes brin(in( us to ?ourself" Just one more reason for us to praise ?ou" $e praise ?ou, Father, we love ?ou, Father, we worship ?ou, we adore ?ou" $e praise ?ou for ?our (oodness to us, we praise ?ou for ?our promises" $e praise ?ou be%ause ?our $ord %omes so alive when )ui%!ened by the #oly -pirit" $e praise ?ou be%ause ?ou (ave us the #oly -pirit to ma!e ?our -%riptures %ome alive, so that we mi(ht !now all the thin(s ?ou have in store for us" Ephesians 1:15-18 That is why, ever since I heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and of the love you have for Christians everywhere, I have never stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you wisdom to see clearly and really understand who Christ is and all that he has done for 3<

you. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can see something of the future he has called you to share. I want you to realize that God has been made rich because we who are Christs have been given to him! 'isten to this beautiful promise of God" This is one verse I dont understand, and probably never will, but thats unimportant" I &ust a%%ept it" 1o you reali*e that God has been made ri%h be%ause you who belon( to Christ have been (iven to #imC 6ll I %ould thin! of was, +God, how %ould ?ou be made ri%h be%ause of meC, There sure isnt any (ood reason, e.%ept the only reason thats important" #is $ord says so, and if #is $ord says #e is ri%h be%ause I have been (iven to #im, then I shall be eternally (rateful, even thou(h I am not %apable of understandin( #is mer%yM I &ust a%%ept it" Father, than! ?ou, that be%ause I belon( to Jesus I have been (iven to ?ou and that ?ou have been made ri%h be%ause of this" Father, nothin( about me %ould ma!e ?ou ri%h, e.%ept ?our promise, and what a &oy it is, Father, to !now that in some little way ?ou have been made ri%h be%ause of me" I am so ri%h be%ause of ?ou and what ?ou have done for my life, and I than! ?ou for it" Ephesians 2:1-6 Once you were under Gods curse, doomed forever for your sins. You went along with the crowd and were just like all the others, full of sin, obeying Satan, the 38

mighty prince of the power of the air, who is at work right now in the hearts of those who are against the Lord. All of us used to be just as they are, our lives expressing the evil within us, doing every wicked thing that our passions or our evil thoughts might lead us into. We started out bad, being born with evil natures, and were under Gods anger just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy; he loved us so much that even though we were spiritually dead and doomed by our sins, he gave us back our lives again when he raised Christ from the dead only by his undeserved favor have we ever been saved and lifted us up from the grave into glory along with Christ, where we sit with him in the heavenly realms all because of what Christ Jesusdid. This verse brin(s a %hu%!le to my mind be%ause on%e in a while we for(et what we were before we met Jesus" Not everyone has the same ba%!(round, but we are all sinners of one !ind or another, and I dont really believe in Gods eyes one sin is worse than another, do youC 6nd so, while some people are wi%!ed in the worlds eyes be%ause they drin! and smo!e and %arouse around, others are e)ually wi%!ed in Gods eyes be%ause of their %riti%al attitude, or their inability to tell the truth, or many other little +Christian, sins" The Eible says we all started out the sameM praise God, #e has no favorites" 3>

Now read verses = on, and see the reason why we %an re&oi%e even thou(h we were on%e under Gods %urse" +Eut God is so ri%h in mer%yM he loved Fran%es so mu%h that even thou(h she was spiritually dead and doomed by her sins, he (ave her ba%! her life a(ain when he raised Christ from the dead only by his undeserved favor has Fran%es ever been saved and lifted Fran%es up from the (rave into (lory alon( with Christ, where she sits with him in the heavenly realms all be%ause of what Christ Jesus did", #ow true that promise of God is" I was so spiritually dead and doomed by my own sins, and yet #is mer%y was so ri%h and so (reat that #e (ave me life a(ain be%ause of Jesus! 6nd to thin! that #e has lifted me up from the spiritual (rave into (lory alon( with Christ, where I sit in the heavenly realms" 6nd even thou(h I am +in, the world, I am not +of, the world, so I sit in the heavenly realms day by day" #allelu&ah! ?our name (oes in there &ust as beautifully as mine does, so see what it says to youC 1id #e raise you from spiritual deadness and up into (lory alon( with ChristC #allelu&ah! $hoever thou(ht life %ould be this fabulousC Ephesians 3:17-21 And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living within you as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of Gods marvelous love; and may you be able to feel and understand, as all Gods children should, 3A

how long, how wide, how deep, and how high his love really is; and to experience this love for yourselves, though it is so great that you will never see the end of it or fully know or understand it. And so at last you will be filled up with God himself. Now glory be to God who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes. May he be given glory forever and ever through endless ages because of his master plan of salvation for the church through JesusChrist. This portion of Ephesians mi(ht possibly be my favorite passa(e in the Eible be%ause there are so many (lorious promises of God %ontained in these few verses" The first time I ever read it, I wrote +$/$, alon(side of it" Thats &ust how I felt! 0ead the first one, personali*edN +6nd I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in Fran%es heart, livin( within her as she trusts in him", /ne of the first thin(s that God said to me throu(h #is #oly $ord was that #e wanted to live IN and T#0/2G# me" #e saidN +I dont want ?/2 to try be%ause nobody %an live the Christian life", #e said, +I want to live in and throu(h you" I want to do 5? wor! in and throu(h ?/2" I dont want you to do it be%ause youre not %apable of it", Then #e simply said, +$ould you &ust (et yourself 3@

out of the way, and (ive 5e ?/2, and let 5e have your body to spea! in and throu(h", $hy God should want to live in and throu(h su%h an imperfe%t vessel as I am, Ill never !now, but praise God, I dont have to !now! I &ust have to believe, be%ause #is $ord says so!!! Now !eep on readin( and see that ne.t beautiful promise %omin( up! +5ay your roots (o down deep into the soil of Gods marvelous loveM and may you be able to feel and understand, as all Gods %hildren should, how lon(, how wide, how deep, and how hi(h his love really isM and to e.perien%e this love for yourselves, thou(h it is so (reat that you will never see the end of it or fully !now or understand it" JNow listen to Gods promise for ?/2!K 6nd so at last F06NCE- will be filled up with God himself!, The first time I ever put my name in that -%ripture, I found it impossible to %omprehend that the God who %reated the universe, the God who hun( the stars in pla%e, the God who is all in all, had promised that someday I would be filled all the way up to the top with #imself" Just sit for a moment, will you, as you read this, and meditate on what that says to you! God says that someday ?/2 will be filled all the way up to the top with #is (lorious presen%e" $ho %ould ever as! for anythin( moreC 0ead on""" +Now (lory be to God who by his mi(hty power at wor! within Fran%es is able to do far more than Fran%es would ever dare to as! or even dream of infinitely beyond her hi(hest prayers, desires, thou(hts, or hopes", =;

-ee how the $ord of God emphasi*es a(ain that its God wor!in( $IT#IN you that ma!es the differen%e" I thin! at this moment of the %rippled little boy with %erebral palsy that I held in my arms and %ried out to God to heal him" Nothin( I ever did would have healed him, but, +God, who by his mi(hty power at wor! within Fran%es, did! 6nd so God +is able to do far more than Fran%es would ever dare to as! or even dream of infinitely beyond her hi(hest prayers, desires, thou(hts, or hopes", Than! ?ou, Jesus! Than! ?ou, Jesus! 5ay #e be (iven (lory forever and ever throu(h endless a(es be%ause of #is master plan of salvation for the %hur%h throu(h Jesus Christ! Ephesians 4:23-32 Now your attitudes and thoughts must all be constantly changing for the better. Yes, you must be a new and different person, holy and good. Clothe yourself with this new nature. Stop lying to each other, tell the truth, for we are parts of each other and when we lie to each other we are hurting ourselves. If you are angry, dont sin by nursing your grudge. Dont let the sun go down with you still angry get over it quickly; for when you are angry you give a mighty foothold to the devil. If anyone is stealing he must stop it and begin using those hands of his for honest =4

work so he can give to others in need. Dont use bad language. Say only what is good and helpful to those you are talking to, and what will give them a blessing. Dont cause the Holy Spirit sorrow by the way you live. Remember, he is the one who marks you to be present on that day when salvation from sin will be complete. Stop being mean, bad-tempered and angry. Quarreling, harsh words, and dislike of others should have no place in your lives. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God has forgiven you because you belong to Christ. #eres somethin( that %an really %han(e your lifeDstyle" This little se%tion has revised and revamped the lives of many people who reali*e that what seems to some to be a simple statement, is really a promise" +Now your attitudes and thou(hts must 6'' be %han(in( for the better" ?es, you must be a new and different person, holy and (ood" Clothe yourself with this new nature", 1o you reali*e what this saysC It says to me when I first be%ame a Christian Jand still doesK that Jesus would (ive me the power to be able to %han(e all of my attitudes" The selfishness had to (o and the %riti%al thou(hts I had about people had to be %han(in( for the better, be%ause Jesus said so" 6nd if #e said so, then #e would (ive me the power to see that the attitudes and thou(hts were %han(in(" 6nd see #is ne.t promise" +?es, you must be a new =9

and different person, holy and (ood", #e didnt say I %ould (o on bein( the same old person, with a %riti%al spirit, with a filthy mouth, with a lot of sin %ontinuin( in my life" #e said very emphati%ally that I must be a +new and different person, holy and (ood", #ow %ould I be holy and (oodC There wasnt any way, e.%ept #e promised that I had to be, so it was #is power that would (ive me the ability to be what #e wanted me to be" 6nd then #e went on to say, +Clothe yourself with this new nature", #e didnt say to &ust put on one sto%!in( of this nature, and leave the other old %lothes onM #e didnt say &ust to put on a new blouse and leave the rest of the %lothes the same, #e said to +%lothe, myself with this new nature, whi%h meant removin( all of the +old, self and %overin( it with the new" #allelu&ah! Now loo! how personal #e (ets and how #e (ets into that inner man of you" +Fran%es and 5ary, stop lyin( to ea%h otherM tell the truth, for we are parts of ea%h other and when we lie to ea%h other we are hurtin( ourselves", 1id it ever dawn on you how many Christians fail to be truthfulC 5any of them thin! its all ri(ht to tell a little +white, lie" If we really believed Gods $ord, we would !now that when we lie to ea%h other we are hurtin( /20-E'7E-! 1id you ever thin! about it that wayC 1id you ever thin! that when you speed a +little, over the limit, the one you are hurtin( is yourselfC ?oure not hurtin( the poli%e offi%er who is sent there to prote%t you, you are hurtin( yourself, and who wants to hurt themselvesC Not me! =3

$ould you li!e to %ondu%t a little surveyC Try for the ne.t 3; days to be 4;; per%ent truthful in all situations, and if you arent )uite 4;; per%ent, write it down on a little s%rat%h pad, and see how many times durin( the wee! you are %he%!ed by the #oly -pirit" This %an be one of the most interestin( e.periments in the world" Ee sure and put your name in these verses, too! $e dont only put our names in the +(ood, pla%es, but in the +bad, pla%es also" 1o you !now that some of your (reatest Christian (rowth %an %ome when God is steppin( all over your toesC 6s lon( as weve started, we mi(ht as well (o on lettin( the #oly -pirit step on our toes" +Fran%es, if you are an(ry, dont sin by nursin( your (rud(e" Fran%es, dont let the sun (o down with you still an(ry (et over it )ui%!lyM for when you are an(ry you (ive a mi(hty foothold to the devil", #ow many times have married %ouples turned their ba%!s on ea%h other when they (o to bed be%ause one or the other is +miffed, be%ause of somethin( the other one said, or be%ause of some misunderstandin(" This is one of the (reatest tri%!s of the devil himself, be%ause when you let an(er stay in you, he really (ets a mi(hty foothold! 1id you ever start to (et over bein( mad, and then &ust by thin!in( about it "*ll make him suffer!% de%ided you were (oin( to stay madC This is when -atan really has a field day, be%ause as lon( as he %an !eep you thin!in( about how mad you are, he %an !eep your mind off the thin(s of God! Just try ==

thin!in( about Gods love when youre mad at someone! Cant be done! Gods $ord is so e.pli%it in this matter, lets for(et all about ever (ettin( mad, shall weC 'ets %ontinue, if you still have %oura(e" +If anyone is stealin( he must stop it and be(in usin( those hands of his for honest wor! so he %an (ive to others in need", Now you mi(ht be sayin(, +Im honest, I wouldnt steal a sin(le, solitary thin(", 'ets thin! about that a little more, shall weC 1o you wor!C 1o you %ons%ientiously (ive your employer the full ei(ht hours daily that he pays you for, or do you spend time about the water %ooler or drin!in( fountainC #ow mu%h time do you spend on %offee brea!s """ how mu%h time do you waste drin!in( Co!es and the li!e Jeven if theyre at your des!K """ how mu%h time do you spend +visitin(, in the offi%eC 6s! yourselfN +If Im (ettin( paid for this time, am I totally honest when I waste this mu%h time doin( thin(s that are not produ%tive for my employerC, Its ama*in( how mu%h more effi%ient we %an be when we thin! about it this way" ?ou may not have %oura(e for this ne.t part, but I hope you will han( in here with me, be%ause it %an really bless your life" J0emember God had to step all over me or I wouldnt have dis%overed this myself, and it really hurt!K +1ont use bad lan(ua(e" -ay only what is (ood and helpful to those you are tal!in( to, and what will (ive them a blessin(", ?oure sayin( ri(ht now, +I dont use bad lan(ua(e" I have never sworn or %ursed or used bad lan(ua(e", It &ust depends on what you %all bad =<

lan(ua(e" 1o you !now that +bad, lan(ua(e %an be almost anythin( you say, dependin( on your attitude when you say itC 1id you !now that a lot of Christians (et involved in what Charles des%ribes as +shoot %ussin(, in his boo!C #ow many times have you said, +/h my (oodness!, !nowin( full well that your (oodness is as filthy ra(s" 6nyone with a %riti%al spirit %an be usin( +bad, lan(ua(e when they %riti%i*e another" 0emember when you %riti%i*e anyone to a third party, you are not blessin( them at all! 'oo! what the Eible saysN +Fran%es, say only what is (ood and helpful to those who you are tal!in( to, and what will (ive them a blessin(!, This is one of the pla%es where ma!in( the Eible personal %an really hurt, but one of the (reatest blessin(s that %an ever o%%ur to you will o%%ur durin( these moments of hurt" JThin! how (ood its (oin( to be when youve dropped that nasty habit"K #allelu&ah!!! -!ip down &ust a little bit more, will youC +-top bein( mean, badDtempered and an(ry" Quarrelin(, harsh words, and disli!e of others should have no pla%e in your lives" Instead, be !ind to ea%h other, tenderDhearted, for(ivin( one another, &ust as God has for(iven you be%ause you belon( to Christ", #ave you ever said, +I %ant help it, I was &ust made this way,C Great, if you want to (o on believin( that way" Eut did you !now that when youve been born a(ain you are a brandDnew %reature in Christ, and dont have a ri(ht any lon(er to have been +born, that way% be%ause you sure havent been +born a(ain, that wayC =8

Thin! how easy it is to be tenderDhearted, for(ivin( one another &ust be%ause of the way God for(ave you be%ause you belon( to Christ! Glory, God, ?ou ma!e it so easy" Ephesians 5:1-11 Follow Gods example in everything you do just as a much loved child imitates his father. Be full of love for others, following the example of Christ who loved you and gave himself to God as a sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased, for Christs love for you was like sweet perfume to him. Let there be no sex sin, impurity or greed among you. Let no one be able to accuse you of any such things. Dirty stories, foul talk and coarse jokes these are not for you. Instead, remind each other of Gods goodnessand be thankful. You can be sure of this: The kingdom of Christ and of God will never belong to anyone who is impure or greedy, for a greedy person is really an idol worshiper he loves and worships the good things of this life more than God. Dont be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the terrible wrath of God is upon all those who do them. Dont even associate with such people. For though once your heart was full of darkness, now it is full of light from the =>

Lord, and your behavior should show it! Because of this light within you, you should do only what is good and right and true. Learn as you go along what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless pleasures of evil and darkness, but instead, rebuke and expose them. I thin! of my little (randson, 1avid, who loves his daddy so mu%h he follows him all over the pla%e, and imitates everythin( he does" If Tom lau(hs, he lau(hs" If Tom stamps his foot, 1avid stamps his foot! If Tom hu(s him, 1avid hu(s him ri(ht ba%!" #e does his very best to imitate everythin( that his daddy does" $hyC Ee%ause he really loves his daddy! 6nd we should be e.a%tly the same way about God" $e dont have to worry about how to behave be%ause #e &ust tells us to behave and follow #is e.ample" +Ee full of love for others", God is so plain in #is $ord about lovin( our nei(hbors, and lovin( others more than we love ourselves" If we believe that Christ lives in us, we should always be bubblin( over with love" Then #e tells you what not to do" 6nd #e ma!es it so simple, and when you %ome ri(ht down to it, God is not tryin( to bind you into a miserable life, #e is &ust freein( you from doin( the thin(s that really never made you happy" I thin! of all the dirty &o!es I told before I met Jesus" I thin! of the swear words I !new and used before I met Jesus" They really didnt ma!e me happy, it was &ust a %overDup for a need in my life" $hen Jesus met the need, there was no pla%e for this type of thin(, and =A

praise God! I dont believe I %ould remember a dirty &o!e if I tried" J6nd Im not (oin( to try!K Than! ?ou, Jesus, for ?our %leansin( power! I &ust love the ei(hth, ninth, and tenth verses in a real spe%ial way be%ause #e firmly promises that now it is +full of li(ht from the 'ord, and your behavior should show it!, Now that #es promised that your heart is full of li(ht from the 'ord, who %ould help but show it! 6nd now another promise where #e says that be%ause of this li(ht within you, youre (oin( to %han(e" ?ou &ust %ant help it" 5a!e it personal, and see what it saysN +Ee%ause of this li(ht within Fran%es, Fran%es should do only what is (ood and ri(ht and true", Isnt it easy, be%ause #e tells you be%ause of this li(ht youll have the power to do only those thin(s that are (ood and ri(ht and trueC #e %ontinues on to say that you should learn as you (o alon( to please #im" In other words, (et into #is $ord and find out what pleases #im" 6nd then #e (ives a %lear instru%tion %on%ernin( sinN +Ta!e no part in the worthless pleasures of evil and dar!ness, Fran%es, but instead, rebu!e and e.pose them", #e %ertainly ma!es it plain about stayin( away from sinM and #e lets you !now what sin is, &ust so you wont have to debate in your mind whether its sin or not" 6 (ood rule to follow is, +$hen in doubt, leave it out", /%%asionally Ive heard people say that this type of verse isnt really (ood to read, but I often thin! Gods instru%tions are so simple, they ma!e #is promises easy to understand when theyre obeyed! =@

Than! ?ou, Jesus, for never leavin( us in doubt as to whats ri(ht and whats wron(! Ephesians 5:21 -33 Honor Christ by submitting to each other. You wives must submit to your husbands leadership in the same way you submit to the Lord. For a husband is in charge of his wife in the same way Christ is in charge of his body the church. (He gave his very life to take care of it and be its Savior!) So you wives must willingly obey your husbands in everything, just as the church obeys Christ. And you husbands, show the same kind of love to your wives as Christ showed to the church when he died for her, to make her holy and clean, washed by baptism and Gods Word; so that he could give her to himself as a glorious church without a single spot or wrinkle or any other blemish, being holy and without a single fault. That is how husbands should treat their wives, loving them as parts of themselves. For since a man and his wife are now one, a man is really doing himself a favor and loving himself when he loves his wife No one hates his own body but lovingly cares for it, just as Christ cares for his body the church, of which we are parts. (That the husband and wife are one body is proved by the Scripture which says, <;

A man must leave his father and mother when he marries, so that he can be perfectly joined to his wife, and the two shall be one.) I know this is hard to understand, but it is an illustration of the way we are parts of the body of Christ. So again I say, a man must love his wife as a part of himself; and the wife must see to it that she deeply respects her husband obeying, praising and honoring him. " love everything the Bible has to say about marriage! God %ertainly !new what #e was doin( when #e made man and woman, and #e !new what #e was doin( when #e laid down the (round rules! 6(ain, I feel if we would ma!e all of Gods $ord personal, it would spea! to us in a mu%h (reater way! $ith no %omments, Im (oin( to put down what my Eible says and I thin! it will spea! by itself" +#onor Christ by submittin( to ea%h other" Fran%es must submit to Charles leadership in the same way Fran%es submits to the 'ord" For Charles is in %har(e of Fran%es in the same way Christ is in %har(e of his body the %hur%h" J#e (ave his very life to ta!e %are of it and be its -avior!K -o Fran%es must willin(ly obey Charles in everythin(, &ust as the %hur%h obeys Christ" +6nd Charles, show the same !ind of love to Fran%es as Christ showed to the %hur%h when he died for her, to ma!e her holy and %lean, washed by baptism and Gods $ordM so that he %ould (ive her to himself as a (lorious %hur%h without a sin(le spot <4

or wrin!le or any other blemish, bein( holy and without a sin(le fault" That is how Charles should treat Fran%es, lovin( Fran%es as part of Charles" For sin%e Charles and Fran%es are now one, Charles is really doin( himself a favor and lovin( himself when he loves Fran%es" No one hates his own body but lovin(ly %ares for it, &ust as Christ %ares for his body, the %hur%h, of whi%h we are parts" +JThat Charles and Fran%es are one body is proved by the -%ripture whi%h says, GCharles must leave his father and mother when he marries, so that he %an be perfe%tly &oined to Fran%es, and the two shall be one"K I !now this is hard to understand, but it is an illustration of the way we are parts of the body of Christ" +-o a(ain I say, Charles must love Fran%es as a part of himself, and Fran%es must see to it that she deeply respe%ts Charles obeyin(, praisin( and honorin( him", #allelu&ah! Than! ?ou, Jesus, for ma!in( it so plain how married people should love ea%h other" I want to en%oura(e every married %ouple to put their names in this beautiful part of Gods $ord, and see what it does to their marria(e" This is the way our house is run and this is why we believe our marria(e is perfe%t! Just simply be%ause of Gods $ord, not be%ause of either of us!

<9

COLOSSIANS
The boo! of Colossians is one of the most e.%itin( boo!s in the Eible """ or at least thats the way it appears to me" 5any of the truths of the real se%ret of Christian livin( are plainly, yet (loriously, stated in this beautiful boo!" 5y first in%lination was to &ust )uote the entire boo!, but then it seemed best to pull out the most spe%ta%ular 1arts for help in our daily wal! with Jesus" Colossians 1:11 -1 2 We are praying, too, that you will be filled with his mighty, glorious strength so that you can keep going no matter what happens always full of the joy of the Lord, and always thankful to the Father who has made us fit to share all the wonderful things that belong to those who live in the kingdom of light. $hat a (reat promise of God that you will be filled with #is mi(hty, (lorious stren(th so that you %an kee/ going% no matter what ha//ens """ and always full of the &oy of the 'ord" Isnt it satisfyin( to !now that there is a /ower that is suffi%ient to !eep you (oin( re(ardless of what %omes alon(C 6nd we %an 6'$6?- be full of the Joy of the 'ord" No pla%e in Gods #oly $ord for lon(Dfa%e Christians" #allelu&ah! Colossians 1:15-17 <3

 Christ is the exact likeness of the unseen God. He existed before God made anything at all, and, in fact, Christ himself is the Creator who made everything in heaven and earth, the things we can see and the things we cant; the spirit world with its kings and kingdoms, its rulers and authorities; all were made by Christ for his own use and glory. He was before all else began and it is his power that holds everything together. I hope youre readin( ea%h and every one of these passa(es of -%ripture %arefully and slowly, meditatin( on what God is sayin( to ?/2, ri(ht now throu(h these words" Christ #imself is the Creator who made everythin( in heaven and earth, and loo! at these words, +It is his power that holds everythin( to(ether", 6re you really aware of the fa%t that this power is an awesome thin(C $hen the end of the world %omes, nobody is (oin( to have to destroy the earth" 6ll Christ has to do is to let (o and there it is E//5! and it e.ists no more" Cup your fin(ers to(ether li!e youre holdin( a round ball in between your two hands, lettin( your fin(ertips li(htly tou%h ea%h other" Just ima(ine youre holdin( the entire world in your hands now &ust separate your fin(ers and hands thats all Christ has to do to withdraw #is holdin( power on the earth and the earth will &ust disinte(rate" ?our own body would &ust fly into pie%es be%ause there would be nothin( to hold it to(ether when Christ withdraws #is power" <=

#ow fabulous to !now you serve a livin( Jesus with that mu%h stren(th! Colossians 1:20-23 It was through what his Son did that God cleared a path for everything to come to him all things in heaven and on earth for Christs death on the cross has made peace with God for all by his blood. This includes you who were once so far away from God. You were his enemies and hated him and were separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions, yet now he has brought you back as his friends. He has done this through the death on the cross of his own human body, and now as a result Christ has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are standing there before him with nothing left against you -nothing left that he could even chide you for; the only condition is that you fully believe the Truth, standing in it steadfast and firm, strong in the Lord, convinced of the Good News that Jesus died for you, and never shifting from trusting him to save you. This is the wonderful news that came to each of you and is now spreading all over the world. And I, Paul, have the joy of telling it to others. 0ead those first two lines" In spite of all of our fumblin( around and messin( up thin(s God %leared a path for everythin( to %ome to #im, for Christs <<

death on the %ross has made pea%e with God for all by #is blood" 0e(ardless of what your sin mi(ht have been, Christs death on the %ross has de%lared pea%e with God for someC No, for 6'' by #is blood" 6nd then loo! and see what #e did immediately followin( that" :i%ture in your own mind that be%ause of this Christ has brou(ht you Jre(ardless of what youve doneK into the very presen%e of God, and you re standin( there before #im with N/T#ING left a(ainst you nothin( that #e %ould even %hide you for" 0ead that a(ain slowly and see what it really says" ?ou are in the very presen%e of the almi(hty God, with absolutely nothin( of your old sins left a(ainst you """ nothin( of your past """ you are standin( absolutely na!ed before #im be%ause you have nothin( to hide, be%ause there isnt a sin(le solitary thin( that #e %ould even %hide you for be%ause Jesus blood on the %ross too! %are of every sin(le thin( youve ever done" I dont believe Ive ever read this parti%ular verse of -%ripture without almost physi%ally feelin( that Ive been lifted ri(ht into the presen%e of God" #allelu&ah! 'i!e all of Gods promises, however, there is a %ondition, and the %ondition to this one is a stri%t one, but an e.%itin( one, be%ause its the only way youll ever !now the abundant life" +The only %ondition is that you fully believe the Truth, standin( in it steadfast and firm, stron( in the 'ord, %onvin%ed of the Good News that Jesus died for you, and never shifting from trustin( him to save you", The se%ret of that little part of the verse is the words +never shiftin(", The sand shifts youve <8

seen it blow in the wind and %ompletely disappear" The Christian is to be so founded in the $ord of God that he never shifts he stands on the ro%! of Jesus and doesnt waver ba%! and forth" Now finish off this little se%tion with the last senten%e, ma!in( it personal, of %ourse" +6nd I, Fran%es, have the &oy of tellin( it to others", 6nd so do you" God said so, if youll &ust put your own name in there" $hat a privile(e to be able to have the &oy of tellin( the Good News to others! Colossians 1:26-27 He has kept this secret for centuries and generations past, but now at last it has pleased him to tell it to those who love him and live for him, and the riches and glory of his plan are for you Gentiles too. And this is the secret: that Christ in your hearts is your only hope of glory. Im (oin( to as! you to read this parti%ular part in the King James version" +Christ in you, the hope of (lory", 0ead it with the emphasis on the word +in", +Christ IN you, the hope of (lory", I have often been surprised to find that many people who have wal!ed the Christian road for years, and who have stru((led for vi%tory, have never dis%overed this very simple se%ret to the su%%essful Christian lifeN that Christ lives in you not around you not up in heaven, but a%tually livin( in and through you as #e does #is wor! in a <>

body today %alled Charles, or Fran%es, or 5ay or Eob or Joan, or -usie or #arold, or whatever your name is" The se%ret of bein( born a(ain is to know that you know that you know that Jesus Christ is livin( IN you" The minute you dis%over this, you have the hope of (lory and vi%torious life, be%ause the life you are livin( is no lon(er your own it belon(s to Jesus, be%ause #e is livin( in and throu(h you" 0i(ht now I want you to do somethin( spe%ial" I want you to put your hand over your heart and feel your heartbeat! 6re you aware of the fa%t that if you are truly born a(ain, the heartbeat that you feel is not your own, but the heartbeat of Jesus Christ as #e lives in and throu(h you! I never feel my own heartbeat without bein( reminded of the :erson who is livin( in and throu(h that very heartbeat" Colossians 1:28-29 So everywhere we go we talk about Christ to all who will listen, warning them and teaching them as well as we know how. We want to be able to present each one to God, perfect because of what Christ has done for each of them. This is my work, and I can do it only because Christs mighty energy is at work within me. The (reatest privile(es in the world are (iven to the Christians who will believe what Gods $ord says and will ma!e it apply to their own personal lives" 'oo! at what ma!in( the above verse personal does to the -%ripture" :aul wasnt only <A

tal!in( about his own life" $hen you believe the -%riptures were written for you T/16? and you put your own name in them, you %an see you have a responsibility", -o everywhere Charles and I (o we tal! about Christ to all"""" This is our wor!, and Charles and I %an do it only be%ause of Christs mi(hty ener(y """ at wor! within us", 1o you really tal! about Christ to all who will listen, or do you shir! this responsibilityC 1o you warn people and tea%h people as well as you know how0 1o you have this burnin( desire to be able to present ea%h one to God, perfe%t be%ause of what Christ has done for ea%h of themC -o many times we dont tal! about Jesus be%ause we dont reali*e what #e has done, not only for us, but for the world out there that doesnt !now #im" Charles and I love the end of this verse be%ause it (ives the only way we %an do it" $e often thin! about the s%hedule we maintain, and the physi%al strain it is on us, and yet somehow or other, we always seem to ma!e it and have all the ener(y we need to do what God has %alled us to do" $hyC /nly one reason! This is our wor!, and we %an only do it be%ause of Christs mi(hty ener(y at wor! within us" If we didnt have the supernatural power of Christs mi(hty ener(y at wor! within us, wed have %ollapsed many times from e.haustion" Eut praise God! $e have a promise to stand on in Gods $ord" Than! ?ou, Jesus! Colossians 2:2 <@

 For Gods secret plan, now at last made known, is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the mighty, untapped treasures of wisdom and knowledge. $hat is Gods se%ret planC Christ #imself" Thin! beyond these few little words and let your ima(ination e.pand to understand what this really means, and then (o to verse 3 and see the ma(nitude of who Jesus Christ really is" $here do all the mi(hty, untapped treasures of wisdom and !nowled(e lieC 0i(ht in #im" Everythin( that has ever been done, is ever done, or ever will be done will be be%ause of the wisdom and !nowled(e of Jesus Christ as #e apportions it out in various ways" 6ll the spa%e inventions were !nown to Jesus Christ before the world ever be(anM all of the soD%alled marvels of this a(e %ome from the mi(hty, untapped treasures of wisdom and !nowled(e whi%h are possessed by Jesus Christ" In %on&un%tion with this promise, I love what it says over in James 4N<N +If you want to !now what God wants you to do, as! him, and he will (ladly tell you, for he is always ready to (ive a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who as! himM he will not resent it", Thin! what that really means whenever you la%! wisdom, &ust as! God be%ause it says #e will not &ust tell you, but will tell you (ladly, and #e will not resent it" Not only do all the untapped treasures of wisdom lie in Jesus Christ, they are available to all who will as!! #ow mu%h more %ould you wantC 8;

Colossians 2:6-10 And now just as you trusted Christ to save you, trust him, too, for each days problems; live in vital union with him. Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him. See that you go on growing in the Lord, and become strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with joy and thanksgiving for all he has done. Dont let others spoil your faith and joy with their philosophies, their wrong and shallow answers built on mens thoughts and ideas, instead of on what Christ has said. For in Christ there is all of God in a human body; so you have everything when you have Christ, and you are filled with God through your union with Christ. He is the highest Ruler, with authority over every other power. This is one of the most (lorious passa(es in the entire Eible! It (ives so mu%h in su%h a few words" Eut then, all of the Eible does the same thin(" It (ives you so mu%h so fast! $ell ta!e it almost phrase by phrase, or senten%e by senten%e" &ust apply ea%h one to your own life" +6nd now &ust as you trusted Christ to save you, trust him, too, for each day*s /roblems1 live in vital union with him", Isnt it easy to trust Christ to save youC Eut then doesnt it end up hard to use that simple %hildli!e faith that it too! to ma!e 84

you a Christian to wal! the daily Christian lifeC Thats the se%ret trust #im, not only for the EIG thin(s in life, but for every sin(le thin( in life itself" +'et your roots (row down into him and draw up nourishment from him" -ee that you (o on (rowin( in the 'ord, and be%ome stron( and vi(orous in the truth you were tau(ht", Christianity is not &ust an e.perien%e of bein( born a(ain, or +saved,, be%ause it is the same as any little plant you would put in the (round" If there is no soil from whi%h to draw nourishment, the little plant will die" If the (round is full of weeds, its (rowth will be stunted and its very life will be %ho!ed out" If its planted too shallow, it will die from the burnin( sun" The same thin( is true of every Christian" ?our roots must (row down into #im and draw up nourishment" ?ou %ant &ust let them sprawl all over the pla%e with thousands of other interests to feed your soul instead of drawin( nourishment from #im" ?ou have to %ontinue +(rowin(, so that you will be%ome stron( and vi(orous" ?ou %an stop waterin( a plant and it will die" The same thin( is true of the Christian life you %an !eep it alive with waterin( it from the $ord of God, or you %an &ust let it wither, (et si%!ly and die! Then loo! what the Eible promises if you do these thin(s" The very ne.t senten%e saysN +'et your lives overflow with 2oy and than!s(ivin( for all he has done", Every sin(le Christian should have a life that is overflowin( with &oy" 1o you really believe that Jesus died for youC 1o you really believe that 89

#e shed #is blood on Calvary for your sinsC 1o you reallyC If you do, then you ou(ht to be so full of the love of Jesus be%ause of what #es done for you that you ou(ht to literally be shoutin( all the time! ?our lives ou(ht to literally overflow at all times with &oy and than!s(ivin(" Now this doesnt mean that a Christian never has problems, be%ause youre (oin( to %ontinue havin( problems" Eut what differen%e does it ma!e how many problems when youve (ot the answerC $hen I went to s%hool I made tremendous (rades in math" I never %ared how many problems were on the math test, be%ause I had the answer! Now it mi(ht have been a different thin( in history, be%ause that was my most diffi%ult sub&e%t, but do you !now whyC /nly be%ause I didnt have the answers! I heard someone say, +Jesus is the answer, whats your problemC, 6nd isnt that really trueC ?ou %an have all the problems in the world, but theyll never (et you down as lon( as you remember that you really have the answer! +1ont let others spoil your faith and &oy with their philosophies, their wron( and shallow answers built on mens thou(hts and ideas, instead of on what Christ has said", This meant a lot to me, be%ause in the be(innin( sta(es of my Christian life there were many who said, +?oull (et over it! The novelty will wear off!, They didnt understand that somethin( had really happened to me, that I was a new %reature in Christ" 5any people thou(ht the tremendous enthusiasm I had when : met Jesus would pass away before lon( and 83

would (et old, but I fall more deeply in love with #im every year and Im far more enthusiasti% today than I was when : a%%epted #im as my -avior, be%ause I really didnt have any idea of what #e %ould or would do for me" Today I !now theres so mu%h more, and yet today I !now so mu%h more than I did when I as!ed #im to %ome into my heart" :eople told me I was too happy, so it %ouldnt be (enuineM but the more I (ot into the $ord of God, the more I dis%overed that there is &oy, Joy, J/?, in the Christian life" /ver and over Jesus mentions the fa%t that #e %ame that our %up of J/? mi(ht overflow" The word &oy appears in the Eible 48= times" 7erse @ ma!es me absolutely feel an ur(e to fly strai(ht up to heaven ri(ht now" +For in Christ there is all of God in a human bodyM so you have everything when you have )hrist% and you are filled with God throu(h your union with Christ" #e is the hi(hest 0uler, with authority over every other power", #ow %ould we ever help but feel that we owned the whole world, when we a%tually do" 1o you really believe that you have E7E0?T#ING when you have ChristC $hat a beautiful, mindDblowin( thou(ht! $hat &oy, what pea%e, what %ontentment" If you believe the Eible is true, how %ould you help but stay on a mountaintop with this type of information (iven dire%tly to you by GodC -o many times we want to (ive the devil %redit for a lot of thin(s and for(et the very last senten%e of this (roup of verses" +#e is the hi(hest 0uler, 8=

with authority over every other power", $#/ has authority over every other powerC 1oes the devilC 3o/e% Gods $ord says that Christ is the hi(hest 0ulerN and #e alone has authority over every other power" God! """ ?ou are so (ood! Colossians 3:2-3 Let heaven fill your thoughts; dont spend your time worrying about things down here. You should have as little desire for this world as a dead person does. Your real life is in heaven with Christ and God. I praise God for the %hur%h where I found Christ, be%ause they tau(ht me many thin(s that I mi(ht not have learned somepla%e else" I also praise God for the pastor" whom #e used to brin( me into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, be%ause one of the thin(s I heard from the very start of my Christian e.perien%e was total %ommitment and holy livin(" There was a time when I mi(ht have thou(ht that +holy, livin( was wal!in( around with my hands folded loo!in( pious Jthis wouldnt have appealed to me at allK" Eut holy livin( is a life where you remain +in, the world, and yet are not a part of the world" I praise God that #e removed from my heart the desire for the +thin(s, of the world, and (ave me an interest in only the thin(s that pertain to #is !in(dom" /ne time my son said, +5other, you arent any fun anymore, be%ause you dont drin!, smo!e, dan%e, or tell dirty &o!es!, 6nd what happens so many times is people thin! you give u/ all these 8<

thin(s for Jesus! I never (ave up a sin(le solitary thin(" Christ &ust repla%ed all the worldly desires with a desire for the thin(s of God" $ho needs to smo!e when youve (ot JesusC Therell be no %i(arettes in heaven """ no pipes or %hewin( toba%%o, either" $ho needs to (et +hi(h, on martinis and the li!e when you %an (o mu%h hi(her on GodC 5any times Ive said I never )uit drin!in(, I &ust %han(ed fountains" #allelu&ah! The fountain of life is far more satisfyin( to drin! than anythin( else" I heard someone on%e say, +I didnt (ive up dan%in(, I &ust %han(ed partners,, and thats a (ood way to e.press it, isnt itC Even as I am writin( this today, I thin! about all the hours I spent dan%in( and try to remember why I thou(ht it was fun" The pla%es where I dan%ed were too dim to see very well "" L too %rowded to be %omfortable, and too hot to en&oy """ the musi% wasnt very %ondu%ive to &oy in my soulM it was &ust es%apin( from the reality of the moment" Jesus so %ompletely fills your life that you dont need these other thin(s" $ho needs to tell dirty &o!esC There is so mu%h &oy in Jesus Jbe%ause #e promised itK that you dont need 6N? of the thin(s of the world! 'ets spend our time thin!in( about the thin(s of God its mu%h more e.%itin( anyway" 6nd why should we spend our time worryin(C Ee%ause if were trustin( Jesus, theres no %ause for worry" 6nd listen to what Gods $ord has to say in verse three" +?ou should have as little desire for this world as a dead person does" ?our real life is in heaven with Christ and God", If you still have a 88

desire for the thin(s of this world, as! God to ta!e them away, be%ause #is $ord says your desires should be no more than those of a dead person, and a dead person sure %ant have very many, %an heC ?our +real life is in heaven with Christ and God", :raise God! the Eible ma!es it so simple """ you dont need the thin(s of the world, Jesus alone is all you need" Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, and come with him into the presence of God the Father to give him your thanks. This is some of the most beautiful advi%e (iven in the Eible, if we will &ust ta!e it to heart" 'et everythin( that %omes out of our mouth be said as a representative of the 'ord Jesus" -o many times, people who are Christians put their minds on the thin(s of the %arnal world and for(et that everythin( we do or say should be as a representative of Jesus" 'et the -pirit of God %he%! you whenever youre sayin( thin(s that mi(ht not be e.a%tly what the 'ord would have you say" This wont restri%t you at all, even thou(h you mi(ht thin! it does" It &ust (uards you and !eeps you from fallin( ba%! into the traps of -atan" It is so true that a Christian has to be wary be%ause -atan does rove around li!e a roarin( lion see!in( to devour us, and many times its throu(h &ust the little thin(s we say, not reali*in( that we are playin( ri(ht into -atans hands" 8>

Colossians 3:23-25 Work hard and cheerfully at all you do, just as though you were working for the Lord and not merely for your masters, remembering that it is the Lord Christ who is going to pay you, giving you your full portion of all he owns. He is the one you are really working for. And if you dont do your best for him, he will pay you in a way that you wont like for he has no special favorites who can get away with shirking. In a world where we all have to wor! and ma!e a livin(, we have a tenden%y to want to please our boss or the supervisor who is over us, and whose orders we have to follow" 1urin( the years I wor!ed I always tried to please the various bosses be%ause I !new if I did my &ob ri(ht I would more li!ely (et an in%rease in pay" 5en wor! all of their lives tryin( to be a su%%ess so they %an ma!e more money Jmore this year than they did lastK" $e are tempted to measure su%%ess with how mu%h of the material thin(s of life we possess or %an buy, yet what does Gods $ord say about who it is you are really wor!in( forC It says Jesus is the /ne you are really wor!in( for" 6nd if you dont do your best for #im, #e will pay you in a way that you wont li!e for #e has no spe%ial favorites who %an (et away with shir!in(" Eut listen to the promise there %on%ernin( the fa%t that #e will (ive you a F2'' portion of 6'' #e owns! $ho is more (enerous than thatC Isnt that plain enou(h to let us !now who our boss really isC 6nd it is plain enou(h that youll (et 8A

paid in a way that you dont li!e, if youre not doin( your best for #im" Eut &ust thin! of what #e offers you when you do your best for #im" Its the best pay in the world, and remember that your final pay%he%! will %ome from #im, re(ardless of whom you have served durin( your lifetime and the final one %an either be real (ood or real bad, dependin( on what weve done with our lives"

8@

ACTS
Acts 1:8 But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power to testify about me with great effect, to the people in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth, about my death and resurrection. Acts 2:1-21 Seven weeks had gone by since Jesus death and resurrection, and the Day of Pentecost had now arrived. As the believers met together that day, suddenly there was a sound like the roaring of a mighty windstorm in the skies above them and it filled the house where they were meeting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on their heads. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in languages they didnt know, for the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. Many godly Jews were in Jerusalem that day for the religious celebrations, having arrived from many nations. And when they heard the roaring in the sky above the house, crowds came running to see what it was all about, and were stunned to hear >;

their own languages being spoken by the disciples. How can this be? they exclaimed. For these men are all from Galilee, and yet we hear them speaking all the native languages of the lands where we were born! Here we are Parthians, Medes, Elamites, men from Mesopotamia, Judea, Capadocia, Pontus, Ausia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the Cyrene language areas of Libya, visitors from Rome both Jews and Jewish converts Cretans, and Arabians. And we all hear these men telling in our own languages about the mighty miracles of God! They stood there amazed and perplexed. What can this mean? they asked each other. But others in the crowd were mocking. Theyre drunk, thats all! they said. Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven apostles, and shouted to the crowd, Listen, all of you, visitors and residents of Jerusalem alike! Some of you are saying these men are drunk! It isnt true! Its much too early for that! People dont get drunk by 9 a.m.! No! What you see this morning was predicted centuries ago by the prophet Joel In the last days, God said, I will pour out my Holy Spirit upon all mankind, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men dream dreams. Yes, the Holy Spirit >4

shall come upon all my servants, men and women alike, and they shall prophesy. And I will cause strange demonstrations in the heavens and on the earth blood and fire and clouds of smoke; the sun shall turn black and the moon blood-red before that awesome Day of the Lord arrives. But anyone who asks for mercy from the Lord shall have it and shall be saved. In my earliest sta(es of Christianity, I dis%overed the boo! of 6%ts and loved the verses %on%ernin( the :ower for all thin(s" I saw Jesus as the most powerful man that ever lived, and after the #oly -pirit had %ome upon #im, #e had power to do all thin(s! These two portions of Gods $ord tell about #is promise, and then #is fulfillment of that promise be%ause #e didnt leave us powerless! I have often tried to visuali*e in my own mind what the day of :ente%ost must have been li!e" Can you ima(ine the thou(hts that would have run throu(h your mind had you been one of those 4 9;C -even lon( wee!s had (one by, and so far the promise that Jesus had (iven to #is dis%iples had not %ome true yet" I wonder if there mi(ht not have been a little (rumblin( amon( some of them as to whether or not the promised #oly -pirit would ever %ome" I wonder if some of them mi(ht have even lost their faith a little, be%ause so mu%h time had elapsed" I even wonder if some of them mi(ht have pani%!ed a little bit, wonderin( what was (oin( to happen to them if the #oly -pirit never %ame" I ima(ine some of them were afraid they mi(ht (o >9

ba%! into their old ways without somethin( to help them" For those who still believed and had not doubted, I ima(ine they had spent a lot of those seven wee!s wonderin( what the +#oly -pirit, was (oin( to be li!e" I ima(ine they visuali*ed all !inds of thin(s" $ould it be somethin( they %ould eat li!e manna whi%h would (ive them powerC $ould it be somethin( to drin! whi%h would (ive them powerC -it there with them, will you, and ima(ine what you mi(ht have thou(ht the %omin( of the #oly -pirit would be li!e" $ould they be able to re%o(ni*e the #oly -piritC $ould this +Comforter, be a person, or what would it a%tually beC $ould it be another man li!e Jesus who would be able to impart power into their livesC I have a feelin( those who were waitin( for the #oly -pirit probably had some of the most fearful moments of their lives between wonderin( if the #oly -pirit would ever %ome, and what it would be li!e when it %ame" I have a feelin( that none of them ever anti%ipated that there would suddenly be a sound li!e the roarin( of a mi(hty windstorm in the s!ies" Can you ima(ine the tremendous noise that must have a%%ompanied this supernatural demonstrationC 6nd %an you ima(ine the fear whi%h must have %ome upon all of them be%ause of the une.pe%tedness of this momentC I wonder how many of them thou(ht this was their last minute on earth and wondered if this man Jesus had really told the truth when #e spo!e about eternal life, or was this thing that was happening (whatever it was) >3

going to be the thing that ended their lives, and maybe they would never know the truth. Can you ima(ine the %haos that must have filled the 2pper 0oom at that timeC Can you ima(ine the thou(hts that must have filled their minds when the ton(ues of fire appeared and be(an settlin( on their heads" Can you ima(ine what they thou(ht when they saw the first ton(ue of fire appear then another, then another, then another! I ima(ine that even thou(h they mi(ht have wanted to run, they were (lued to the spot" -omewhere in some of their wild thou(hts somebody probably thou(ht, +This is the Ghell #e was tal!in( about, with the eternal fire", $ouldnt it be e.%itin( to !now what they really thou(htC Eut really, thats unimportant" The important thin( is to reali*e what happened to them when they were endued with :ower from above" They immediately be(an to witness! They immediately too! their li(ht out from under a bushel and be(an to shine it around, so mu%h to the e.tent that people thou(ht they were drun! be%ause they were spea!in( in all different lan(ua(es" :raise God! #e sent us power to live the Christian life, and praise God! #e has never withdrawn the #oly -pirit who is still here to empower us to live the Christian life and be witnesses for #im" Verses with Impact from Acts

>=

The entire boo! of 6%ts is a thrillin( story, but I have tried to %hoose for you the verses that had the most terrifi% impa%t upon my life, and I hope that they will do the same thin( for you! I love all the stories about the mira%les that Jesus did, and really love the -%riptures about what happened to the apostles after they re%eived the #oly -pirit" Then Peter took the lame man by the hand and pulled him to his feet. And as he did, the mans feet and anklebones were healed and strengthened so that he came up with a leap, stood there a moment and began walking! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them. (Acts 3:78) Jesus name has healed this man and you know how lame he was before. Faith in Jesus name faith given us from God has caused this perfect healing. (Acts 3:16) By what power, or by whose authority have you done this? (Acts 4:7) It was done in the name and power of Jesus from Nazareth, the Messiah, the man you crucified but God raised back to life again. It is by his authority that this man stands here healed! (Acts 4:10) ><

 Meanwhile, the apostles were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomons Hall, and they did many remarkable miracles among the people. (Acts 5:12) Sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that at least Peters shadow would fall across some of them as he went by! And crowds came in from the Jerusalem suburbs, bringing their sick folk and those possessed by demons; and every one of them was healed. (Acts 5:15) Stephen, the man so full of faith and the Holy Spirits power, did spectacular miracles among the people. (Acts 6:8) Crowds listened intently to what he (Philip) had to say because of the miracles he did. Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed, so there was much joy in the city. (Acts 8:67) Turning to the body he said, Get up, Orcas, and she opened her eyes! And when she saw Peter, she sat up! He gave her his hand and helped her up and called in the believers and widows, presenting her to >8

them. (Dorcas was dead prior to this.) (Acts 9:40) While they were at Lystra, they came upon a man with crippled feet who had been that way from birth, so he had never walked. He was listening as Paul preached, and Paul noticed him and realized he had faith to be healed. So Paul called to him, Stand up! and the man leaped to his feet and started walking! (Acts 14:89) One day as we were going down to the place of prayer beside the river, we met a demon-possessed slave girl who was a fortune-teller, and earned much money for her masters. She followed along behind us shouting, These men are servants of God and they have come to tell you how to have your sins forgiven. This went on day after day until Paul, in great distress, turned and spoke to the demon within her, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her, he said. And instantly it left her. (Acts 16:1618) Thin! of the power (iven to these ordinary men by the #oly -pirit" Ea%h of these a%ts re)uired tremendous power far more than any of them ever dreamed or hoped for until the #oly -pirit >>

%ame upon them" I love all the power promises in Gods $ord" And now, 0 Lord, hear their threats, and grant to your servants great boldness in their preaching, and send your healing power and may miracles and wonders be done by the name of your holy servant Jesus. After this prayer, the building where they were meeting shook and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and boldly preached Gods message. All the believers were of one heart and mind... (Acts 4:2932) Can you ima(ine sittin( in a buildin( where all the believers were of one heart and mindC Can you ima(ine the power of God that would be (enerated in a situation li!e thisC No wonder the buildin( shoo!! #ow Id love to be sittin( in a buildin( that shoo!! #allelu&ah! But Peter and the apostles replied, We must obey God rather than men. (Acts 5:29) In my sear%hin( for a total %ommitment to God, this verse of -%ripture really %ame alive to me" /ur obedien%e must always be first to God!

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TIMOTHY
I Timothy 1:15-17 How true it is, and how I long that everyone should know it, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners and I was the greatest of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as an example to show everyone how patient he is with even the worst sinners, so that others will realize that they, too, can have everlasting life. Glory and honor to God forever and ever. He is the King of the ages, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God, and full of wisdom. Amen. 6s I read this verse, there is su%h a %ryin( out in my soul for everyone to !now the truth %on%ernin( Jesus Christ" #e wasnt a man who %ame to ma!e our lives miserable, #e %ame into the world to save sinners" #e %ame to save us from sin and unhappiness and from bein( miserable" Ive often said, +'ord, why didnt someone love me enou(h the first fortyDnine years of my life to tell me that Jesus %ame to save me, and that ?ou loved me all that timeC, 5y heart lon(s to be able to share this messa(e with more and more people, be%ause how my very soul re&oi%es when I read the ne.t part of that first verse" &-nd " was the greatest of them all$ Eut God had mer%y on me so that Christ Jesus %ould use me as an e.ample to show everyone how patient >@

#e is with even the worst sinners, so that others will reali*e that they, too, %an have everlastin( life", I will never be able to than! God enou(h or praise #im enou(h for the fa%t that #e had so mu%h mer%y on me and how mu%h patien%e #e had with me" Im sure #is heart must have %ried out durin( those years when I was (oin( to do it +my, way" Im sure #e must have loo!ed down on me and wanted to sha!e me or ta!e me to a +spiritual woodshed, and paddle me, but #e &ust !ept on bein( patient with me until I finally reali*ed that I %ould have everlastin( life" Gods patien%e is beyond #uman understandin( be%ause #is !in(dom &ust sits there waitin( year after year for those who are willin( to surrender" Eut why dont we do it soonerC 6ll I %an say is, +Glory and honor to God forever and ever" #e is the Bin( of the a(es, the unseen one who never diesM he alone is God, and full of wisdom", Than! ?ou, Father" $e (ive ?ou the (lory and honor and praise" $e than! ?ou for the patien%e and love ?ou had for me all those years" #ow %ould I ever repay ?ouC I Timothy 6:1-2 Christian slaves should work hard for their owners and respect them; never let it be said that Christs people are poor workers. Dont let the name of God or his teaching be laughed at becauseof this. If their owner is a A;

Christian, that is no excuse for slowing down; rather they should work all the harder becausea brother in the faith is being helped by their efforts. Teach these truths, Timothy, and encourage all to obey them. This is a messa(e we pro%laim as we travel around the %ountry" 5any times people feel they have been led into a ministry of one sort or another whi%h prevents them from doin( a (ood &ob for their boss" If a boss is a Christian, often they will ta!e advanta(e of him" $e en%oura(e everyone to do the very best &ob they %an, be%ause many times the only Christian witness you will be able to (ive a sinner is to show him that a Christian wor!s mu%h harder than anyone else does" Christians should not do anythin( in a slothful manner, be%ause this is a personal refle%tion on Jesus Christ #imself" 'oo! at what Gods $ord saysN +1ont let the name of God or his tea%hin( be lau(hed at be%ause of this", 1o you reali*e how people %an lau(h at Christianity &ust be%ause of the way you wor!C It %an wor! &ust the reverse, too" They %an see how a Christian really produ%es &ust be%ause he is a Christian! :ersonali*edN +Tea%h these truths, Fran%es, and en%oura(e all to obey them", I Timothy 6:11-12 Oh, Timothy, you are Gods man. Run from all these evil things and work instead at what is right and good, learning to trust him A4

and love others, and to be patient and gentle. Fight on for God. Hold tightly to the eternal life which God has given you, and which you have confessed with such a ringing confession before many witnesses. This is one of the (reatest verses in the Eible when you ma!e it personal, as I have done here" +/h, Fran%es, you are Gods woman", This was one of the first ones God told me to ma!e personal, and it too! on su%h a %ompletely different meanin(" 5any times the way to live a Christian life is e.plained throu(h verses ori(inally dire%ted to someone else, but when made personal li!e this, apply to your own life" This is previously mentioned in the be(innin( of this boo!, but I wanted to in%lude it here so it would be brou(ht to your attention a(ain" I Timothy 1:21 Oh, Timothy, dont fail to do these things that God entrusted to you. Keep out of foolish arguments with those who boast of their knowledge and thus prove their lack of it. Some of these people have missed the most important thing in life they dont know God. May Gods mercy be upon you. /ne of the thin(s that all Christians should learn is not to ar(ue" -o this is an outstandin( verse to ma!e personal" +Beep out of foolish ar(uments with those who boast of their G!nowled(e and thus prove their la%! of it" -ome of these people have A9

missed the most important thin( in life know 4od!.

they don*t

I have seen Christians ar(ue by the hour, and a%%omplish absolutely nothin( as they (et hun( up on some little do%trinal point" 5ost of the time, people who want to ar(ue have for(otten about Gods love, and would rather spend time ar(uin( Jwhi%h is not a Christian attributeK than sharin( what God is doin( today " ri(ht N/$! 'ets not fail +to do these thin(s that God entrusted to, us and leave the ar(uin( to our heathen brethren" This is the time for all Christians to unite, re(ardless of their do%trinal differen%es" #allelu&ah! God is brin(in( to(ether under #is banner of love all denominations! 6rent you (lad were all part of the 0oyal Family of GodC II Timothy 1:6-8 This being so, I want to remind you to stir into flame the strength and boldness that is in you, that entered into you when I laid my hands upon your head and blessed you. For the Holy Spirit, Gods gift, does not want you to be afraid of people, but to be wise and strong, and to love them and enjoy being with them. If you will stir up this inner power, you will never be afraid to tell others about our Lord. 1id you ever loo! at a bi( pot of ve(etable soup that was &ust sittin( on a stove, not %oo!in(, but &ust sittin(C $ould you ever (uess what was underneath A3

itC Nope, you never %ould until you too! a spoon and stirred it and then youd find a wealth of (oodies underneath the surfa%e" If all you did was loo! at the top you wouldnt find too mu%h to (et e.%ited about" The soup has to be stirred to (et all the (oodness out of it, and the same thin( is true of our Christian life" $e have to +stir into flame the stren(th and boldness that is in, us" #ow true that Gods #oly -pirit doesnt want us to be afraid of people, but to be wise and stron( in the 'ord" If we ta!e a bi( old ladle or soup spoon and stir up the (oodies that God has pla%ed within us, well never be afraid to tell others about our 'ord" #allelu&ah! """ run for that ladle ri(ht now and (et busy stirrin(, and see how many (oodies youll find underneath! Therell be an inner power there you never dreamed of whi%h youll never find until you start stirrin("

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PHILIPPIANS
Philippians 1:6 And I am sure that God who began the good work within you will keep right on helping you grow in his grace until his task within you is finally finished on that day when JesusChrist returns. $hat a beautiful promise of God! #e will !eep ri(ht on helpin( us until #is tas! within us is finally finished on that day when Jesus )hrist returns$ Isnt it wonderful to !now #es not (oin( to let us (o out and flounder in the world a(ain, but #e will !eep on helpin( us until Jesus %omes, and then we wont need it anymore, be%ause we will be in heaven with #im" #allelu&ah, 6men, 6men, and 6men! :E0-/N6'IHE1N +6nd I am sure that God who be(an the (ood wor! within Fran%es will !eep ri(ht on helpin( Fran%es (row in his (ra%e until his tas! within Fran%es is finally finished on that day when Jesus Christ returns", Philippians 1:9 My prayer for you is that you will overflow more and more with love for others, and at the same time keep on growing in spiritual knowledge and insight. A<

:aul and Timothy werent &ust prayin( for the pastors and dea%ons ba%! in their days" Their same prayer is &ust as effe%tive today as Gods $ord says the same prayer that +Fran%es will overflow more and more with love for others, and at the same time Fran%es will !eep on (rowin( in spiritual !nowled(e and insi(ht", Christianity is not &ust a )uestion of (ettin( +saved, and then sittin( down on the +saved, side of the fen%e and seein( how %lose we %an !eep there so we %an %ontinue to +nibble, in sin" 3o/e% its a %onstant (rowin( pro%ess in spiritual !nowled(e and insi(ht with a desire to overflow more and more with love for others" Isnt God beautiful the way #e so plainly puts down in #is $ord what we %an e.pe%t out of the Christian life" $e %an !now that #es (ivin( us the #oly -pirit power to %ontinue (rowin( and bein( formed in #is ima(e" Philippians 2:5-13 Your attitude should be the kind that was shown us by Jesus Christ, who, though he was God, did not demand and cling to his rights as God, but laid aside his mighty power and glory, taking the disguise of a slave and becoming like men. And he humbled himself even further, going so far as actually to die a criminals death on a cross.

A8

 Yet it was because of this that God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name which is above every other name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Dearest friends, when I was there with you, you were always so careful to follow my instructions. And now that I am away you must be even more careful to do the good things that result from being saved, obeying God with deep reverence, shrinking back from all that might displease him. For God is at work within you, helping you want to obey him, and then helping you do what he wants. Two portions of this -%ripture really stand out to me" The first one %on%erns the -%ripture we hear )uoted all the time +that at the name of Jesus every !nee shall bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every ton(ue shall %onfess that Jesus Christ is 'ord, to the (lory of God the Father", I am reminded of the number of people who feel they dont need God be%ause of their own %apabilities" I am reminded of those so involved in sin they dont even have time to thin! about God, and %are less about #im be%ause they dont believe #e e.ists" #ow (reat to !now that we serve a God who is all powerful and who wins the final battle, be%ause the Eible promises that every !nee shall bow not &ust some, but every !nee shall bow, and every ton(ue A>

shall %onfess that Jesus Christ is 'ord" It doesnt say that &ust some ton(ues are (oin( to %onfess it""" E7E0? ton(ue in the world and even those under the earth shall %onfess that Jesus Christ is 'ord" I parti%ularly love the thirteenth verseN +For God is at wor! within you, helpin( you want to obey him, and then helpin( you do what he wants", #ow fantasti% to !now that God is %onstantly wor!in( within us, helpin( us want to obey #im" $e %an never obey God without the +want, to do so" 6nd when you thin! that #e is always wor!in( within us to ma!e us have this +want,, my heart &ust %ries out in love for him" 6nd then to thin! that #e will then help us to do what #e wants" :ut your own name in this verse and see how it thrills you, or (ives you a (reater desire than youve ever had before" +For God is at wor! within Fran%es Jhallelu&ah!K, helpin( Fran%es $6NT to /EE? him JThan! ?ou, JesusK, and then helpin( Fran%es do what he wants", JThan! ?ou, God, I praise ?ou, I worship ?ou, I adore ?ou for even hel/ing me to do what ?ou want me to do"K Glory! Philippians 3:7-14 But all these things that I once thought very worthwhile now Ive thrown them all away so that I can put my trust and hope in Christ alone. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have put aside all else, counting it worth less than nothing, in order that I can have Christ, AA

and become one with him, no longer counting on being saved by being good enough or by obeying Gods laws, but by trusting Christ to save me; for Gods way of making us right with himself depends on faith counting on Christ alone. Now I have given up everything else I have found it to be the only way to really know Christ and to experience the mighty power that brought him back to life again, and to find out what it means to suffer and to die with him. So, whatever it takes, I will be one who lives in the fresh newness of life of those who are alive from the dead. I dont mean to say I am perfect. I havent learned all I should even yet, but I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ saved me for and wants me to be. No, dear brothers, I am still not all I should be but I am bringing all my energies to bear on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us up to heaven because of what Christ Jesus did for us. There are several thin(s that really +(rab, me in this portion of -%ripture" First, I than! God that there was someone ba%! in those old days who feels &ust li!e I do" Isnt it (reat that God hasnt %han(ed, so we %an still do the same thin(sC $e %an throw A@

away all the thin(s we on%e thou(ht were worthwhile so that we %an put our trust and hope in Christ alone! :eople havent %han(ed the thin(s of the world may have %han(ed somewhat, but we %an still put our trust and hope in Christ alone! :aul !new this was the only way to the vi%torious life, and it still holds true for today" Thin! of this""" +everythin( else is worthless when %ompared with the pri%eless (ain of !nowin( Christ Jesus my 'ord", Gods $ord says it, and if it says it, it must be true""" E7E0?T#ING else is worthless in %omparison" 'oo! what :aul saidN +Now I have (iven up everythin( else I have found it to be the only way to really !now Christ and to e.perien%e the mi(hty power that brou(ht him ba%! to life a(ain", The same thin( is true today if youll put your name in there li!e Im puttin( mine" +Now I, Fran%es, have (iven up everythin( else I have found it to be the only way to really !now Christ and to e.perien%e the mi(hty power that brou(ht him ba%! to life a(ain", This mi(ht not sound li!e a promise to you, but it is" If you are willin( to (ive up everythin( else, and there is no )uestion in my mind that the abundant life Jesus always tal!ed about %omes only when we are willin( to (ive up everythin( else, to follow #im" 6s :aul says, and I a(ree with him wholeheartedly, +I have found it to be the only way to really !now Christ and to e.perien%e the mi(hty power that brou(ht him ba%! to life a(ain", God @;

promises to (ive you the same mi(hty power providin( youre willin( to (ive #im 6'' of you" Than! ?ou, 'ord, for (ivin( so mu%h in return when we (ive su%h a very little bit ourselves! 1oesnt it (ive you hope to !now that :aul said, +I dont mean to say I am perfe%t" J:raise God, I sure havent made it to perfe%tion yet, have youCK I havent learned all I should even yet Jneither have I, but Im tryin(K, but I !eep wor!in( toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ saved me for and wants me to be", J#ow outDofDsi(ht to !now that -/5E16? we will be"K :E0-/N6'IHE1N +No, dear brothers, Fran%es is still not all she should be but she is brin(in( all her ener(ies to bear on this one thin(N For(ettin( the past Jbest advi%e in the worldK and loo!in( forward to what lies ahead, Fran%es strains to rea%h the end of the ra%e and re%eive the pri*e for whi%h God is %allin( Fran%es up to heaven be%ause of what Christ Jesus did for her", $ell, than! ?ou, Jesus, for holdin( out that bi( pri*e at the end" Than! ?ou that even thou(h Im not perfe%t, ?oure lettin( me brin( all my ener(ies for this one thin(! I love ?ou for it! Philippians 3:21 When he comes back he will take these dying bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same mighty power that he will use to conquer all else everywhere. @4

:raise God! #es (oin( to ta!e this wornDout old body of mine and %han(e it into a (lorious body li!e #is own" Just thin! """ no more wei(ht problems, no more le( problems, no more a%hin( feet after standin( on them for hours Im (oin( to have a brandDnew body as (lorious as the body of Jesus! 'ord, sometimes I thin! ?our promises are more than I %an stand" Philippians 4:4, 6-8 Always be full of joy in the Lord; I say it again, rejoice. Dont worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs and dont forget to thank him for his answers. If you do this you will experience Gods peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus. And now, brothers, as I close this letter let me say this one more thing: Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about. Christians, let your li(hts shine! Gods $ord says to 6'$6?-, 6'$6?-, 6'$6?- be full of @9

&oy in the 'ord" #e even repeats it for emphasis, +I say it a(ain, re&oi%e!, 1ont let the %ares of the world (et you down it (ives you the way out of this in the ne.t two verses listed" The Eible &ust plain saysN +1ont worry about 6N?T#INGM instead, pray about everythin(M tell God your needs and dont for(et to than! him for his answers", If we %ould &ust understand that God doesnt want us to worry Jesus is the answer whats your problemC -ee what I meanC ?ouve (ot the answer before the problem ever %omes up" Instead, God tells you to pray about everythin( Jno e.%eptions eitherK, but then wat%h that ne.t little %ondition" +1ont for(et to than! him for his answers", -o many times we have seen people re%eive mira%les, who for(et to stop and than! #im" Ee sure you always ta!e time out to than! #im for #is answers Jeven thou(h the answer mi(ht not be e.a%tly the way you thou(ht it was (oin( to beK" 'oo! at what #e promises if you do what #e tells you to" +?ou will e.perien%e Gods pea%e, whi%h is far more wonderful than the human mind %an understand" #is pea%e will !eep your thou(hts and your hearts )uiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus", 5editate and %on%entrate on what that says! $hat %ould be more wonderful to have than Gods pea%e in a world of turmoil, frustration and tensionC 6nd yet its there be%ause Gods $ord promises it" I li!e to put my own name ri(ht in front of that promiseN +Fran%es, if you do this you will @3

e.perien%e Gods pea%e, whi%h is far more wonderful than the human mind %an understand", #allelu&ah! Gods $ord has said it and Gods $ord %annot lie, so the pea%e of God is mine" +Fran%es, thin! about thin(s that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, (ood thin(s in others", 6rent we all better off when we do thisC :ut your own name in there ri(ht now" +Fran%es, thin! about 6'' you %an :06I-E God for and be (lad about", -pend your time thin!in( about what you %an praise God for, instead of the thin(s you mi(ht be tempted to %omplain about" 1o you reali*e how mu%h God must have loved us to have inspired These men of old to put down on paper the simple thin(s that ma!e the Christian life so e.%itin(! Philippians 4:13 For I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power. $hat a wellD!nown verse, but what a beautiful verse to remember that you %an do E7E0?T#ING God as!s you to" This is another real (ood one to put your name in" 6nd &ust thin! as you do, what a promise this isN +For Fran%es %an do everythin( God as!s her to with the help of Christ who (ives Fran%es the stren(th and power", @=

There have been many times when I felt I was so tired I %ouldnt possibly %ontinue any lon(er" There have been many times when our s%hedule has been so (ruelin( I felt in the natural there wasnt any way I %ould stay on my feet for another servi%e, and yet the minute we stand up in front of a %on(re(ation, the anointin( of God falls, and there is no doubt whatsoever that we %an do +everythin( God as!s us to """+ $hyC Ee%ause of the help of Christ who (ives us the stren(th and power" God never as!s you to do more than #e will (ive you the stren(th and power to do" :raise ?ou, Jesus! $e than! ?ou for these wonderful promises s%attered all throu(hout ?our $ord"

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CORINTHIANS
I Corinthians 1:7 Now you have every grace and blessing; every spiritual gift and power for doing his will are yours during this time of waiting for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1o you hear that beautiful promise of GodC +Now you have every (ra%e and blessin(M every s/iritual gift and /ower for doin( his will are yours durin( this time of waitin( for the return of our 'ord Jesus Christ", Can you ima(ine that you possess every sin(le (ra%e and blessin( Jif you %laim themK and even more than that, E7E0? spiritual (ift and power for doin( #is will" 1id you ever really stop to thin! what a promise this isC Not &ust a little power is promised, but every spiritual (ift and power are yours" God never as!s us to do anythin( that #e hasnt already made a provision for the (ifts to do them and the power to a%%omplish what #e has %alled us for" 6nd yet none of it is our own it is all #is :ower whi%h #e so freely (ives to us" Than! ?ou, Jesus! :E0-/N6'IHE1N +Fran%es, now you have every (ra%e and blessin(M every spiritual (ift and power for doin( his will are yours durin( this time of waitin( for the return of our 'ord Jesus Christ!, @8

I Corinthians 1:21 For God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never find God through human brilliance, and then he stepped in and saved all those who believed his message, which the world calls foolish and silly. Just thin!, God didnt devise a plan where we had to be brilliantM #e said all we had to do was &ust believe" $hat a beautiful promise that our salvation depends not on our own human intelle%t, but on our believin(! I Corinthians 10:13 But remember this the wrong desires that come into your life arent anything new and different. Many others have faced exactly the same problems before you. And no temptation is irresistible. You can trust God to keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you cant stand up against it, for he has promised this and will do what he says. He will show you how to escape temptations power so that you can bear up patiently against it. 1o you really believe that your temptations and problems are different from anyone elsesC Theyre not! It says so ri(ht in Gods #oly $ord" Isnt it a beautiful promise to !now that many others have fa%ed e.a%tly the same problems you are fa%in( ri(ht nowC -o rela.! @>

0e(ardless of what your temptation is, if you stand upon #is promises you %an !now that +#e will show you how to es%ape temptations power", :E0-/N6'IHE1N +Eut remember this the wron( desires that %ome into Fran%es life arent anythin( new and different" 5any others have fa%ed e.a%tly the same problems before Fran%es" 6nd no temptation is irresistible" Fran%es %an trust God to !eep the temptation from be%omin( so stron( that Fran%es %ant stand up a(ainst it, for he has promised this and will do what he says" #e will show Fran%es how to es%ape temptations power so that Fran%es %an bear up patiently a(ainst it", Than! ?ou, dear Jesus! II Corinthians 5:17 When someone becomes a Christian he becomes a brand-new person inside. He is not the same any more. A new life has begun! This is one of the few verses where I li!e the King James version betterN +Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new %reatureN old thin(s are passed awayM behold, all thin(s are be%ome new", 6nd this is e.a%tly the way it has to be" If we are really in Christ, Gods $ord says that we are a brandDnew person a brandDnew %reature" The old one who had a temper is (one """ the old one who had a nasty disposition is (one """ the old one who had a %riti%al spirit is (one"""" $e are brandDnew @A

%reatures, +Therefore """ the old thin(s are passed awayM behold, 6'' thin(s are be%ome new", This isnt &ust a %asual statement this is a true and %orre%t statement" 6ll thin(s are be%ome new" Instead of irritation and frustration, there will be pea%e" Instead of hate, there will be love" Instead of misery, there will be &oy" Instead of impatien%e, there will be patien%e and understandin(" Instead of bein( un!ind, there will be !indness" Instead of ridin( rou(hshod over everyone, there will be (entleness" These are all promises of God! 'ets turn in all the attitudes that belon(ed to the old %reature and ta!e up the new ones of the new %reature" Theyre ours be%ause of Gods promises" Eless the 'ord, oh, my soul, and all that is within me, bless #is #oly Name! :E0-/N6'IHE1N +$hen Fran%es be%ame a Christian she be%ame a brandDnew person inside" Fran%es is not the same any more" 6 new life has be(un!, #allelu&ah! II Corinthians 5:18-21 All these new things are from God who brought us back to himself through what Christ Jesus did. And God has given us the privilege of urging everyone to come into his favor and be reconciled to him. For God was in Christ, restoring the world to himself, no longer counting mens sins against them but blotting them out. This is the wonderful @@

message he has given us to tell others. We are Christs ambassadors. God is using us to speak to you: we beg you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, receive the love he offers you be reconciled to God. For God took the sinless Christ and poured into him our sins. Then, in exchange, he poured Gods goodness into us.,, Im only (oin( to share a %ouple of thin(s in this verse" +For God was in Christ, restorin( the world to himself, no longer counting men*s sins against them but blottin( them out" This is the wonderful messa(e he has (iven us to tell others", $hat a promise of God that #e no lon(er %ounts your sins, but has blotted them out" #allelu&ah! 6nd then listen to the ne.t! I thin! of how many times I have tried to sell people on +ideas, in the printin( business" $e always had to thin! of ideas to help stores sell mer%handise, and yet today I thin! of the &ob God has (iven me to simply tell others that #e has blotted out their sins" Glory "" 'isten to what it says ne.tN Jma!in( it personalK +Charles and Fran%es are Christs ambassadors" God is usin( Charles and Fran%es to spea! to youN we be( you, as thou(h Christ himself were here pleadin( with you, re%eive the love he offers you be re%on%iled to God", $hat a promise of God that we are #is ambassadors! Glory, who has a better employer than we doC 4;;

Now listen to the final promise in this portion of -%ripture as it is made personal in my own lifeN +For God too! the sinless Christ and poured into him Fran%es #unters sins" Then in e.%han(e, he poured Gods (oodness into Fran%es!, The first time I was ever really aware of what God had done for me was throu(h this parti%ular little verse" Just pi%ture in your mind if you %an, two vials Jtest tubesK li!e in a %hemistry lab" /ne vial is Jesus the other one is you" /ne vial is sinless the other one has all of your sins" God too! the sinless vial whi%h is Christ, and &ust dumped all of your nasty sins ri(ht into that vial" Thats what Jesus (ot from you" Now "what did you (et from #imC The promise of God saysN +Then in e.%han(e, he poured Gods (oodness into us!, /h, %ome let us adore #im" #ow %ould we help but worship and adore #im when #e ma!es e.%han(es li!e thisC 'ift your hands ri(ht now and lets &ust ta!e time out to worship #im, shall weC

4;4

MATTHEW
Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. (From the Revised Standard) This was the verse that was so meanin(ful when I was sear%hin( Gods $ord for the answer as to whether or not I was to" marry Charles" $hen I saw it, I reali*ed that everythin( in life falls in pla%e 6FTE0 you see! first the !in(dom of God and #is ri(hteousness" If we %ould &ust remember to always be see!in( God, wed never have to worry about anythin( else, be%ause everythin( would be added to us if we only did that one thin(! Matthew 7:13-14 I am )uotin( this -%ripture from the Revised Standard Bible% be%ause it appeals to me more in this version than any other" It %ould be be%ause I was readin( the Revised Standard as a new Christian, and God spo!e so plainly to me to remember that the (ate to heaven is a very narrow one" Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide arid the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few. 4;9

'ets !eep our eyes heavenward, rememberin( that the road is narrow that leads to eternal life, and if we turn our eyes to thin(s away from heaven, we %an be distra%ted and end up on the wide road" The 'iving Bible is &ust as emphati%N Heaven can be entered only through the narrow gate! The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide enough for all the multitudes who choose its easy way. But the Gateway to Life is small, and the road s narrow, and only a few ever find it!

4;3

I JOHN
I John 1:5-7 This is the messageGod has given us to pass on to you: that God is Light and in him is no darkness at all. So if we say we are his friends, but go on living in spiritual darkness and sin, we are lying. But if we are living in the light of Gods presence, just as Christ does, then we have wonderful fellowship and joy with each other, and the blood of Jesushis Son cleansesus from every sin. #ow ma(nifi%ent to !now that God is 'i(ht and in #im is no dar!ness at all" Nothin(, nothin(, nothin( of dar!ness is in #im, and theres no point in tryin( to de%eive #im, be%ause #e says if we (o on livin( in spiritual dar!ness and sin, we are lyin(" Eut #allelu&ah! we %an live in the li(ht of Gods presen%e, &ust as Christ does" Just another one of those beautiful reminders to lead a holy life" 'ets see what this sounds li!e on a personal basisN +This is the messa(e God has (iven us to pass on to Fran%esN that God is 'i(ht and in him is no dar!ness at all" -o if Fran%es says she is his friend, but (oes on livin( in spiritual dar!ness and sin, she is lyin(" Eut if Fran%es is livin( in the li(ht of Gods presen%e, &ust as Christ does, then we have wonderful fellowship and &oy with ea%h other, and the blood of Jesus his -on %leanses Fran%es from every sin", 4;=

Glory to God for #is wonderful promises! I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I &ust had to )uote this verse from the Revised Standard% be%ause it seems &ust a little bit plainer than the other translations" -o many times after people be%ome Christians, they dont !now what to do when a sin %reeps into their life, or for a moment they say or do somethin( that isnt be%omin( to a Christian" 1o we &ust i(nore it and (o on our way, wal!in( with GodC 1o we wait until -unday and then %onfess it to the pastor or priestC No, Gods $ord says if well %onfess, #ell for(ive, and the time to do it is ri(ht N/$! Guilt %an ta!e the &oy out of your Christian life, and to (o around with (uilt on your shoulders is so unne%essary for a Christian" Confess whatever happens the moment it happens, and your fellowship with God is restored, and then (o on wal!in( in the li(ht! Every on%e in a while, I mi(ht for(et the speed limit and (o five or so miles over it, but the minute I am aware of it, I say, +'ord, for(ive me!, 6nd #is for(iveness is there, and I %an (o on wal!in( moment by moment under the %ontrol of the #oly -pirit, within the speed limit! ?ou %an always be assured that God will do #is part, when you do ?/20 part! #allelu&ah! 4;<

JUDE
Jude 1:24-25 And now all glory to him who alone is God, who saves us through Jesus Christ our Lord; yes, splendor and majesty, all power and authority are his from the beginning; his they are and his they evermore shall be. And he is able to keep you from slipping and falling away, and to bring you, sinless and perfect, into his glorious presence with mighty shouts of everlasting joy. 0ead that out loud, will you, and see ho I' affe%ts you" It &ust thrills my soul to read about the splendor, ma&esty, power and authority whi%h belon( to #im" 6nd be%ause of this, #e is able to !eep Fran%es from slippin( and fallin( away so as to brin( Fran%es -IN'E-- and :E0FECT, into #is (lorious presen%e with mi(hty shouts of everlastin( &oy! No amount of effort on our part %ould ever ma!e us sinless and perfe%t, but be%ause of a promise of God we %an rest assured that thats e.a%tly the way well be brou(ht into #is (lorious presen%e" Glory!

4;8

LUKE
Luke 1:26-38 Every chapter has something real special, and I love the entire book of Luke. However, these are my very favorites. The following month God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee to a virgin, Mary, engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, Congratulations, favored lady! The Lord is with you. Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. Dont be frightened, Mary, the angel told her, for God has decided to wonderfully bless you! Very soon now, you will become pregnant and have a baby boy, and you are to name him Jesus. He shall be very great and shall be called the Son of God. And the Lord God shall give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he shall reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom shall never end! Mary asked the angel. But how can I have a baby? I am a virgin. 4;>

 The angel replied, The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of God shall overshadow you; so the baby born to you will be utterly holy the Son of God. Furthermore, six months ago your Aunt Elizabeth the barren one, they called her became pregnant in her old age: For every promise from God shall surely come true. Mary said, I am the Lords servant, and I am willing to do whatever he wants. May everything you said come true. And then the angel disappeared. $hether its Christmastime or any other time durin( the year, I love this part of 'u!e be%ause of one little senten%e almost at the end of it. I have tried to envision myself as 5ary I have tried to envision my dau(hter as 5ary, to see if it would be possible to have the !ind of feelin(s and )uestions she must have had at that moment when the an(el Gabriel appeared to her" $hat would she tell her 5otherC #ow %ould she e.plain her pre(nan%y to her betrothed, JosephC #ow %ould she e.plain it to her friendsC $hat would happen to her own life" I tried to visuali*e Joan %omin( home and tellin( me some story li!e this how would I have rea%tedC 5ary was a very youn( (irl and there must have been a myriad of thou(hts run throu(h her mind at this moment, and while the Eible doesnt re%ord how lon( it too! for her to ma!e a de%ision it seems a very short time! 4;A

5arys answer is one of the most beautiful answers of anyone in the entire Eible be%ause of its simpli%ityN +I am the 'ords servant, and " am willing to do whatever he wants$. 0e(ardless of %ost, re(ardless of %onse)uen%es, re(ardless of the favor of her fian%R or family, 5ary said without hesitation, +I am willin( to do whatever #e wants", God %hallen(es me every time I read this! +6re ?/2 willin( to do whatever I wantC, ?es, 'ord! Luke 3:16-17 John answered the question by saying, I baptize only with water; but someone is coming soon who has far higher authority than mine; in fact, I am not even worthy of being his slave. He will baptize you with fire with the Holy Spirit. He will separate chaff from grain, and burn up the chaff with eternal fire and store away the grain. I espe%ially love this -%ripture be%ause of the (reat promise it %ontainsN +#e will bapti*e Fran%es with FI0E with the #oly -pirit", I had read so many times the (lorious a%%ount of the day of :ente%ost and how the fire %ame down on their heads and how I believed that even in this day and time Jesus would still bapti*e with FI0E! $hat a promise to every bornDa(ain believer" $e dont have to wonder and (uess, we %an BN/$ from #is $ord that #e will bapti*e us with Fire! #allelu&ah! 4;@

Luke 4:18-19 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted and to announce that captives shall be released and the blind shall see, that the downtrodden shall be freed from their oppressors, and that God is ready to give blessings to all who come to him. From the moment I was saved, there has been an overwhelmin( ur(e and desire in my life to share the Good News with everyone I %ome in %onta%t with" I find it impossible to tal! about the thin(s of the world, when the only thin( that ever seems worthwhile to me is Jesus and #is love! This verse sums it all up so beautifully! Luke 4:40 As the sun went down that evening, all the villagers who had any sick people in their homes, no matter what their diseases were, brought them to Jesus; and the touch of his hands healed every one! From the moment of my %onversion, I have been absolutely fas%inated by Jesus healin( power" -omehow this verse has always been e.tra spe%ial be%ause of the last little phraseN +6nd the tou%h of his hands healed every one!, Isnt that beautiful, and %ant you &ust feel the tou%h of Jesus hands on 44;

you ri(ht now, healin( your every need and problemC Luke 6:38 For if you give, you will get! Your gift will return to you in full and overflowing measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use to give large or small will be used to measure what is given back to you. I (uess the first pla%e God (ot me was in the po%!etboo! be%ause #e told me the devil had had my money lon( enou(h, and now #e wanted it" I didnt understand the prin%iples of God at all, but I (ave be%ause I $6NTE1 T/! I had so fallen in love with God that I didnt want anythin( for myself I only wanted everythin( for #im! 6nd so I (ave and (ave and (ave and un!nowin(ly tapped into one of the (reatest truths in the Eible! God (ave ba%! to me so (enerously, I had to turn around and (ive ba%! to #im" 6nd then #e (ave ba%! to me Jin a%%ordan%e with #is $ordK and weve had a runnin( battle all the years Ive been a Christian, and Ive never been able to out (ive #im" Eut who %ouldC No one, if you listened to what Gods $ord says" 6nd its beautiful that #e returns to us with the same measure we (ive to #im" If were (enerous, then #e, by #is $ord, has to be (enerous with us" Glory! This applies not only to money, but to your own self" If you (ive yourself to God, then #e, by #is 444

$ord, has to (ive ba%! to you, but what an e.%han(e #e ma!es" #e (ives you #imself throu(h the person of #is -on Jesus, in e.%han(e for you" JI %ertainly (ot the best end of that tradeM how about youCK 'ets ma!e the verse personal now, and see how it soundsN +For if Fran%es (ives, she will (et! Fran%es (ift will return to her in full and overflowin( measure, pressed down, sha!en to(ether to ma!e room for more, and runnin( over" $hatever measure Fran%es uses to (ive lar(e or small will be used to measure what is (iven ba%! to Fran%es", 'ets really thin! about that verse very %arefully be%ause it %an alter the %ourse of your entire Christian life" 1id you !now that you %hoose the measure that God is (oin( to use to bless youC #e doesnt %hoose it you %hoose it, and its the measure that you use to (ive to #im that #e Jby #is $ordK has to use in returnin( to you" Than! ?ou, Jesus! 0e%ently we were in Ja%!sonville Eea%h, Florida and our motel was ri(ht on the o%ean" /n -unday mornin( we were loo!in( out the window prior to (oin( to %hur%h and I saw a perfe%t e.ample of the way God returns to us" There was a little %hild, probably no more than oneDandDaDhalf or twoDyearsDold, sittin( on the bea%h with a tiny little s%oop, shovelin( away, tryin( to fill up a little bu%!et" #e was wor!in( so hard, and it was ta!in( so many s%oops to fill his 449

little bu%!et be%ause his s%oop was a real tiny little one" Just a little farther down the bea%h sat a bi( %rane, waitin( for 5onday to %ome and the operator to be(in ta!in( bi( bites out of the earth for some %onstru%tion wor!" I loo!ed at the little s%oop of the baby, and then loo!ed at the hu(e s%oop on the %rane, and it was so simple to understand this -%ripture now! The little s%oop was only %apable of pi%!in( up so mu%h, and no more be%ause its si*e was limited! The bi( %rane literally bit hu(e %hun!s out of the earth, in the same amount of time" God Jby #is $ordK has to return to us by the measure we use to (ive to #im if its a little %hilds s%oop, then #e has to use the same thin(" If we (ive to #im with the s%oop of a bi( %rane, then #is $ord says #e will use the same bi( s%oop to return to us" #allelu&ah! Give me a bi( s%oop! Luke 7:36-50 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to come to his home for lunch and Jesus accepted the invitation. As they sat down to eat, a woman of the streets a prostitute heard he was there and brought an exquisite flask filled with expensive perfume. Going in, she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping, with her tears falling down upon his feet; and she wiped them off with her hair and 443

kissed them and poured the perfume on them. When Jesus host, a Pharisee, saw what was happening and who the woman was, he said to himself, This proves that Jesus is no prophet, for if God had really sent him, he would know what kind of woman this one is! Then Jesus spoke up and answered his thoughts. Simon, he said to the Pharisee, I have something to say to you. All right, Teacher, Simon replied, go ahead. Then Jesus told him this story: A man loaned money to two people $5,000 to one and $500 to the other. But neither of them could pay him back, so he kindly forgave them both, letting them keep the money! Which do you suppose loved him most after that? I suppose the one who had owed him the most, Simon answered. Correct, Jesusagreed. Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, Look! See this woman kneeling here! When I entered your home, you didnt bother to offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You refused me the customary kiss of greeting, 44=

but she has kissed my feet again and again from the time I first came in. You neglected the usual courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has covered my feet with rare perfume. Therefore her sins and they are many are forgiven, for she loved me much; but one who is forgiven little, shows little love. And he said to her, Your sins are forgiven. Then the men at the table said to themselves, Who does this man think he is, going around forgiving sins? And Jesus said to the woman, Your faith has saved you; go in peace. This really spea!s to me be%ause of the womans willin(ness to (ive her all her love, her affe%tion, her worldly possessions and probably the thin( that was the most dear to her, but she willin(ly poured it on Jesus feet" God dealt with me so many times %on%ernin( total and %omplete %ommitment that this verse really spo!e of bein( willin( to (ive +all, to Jesus" 6t the top of my Eible on this pa(e I have written +-ome people only want to be for(iven little be%ause they arent willin( to (ive 6''!, Luke 9:23-25 Then he said to all, Anyone who wants to follow me must put aside his own desires and conveniences and carry his cross with 44<

him every day and keep close to me! Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it, but whoever insists on keeping his life will lose it; and what profit is there in gaining the whole world when it means forfeiting ones self? I li!e this be%ause it %onstantly reminds me to !eep %lose to Jesus, and never stray away! The middle senten%e says so mu%h about (ivin( everythin( to Jesus and (ivin( up +self, be%ause when we insist on !eepin( +self, we run into problemsM but when were willin( to lose our life in the shadow of Jesus, we will (ain eternal life, and who %ould as! for anythin( more" The last senten%e shows how useless it is to try to (ain the whole world when you end up losin( your own soul" 1ont loo! at this as a %ondemnin( -%ripture, but loo! at it for the promises it %ontains" 'oo! at the (lory when you ma!e the verse personalN +If Fran%es wants to follow me she must put aside her own desires and %onvenien%es and %arry her %ross with her every day and !eep %lose to me! If Fran%es loses her life for my sa!e she will save it, but if she insists on !eepin( her life will lose itM and what profit is there in Fran%es (ainin( the whole world when it means forfeitin( herselfC, None, 'ord Jesus, absolutely none" Than! ?ou for ma!in( the %hoi%e so easy! Luke 10:19-21 448

 And I have given you authority over all the power of the Enemy, and to walk among serpents and scorpions and to crush them. Nothing shall injure you! However, the important thing is not that demons obey you, but that your names are registered as citizens of heaven. Then he was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit and said, I praise you, 0 Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from the intellectuals and worldly wise and for revealing them to those who are as trusting as little children. Eeautiful, beautiful, beautiful, when we reali*e that Jesus has (iven us authority over 6'' the power of the Enemy" There is nothin( that -atan %an do to you, be%ause you have the authority over 6'', every sin(le bit, of the power of the Enemy" Gods $ord says that nothing shall in2ure you! 6nd yet #e ma!es it so plain that your power is really unimportant alon(side the most important thin( of all, and that is that your name is written in the Eoo! of 'ife" #allelu&ah! :raise God #e ma!es these simple little truths so easy to find, that even a little %hild %an find them be%ause of their simple trust" Try it on a personal basisN +6nd I have (iven Fran%es authority over all the power of the Enemy, and to wal! amon( serpents and s%orpions and to %rush them" Nothin( shall in&ure Fran%es! #owever, the important thin( is not that demons obey 44>

Fran%es, but that Fran%es name is re(istered as a %iti*en of heaven", Than! ?ou, Jesus, for writin( my name in that boo!! Luke 11:33-36 No one lights a lamp and hides it! Instead, he puts it on a lampstand to give light to all who enter the room. Your eyes light up your inward being. A pure eye lets sunshine into your soul. A lustful eye shuts out the light and plunges you into darkness. So watch out that the sunshine isnt blotted out. If you are filled with light within, with no dark corners, then your face will be radiant too, as though a floodlight is beamed upon you. $hat a beautiful %omparison a li(ht illumined by ele%tri%ity, and a fa%e, illuminated by the -pirit of God! I thin! of the radiant fa%es of Christians who loo! li!e they almost swallowed a li(ht bulb" $hen Charles and I (et off a plane in a stran(e %ity, and dont !now who is (oin( to meet us to ta!e us to our meetin(s, we always loo! for the ones with the radiant fa%es as thou(h there was a floodli(ht beamed on them"""" It never fails we %an always pi%! out the Christian who is (oin( to pi%! us up by the inner (low whi%h shines outside too" Glory!!! 'oo! what happens in the personali*ation of the thirtyDsi.th verse" +If Fran%es is filled with li(ht 44A

within, with no dar! %orners, then Fran%es fa%e will be radiant too, as thou(h a floodli(ht is beamed upon her", #allelu&ah, Jesus, turn that floodli(ht on! 'u!e 4=N98D9> Anyone who wants to be my follower must love me far more than he does his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, or sisters yes, more than his own life otherwise he cannot be my disciple. And no one can be my disciple who does not carry his own cross and follow me. I believe with all my heart, that every %ommitted Christian fa%es a de%ision at one time or another in their life as to whom they love the most" God has (iven all of us a supernatural love for our husbands and %hildren, but when we (et to that point of total %ommitment, we have to be willin( to %hoose to love God more than any member of our family" The most beautiful part of all this, however, is that when you love God more than anyone in the world, #e will (ive you a (reater ability to love every member of your family than you ever dreamed of" Thats &ust li!e God, thou(h, isnt itC $hen you (ive #im your first love, #e (ives ba%! far more than you %ould ever hope to (ive #im" Not only in #is love, but in your ability to love your own husband or wife and %hildren more than before" 44@

The day that God %onfronted me with that -%ripture, #e saidN +If Fran%es wants to be my follower she must love me far more than she does her own father, mother, Tom, Joan J%hildrenK, brothers, or sisters yes more than Fran%es own life otherwise she %annot be my dis%iple" 6nd no one Jin%ludin( Fran%esK %an be my dis%iple if she does not %arry her own %ross and follow me",

49;

JOHN
The boo! of John %ontains many of my favorite -%riptures" This is one of the (reatest boo!s to ma!e personal in the entire Eible be%ause it really allows Jesus to spea! to you in one of the most intimate of all boo!s, if you will let #im" It is almost impossible to try and pi%! out the +favorite, verses without the entire boo!, so I am (oin( to leave out some of those most %ommonly used, and try to show you some verses that many times are not parti%ularly emphasi*ed" John 3:1-8 After dark one night a Jewish religious leader named Nicodemus, a member of the sect of the Pharisees, came for an interview with Jesus. Sir, he said, we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miracles are proof enough of this. Jesus replied, With all the earnestness I possessI tell you this: Unless you are born again, you can never get into the Kingdom of God. Born again! exclaimed Nicodemus. What do you mean? How can an old man go back into his mothers womb and be born again? Jesus replied, What I am telling you so earnestly is this: Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom 494

of God. Men can only reproduce human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven; so dont be surprised at my statement that you must be born again! Just as you can hear the wind but cant tell where it comes from or where it will go next, so it is with the Spirit. We do not know on whom he will next bestow this life from heaven. To me this is one of the most beautiful -%riptures in the Eible, be%ause it was this portion that made me reali*e I was not a Christian" -o many times we %an be involved in %hur%h wor!, the usual tuna fish and %ream %heese sandwi%h type of Christianity, without !nowin( that we %an have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ" The first time I ever heard this portion of -%ripture, I %ompletely fell apart and pani%!ed, be%ause I reali*ed that even with a lifetime of spasmodi% %hur%h attendan%e, (ood wor!s, et%", that I had never been born +a(ain, or born from above" 5y first pani%Dstri%!en thou(ht was, +I C6NT 'ET G/1 BN/$ #E T#INB- I5 6 C#0I-TI6N!, #ow de%eived we %an be by -atan into honestly thin!in( we are Christians and yet dis%overin( later that we are wearin( a %ounterfeit Christian halo" I love the Eible be%ause there is no (ray in it it is bla%! or white" +?ou either Gis, or you Gaint" + Its as simple as that" ?ou have either been born a(ain, or you havent been born a(ain" 6nd isnt it e.%itin( to !now theres no +maybe, involved" The Eible is so spe%ifi% in sayin(, +2nless one is born of water Jwhen youre born physi%allyK, and the -pirit Jwhen youre born a(ainK, he cannot enter the kingdom of 499

4od$. Nothin( that you do throu(h (ood wor!s on this earth %an (et you into heavenM its a )uestion of bein( born a(ain, whi%h is so simple" Its &ust a )uestion of as!in( God to for(ive your sins and as!in( Jesus to %ome into your heart" 5aybe as you read this you are aware of the fa%t that you have never been born a(ain, or maybe theres doubt" $ould you li!e to pray a simple little prayer ri(ht now, &ust to ma!e sure that you !now that you know that you BN/$ that youve been born a(ainC This is the prayer Jword for wordK that I prayed when I be%ame a Christian" +'ord Jesus, for(ive my sins" I open the door of my life and re%eive ?ou as my -avior and 'ord" Ta!e %ontrol of the throne of my life" 5a!e me the !ind of person ?ou want me to be" Than! ?ou for %omin( into my heart and for hearin( my prayer as ?ou promised", 5ay I as! you a )uestion ri(ht nowC $here is Jesus ChristC IN ?/20 #E60T! #allelu&ah! John 4:6-29 He had to go through Samaria on the way, and around noon as he approached the village of Sychar, he came to Jacobs Well, located on the parcel of ground Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jesus was tired from the long walk in the hot sun and sat wearily beside the well. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus asked her for a drink. He was alone at the time as his disciples had 493

gone into the village to buy some food. The woman was surprised that a Jew would ask a despised Samaritan for anything usually they wouldnt even speak to them! and she remarked about this to Jesus. He replied, If you only knew what a wonderful gift God has for you, and who I am, you would ask me for some living water. But you dont have a rope or a bucket, she said, and this is a very deep well! Where would you get this living water? And besides, are you greater than our ancestor Jacob? How can you offer better water than this which he and his sons and cattle enjoyed? Jesus replied that people soon became thirsty again after drinking this water. But the water I give them, he said, becomes a perpetual spring within them, watering them forever with eternal life. Please, sir, the woman said, give me some of that water! Then Ill never be thirsty again and wont have to make this long trip out here every day. Go and get your husband, Jesus told her. But Im not married, the woman replied.

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 All too true! Jesus said. For you have had five husbands, and you arent even married to the man youre living with now. Sir, the woman said, you must be a prophet. But say, tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here [at Mount Gerazim], where our ancestors worshiped? Jesus replied, The time is coming, maam, when we will no longer be concerned about whether to worship the Father here or in Jerusalem. For its not where we worship that counts, but how we worship Is our worship spiritual and real? Do we have the Holy Spirits help? For God is Spirit, and we must have his help to worship as we should. The Father wants this kind of worship from us. But you Samaritans know so little about him, worshiping blindly, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes to the world through the Jews. The woman said, Well, at least I know that the Messiah will come the one they call Christ and when he does, he will explain everything to us. Then Jesus told her, I Messiah! am the

Just then his disciples arrived. They were surprised to find him talking to a 49<

woman, but none of them asked him why, or what they had been discussing. Then the woman left her waterpot beside the well and went back to the village and told everyone, Come and meet a man who told me everything I ever did! This is a wellD!nown story in the Bible because its one of the most beautiful to show the compassion of Jesus toward even the worst of sinners, and it gives one of the (reatest promises of the Eible" +If you only !new what a wonderful (ift God has for you, and who I am, ?/2 $/2'1 6-B 5E F/0 -/5E 'I7ING $6TE0!, The same thin( is true of ea%h and every one of us" If we really understood who Jesus is, even the (reatest unbeliever would %ome see!in( the living water$ 6nd then listen to this fabulous promise in the $ord of GodN +The water I (ive them be%omes a perpetual sprin( within them, waterin( them forever with eternal life", $hen Jesus (ives you the livin( water, it be%omes a perpetual Jflowin( forever and foreverK stream within you, waterin( you F/0E7E0 with eternal life" God has so mu%h to say, and so mu%h to (ive, if we will &ust believe" 0eadin( down &ust a little bit farther, is also another (reat truth" +For its not $#E0E we worship that %ounts, but #/$ we worship is our worship spiritual and realC 1o we have the #oly -pirits helpC For God is -pirit, and we must have his help to worship as we should" The Father $6NT- this !ind of worship from us", The Father 498

wants us to worship #im and so many times we dont ta!e enou(h time to really worship #im" Then loo! at what the woman at the well told everyoneN +Come and meet a man who told me everything I ever did!, I believe the thin( hat really %onvi%ted me of the fa%t that I was a sinner and I had an awful time ever admittin( to God that I was a sinner, let alone to myself Jthat awful :0! 1C stood in the wayK was when God whispered in my ear one -unday mornin( and said +Fran%es, I !now every rotten, stin!in( thin( youve ever done Jthat didnt surprise meKM I !now every rotten, stin!in( thin( youve ever said Jthat didnt surprise me too mu%hKM I !now every rotten, stin!in( thin( youve ever thou(ht", That last statement, whi%h was spo!en so softly into my mind, brou(ht my entire world %rashin( down when I reali*ed that God even !new every sin(le thou(ht that had ever entered my mind! $ithout a doubt I %ould no lon(er )uestion the fa%t that I was a sinner" 6nd loo! at the woman at the well the thin( that %onvin%ed her was be%ause Jesus !new all about her" Eeloved, isnt it beautiful to !now that God !nows all about us, but in spite of it all, is willin( to for(ive us and wash us white as snow! Glory! John 6:35, 47-51 Jesus replied, I am the Bread of Life. No one coming to me will ever be hungry again. Those believing in me will never thirst. 49>

#ow earnestly I tell you this anyone who believes in me already has eternal life! ?es, I am the Eread of 'ife! $hen your fathers in the wilderness ate bread from the s!ies, they all died" Eut the Eread from heaven (ives eternal life to everyone who eats it" I am that 'ivin( Eread that %ame down out of heaven" 6nyone eatin( this Eread shall live foreverM this Eread is my flesh (iven to redeem humanity", John 7:37 If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water shall flow from the inmost being of anyone who believes in me. (He was speaking of the Holy Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him... I have (rouped three -%riptures to(ether here be%ause they all basi%ally relate to the same sub&e%t, and all (ive the same promise %on%ernin( the fa%t that those who hun(er and thirst after ri(hteousness shall never hun(er and thirst a(ain" No one ever eatin( of the Eread of 'ife will ever be hun(ry a(ain and those drin!in( the 'ivin( $ater will never thirst" This doesnt mean &ust a drop in the be(innin(, and no more ever a(ain, but a %onstant drin!in( of the 'ivin( $ater of 'ife" 6nyone eatin( the Eread shall live forever Jwhat a promise!K" Then listen to what it says if you do drin!N 49A

+0ivers of livin( water shall flow from the inmost bein( of anyone who believes in me", Just thin!, be%ause of the #oly -pirit livin( within you, rivers of this same water shall flow from you to )uen%h the thirst of others, &ust li!e it did from Jesus! #allelu&ah! John 8:12 Jesus said to the people, I am the Light of the world. So if you follow me, you wont be stumbling through the darkness, for living light will flood your path. $e used this verse of -%ripture on one of our Christmas %ards one year be%ause it (ives su%h a promise to the world" #ow many of us stumble around month after month in the dar!ness, tryin( to do it +our own way, instead of lettin( the livin( 'i(ht lead us, be%ause if we follow after Jesus, #e will flood our path with #is li(ht! #allelu&ah, what a promise to !now that we dont have to do it on our own be%ause #e ma!es it so easy for us, and always so beautiful" No more stumblin( when you follow Jesus" John 8:31-32 Jesus said to them, You are truly my disciples if you live as I tell you to, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

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5hat a /romise$ -tated so simply and yet so beautifully and so positively" +?ou are truly my dis%iples if you live as I tell you to,, and heres the promise, +and you will !now the truth, and the truth will set you free", 1id you see the %ondition pre%edin( the promiseC It was the fa%t that we are truly #is dis%iples if we live as #e tells us to, and then, after that we will !now the truth, and the truth will set us free" The King James translation puts it a little differently, but the meanin( seems the same to me" +If ye %ontinue in my word Jor obey me, or live as I tell you toK, then are ye my dis%iples indeedM and ye shall !now the truth, and the truth shall ma!e you free", The beauty of !nowin( we %an live a life %ompletely F0EE is there be%ause of Gods $ord and Jesus promise to us" #e doesnt say either that it will ma!e us partially free #e says it will ma!e us free """ all the way! Than! ?ou, Jesus! John 8:51 With all the earnestness I have I tell you this no one who obeys me shall ever die! $hat a %ompletely satisfyin( promise from Jesus" 6ll we have to do is to obey #im, and we have #is promise that we will never die" #allelu&ah! $hat fear does death hold when we !now that all it ta!es is obedien%e to have eternal life" 43;

$hat else promises you thisC 1o any of the thin(s of the worldC Nope, only Jesus! Eut, praise God! the promise is there" John 9:31 Well, God doesnt listen to evil men, but he has open ears to those who worship him and do his will. That little verse ou(ht to (ive you (reat hope" #ow mu%h simpler %an you (etC $e wonder how to ma!e God listen to us" 1id you realty read thatC God has open ears to those who worship #im and do #is will" No more, no less! #e doesnt listen to people who arent interested in doin( #is will, but to those who do, #e has open ears" Father, we praise ?ou be%ause of the simpli%ity of ?our $ord" John 14:22-24 Sir, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us disciples and not to the world at large? Jesus replied, Because I will only reveal myself to those who love me and obey me. The Father will love them too, and we will come to them and live with them. Anyone who doesnt obey me doesnt love me. And remember, I am not making up this answer to your question! It is the answer given by the Father who sent me. 434

I &ust love this verse of -%ripture be%ause even thou(h it holds a beautiful promise, it also holds some news whi%h mi(ht not be so (ood to those who dont really love Jesus! Jesus doesnt indis%riminately reveal #imself and all of #is (oodness to everyone, but #e so beautifully states that #e will do this only for those who love #im and obey #im" 6nd #e lets you !now ri(ht where #e stands, too, be%ause #e says if you dont obey #im, you &ust plain dont love #im" Its as simple as that" $hen you love #im, the only desire of your heart will be to obey #im and do whatever #e wants you to, and nothin( else" Eut how beautiful to !now that #is love is unendin( and bountiful to those who do what #e says" John 14:27 I am leaving you with a gift peace of mind and heart! And the peace I give isnt fragile like the peace the world gives. So dont be troubled or afraid. 1id you hear what Jesus promisedC 6eace of mind and heart! Eeloved, if we would &ust learn the promises of God, our lives %ould be without frustration and fear" Jesus said it, and I believe it" #e said, +I am leavin( you with a (ift pea%e of mind and heart!, If #e didnt promise another 439

thin(, that would be enou(h" Eelieve #im, and a%%ept #is (ift of pea%e of mind and heart! 1ont let your heart be troubled, be%ause #es ri(ht here to (ive you a pea%e that isnt fra(ile li!e the pea%e the world (ives" #s pea%e is indestru%tible on%e you allow #im to (ive it to you" John 15:5,7 For apart from me you cant do a thing... But if you stay in me and obey my commands, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted! I love this promise that Jesus made" #e wanted to ma!e sure that we didnt try to %ontinue to do it on our own, but that we would rely on #im, be%ause #e so simply stated, +For apart from me you %ant do a thin(", ?ou mi(ht not loo! on this as a promise, but I do" #e &ust promises that youll fail if you do it apart from #im" #allelu&ah! I dont have to try anymore to do it myself be%ause I !now in advan%e it will be a failure if I do" Then did you noti%e what follows ri(ht after thatC +Eut if you stay in me and /EE? my %ommands, you may as! any re)uest you li!e, and it will be (ranted!, 1o I need to say moreC $ho %ould help but want to /EE? Jesus when #e (ives you su%h a word as this, tellin( that you may as! any re)uest you li!e, and it will be (ranted" Than! ?ou, Jesus! 433

John 16:24 Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and your cup of joy will overflow. Ea%! up a little bit and read the verse before that where #e says +6t that time you wont need to as! me for anythin(, for you %an (o dire%tly to the Father and as! him, and he will (ive you what you as! for be%ause you use my name", First you have a promise that you %an as! and re%eive, but sometimes even (reater than that is the very fa%t that in as!in(, not only will you re%eive, but your %up of J/? will overflow" Christians, the promise is there" 6ll we have to do is a%%ept it, be%ause Jesus promises &oy! Just ima(ine, &oy %omes from as!in( and re%eivin(! 6nother added bonus"

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PETER
I Peter 5:7 Let him have all your worries and cares, for he is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you. Isnt it beautiful to !now that we have someone who %ares so mu%h for us that hes willin( to ta!e all our worries and %aresC 'isten to this personali*ed and then spend a little time really thin!in( about the ma(nitude of this verse" +'et him have all Fran%es worries and %ares, for he is always thin!in( about Fran%es and wat%hin( everythin( that %on%erns Fran%es", #e wants 6'' my worries and %ares not &ust part of them, but 6'' of them, and sin%e #e wants them, they dont belon( to me any lon(er" To !now that #e is always thin!in( about me is almost in%omprehensible to my mind" The God of all thin(s, the (reat +I am, is always thin!in( about me Jin spite of #is busy s%heduleK and #e is wat%hin( every sin(le thin( that %on%erns me" #e %ares about not only my spirit, but my body and my soul! #es not only wat%hin( me and prote%tin( me, but #es wat%hin( every sin(le thin( that %on%erns me" Than! ?ou, Father" $e sure dont deserve any of this, but it ma!es me love ?ou even more to !now that ?ou %are about E7E0?T#ING whi%h %on%erns me" I will love ?ou forever! 43<

I Peter 1:14-15 Obey God becauseyou are his children; dont slip back into your old ways doing evil because you knew no better. But be holy now in everything you do, just as the Lord is holy, who invited you to be his child. 1ont we have a thrillin( reason to obey GodC This verse ma!es me bubble over with e.%itement, love, &oy and pea%e be%ause I dont have to obey God be%ause #es sittin( up there in heaven loo!in( down at me, tryin( to %at%h me doin( somethin( wron(! No, its my privile(e to obey #im be%ause Im #is %hild! #allelu&ah! I 65 #I- C#I'1! I 65 #I- C#I'1! Theres so mu%h in the Eible to en%oura(e us to %ontinue see!in( more and more of God and not to return to our old ways, and what a promise of God! I 65 #I- C#I'1! 5a!in( that fifteenth verse personal should (ive ea%h and every one of us a desire to be more and more holy and more li!e God, be%ause #e personally invited us to be #is %hild" :ut your name in that last phrase, +&ust as the 'ord is holy, who invited Fran%es #unter to be his %hild", #ow %ould I ever want to disappoint #im when #e personally invited me to be #is %hild! Than! ?ou, Father, for loo!in( to and fro and seein( me, and in spite of seein( what I was, personally invitin( me to be ?our %hild" I love ?ou, love ?ou, love ?ou! 438

I Peter 1:18-19 God paid a ransom to save you from the impossible road to heaven which your fathers tried to take, and the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver, as you very well know. But he paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. Than! ?ou, 'ord" Its &ust li!e Id been !idnapped and put on the wron( road """ the road leadin( ri(ht strai(ht to hell, but God #imself personally paid the ransom &ust to put me on the impossible road to heaven" #allelu&ah! 6nd to thin! #e had all the (old and silver in the whole wide world, and #e %ould have used this as a ransom, but #e didnt, be%ause #e !new that wouldnt wor!, so #e paid for me with the only thin( that was suffi%ient to pay the pri%e the pre%ious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless 'amb of God" If you want to (et some spiritual (oose pimples, put your name in the nineteenth verse" +Eut he paid for Fran%es #unter with the pre%ious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless spotless 'amb of God", #ow %ould we ever want to do anythin( but serve #im in love and appre%iationC I Peter 1:23-25 For you have a new life. It was not passed on to you from your parents, for the life they gave you will fade away. This new 43>

one will last forever, for it comes from Christ, Gods ever-living Messageto men. Yes, our natural lives will fade as grass does when it becomes all brown and dry. All our greatnessis like a flower that droops and falls; but the Word of the Lord will last forever. And his message is the Good News that was preached to you. -ome people have parents they feel they %an be +proud, of" /thers have parents they mi(ht have been ashamed of" /thers dont even !now who their parents are, but how beautiful is the fatherhood of those who have been born a(ain be%ause this verse tells us we have a NE$ life" Not passed on to us by our parents, be%ause that life is only temporary and will fade away" Eut, praise God, the new one will last forever be%ause it %omes from Jesus" :raise God that even thou(h our natural lives will fade as (rass does, the $ord of the 'ord will last forever, and so will those of us who have believed and a%%epted #is $ord" There is no end, be%ause eternity has no endin( $e shall live forever! I Peter 2:9-11 ... You have been chosen by God himself you are priests of the King, you are holy and pure, you are Gods very own all this so that you may show to others how God called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were less than 43A

nothing; now you are Gods own. Once you knew very little of Gods kindness; now your very lives have been changed by it. Dear brothers, you are only visitors here. Since your real home is in heaven I beg you to keep away from the evil pleasures of this world; they are not for you, for they fight against your very souls. Can you ima(ine anythin( more wonderful than to !now that you have been %hosen by the 6lmi(hty God #imself and that #e has made us priests, holy and pure" It is God who does the refinin(, but it is we who must be willin( to let God ma!e us holy and pure" #ave you ever wished to return to the dar!ness now that youre in the li(htC Never, never, NE7E0! Isnt it (lorious to !now that our real home is not here where thin(s %an rust away, but this is only a temporary par!in( spot until we rea%h the Glory of God in heaven! #allelu&ah! $at%h what happens when you ma!e this verse personalN +Fran%es, you have been %hosen by God himself Fran%es, you are a priest of the Bin(, you are holy and pure, Fran%es, you are Gods very own all this so that Fran%es %an show to others how God %alled her out of the dar!ness into his wonderful li(ht" /n%e Fran%es was less than nothin(M now Fran%es is Gods own" /n%e Fran%es !new very little of Gods !indnessM now her very life has been %han(ed by it"

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+1ear Fran%es, you are only a visitor here" -in%e your real home is in heaven I be( you to !eep away from the evil pleasures of this worldM they are not for Fran%es, for they fi(ht a(ainst her very soul", -ubstitute your name where I have put mine and let God spea! to you and see what it does to you" I Peter 2:16 +?ou are free from the law, but that doesnt mean you are free to do wron(" 'ive as those who are free to do only Gods will at all times", #ow beautiful to !now that you have %omplete freedom in the 'ord freedom to do everythin( #e wants you to! Free from the law, but havin( the same freedom that !eeps you from $6NTING to do wron(" :raise God we are free to do only Gods will at all times" $e dont have to bow down to our old sinful natures and do what -atan wants us to do" $e have %omplete freedom from those old obli(ations! :raise ?ou, 'ord, for the liberty and freedom ?ou (ive ?our %hildren" I Peter 2:2-3 Now that you realize how kind the Lord has been to you, put away all evil, deception, envy, and fraud. Long to grow up into the fullness of your salvation; cry for this as a baby cries for his milk. 4=;

This verse really spea!s to me be%ause of that last little phraseN +Cry for this as a baby %ries for his mil!", $e all !now the sound of a hun(ry baby, and thats the hun(er we should have for the $ord of God and for #is (oodness and !indness and mer%y" 6nd the 'ord saysN +Fran%es, now that you reali*e how !ind the 'ord has been to you, put away all evil, de%eption, envy, and fraud", #e ma!es the Christian wal! so easy be%ause #e really tells you what to do and what not to do, and then (ives you a desire to do what #e wants you to" Glory! I Peter 5:7 Let him have all your worries and cares, for he is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you. 1id you ever stop to meditate on the idea that God is always thin!in( about youC Can you ima(ine all the people God has to thin! about, and yet #e is always thin!in( about you and wat%hin( everythin( that even %on%erns you" #es so an.ious to prote%t #is %hildren #e never ta!es #is eyes off of us for a sin(le moment" 1id you ever reali*e that you were that important to GodC If you really want to feel the presen%e of God, ma!e that verse personalN +'et him have all Fran%es worries and %ares, for he is always thin!in( about Fran%es and wat%hin( everythin( that %on%erns her", $hat does that do to youC 4=4

II Peter 1:2-9 +1o you want more and more of Gods !indness and pea%eC Then learn to !now him better and better" For as you !now him better, he will (ive you, throu(h his (reat power, everythin( you need for livin( a truly (ood lifeN he even shares his own (lory and his own (oodness with us! 6nd by that same mi(hty power he has (iven us all the other ri%h and wonderful blessin(s he promisedM for instan%e, the promise to save us from the lust and rottenness all around us and to (ive us his own %hara%ter" +Eut to obtain these (ifts, you need more than faithM you must also wor! hard to be (ood, and even that is not enou(h" For then you must earn to !now God better and dis%over what he wants you to do" +Ne.t, learn to put aside your own desires so that you will be%ome patient and (odly, (ladly lettin( God have his way with you" This will ma!e possible the ne.t step, whi%h is for you to en&oy other people and to li!e them, and finally you will (row to love them deeply" The more you (o on in this way, the more you will (row stron( spiritually and be%ome fruitful and useful to our 'ord Jesus Christ" Eut anyone who fails to (o after these additions to faith is blind indeed, or at least very shortsi(hted, and has for(otten that God delivered him from the old life of sin so that now he %an live a stron(, (ood life for the 'ord", Gods instru%tions are so easy! Its so simple, its so simple to live a Christian life, if we will only 4=9

let #im spea! to us throu(h #is $ord" 'oo! at that first verse! The )uestion and then the simple answer of &ust (ettin( to !now #im better and better" 6nd how %an you (et to !now #im better and betterC Ey spendin( more time with #im! 6nd then loo! what #e promises after you (et to !now #im better, #e says #e will (ive you everythin( you need for livin( a truly (ood life" God never intended that we had to do it on our own #e always intended to (ive us all the power and blessin(s we need! 'oo! at verse 7 at the last senten%e" +For then you must learn to !now God better and dis%over what he wants you to do$. 5any people spend time as!in( God to bless some endeavor they thou(ht of themselves, instead of as!in( God what #e wants them to do" -ee! God and find out what #e wants out of your life, then loo! at verse 8" This is one of the hardest thin(s for many people to learn to do to &ust simply put aside your own desires so that you will be%ome patient and (odly, (ladly lettin( God have #is way with you" :uttin( down our own desires and dyin( to self is probably the most diffi%ult step for most Christians, and yet its so simple, be%ause God ma!es immediate provisions for you when you do, but never before! 'ets all learn to do what God wants us to do! 'ets ma!e verse < personal" +Fran%es, you must learn to !now God better and dis%over what he wants Fran%es to do", -imple little instru%tion, isnt itC 4=3

'ets try verse 8N +Ne.t, Fran%es, you learn to put aside your own desires so that Fran%es will be%ome patient and (odly, (ladly lettin( God have his way with her" This will ma!e possible the ne.t step, whi%h is for Fran%es to en&oy other people and to li!e them, and finally she will (row to love them deeply" The more Fran%es (oes on in this way, the more she will (row stron( spiritually and be%ome fruitful and useful to our 'ord Jesus Christ" Eut if Fran%es fails to (o after these additions to faith she is blind indeed, or at least very shortsi(hted, and has for(otten that God delivered Fran%es from the old life of sin so that now she %an live a stron(, (ood life for the 'ord", Thats my part puttin( aside my own desires and lettin( God have #is way, and doesnt #e spell it out so easy for us to understandC :raise God! the instru%tion boo! is easy and (lorious to read! #allelu&ah!

4==

THE REVELATION
Theres a lot about this boo! that I dont really understand and yet this is one of my favorite +)ui%! pi%!Dups, to read in the Eible" -omehow the awesome power and (lory of God is refle%ted in this boo! as mu%h as in any other boo! in the Eible" I have sele%ted the verses here that are my very favorites, and I hope you will mar! them with a mar!in( pen%il in your Eible and pi%! them up and read them when you need a real shot in the arm %on%ernin( the (lory and ma&esty of God! Im ma!in( no %omments on these, but &ust as!in( you to loo! at what God promises you in this beautiful boo! of 0evelation" To everyone who is victorious, I will give fruit from the Tree of Life in the Paradise of God. (2:7) Let everyone who can hear, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches: He who is victorious shall not be hurt by the Second Death. (2:11) Every one who is victorious shall eat of the hidden manna, the secret nourishment from heaven; and I will give to each a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one else knows except the one receiving it. (2.17) 4=<

 To every one who overcomes who to the very end keeps on doing things that please me I will give power over the nations. You will rule them with a rod of iron just as my Father gave me the authority to rule them; they will be shattered like a pot of clay that is broken into tiny pieces. And I will give you the Morning Star! (2:2628) Everyone who conquers will be clothed in white, and I will not erase his name from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that he is mine. (3: 5) I know you well; you arent strong, but you have tried to obey and have not denied my Name. Therefore I have opened a door to you that no one can shut. (3:8) As for the one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God; he will be secure, and will go out no more; and I will write my Gods Name on him, and he will be a citizen in the city of my God the New Jerusalem, coming down from heaven from my God; and he will have my new Name inscribed upon him. (3:12) I know you well you are neither hot nor cold; I wish you were one or the other! But since you are merely lukewarm, I will 4=8

spit you (3:15)

out

of

my

mouth!

Look! I have been standing at the door and I am constantly knocking. If anyone hears me calling him and opens the door, I will come in and fellowship with him and he with me. (3:20) I will let every one who conquers sit beside me on my throne, just as I took my place with my Father on his throne when I had conquered. (3:21) And instantly I was, in spirit, there in heaven and saw oh, the glory of it! ... Great bursts of light flashed forth from him as from a glittering diamond, or from a shining ruby, and a rainbow glowing like an emerald encircled his throne. (4:23) Day after day and night after night they kept on saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty the one who was, and is, and is to come. And when the Living Beings gave glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four Elders fell down before him and worshiped him, the Eternal Living One, and cast their crowns before the throne, singing, 0 Lord, you are worthy to receive the glory and the honor and the power, for you have created all things. They were 4=>

created and called into being by your act of will. (4:811) Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and to unroll it? But no one in all heaven or earth or from among the dead was permitted to open and read it. Then I wept with disappointment because no one anywhere was worthy; no one could tell us what it said. But one of the twenty-four Elders said to me, Stop crying, for look! The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, and proved himself worthy to open the scroll and to break its seven seals. I looked and saw a Lamb standing there before the twenty-four Elders, in front of the throne and the Living Beings, and on the Lamb were wounds that once had caused his death. (5:26) They were singing him a new song with these words: You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it; for you were slain, and your blood has bought people from every nation as gifts for God. And you have gathered them into a kingdom and made them priests of our God; they shall reign upon the earth. 4=A

 Then in my vision I heard the singing of millions of angels surrounding the throne and the Living Beings and the Elders: The Lamb is worthy (loudly they sang it!) the Lamb who was slain. He is worthy to receive the power, and the riches, and the wisdom, and the strength, and the honor, and the glory, and the blessing. And then I heard everyone in heaven and earth, and from the dead beneath the earth and in the sea, exclaiming, The blessing and the honor and the glory and the power belong to the one sitting on the throne, and to the Lamb forever and ever. And the four Living Beings kept saying, Amen! And the twenty-four Elders fell down and worshiped him. (5:914) The kings of the earth, and world leaders and rich men, and high-ranking military officers, and all men great and small, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and rocks of the mountains, and cried to the mountains to crush them. Fall on us, they pleaded, and hide us from the face of the one sitting on the throne, and from the anger of the Lamb, because the great day of their anger has come, and who can survive it? (6:1517) Then locusts came from the smoke and descended onto the earth and were given 4=@

power to sting like scorpions. They were told not to hurt the grass or plants or trees, but to attack those people who did not have the mark of God on their foreheads. They were not to kill them, but to torture them for five months with agony like the pain of scorpion stings. In those days men will try to kill themselves but wont be able to death will not come. They will long to die but death will flee away! (9:36) But the men left alive after these plagues still refused to worship God! They would not renounce their demon- worship, nor their idols made of gold and silver, brass, stone and wood which neither see nor hear nor walk! Neither did they change their mind and attitude about all their murders and witchcraft, their immorality and theft. (9:2021) But after three and a half days, the spirit of life from God will enter them and they will stand up! And great fear will fall on everyone. (11:11) Then I heard again what sounded like the shouting of a huge crowd, or like the waves of a hundred oceans crashing on the shore, or like the mighty rolling of great thunder. Praise the Lord. For the Lord our 4<;

God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice and honor him; for the time has come for the wedding banquet of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. (19:6) In his mouth he held a sharp sword to strike down the nations; he ruled them with an iron grip; and he trod the winepress of the fiercenessof the wrath of Almighty God. On his robe and thigh was written this title: King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (19:15) He will wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain. All of that has gone forever. (21.4) In a vision he took me to a towering mountain peak and from there I watched that wondrous city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of the skies from God. It was filled with the glory of God, and flashed and glowed like a precious gem, crystal clear like jasper. Its walls were broad and high, with twelve gates guarded by twelve angels. (21:1012) No temple could be seen in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are worshiped in it everywhere. And the city has no need of sun or moon to light it, for the glory of God and of the Lamb illuminate it. 4<4

Its light will light the nations of the earth, and the rulers of the world will come and bring their glory to it. Its gates never close; they stay open all day long and there is no night! And the glory and honor of all the nations shall be brought into it. Nothing evil will be permitted in it no one immoral or dishonest but only those whose names are written in the Lambs Book of Life. (21:2227) And he pointed out to me a river of pure Water of Life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb, coursing down the center of the main Street. On each side of the river grew Trees of Life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month; the leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations. There shall be nothing in the city which is evil; for the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. And they shall see his face; and his name shall be written on their foreheads. And there will be no night there no need for lamps or sun for the Lord God will be their light; and they shall reign forever and ever. (22:15) Then he instructed me, Do not seal up what you have written, for the time of fulfillment is near. And when that time 4<9

comes, all doing wrong will do it more and more; the vile will become more vile; good men will be better; those who are holy will continue on in greater holiness. (22:1011) The Spirit and the bride say, Come. Let each one who hears them say the same, Come. Let the thirsty one come anyone who wants to; let him come and drink the Water of Life without charge. (22:1 7) I hope these verses have done as much for you as they do for me, because when I finish reading these verses in Revelation, I always feel like John did in the first chapter, verse 17: When I saw him, l fell at his feet as dead. What a promise to know that some day well see our glorious Savior face to face; and isnt it hard to imagine what well feel like or what well say on that glorious occasion. I think John did the thing that most of us will do ... we will fall at his feet as dead! Hallelujah! Maranatha! Revelation 1:10,17 I was in the Spirit on the Lords day... And when I saw him., I fell at his feet as dead. (From the King James version) If you really want to be +in the -pirit,, theres nothin( li!e Eible readin( to put you ri(ht there" 4<3

There is where you find a %omplete disasso%iation with the +world, and a !nowled(e that (oes beyond plain !nowled(e that its &ust +you and me, 'ord!, The times in our lives when Charles and I have been the %losest to God have been the times when we have been so +in the -pirit, we werent even aware of anythin( in the entire world, a state from whi%h we hate to return" -omehow I find in readin( Gods $ord, and (ettin( %ompletely absorbed in it for an hour or more, %an be some of the (reatest worship time of my life be%ause as I read Gods promises to me I have no other %hoi%e than to worship #im to the fullest e.tent of my bein(" This is that sa%red time when God reveals so mu%h of #is plan for my life Jand #e will for you, tooK, and when our relationship is at its very pea!" I thin! of John and how the boo! of 0evelation was (iven to him and how it all started in his %omplete absorption and worship of God" $ould you li!e to read, tryin( to understand as best you %an, how %ompletely he was +in the -pirit, when he +fell at his feet as dead,C #e says, +It was the 'ords 1ay and I was worshipin(, The 'iving Bible paraphrasedK" Can you ima(ine the e.tent of his worship at that timeC It wasnt a nominal Christians worship on -unday mornin(, it was a %omplete absorption in the thin(s of God, with everythin( else e.%luded from his mind" If you will read this part out loud I thin! youll re%eive one of the (reatest blessin(s of your life" 5ay we all sear%h to be as %ompletely in the -pirit so that we too %an fall at #is feet as dead in %omplete worship and adoration" 4<=

Revelation 1:9-17 I was on the island of Patmos, exiled there for preaching the Word of God, and for telling what I knew about Jesus Christ. It was the Lords Day and I was worshiping, when suddenly I heard a loud voice behind me, a voice that sounded like a trumpet blast, saying, I am A and Z, the First and Last! And then I heard him say, Write down everything you see, and send your letter to the seven churches in Turkey: to the church in Ephesus, the one in Smyrna, and those in Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. When I turned to see who was speaking, there behind me were seven candlesticks of gold. And standing among them was one who looked like Jesus who called himself the Son of Man, wearing a long robe circled with a golden band across his chest. His hair was white as wool or snow, and his eyes penetrated like flames of fire. His feet gleamed like burnished bronze, and his voice thundered like the waves against the shore. He held seven stars in his right hand and a sharp, double-bladed sword in his mouth, and his face shone like the power of the sun in unclouded brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead.

4<<

MATTHEW
HOW DO YOU TREAT MY SON JESUS
/ne of my e.%itin( Christian e.perien%es +happened, in a most unusual way" Charles and I had been to a powerful meetin( and had seen the power of God wor! throu(h an evan(elist in a (reater way than we had ever witnessed in our entire lives" $e as!ed him the se%ret of the power and he simply saidN +I spend at least ei(ht hours every day in Gods $ord" There is no power without that!, That stunned me I thou(ht of my own life with letters to answer, %lothes to wash, food to be bou(ht at the stores, a house to %lean, and wondered how I %ould ever find time to spend ei(ht hours in one uninterrupted stret%h in Gods #oly $ord" This had put su%h a hun(erin( in my heart, that I prayed and said, +God, would ?ou please (ive me at least one day in my hurried life to spend an uninterrupted ei(htDhour day with &ust ?ou and meC, $e ou(ht to always be %areful how we pray, be%ause God re%o(ni*es a sin%ere heart, and will do all !inds of thin(s to see that our prayer is answered, as I found out a little later, in this adventure I share with you" I was s%heduled to be in a little town in Bansas" In order to (et there I had to leave #ouston early in the mornin(, stop in 1allas, wait for another plane, 4<8

and then &ust hed(eDhop all the way until I (ot to 'iberal, Bansas, where I was to be met and driven to the small town" 6lthou(h the distan%e was not lon(, the fli(ht was, be%ause of the several %onne%tions" I boarded the plane in #ouston well armed for the lon( fli(ht with my 'iving Bible$ I started in 5atthew and had a very unusual e.perien%e, be%ause as I finished the boo! for the first time, God spo!e softly and said, +Go ba%! and read it a(ain", -o I did" Then God said to read it a(ain, and finally the fourth time" In the meantime, I was seated in the small plane ta!in( me to the final stop in Bansas" Eut somehow in that spe%ial way we have of !nowin( when Gods (oin( to do somethin( spe%ial in our lives, I !new that somethin( unusual was happenin( now, and I %ontinued readin( and rereadin( the boo! of Matthew. Then I heard the small, still voi%e of God say, +'et 5e spea! to you while you read it a(ain", I be(an to read a(ain and to listen intently" 6ll of a sudden God said, +$herever you (o, as! them how do they treat 5y -on JesusC, DO YOU YIELD TO TEMPTATION? Matthew 4:1-1 0 I %ontinued readin(, be%ause I !new there was more to %ome" Nothin( happened in the first three %hapters, and then after I read the first ten verses in Chapter =N Then Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, to be tempted 4<>

there by Satan. For forty days and forty nights he ate nothing and became very hungry. Then Satan tempted him to get food by changing stones into loaves of bread. It will prove you are the Son of God, he said. But Jesus told him, No! For the Scriptures tell us that bread wont feed mens souls: obedience to every word of God is what we need. Then Satan took him to Jerusalem to the roof of the Temple. Jump off, he said, and prove you are the Son of God; for the Scriptures declare, God will send his angels to keep you from harm, ... they will prevent you from smashing on the rocks below. Jesus retorted, It also says not to put the Lord your God to a foolish test! Next Satan took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him the nations of the world and all their glory. Ill give it all to you, he said, If you will only kneel and worship me. Get out of here, Satan, Jesus told him. The Scriptures say, Worship only the Lord God. Obey only him. I heard God say: Ask them, Do you yield to temptation? ... Do YOU yield to temptation? 4<A

INSTANT OBEDIENCE Matthew 4:19-22 I read on, be%ause I !new there was more to %ome" I didnt have to wait lon(! I readN Jesus called out, Come along with me and I will show you how to fish for the souls of men! And they left their nets at once and went with him. A little farther up the beach he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets; and he called to them to come too. At once they stopped their work and, leaving their father behind, went with him. And again God spoke and I heard Him say: Ask them, do they INSTANTLY obey? ... Ask them, do they instantly OBEY? Matthew 5:21-22 I read on, an.ious to find out what the ne.t thin( God was (oin( to tal! about" $hen I (ot to this part, I !new somethin( e.%itin( was (oin( to happenN Under the laws of Moses the rule was, If you kill, you must die. But I have added to that rule, and tell you that if you are only angry, even in your own home, you are in danger of judgment! If you call your friend an idiot, you are in danger of being brought 4<@

before the court. And if you curse him, you are in danger of the fires of hell. And then I heard God speak again. Ask them, He said, Do you have ought against your brother? Do you have ought against your brother? Matthew 6:25-33 I read on, and the suspense %ontinued to (row as I an.iously !ept readin( to find out what God had in full to say on this %hapterN So my counsel is: Dont worry about things food, drink, and clothes. For you already have life and a body and they are far more important than what to eat and wear. Look at the birds! They dont worry about what to eat they dont need to sow or reap or store up food for your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. Will all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothes? Look at the field lilies! They dont worry about theirs. Yet King Solomon in all his glory was not clothed as beautifully as they. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, wont he more surely care for you, 0 men of little faith?

48;

 So dont worry at all about having enough food and clothing. Why be like the heathen? For they take pride in all these things and are deeply concerned about them. But your heavenly Father already knows perfectly well that you need them, and he will give them to you if you give him first place in your life and live as he wants you to. 6nd then God spo!e and said, +6s! them, G1o you worryC 1o you trust 5eC 1o you really believeC 1o you worryC JThats for the heathens"K 1o you trust #imC 1o you really believeC 5y heart %ried out ,/h, God, there are so many Christians who worry and worry about everythin(" $hat %an I say to themC, 6nd #e simply answeredN +6s! them if they trust 5e!, Matthew 7:21 The plane was (ettin( %lose to landin( time by now, and I hurriedly read on, an.ious to see what God was (oin( to say ne.t! I read on" Not all who sound religious are really godly people. They may refer to me as Lord, but still wont get to heaven. For the decisive question is whether they obey my Father in heaven. 484

Gods voi%e softly whispered, G6s! them, G1o they really obeyC 1o they 0E6''? obeyC 1o they really /EE?C, Ey this time, I heard somethin( over the loudspea!er that sho%!ed me" It never happened to me before, nor has it ever happened sin%e" 6t the sound of the pilots voi%e, I loo!ed out the window and it loo!ed li!e we were smothered in red dust"""" I didnt !now what it was, and then I heard the pilot sayN +Ee%ause of the dust storm, we are unable to land at 'iberal, and will %ontinue on to 1enver", I ran( for the hostess and said, +Ive (ot to (et off at 'iberal there are people waitin( down there for me to spea! at a %ityDwide meetin( toni(ht" #ow %an I (et ba%! from 1enverC Ive never missed a spea!in( date in my life!, -he simply smiled and said she was sorry there was nothin( they %ould do about it, but %ontinue on to 1enver" I went ba%! to readin( the Eible, se%retly deli(hted be%ause I would have more time to spend with Jesus" Matthew 8:1-4 I read on" Large crowds followed Jesus as he came down the hillside. Look! A leper is approaching. He kneels before him, worshiping. Sir, the leper pleads, if you want to, you can heal me. 489

 Jesus touches the man. I want to, he says, be healed. And instantly the leprosy disappears. Then Jesus says to him, Dont stop to talk to anyone; go right over to the priest to be examined; and take with you the offering required by Moses law for lepers who are healed a public testimony of your cure. $hen I (ot to this part, I heard that same voi%e a(ain sayin(N +6s! them """ as! them """ G1o you 6'$6?- testifyC 1o you always TE-TIF?C + -hivers ran up and down my ba%! when I reali*ed how many times we fail to testify about the (reat thin(s God has done for us" Matthew 9:9 I read on" As Jesus was going on down the road, he saw a tax collector, Matthew, sitting at a tax collection booth. Come and be my disciple, Jesus said to him, and Matthew jumped up and went along with him. 6t the end of that little verse, God spo!e a(ain and saidN +6s! them a(ain """ G1o ?/2 instantly obeyC + 6(ain #e repeated the )uestion" +6s! them a(ain, G1o you IN-T6NT'? obeyC, Matthew 9:37-38 Ey this time I was only aware of two people God and me! No one else on the plane the 483

stewardess or anyone else" I %ould have been in the middle of a desert for all I !new" I read on" The harvest is so great, and the workers are so few, he told his disciples. So pray to the one in charge of the harvesting, and ask him to recruit more workers for his harvest fields. God whisperedN +6s! them, G6re they willin( to be re%ruitedC """ 6s! them, G6re they $I''ING to be re%ruitedC 6re youC Matthew 10:37 I read on, oblivious to time or pla%e" If you love your father and mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. There was a tremendous love of God envelopin( me as I read this parti%ular part, and I !new somethin( real spe%ial was %omin( ne.t" God saidN +6s! them, G$ho do you love the mostC $ho %omes FI0-T in your lifeC + $ho do you put first in your lifeC Matthew 12:34 I read on, devourin( every sin(le word, to be sure I wouldnt miss what God had to say ne.t" 48=

 You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For a mans heart determines his speech. -oftly #e whispered, +6s! them, G$hat %omes out of ?/20 mouthC, I thou(ht about my own mouth" I thou(ht about what I had heard from the lips of other Christians, and wondered if all that %ame out of our mouths was of GodC Matthew 13:45-46 I read on" -oon there was a stirrin( in my heart as I (ot here" Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. He discovered a real bargain a pearl of great value and sold everything he owned to purchaseit! Then #e saidN +6s! them, G6re they willin( to (ive 6''C, +6s! them, G6re they really willin( to (ive allC Matthew 14:25-33 Every )uestion I heard #im say to as! made me sear%h my own heart too! I e.%itedly read on" About four oclock in the morning Jesus came to them, walking on the water! They screamed in terror, for they thought he was a ghost. 48<

 But Jesus immediately spoke to them, reassuring them. Dont be afraid! he said. Then Peter called to him: Sir, if it is really you, tell me to come over to you, walking on the water. All right, the Lord said, come along! So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he looked around at the high waves, he was terrified and began to sink. Save me, Lord! he shouted. Instantly Jesusreached out his hand and rescued him. 0 man of little faith, Jesus said. Why did you doubt me? And when they had climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. The others sat there, awestruck. You really are the Son of God! they exclaimed. Then #e saidN +6s! them, G1o they really trust 5eC +6s! them, G1o they really T02-T 5eC Matthew 16:24-26 I read on )ui%!ly now be%ause it seemed there would be a little pause between #is voi%e" Then I readN Then Jesus said to the disciples, If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him deny himself and take up his cross and 488

follow me. For anyone who keeps his life for himself shall lose it; and anyone who loses his life for me shall find it again. What profit is there if you gain the whole world and lose eternal life? What can be compared with the value of eternal life? 6nd #e saidN +6s! them a(ain and a(ain, the most important )uestion of all, G6re they really willin( to (ive allC 8very single thing to belong to 9e0. Matthew 18:1-3 I read on, my interest (rowin( more and more all the time" About that time the disciples came to Jesus to ask which of them would be greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven! Jesus called a small child over to him and set the little fellow down among them, and said, Unless you turn to God from your sins and become as little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. God said, +6s! them, G6re you willin( to %ome as a little %hildC In simple faithC 6re youC Matthew 19:4-6 I read on" Dont you read the Scriptures? he replied. In them it is written that at the 48>

beginning God created man and woman, and that a man should leave his father and mother, and be forever united to his wife. The two shall become one no longer two, but one! And no man may divorce what God has joined together. Then God saidN +6s! them, G1o they really believe in marria(eC + I thou(ht about all the married %ouples I had %ounseled with and all the problems they were havin(, and I thou(ht of how easily they were thin!in( of divor%e, and my heart %ried at the answer a lot of people would have to (ive to that )uestion" Matthew 22:37 I read on" Jesus replied, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. The second most important is similar: Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself. Then God saidN +6s! them a(ain and a(ain, G$ho do you love the mostC $ho do you put first in your lifeC Matthew 24:30-41 I read on" -oon I !new it was time for more! And then at last the signal of my coming will appear in the heavens and there will be deep mourning all around the earth. 48A

And the nations of the world will see me arrive in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And [shall send forth my angels with the sound of a mighty trumpet blast, and they shall gather my chosen ones from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven. Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When her branch is tender and the leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is almost here. Just so, when you see all these things beginning to happen, you can know that my return is near, even at the doors. Then at last this age will come to its close. Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words remain forever. But no one knows the date and hour when the end will be not even the angels. No, nor even Gods Son. Only the Father knows. The world will be at ease banquets and parties and weddings just as it was in Noahs time before the sudden coming of the flood; people wouldnt believe what was going to happen until the flood actually arrived and took them all away. So shall my coming be. Two men will be working together in the fields, and one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be going about their household tasks; one will be taken, the other left. 48@

God saidN +$hat will you be doin(C """ 6s! them, G$hat will you be doin(C Matthew 26:7 I %ontinued on" While he was eating, a woman came in with a bottle of very expensive perfume, and poured it over his head. God saidN +-he (ave the best she had" $ould youC" 6s! them, G$ould you (ive the best you hadC Matthew 27:26-30 I heard nothin( a(ain until I (ot almost throu(h the twentyDseventh %hapterN Then Pilate released Barabbas to them. And after he had whipped Jesus, he gave him to the Roman soldiers to take away and crucify. But first they took him into the armory and called out the entire contingent. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and made a crown from long thorns and put it on his head, and placed a stick in his right hand as a scepter and knelt before him in mockery. Hail, King of the Jews, they yelled. And they spat on him and grabbed the stick and beat him on the head with it. I %ried as I read this be%ause I %ould almost feel the beatin( on my own ba%! as I read what they did 4>;

to Jesus" This was the divine -on of God" #ow %ould they do that to #imC 5y heart sobbed and sobbed as I thou(ht about Jesus" I %ould feel the %rown made of lon( thorns bein( literally pushed into #is head" 6nd when I read that they +spat, on #im and (rabbed the sti%! and beat #im on the head with it, my own soul was in a(ony" They spat upon Jesus! I had never felt this parti%ular passa(e this vividly before, and now !now why" God spo!e sayin(, +6s! them, G#ow do they treat 5y -on JesusC + I loo!ed around the airplane and saw the %i(arette smo!e filterin( up to the top of the plane" I heard the %o%!tail (lasses tin!lin( with the i%e in them" I thou(ht about the indifferen%e to God viewed everywhere and wondered whi%h was worse" -pittin( on #im, or &ust i(norin( #im" God spo!e a(ain and said, +6s! them in every %ity you (o, G#ow do T#E? treat 5y -on JesusC, I read to the end of the boo!" There was no more" I turned ba%! to the first pa(e of the boo! of 5atthew and wrote the date and the followin(N +6s! them, G#ow do T#E? treat 5y -on JesusC Eefore our %onversation ended, I had landed in 1enver, %he%!ed to see about the possibilities of returnin( to 'iberal, dis%overed that nothin( was landin( there" The airlines (ave me a +futile trip fare, and sent me ba%! to #ouston" -omewhere between 1enver and #ouston God finished tal!in( to me about 5atthew"

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$hen I landed at #ouston, I loo!ed at my wat%h it was e.a%tly ten hours from the time I left #ouston in the mornin(" God had answered my prayer for ei(ht uninterrupted hours with #im in a most uni)ue way! #i(h up in the s!y, on 6pril 49, 4@>9""" a day I will never for(et! The airlines returned my total fare sin%e it was a +futile trip", They thou(ht I hadnt (one anywhere! I !new differently I had lain in the bosom of God for ten beautiful hours! I was in the -pirit""" and heard! #ow do you treat 5y -on JE-2-C

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