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RECAP NEWSLETTER - 2/21/5 Issue 33
DEVOTIONS There are few people in the Bible that we can relate with more than David and Job. The Scriptures reveal much of their heart - how they felt and reacted to various situations in their life. We have an idea of their relationship with God. Many times in life we go through situations where we feel just like Job or David. As we read about them, they were not some super-human that had a rare gift of relationship with God. As Christians, we all have that opportunity. I am glad that Job and David were not some impossible goal as far as my relationship with God. As we read about Job, we almost feel like saying, "Wow, he was a real guy, just like me." or "Hey, I've thought the same thing about what I'm going through." The Bible gives us the unique perspective in that we can see both sides. In Job's situation, we know why God is allowing the events in Job's life, but we also see the thought processes that Job went through as he digested all that had happened. The verses we read are an apt summary of how we feel when tough times come, when the faith is tested. It describes it, but it also gives great encouragement in our God. "Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." To say that Job was confused is an understatement. He was saying that he felt as though God had left. Everywhere he looked right now, he did not perceive God. However, even though he could not see God, Job was confident that God saw him - "he knoweth the way that I take." When the tough times come, when the anguish strike deep, when all your world seems to fall apart, we can feel as though God is not there anymore. Job was saying, "I can't see Him anywhere, but I know He's still here." When you are up late at the hospital beside a loved one's bed, when terminal disease ravages your body, when all you have has been taken from you - what do you take comfort in? I would venture to say that I would rather know that God sees and knows the way that I take than to 'feel' or 'see' God. Lord, I do not know what is going on, or what You plan to do through this in my life -but, Lord, you are ever in control. Psalms 139:12 "Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee." "Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not." Lam. 3:57 "The Lord the God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee." Isa. 41:13
When circumstances and trouble blindfold us and turn us about, that is
when we cannot trust what we see in life, but whose hand we holding.
UPDATES
Paw Creek Ministries pawcreek.org (many great articles!) There was no RECAP last week because I wanted to try to get back on schedule - ideally publishing on the weekends. However, that is when "chores" must be done, so do not be surprised if we get off by a couple of days again. ;-) Praise the Lord, I was able to use the break to do some more reading, find these newest updates, and also spend some serious time gathering materials regarding the Purpose-Driven movement. I am really burdened about compiling a concise synopsis of this movement that substitutes man's wisdom for the Holy Spirit. Please pray that the Lord will give wisdom and discernment as to what He would see fit to publish. Pray also that distractions be kept at bay, and that I will have the physical, mental, and spiritual strength needed for this project as well as the day-to-day operations of this ministry.
CURRENT EVENT RECAP I read an interesting quote this week. It stated that any nation is beyond saving when it has gotten to the point of publicly considering same-sex marriage. Think about it, how many cities in the Bible got to the point that we are at in America? I can think of just two, and they did not have any claim on being moral compasses, let alone having a 'Christian' heritage. It was a sad comment on our nation last week when Russia was easily able to squash the notion of national recognition of same-sex marriage, and is still largely considered by their culture as a gross taboo. We are already deeply into the last days. Notable earthquakes and volcanic activity is definitely at a noticeable pace. When Matthew 24 mentions pestilence, the mind goes to the list of AIDS, flu, smallpox, and other plagues that (ironically) are occurring at a time when there is vast medical knowledge. Wars and rumors of wars have become reality to the point of commonplace to those that observe them. I find it interesting that at no other time in history have rumors about war been able to spread so easily. The internet is the global water cooler where everyone swaps rumors about possible attacks here or there. The news keeps the pump primed pretty well, but just the concept of rumors of wars is on many people's lips and minds today because of our instant communications. War will be an increasing occurrence in life. War is unfortunately a very good change agent. Just this week Kofi Annan hinted at how catastrophic disaster in America or Britain would change the world. "If New York or London or Paris or Berlin were hit by a nuclear terrorist attack, it might not only kill hundreds of thousands in an instant," he said, "it could also devastate the global economy, thereby plunging millions into poverty in developing nations." ...he urged the European Union and the United States to work more closely as "the backbone of a new world order in the 21st century." The EU will be very much a part of the backbone of a new world order to replace the values, morals, and principles of the old world order. America may not eventually be the backbone, but impetus to strengthen the power base in the UN and EU. Just this week, we see Iran and North Korea mobilizing at the threat of imminent attack. These are somewhere between rumors of war and wars - just waiting for the perfect precedent. The American economy, infrastructure, and defense mechanisms are quickly loosing their luster. Canada and China both have trade surplus', compared to our massive deficit. Now with Bush handing out monetary favors left and right, trying to give close to a billion for tsunami relief, and generally trying to spend as much as possible, we are in for some serious financial trouble. We are loosing many, many jobs to China. Last week an article stated that "the loss of job-supporting production in the United States due to growing trade deficits with China has more than doubled since it entered the WTO in 2001." Not only are we just loosing jobs, but we are loosing the capacity to produce, which in turn makes us import more, and because the dollar is loosing value, it costs us more than it did even four years ago. Last week it was announced that Russia has already moved its hard currency reserves in euro from twenty-five percent to a third, as they start going to a more valuable and dependable currency. We can see several serious signs in our own country as well. With the hemorrhaging expenses from Afghanistan and Iraq quickly approaching three-hundred billion, this year's budget has drastic cuts from reducing the number of border patrol agents, to even possibly retiring one of our twelve aircraft carriers - one that still has ten years service ability! Also, the Pentagon will be forced buy fewer "planes, ships and submarines in favor of spending more on counterterrorism." All of this while at the same time feigning concern over China's military buildup. You do not have to be a statistic analyst to see that spending money on favors, polls, foreign aid, phony wars, and rebuilding two bombed-out countries, at the expense of our military is incompetence at the highest level. Consider what Isaiah 3:1-12 records as how God judged Jerusalem in times past and see if there is a correlation to our nation.
"For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem
and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the
whole stay of water, The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and
the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient, The captain of fifty, and
the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the
eloquent orator. And I will give children to be their princes, and
babes shall rule over them. And the people shall be oppressed, every
one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave
himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.
When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father,
saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under
thy hand: In that day shall he swear, saying, I will not be an healer; for
in my house is neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the
people. For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their
tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his
glory. The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and
they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul!
for they have rewarded evil unto themselves. Say ye to the
righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of
their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the
reward of his hands shall be given him. Perhaps one of God's judgments against our nation has been to give us the leader and government that we do deserve - we just do not recognize it as from God. "because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory. The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul!"
REMINDERS & PRAYER REQUESTS
Pray for the requests in PrayerList, and also in iChurches.
May God richly bless, |