Saturday, December 29, 2018

God's Work



So few there be that want to see what truly lies within
The hidden chambers of a heart that's torn apart by sin
Or one that's seeking answers in the trials that they face
From losing one most dear to them that time can not replace

So few there be that truly have desire in their heart
To listen to a broken soul who needs to share their part
Of what they may be suffering that few desire to hear
Unless they have been there before and shared a common tear

So few there be that want to take the time to lend a hand
That takes them from their comfort zone to try to understand
Events another's going through who only needs a friend
To help them hear them comfort them until there comes an end

To what the devil's placed on them to try to crush their soul
To leave them in despair and grief damnation as his goal
Unless by unexpected chance the Lord might bring to them
A tender heart and listening ear with loving grace from Him

For as this world gets closer to the end that's prophesied
When Christ will come in glory to receive the ones who've died
And those who will be waiting when they hear that trumpet sound
To rise with them in glory from this broken earthly ground

The trials and disasters will be greatly multiplied
And only those who know Him will at that time be supplied
With all they need in service for the ministry of love
That meets another in their need and points them up above

To where Christ holds the censor where the prayers of those arise
Who seek the Lord of glory Who is soon to part the skies
Because when they were suffering someone else was there to hear
Who once had walked the path they trod and could lend a tender ear

And who when they were blinded by the tears that blurred their eyes
Another soul who once was blinded saw the tears they cried
And offered them the comfort God had given once to them
That turned their life around and brought them once again to Him

Who lived in those who knew Him and still lives in them today
When morning after morning they grow like Him everyday
As in their time together with the Father and the Son
They make that preparation for God's work that must be done

Matthew 25:31-46; James 2:14-18

God's Work by Lee Forbes
Used by permission
(Google image, Sorrow)


Let's pray-

    Father, may we listen to folks whose hearts are broken by grief or a common heartache. Help us let them know we do understand and care to share their pain, as You have comforted us in times past.
   When someone needs a friend to help them with our comforting words, may we bring to them a tender heart and listening ear with loving grace from You.
   Help us be supplied with all we need in service for the ministry of love to meet another in their need. May we point them up to You for the inner strength they'll need to endure their hardship.
   When precious souls are blinded by their tears, may it be true our words of comfort will turn their lives around and bring them back to You.
   It's true, Christ will soon return, so we ask for grace and tender hearts to help friends and family stay in fellowship with Jesus, and to sense that Your Work is being accomplished through us.
  In Jesus' name, Amen.


Today's Bible verses-

       Prov. 27:17 (NKJV) "As iron sharpens iron, so a man
       sharpens the countenance of his friend."

       Prov. 16:3, 9, 16 (NKJV) "Commit your works to the 
       LORD, and your thoughts will be established. 
       (v. 9) A man's heart plans his way, But the LORD 
       directs his steps. (v. 16) How much better it is to 
       get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding 
       is to be chosen rather than silver."

       Isaiah 59:19 b (NKJV) "When the enemy comes in like
       a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard
       against him."


Today's quotes- 

~ Mary Southerland"Many of us feel unwanted and unloved, but we can be assured that God knows us and loves us just as we are and right where we are, in the midst of our mess and sickness. One of my favorite verses of Scripture is Jeremiah 1:5: 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.' Your identity was established before the world began, in the heart and mind of God. 
   Before you were wanted or not wanted by human hearts, before you were planned or not planned by human minds, you were wanted and planned in the heart and mind of God. Created by God . . . for God. Wow! That makes you important. You are valuable—and the simple but almost unbelievable reason is that God created you. You can judge a product’s worth and value by looking at the one who made it. (From her post, Jesus Knows You)

Mary Southerland
Instagram: journeyfriend


~ Deborah Smith Plemmons © 2018

"Anti" this and "Anti" that;
This is where America's at.
"We the People" are divided;
A land that's no more united.

Some say we can have an effect,
If we are politic'ly correct.
Whatever we say or do depends
On whether or not it offends.

We've been given "Freedom of Speech";
It's meaning seems diff'rent for each.
When things opposed end in protest,
Most times, it brings about unrest.

Respect the Red, White, and the Blue;
Honoring those in power, too.
When peace prevails by doing right,
It's acceptable in God's sight.

May we seek God and humbly pray,
That we might live to see the day,
When "In God We Trust" is as before,
And we are united once more.


Today's popular post-



Jean Oathout asks the question that if the Hand of the Lord is with us, why do we walk in doubt and fear at times?

Is there a reason why people say that His Hand is with us and on us? What  does that really  mean?



List of recent sermons of CFC ministersCFC Potsdam church has a live service at 10 am Sunday's for shut-ins. If for some reason you can't make it to the church you usually attend, click on the above link, and still get fed!

Upcoming posts-

                 Meditation 
1/1- Tuesday's message from a post by James H. Cagle

       Can We Know God Hears Our Prayers?
3rd- Thursday's message from a post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel

               Conversion Day
5th- Saturday's post by Walt Huntley

          #1 The Sign of Prayer
8th- Saturday's post- THE PATH OF PRAYER, by Samuel Chadwick

Welcome winter









Jean's blog (Click to see snippets of the 7 recent posts)

Thursday, December 27, 2018

My Testimony of the Infilling


Jean Oathout: Upon visiting a Pentecostal church service in 1966, I returned that evening and witnessed a water baptism. 

   When a man and a teenager were baptized, I could sense the Lord's Presence and decided that I should also be baptized; so I was!(Google image, Woman being baptized[Some good information given]

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

#111 Remember these Spiritual Realities



Dr. Wesley L. Duewel: 1. The infilling of the Spirit is instantaneous. Faith is not a gradual process nor is the infilling of the Spirit a gradual process. 

   Faith instantly receives in your innermost being the fullness of the presence and power of the Spirit. Rejoice! When your prepared heart believes, that moment you are filled with the Spirit. (Google image, Worshipping God

Saturday, December 22, 2018

The Word and Wisdom


Charles Spurgeon: Remember, dear friends, that Christ Himself is the Word of God, and also remember that the Scriptures are the word of the Word.

   They are "the word of Christ." I think that they will be all the sweeter to you if you realize that they speak to you of Christ, that He is the sum and substance of them, that they direct you to Christ. (Google image, The Word of God)

Thursday, December 20, 2018

#110 Surrender Totally to Christ's Lordship



Dr. Wesley L. Duewel: 4. Surrender totally to Christ's lordship. Make a total consecration of all you are, all you have, and all your future. Present yourself in the totality of your being—body, soul, and spirit.

   Offer up yourself as a living sacrifice to be wholly God's. This may well involve a dying to your own self-will in one or several areas. You must die to your carnal selfness, to all that is of  "the world."

   You can now say with Paul, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me" (Gal. 2:20). (Google image, All I have is Yours)

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

#109 Hunger and Thirst for the Spirit's Fullness


Dr. Wesley L. Duewel: #3. Hunger and thirst for the Spirit's fullness. God is always moved by spiritual hunger and thirst and repeatedly promises to meet the needs of our soul.

   Jesus assures us, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" (Matt. 5:6). He stood in the temple and called, " 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.' (Google image,Woman Worshipping the Lord)

Saturday, December 15, 2018

Grace to Stand Alone



George Shaw- "Can we stand it to be alone? Dare we join the small minority, and, like Daniel, 'dare to stand alone'? Dare we climb alone the Alpine heights of the consecrated life?

   Are we willing to serve our God when duty calls us to stand alone in our community or church for a holier life and a loftier vision of God? Dare we hold opinions that are not accepted by the crowd, and seek ideals which must of necessity lessen our friendships and make us lonely souls? (Google image, Desperate prayer

Thursday, December 13, 2018

#108 Simple Steps to be Filled with the Spirit


Dr. Wesley L. Duewel: Steps to be filled with the Spirit have been described in many ways, but essentially they emphasize the same things.

   For example, The Salvation Arm in its brochure, It Can Happen, Lists seven points: Aspire, Acknowledge, Abandon, Abdicate, Ask, Appropriate, Act. (Google image, Woman praising God).

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

#107 How to be Filled with the Spirit



Dr. Wesley L. Duewel: Dr. Billy Graham in the Holy Spirit has a chapter entitled "How To Be Filled With the Spirit."  In it he says, "It is interesting that the Bible nowhere gives us a neat, concise formula for being filled with the Spirit." (Holy Spirit p. 160).

   He suggests that perhaps it was because the believers in the early church did not need to be told how. "They knew that the Spirit-filled life was the normal Christian life." (Google image, Dr. Billy Graham)

Saturday, December 8, 2018

In Progress or Completed?



Adam Holz- It's satisfying to finish a job. Each month, for instance, one of my job responsibilities gets moved from one category to another, from "In Progress" to "Completed."

   I love clicking that "Completed" button. But last month when I clicked it, I thought, If only I could overcome rough spots in my faith so easily! It can seem like the Christian life is always in progress, never completed. (Google image, The mouse)

Thursday, December 6, 2018

#106 Testimonies of the Infilling- Part 4


Dr. Wesley L. Duewel: Oswald Chambers was a strong Bible teacher of this experience. He testified, 

     "Dr. F. B. Meyer came and spoke to us about the Holy Spirit. I determined to have all that was going, and went to my room and asked God simply and definitely for his Holy Spirit, whatever that meant." (Google image, Pray and keep eyes on God) by Oswald Chambers

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

#105 Testimonies of the Infilling- Part 3


Dr. Wesley L. Duewel: Dwight L. Moody had already been greatly used by God in Chicago. Two humble Free Methodist women prayed faithfully for him during his Sunday services.

   At the close of the service they would say  to him, "We have been praying for you." "Why don't you pray for the people?" Mr. Moody would ask. "Because you need the power of the Spirit," was the reply.

Saturday, December 1, 2018

Blessing in the Mess


Monika Brands- "I got myself into this mess, so I'd better get myself out,' I sometimes find myself thinking. Although I believe in a God of grace, I'm still prone to act as if His help is available only when I deserve it.

   God's first encounter with Jacob is a beautiful illustration of how untrue this is. (Google image, Jacob and angel) By Cheryl Mason

Thursday, November 29, 2018

#104 Testimonies of the Infilling- Part 2


Dr Wesley L. Duewel: Georg
Whitefield, for some time a co-worker of the Wesleys, had a clear experience of the new birth before the Wesleys did.

   His old friends thought him insane because he was so zealous for Christ. Later he spent days and nights in prayer and fasting because of his battle with pride and other inner defeats. (Google image, Restoring the foundations)

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

#103 Testimonies of the Infilling- Part 1


   Dr. Wesley L. Duewel: George Fox, 
founder of the Society of Friends, was born again at the age of eleven. But when he was twenty-three and after hungering and thirsting for a deeper experience, a new enduement of power came upon him.

   From that time on he was mightily used of God as again and again he described the power of the Lord on him and through him. The Spirit clothed him wherever he went, and until his death he was a mighty instrument in the hand of God. (Google image, The Holy Spirit empowers)

Saturday, November 24, 2018

Focus






So many fail to comprehend the meaning of God's Word
When reading in the Bible where His Spirit can be heard
They fail to see the beauty that is ever present there
Because their minds are cluttered when they pause with Him in prayer

And rush to meet their burdens with a sympathetic ear
When God had much to tell them they were just to dull to hear
That would and could provide them with the wisdom that they need
If they would stop and listen and His Holy Spirit heed

But time that we're all given is to them too dear to spend
On Him Who is our Source of life on Whom we must depend
And when they should spend focused time with Him upon their knees
They're focused more on vanity and vane activities

That last but for a moment in the great grand scheme of things
Just like a passing vapor or a wisp upon the wings
When paired against eternity and all that God has planned
For those who truly seek Him and attend to His command

To seek Him with a whole heart with a mind that's pure and clear
That listens while observing in His Word the voice they hear
That speaks to them in silence while the world is still at rest
Preparing with God's Spirit for each moment life will test

The strength of their connection with the One true Source of all
The worlds and all the living who abide the Father's call
Whose pleasure is to serve Him without question when they hear
His voice of love and passion that is always standing near

So friend be not too hurried when you take your time with Him
Who loves you without measure proved that night in Bethlehem
And everyday He suffered while He walked this earth alone
The One Who knew His future and the Price that must atone

For you and me together with all of humanity
That He from the beginning loved with His infinity
And focused on completely til He was completely done
Providing for our future when in Him we could be one

In heart and mind and strength and faith one body born in Christ
Who through the Father's Spirit lived to pay the greatest Price
So we could choose the life He has provided for us there
With Him Who is our Life our all each day in focused prayer

1 Peter 4:1-11; Romans 8:1-6

Lee Forbes



(Google image, Woman reading the Bible)


Let's pray-

   Father, may we not be counted among those who fail to comprehend the meaning of the Bible when reading it.
   May we un-clutter our minds as we pause to spend time with You in prayer to prepare for our activities of the day before we rush off. 
   Do doubt, You have much to share with us about the burdens of the day ahead, so help us not be dull of hearing, but to hear The Holy Spirit with Your wisdom that will be needed throughout the day.
   Help us seek You with our whole hearts with a mind that's pure and clear, listening as You speak to us in silence while the world is still at rest.
   May we in our hearts, minds, strength and faith as one body born in Christ, choose the life He lived to pay the greatest Price provided for us on Calvary.
   Help us live our lives focused on prayer for guidance throughout the day.
   We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.


Today's Bible verses-

"Oh, how sweet the light of day,
And how wonderful to live in the sunshine!
Even if you live a long time, don’t take a single day for granted.
Take delight in each light-filled hour,
Remembering that there will also be many dark days 
And that most of what comes your way is smoke."
— Ecclesiastes 11:7-8 (The Message)

       Phil. 3:12-14 Good News Translation (v. 12) "I do 
       not claim that I have already succeeded or have 
       already become perfect. I keep striving to win
       the prize for which Christ Jesus has already 
       won me to himself. (v. 13) Of course, my friends, 
       I really do not+ think that I have already won it; 
       the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is 
       behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead.
       (v. 14) So I run straight toward the goal in order to 
       win the prize, which is God's call through Christ Jesus 
       to the life above."


Today's quote-

~ Del Fehsenfeld, Jr- (From his article, Fire From Heaven): "When the fire falls, there is deep conviction and grief over sin. The intense searchlight of God's holiness makes things once thought acceptable suddenly become abhorrent. Indifference is turned to morning. A casual attitude toward sin is replace by brokenness and genuine repentance.
   When the fire falls, our traditional methods and programs are yielded to His lordship, and the Holy Spirit begins to preside over the workings and operation of  His church. 
   When the fire falls, there is power. There is life. There is purity. There is spontaneity. There is reality."

[Taken from Herald of His Coming newspaper, Vol 77, No 11 (923), p. 1, Nov. 2018. Used by permission.]


Today's guest post-


Marcia Vogl- He walked through the junkyard, looking for something he treasured—and he found it. The first car his dad had given him.   

He ran to the junkyard owner and asked, “Is that car for sale?” 


Startingpointsearies.com A great series of 8 videos by Andy Stanley, on starting over again in our faith, and learning to be more solid in the faith we've had since childhood. He compares religions, and shows us the true value of Christianity. It is great for doubters, non-believers as well as those who have faith to some degree.


List of recent sermons of CFC ministersCFC Potsdam church has a live service at 10 am Sunday's for shut-ins. If for some reason you can't make it to the church you usually attend, click on the above link, and still get fed!

Upcoming posts-

     #103 Testimonies of the Infilling- Part 1
27th- Tuesday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel

     #104 Testimonies of the infilling- Part 2
29th- Thursday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel

          Blessing in the Mess
12/1- Saturday's post by Monika Brands

     #105 Dwight L. Moody had Already been Filled
12th- Tuesday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel

Jean's blog (Click to see snippets of the 7 recent posts)