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

Website: www.marysoutherland.com

Email: mary@marysoutherland.com

Facebook: mary@marysoutherland.com

Twitter: journeyfriends@cs.com

Instagram: journeyfriend

Shopify: mary@marysoutherland.com

~ 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-

In God's Hand

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 ministers. CFC 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)

Healing Thoughts and Prayers

Jean's Craft Brochure

Samples of Jean's crafts

http://twitter.com/jeanoathout

http://facebook.com/jean.oathout

Granny's Guide to Marriage in Verse 

Helpful ways the Lord helped me in my marriage

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]

#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) 

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)

#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)

#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)

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) 

#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).

#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)

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)

#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

#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.

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