March 17, 2004 V2N10
Hi everyone. Just to let you know...April Pilgrim would like someone to take over the Word Study, so if you feel a nudge from God to do so...please contact me.
Following is a very thought-provoking piece of work.
Traits of the Self Life
The following are some of the features and manifestatioons of the self-life. The Holy Spirit alone can interpret and apply this to your individual case. As you read, examine yourself in the very presence of God. Are you ever conscious of:
1. A secret spirit of pride--an exalted feeling, in view of your success or position; because of your good training or appearance; because of your natural gifts and abilities. An important, independent spirit?
2. Love of human praise; a secret fondness to be noticed; love of supremacy, drawing attention to self in conversation; a swelling out of self when you have had a free time in speaking or prayer?
3. The stirrings of anger or impatience, which, worst of all, you call nervousness or holy indignation; a touchy, sensitive spirit; a disposition to resent and retaliate when disapproved of or contradicted; a desire to throw sharp, heated flings at another?
4. Self-will; a stubborn, unteachable spirit; an arguing, talkative spirit; harsh, sarcastic expressions; an unyielding, headstrong disposition; a driving, commanding spirit; a disposition to criticize, and pick flaws, when set aside and unnoticed; a peevish, fretful spirit; a disposition that loves to be coaxed and humored?
5. Carnal fear; a man-fearing spirit; a shrinking from reproach and duty; reasoning around your cross; a shrinking from doing your whole duty by those of wealth or position; a fearfulness that someone will offend and drive away some prominent person away; a compromising spirit?
6. A jealous disposition, a sicret spirit of envy shut up in your heart; an unpleasant sensation in view of the great popularity and success of another; a disposition to speak of the faults and failings, rather than the gifts and virtues of those more talented and appreciated than yourself?
7. A dishonest, deceitful disposition; the evading and covering of the truth; the covering up of your real faults; leaving a better impression of yourself than is strictly true; false humility; exaggeration; straining the truth?
8. Unbelief, a spirit of discouragement in times of pressure and opposition; lack of quietness and confidence in God; lact of faith and trust in God; a disposition to worry and complain in the midst of pain, poverty, or at the dispensations of divine Providence; an overanxious feeling whether everything will come out all right?
9. Formality and deadness; lack of concern for lost souls; dryness and indifference; lack of power with God?
10. Selfishenss; love of ease; love of money?
These are some of the traits which generally indicate a carnal heart. By prayer, hold your heart open to the searchlight of God, until you see the groundwork thereof. "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me." (Psalm 139:23, 24)
The Holy Ghost will enable you, by confession and faith, to bring your "self-life" to the death. Do not patch over, but go to the bottom. It alone will pay.
Oh, to be saved from myself, dear Lord,
Oh, to be lost in Thee;
Oh, that it might be no more I,
But CHRIST that lives in me.
"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." Psalm 51:10
~Author Unknown
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Teach Us to Pray
Lord, teach us how to pray aright
with reverence and with fear;
Though dust and ashes in Thy sight,
We may, we must draw near.
God of all grace, we bring to Thee
A broken, contrite heart;
Give, what Thine eye delights to see,
Truth in the inward part.
Faith is the only sacrifice
That can for sin atone;
To cast our hopes, to fix our eyes,
On Christ, on Christ alone.
Give these, and then Thy will be done,
Thus strengthened with all might,
We, through Thy Spirit and Thy Son
Shall pray, and pray aright.
~James Montgomery
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Word Study
By AprilRose Pilgrim
Gethsemane
Mentioned by name only twice in the Bible:
Matthew 26:36
Mark 14:32
Definition according to Strongs Bible Concordance:
Oil press, wine press: To tread or press.
According to Websters Dictionary:
The garden outside Jerusalem mentioned in Mark 14 as the scene of the agony and arrest of Jesus: a place or occasion of great mental or spiritual suffering.
There Jesus prayed a prayer that, to me, is one of total obedience, total willingness to do whatever His Father asked. One that also showed that He was willing to do this, but he also wished that this ''cup'' could pass Him by.
'' O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt.'' Matthew 26: 39
'' Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee: take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.'' Mark 14:36
Father, if thou be willing remove this cup from me: neverthelss not my will, but thine, be done,'' Luke 22: 42
O my Father if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done." Matthew 26:42
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Church Signs
9. "Fight truth decay -- study the Bible daily."
10. "How will you spend eternity - Smoking or Nonsmoking?"
11. "Dusty Bibles lead to Dirty Lives"
12. "Come work for the Lord. The work is hard, the hours are long and the pay is low. But the retirement benefits are out of this world."
~submitted by April Pilgrim
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Point2Ponder
How many coicidences does it take to make a miracle?
Last year I went to Colorado Youth Bible School (which lasts a week). I borrowed a car so I could go visit some friends that weren't part of the Bible School that year. That was on Friday night. On Saturday everyone is suppose to go to YMCA of the Rockies to have a testimony meeting in an outdoor ampitheater. I thought it was suppose to start at noon. Just to find out, when I got back to the place I was staying and everyone was gone, it was suppose to start at 11. Well, God, I don't know what to do, I'm suppose to return this car I'm using and I have no idea how to get to YMCA!!!
I drove down to the church (the friend whose car I was borrowing was staying in the house next to the church) and there was a family there who was suppose to pick someone up and nobody was there. But the mom knew the way to YMCA. So...send an instant TUL (Thank U, Lord) and hitch a ride.
Bummer I was going to be late. I always like the Saturday testimony meeting. But hey, I wasn't complaining. I had my ride.
Show up, it's almost noon. Everyone is still singing. Why? The speaker equipment was refusing to work. It started working shortly after I got there.
Now, it might have been coincidence, but it just seemed like God was doing little things, making sure I'd be where I was suppose to be when I needed to be. Ain't He great?
~Jamie Scharf
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Selected Sayings
1. Beware of the barreness of a busy life. -Gordon MacDonald
2. Nothing ruins the truth like stretching it.
3. Small people talk about people. Average people talk about things. Great people talk about ideas. -Fran Leibowitz
4. The world is in a constant conspiracy against the brave. It's the age-old struggle--the roar of the crowd on one side--and the voice of your conscience on the other. -Douglas MacArthur
5. We ought to so live Christ as to compel others to think about Christ.
Smiley
Three preachers sat discussing the best positions for prayer while a telephone repairman worked nearby. "Kneeling is definitely best," claimed one.
"No," another contended. "I get the best results standing with my hands outstretched to Heaven."
"You're both wrong," the third insisted. "The most effective prayer position is lying prostrate, face down on the floor."
The repairman could contain himself no longer. "Hey, fellas, " he interrupted, "the best prayin' I ever did was hangin' upside down from a telephone pole."
Thanks to all of you who read and contributed to this issue! If you have anything that might be of interest to R4A, please email it to ready4anything_2003@yahoo.com. Right now I especially need more participation in the Verse of the Week section. And anything else you have, I'd love to see.
The website is at www.oocities.org/ready4anything_2003. Thanks to Josh Champagne for updating it!
God bless your day!
Staff: Editor in Chief: Jesus Christ
Assistant editors: Jamie Scharf & April Pilgrim
Website Coodinator: Joshua Champagne
Columninst: April Pilgrim
Contributers: Jamie Scharf
April Pilgrim