Journey Through The Bible
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Friday, March 12,
1999
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From God's
Word:
Help for
Those Who Doubt
"But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us. 'If
you can?' said Jesus. 'Everything is possible for him who
believes.'" (Mark 9:22b-23 NIV)
"If you can?"
Jesus takes particular note of this seemingly innocent slip of the
tongue. It's a remark that may have expressed the man's
innermost feelings or may have been a bad seed planted by the
teachers of the law who were arguing with Jesus in v 14 -- people
who supposedly "knew better." Either way, it was a
mute point. Jesus was clearly able to help the man and his
child -- He demonstrated this by exorcising the demon from the
boy. What's more, Jesus could "help" the man in ways
he could not yet imagine. The real question, which Jesus poses
to him, was if he had enough faith to
believe.
"I do
believe," the man responds in verse 24, "and I want to
believe more, but I have some doubt too." In the face of
such honesty, Jesus helped the father in more ways than one.
Not only did Jesus heal his loved one, He gave the man an invaluable
life lesson regarding faith and prayer. And as if that wasn't
enough, the man received a far more precious gift -- an introduction
to the Living Lord!
How about
you? Do you believe? Many will say they do, but will you
also admit your doubts. Jesus can help. He has the
power, the patience, and most of all, the love to help you in times
of doubt.
Father, I too believe, and I too have moments of doubt
and uncertainty. Pretending I don't will get me no
where. Acknowledging them before You, who knows it already,
can open the door to my enjoying a new relationship and a closer
walk with You. Strengthen my faith, O Lord, and help me
overcome my doubts. Amen.
Together We Pray
For
a son who is on the road to destruction and a family
adjusting and praying for help.
For the protection and safety of those who work
with electrical tools that remodel and build homes.
For a man with
lustful tendencies -- he says he knows God can help and asks fellow
believers to pray for him.
For our
denominational leaders who fervently work to advance God's
kingdom.
For God to richly
bless the 1999 Annie Armstrong Easter Offering
which supports North American
Missions.
In great thanksgiving for a father's remission
of cancer!
For a friend's father who is experiencing neck
trouble.
For our families . . . our parents, spouse,
children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters . . .
For our homes,
autos, devices that bring us comfort . .
.
For our food, store keepers, and a means to
cook . . .
For the beauty of the day -- birds singing, the
sun shinning, the sweet aroma of cut grass, and all the many
wonderful things that make life joyful and happy. Amen.
 Internet Corner
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Living By Faith:
New
Light From Another World
I was
watching an A&E documen-tary on prison life this week and was
deeply moved by the plight of those who live such deplorable
conditions. As broke as my heart was, it was made more so when
the television crew visited a Russian prison. The following
testimonial offers a ray of hope to those
imprisoned.
A minister visited a nobleman in a
Russian prison. He read a passage of Scripture and prayed, but
his words were met with solemn contempt. Before leaving, the
pastor gave the man a Bible and urged him to read it. But no
sooner had the pastor left than the angry prisoner kicked the Book
into the corner. "The Word of God, indeed" he
thought! "Why isn't God dealing with those who are abusing
me?"
As the days passed, a terrible loneliness
nearly drove the man out of his mind. Snatching the Bible from
off the floor, he opened it. His first glance fell on these
words in Psalm 50:15, "And call upon Me in the day of
trouble; I will deliver thee." He was surprised and
touched by such a pointed invitation, yet pride prompted him to shut
the Bible and drop it.
The next day, desperation compelled the
man to seek the only companion to his solitude. This time, he
began to study the words he read. Discovering himself to be a
sinner, he opened his heart to Christ and was saved. His
waking hours which were formerly spent wallowing in self-pity and
bitterness now were being given to his newfound Friend --
Jesus. The shadows of death and injustice gave way to new
light from another world.
Ministry
Needs
Prison Ministry,
Anyone? For those who may be interested, your pastor
and denominational leaders can help you reach those in prison with
the good news and life-changing love which Jesus offers. If
you want to learn how, drop me a note today. I'll be happy
to direct you to a resource center in your
area.
A Ministry
Vacation! Summer is just around the corner now and
that means summer vacation time is not far off. This year, why
not plan to spend some of that vacation time serving instead of
being served. Week and month long missions opportunities are
widely available through your church and/or denominational
organization. Best of all, such opportunities are available
for youth, adults, and even families. If you would like to
learn more, write
me or visit the North American
Mission Board or the International
Mission Board. These sites have lots to
offer.
"Each One Reach
One!" Reached a Few! Last week's challenge for
Journey Thorough
Bible readers to each one reach one resulted in a few new
additions to our on-line ministry. To those who responded,
thank you! As you
know, we never know how or when someone may be drawn closer to God
by our simple efforts. We'll try this again in the weeks to
come. Such is but one way of actually putting into practice
our commission from God to reach and teach those around us. In
the meantime, I'm always open to adding new subscribers. Just
drop me a note.
Again, thanks!
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Want
More?
e-mail Pastor Williams at pastor_wms@oocities.com
for help in overcoming the storms of life, share prayer concerns,
provide feedback, and more. You may also want to visit us on
the World Wide Web at www.oocities.org/heartland/hollow/9254.
There you'll find the latest updates on Service/Ministry
opportunities, review & print the entire one year Bible reading
plan, discover links to web sites that help you grow in Christ, back
issues of the JTB e-letter, biographical data on Pastor Williams,
and more.
God loves you! (cf John
3:16)
(c) 1999 Charles J. Williams, Jr., M.Div. All rights reserved. Preview subscribers will automatically become
subscribers unless we hear from you otherwise. Send an
e-mail to Pastor Williams to unsubscribe
from this free ministry. Submitted testimonies and prayer
requests are subject to editing by Pastor Williams for length and
content. Bible readings alternate between Old and New
Testament selections so as to journey the reader through the Bible
in one year. Reflection verses are suggestions for daily
spiritual growth. When reflecting, ask
yourself: "What is God saying to 'me' in the this
passage?" Then ask "What will I say to God in
response?"
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