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 - Ron English
There are many questions of importance that we face throughout our lives and experiences. There are questions about health, romance, sex, money, jobs, war and peace and politics. There are questions about God, life and death. There are so many questions to ponder. But there is one question that was asked so important that one of the inspired New Testament writers recorded it in Scripture. The question, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30, KJV).
The man asking that question thinking his prisoners had escaped from his jail was about to commit suicide. He understood that if his prisoners had escaped the authorities would administer a fate to him worse than death and at the end surely execute him. So he would avoid that and take his own life (Verse 27).
His prisoners were well-known Christians. The famous Christian, the Apostle Paul, had been converted to Christianity after hearing a fiery sermon by an early church deacon, Stephen (Acts 7). Before his conversion, Paul had been one of the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem charged with the responsibility of arresting Christians and putting many of them to death. Now he was not only a believer, but a leading proponent for Christ.
This jailer had heard Paul and Silas singing in the night. No doubt he mused over their plight. Here were two men who had been arrested, beaten with many stripes and thrown into his prison where they would soon appear before the authorities for trial. He had been charged with the task of keeping them safe. To make sure they were secure he took them to the inner prison-the most secure area of confinement. Since he was certain there was no way for them to escape he drifted off to sleep.
But Paul and Silas didn’t feel like sleeping. Instead, at midnight, they sang songs, spiritual songs and prayed to God. In answer to their prayers there was a great earthquake. The very foundations of the prison were shaken. All of the doors to the prison were opened and every prisoner’s chains were loosened. No doubt these men could have escaped, but they did not choose to do so.
This calamity woke the jailer from his sleep and immediately he thought the worst. Surely his prisoners had escaped and the logical thing for him to do was kill himself. He couldn’t dare face his superiors with this massive failure to keep safely the men in his charge.
When Paul saw what the jailer was about to do, he shouted for him to stop, “Do thyself no harm: for we are all here” (Acts 16:28).
Here is where one must read between the lines of Scripture. And I have no problem doing this. The jailer, no doubt, was familiar with Paul’s background. He knew why Paul was beaten and why he was in jail. He knew that sooner or later Paul would be tried and most likely put to death. He had heard the two men singing and praying and praising God. All of this impressed him, made him consider his own spiritual condition.
It was then he fell down before Paul and Silas and formed that most important question, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
That question lives on today. It has survived all the earthquakes, floods and wars and political divisions of all stripes. If the Bible is true (and I believe it to be so) the answer to this question is vital-a matter of spiritual life, or spiritual death.
Paul did not hesitate to tell the jailer what he must do. It was a simple answer. He did not suggest the man enroll in a study of sacred Scripture. He did not suggest he seek out a minister of his own faith. He simply said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31, KJV).
Jesus does the saving. The individual does the believing. You must know something of Jesus-who He is, what He did and what He will do in the future. All of this is clearly recorded in Scripture. The jailer would have already known this background through the news of the day and through the singing and testimony of Paul and Silas. He had some knowledge. Then Paul and Silas shared with him the Word of the Lord (Verse 32). Now he knew about the death and resurrection of Jesus. He had experienced the moving of God through the earthquake and the timely attention of Paul and Silas that saved his life.
He gladly believed on the Lord that night. Later, apparently his entire household believed and was baptized (Acts 16:33, KJV).
Have you considered this great question? Have you joined the jailer and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ? I hope so. If not, there will never be a better time than today. I am certain that the word of the Lord Paul shared with the Philippian jailer included the following: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved (John 3:14-17 KJV).
This article first published in Ezine Articles
 Do You have Your Ticket to Heaven? Click Dr. Wemp’s Link
http://www.sumnerwemp.com/witnessing/
Salvation Link: Titus 2:11
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Why Pants on the Ground is So Hot, Hot, Hot…
[caption id="attachment_1830" align="alignleft" width="129" caption="General Larry Platt"]  [/caption]
When General Larry Platt pounced onto the American Idol stage for his debut he caught the judges by surprise and Americans roared from their sofas—why?
The answer may be simple. America is neck deep in shell shock over so many disappointments with the falling economy, with the tragedy of Haiti, with politicians making promises they can’t keep. People losing their jobs, kids flunking in school. So many illnesses dragging folks down. We needed a break.
People tune in to American Idol for a few minutes of escape. Then here comes General Larry Platt. Wow! He shook up the place. The song, not much of a song, was swept into our idled brains with the contagious enthusiasm of The General—the new black rapper from Atlanta tryouts. We liked him immediately and his infectious song registered with positive vibes.
Many have actually observed young people with those ridiculous “pants on the ground” styles and the cap turned sideways look. Adults mostly shake their heads in wonder. Surely no woman in her right mind looks at one of those guys and says, “He is one more handsome dude! I must see if I can wrangle a date.” Who would want to walk along side of such?
So, The General expresses our sentiments. Thank you General. You are getting your 15 minutes of fame, but more than that, you are providing Americans with their 15 minutes of relief. Thank you again. I watched as Brett Favre and his team picked up the song after their astounding victory over The Dallas Cowboys; the ladies on the View had The General come on and sing. His song is hot! Pants on the ground–could well be pants on fire!
You know there is a story recorded in the Bible about a man who had a problem with his pants. He mostly tore his clothes off and was known as a crazy man who lived in the tombs in the land of the Gadarenes—a place near the Sea of Galilee.
When Jesus saw this poor man in his awful condition He didn’t compose a song, or suggest he go in for professional counseling—He healed him on the spot. The man was possessed with so many devils that when the demons left the man and entered into the hogs nearby—almost 2000 of them—even the hogs went crazy and rushed over the edge and into the water where they drowned.
The tragic case of the devil-possessed man was changed in an instant. He wanted to follow along with Jesus and share his great blessing with the great crowds that would come to the meetings. But Jesus told him to “Return to your own house, and show people who know you what great and wonderful things God has done unto you” (Luke 8). Most of us would do well to impress the folks at home with our new found faith before we launch out into the deep waters of ministry.
Let’s enjoy The General and his amusing song for now, but let us not forget many people are hurting. We should do what we can to help them. The best thing you can do for any one who is hurting is point them towards the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He can help. He can save. He loves the sinner, but hates his sin. Prayerfully read Romans Chapter 10.
EDITOR’S NOTE: FOR OUR NEIGHBORS TO THE SOUTH, HAITI, THE POOR PEOPLE WHO ARE HURTING FROM THE AWFUL TRAGEDY THAT DESTROYED THEIR HOMES, INUJURED SO MANY AND TOOK THE LIVES OF THOUSANDS, THERE IS A WAY YOU CAN HELP. SEND A DONATION TO: SAMARITAN’S PURSE: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/
VISIT THEIR SITE AND REVIEW THE WONDERFUL WORK THIS ORGANIZATION IS DOING IN HAITI AND OTHER TROUBLED SPOTS AROUND THE GLOBE. The son of Billy Graham, Franklin Graham, directs this fine work. Within hours of the earthquake in Haiti the Samaritan’s Purse Team was packing up supplies, water purification plant and doctors to go there and provide relief. Pray for Franklin and that mighty team of workers. God bless them one and all. Your gifts make their work possible. May God bless and protect all of the men and women who went there to help.
KEEP ON PRAYING
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Devotinal By Michael Guido
Gypsy Smith (Born Rodney “Gipsy” Smith), the great evangelist, was converted when he was a boy. He loved his grandfather, and he tried to win him to the Lord.
Not being allowed to talk to his grandfather, he prayed for his conversion.
One day the grandfather asked, “Laddie, why are the knees of your trousers so badly worn?”
“Because I’ve been praying for your conversion,” he explained.
Weeping, he knelt with the boy, and received the Lord.
Have you ever worn out your trousers by praying for the conversion of your family and friends?
Try it, won’t you?
Prayer: O God, all through today make me brave enough to follow Thee, strong enough to witness for Thee, and convincing enough to win souls to Thee. Constrain me to pray persistently for the conversion of my family and friends: through Christ. Amen.
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Who was Gipsy Smith?
[caption id="attachment_1812" align="alignright" width="180" caption="Gypsy (Gipsy) Smith"] [/caption]
His Early life
[caption id="attachment_1811" align="alignleft" width="180" caption="Parent's Grave"] [/caption]
The grave of Polly and Cornelius Smith in St Nicholas churchyard in Norton now part of Letchworth Garden City.
Smith was born in a gypsy tent six miles northeast of London, in Epping Forest. The site is marked with a large, commemorative stone,in the woods near Waterworks Corner, Woodford Green. Smith received no education. The family made a living selling baskets, tinware, and clothespegs. His father, Cornelius, and his mother, Mary (Polly) Welch, provided a home that was happy in the gypsy wagon. Smith was a child when his mother died from smallpox near Baldock in Hertfordshire. She is buried in the nearby churchyard of St Nicholas church in Norton, now part of Letchworth Garden City. The Smith children numbered four girls and two boys (Rodney was the fourth child).
Cornelius was in and out of jail for various offences. There, he heard the gospel from a prison chaplain; later, he and his brothers were converted at a mission meeting. From 1873 on, “The Converted Gypsies” were involved in numerous evangelistic efforts.
Smith’s conversion as a sixteen-year-old came as a result of a combination of things. The witness of his father, hearing Ira Sankey sing and the visit to the home of John Bunyan in Bedford all contributed. He taught himself to read and write and began to practice preaching. He would sing hymns to the people he met and was known as “the singing gypsy boy.
Smith was born in a gypsy tent six miles northeast of London, in Epping Forest. The site is marked with a large, commemorative stone,in the woods near Waterworks Corner, Woodford Green. Smith received no education. The family made a living selling baskets, tinware, and clothespegs. His father, Cornelius, and his mother, Mary (Polly) Welch, provided a home that was happy in the gypsy wagon. Smith was a child when his mother died from smallpox near Baldock in Hertfordshire. She is buried in the nearby churchyard of St Nicholas church in Norton, now part of Letchworth Garden City. The Smith children numbered four girls and two boys (Rodney was the fourth child).
Cornelius was in and out of jail for various offences. There, he heard the gospel from a prison chaplain; later, he and his brothers were converted at a mission meeting. From 1873 on, “The Converted Gypsies” were involved in numerous evangelistic efforts.
Smith’s conversion as a sixteen-year-old came as a result of a combination of things. The witness of his father, hearing Ira Sankey sing and the visit to the home of John Bunyan in Bedford all contributed. He taught himself to read and write and began to practice preaching. He would sing hymns to the people he met and was known as “the singing gypsy boy.
At a convention at the Christian Mission (later to become the Salvation Army) headquarters in London, William Booth noticed the Gypsies and realized the potential in young Smith. On 25 June 1877, he accepted the invitation of Booth to be an evangelist with and for the Mission. For six years (1877–1882), he served on street corners and mission halls.
Family
He was married on 17 December 1879 to Annie E. Pennock, one of his converts. It was from this marriage that Rodney and Annie had three children, two boys and one girl. Albany Rodney, the eldest, became a Christian later in life and eventually followed in his father’s footsteps and became an evangelist in the United States. He was known as Gipsy Smith, Jr. and served as an evangelist from 1911 to August 24, 1951 when he died. Albany was married and had three children of his own. His eldest was John Rodney or (Jack) and was known as a well-respected lawyer. G. Wilbur Smith was a Presbyterian pastor and pastored three different churches, 1 in Missouri, 1 in Stuttgart, Arkansas and his last pastorate was at Batesville, Mississippi. Albany’s youngest was Betty and was the apple of his eye, she grew up into a fine wife. Rodney’s youngest son, Alfred Hanley became a Christian while he was yet young and became a Wesleyan pastor in England and served at 11 different pastorates during his 43 years in the ministry. Hanley died on February 11, 1949 at the age of 67. Rhoda Zillah served with her father in his great South African campaign known as the “Mission of Peace”. She eventually married a banker named James Lean and had two children, Rodney James Lean and Zillah Lean. Zillah Elizabeth Lean, Gipsy’s granddaughter, worked with the late English author David Lazell, of East Leake, in his first biographical account of Gipsy Smith entitled, “Gipsy Smith, From the Forest I Came”. Also, Reverend Charles Smith, of Van Buren, Arkansas wrote a brief biographical account of the Gipsy Smith family for the British Evangelical Magazine, The Flame (July-September 2006: Volume 72 No. 3).
Salvation Army
[caption id="attachment_1813" align="alignright" width="180" caption="Gipsy (Gypsy) Smith & Salvation Army"]  [/caption]
‘Gipsy’ Smith as a Captain in the Salvation Army
Rodney and Annie served in several assignments and saw membership rise to hundreds, then a thousand. By June 1882, great crowds were coming and the work was growing. A gold watch was given to him and about £20.00 was presented to his wife by the warm-hearted members of a local congregation. Acceptance of these gifts was a breach of the rules and regulations of the Salvation Army, and for this, he was dismissed from the Army. This happened so suddenly that other evangelists had to step in to take up his preaching engagements, including a contemporary preacher Charles Crowie Smith, who took over 2 engagements in Hanley. His eight assignments with the Salvation Army had produced 23,000 decisions and his crowds were anywhere up to 1,500.
Evangelist travels
He traveled extensively around the world on evagelistic crusades, drawing crowds numbering in the hundreds of thousands throughout his life. Busy as he was, he never grew tired of visiting gypsy encampments whenever he could on both sides of the Atlantic. Gipsy never wrote a sermon out for preaching purposes. Smith wrote several books and could sing as well as he preached. Sometimes he would interrupt his sermon and burst into song. Several of these hymns he would sing were recorded by Columbia Records. Although he was Methodist, ministers of all denominations loved him. It is said that he never had a meeting without conversions.
During World War I he ministered under the auspices of the Y.M.C.A.to the British troops in France, often visiting the front lines. As a result of this, King George VI made him a member of the Order of the British Empire.
Later life
Gipsy Smith’s wife, Annie, died in 1937 at the age of 79 while he was in America. Front page headlines in 1938 carried the news of the 78-year-old widower marrying Mary Alice Shaw on her 27th birthday. This, of course, brought some criticism. But it was a good marriage, for she helped him in his meetings, sang, did secretarial work, and later nursed him when his health failed.
Stricken by a heart attack, he died on the Queen Mary on a cruise in America, age 87. It was estimated that this was his 45th crossing of the Atlantic. His funeral was held 8 August 1947 in New York City. A memorial with a plaque was unveiled on 2 July 1949 at Mill Plain, Epping Forest, England, his birthplace. So ends the life of one who once said, “I didn’t go through your colleges and seminaries. They wouldn’t have me…but I have been to the feet of Jesus where the only true scholarship is learned.”
Much of this report was taken from work done by Charles Smith (No relation to Gipsy Smith) and published in the online “The Free Encyclopedia” Wikipedia. Charles wrote to suggest I credit this report and I am most happy to do so. Charles is working, I believe, on a larger work on Rodney “Gipsy” Smith’s life & ministry. He hopes to publish soon. Click this link for Wikipedia report: http://bit.ly/ccU244
You will find more detail about “Gipsy” Smith in the story about his father’s conversion to Christ. A remarkable story and one you should share with others. http://bit.ly/9Utx8u
WHY CHOOSE HELL
Read Luke 16:19-31
There are close to 60,800 places to live in our nation. Some have interesting names like Acres of Diamond, Florida; Fearnot, Pennsylvania; Happyland, Connecticut.
Some prefer Boring, Maryland; Pitts, Georgia; and Hell, Michigan.
But none are happy in that eternal place of suffering the Bible calls Hell.
One who went there cried, “I am in anguish in these flames.”
And he didn’t want others to go there. He said, “I have five brothers…warn them about this place of torment lest they come here when they die.”
Want to escape it? The Bible says, “Anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Prayer: Father, we come to Thee with our worries seeking confidence and courage; with our problems asking for wisdom and light; with our sorrows looking for comfort and strength; and with our sins praying for forgiveness: in Christ. Amen.
Dr. Guido prepared the following devotion and I reprint it here for your benefit. Look at the title and read his simple presentation. Very good.
UNITED OR UNTIED
Read Ephesians 5:22-33
If you change the position of one letter in the word “united,” you get another word, “untied.” That letter is “I.”
One couple was about to be untied. The wife prayed, “Lord, please take one of us home to heaven, so I can go and live with my mother.”
The root of most problems between the husband and wife is sin, and the root of all sin is selfishness.
When the love of the husband for his wife is sacrificial, and she loves her husband in a satisfying way, they’ll overcome selfishness.
As they submit to the Lord and each other, they’ll live for each other and for the Lord. Then they’ll stay united.
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December 29, 2009
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POSITIVE THINKING
Read Hebrews 11:7
One day in February a snail started climbing an apple tree. As he moved upward, a worm said, “There’s no apple up there.”
Continuing his climb, the snail said, “There will be when I get there.”
Man’s wickedness was great. God said to Noah, “Make a boat. I’m going to cover the earth with a flood.”
Noah started, even though there was no water. But there was when he finished.
After 120 years God said, “Come in.” Noah came in with his family, animals, birds, and reptiles. And God closed the door.
The flood came. The people perished. But God saved Noah because of his faith.
Dare you believe in God?
Prayer: Constrain us, Father, to follow Thee faithfully, to live for Thee loyally, and to confess Thee courageously. Inspire us with Thy faith and fortitude: through Christ. Amen.
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Girlfriends in God – Gwen Smith Testimony
Broken Into Beautiful
Gwen Smith Today’s Truth
“Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.” Psalm 34:5 Friend to Friend
I remember the phone call to my college boyfriend. Through sobs, I managed to tell him I was pregnant. There was a long pause on the other end of the phone … and then came the speed round of questions and comments: “What are we going to do? Do you think we should get married? Oh, my gosh … Oh, my gosh…what are we going to do? Do you want to have this baby? What are we going to do? What about volleyball? What will your parents say? What will my parents say? Oh, my gosh!” Like trapped animals, we were frantically looking for a way out. Then we made our decision. We would take care of it. It wasn’t time for us to have a baby yet.
God wasn’t consulted. He wasn’t invited into our decision.
Adam and Eve hid in the garden after eating the forbidden fruit. My boyfriend and I hid from God and did what we considered to be our only option. We made a plan. He would pick me up and take me to a clinic that I read about in the yellow pages.
When the day came, we drove in icy silence. I was Fort Knox. No one was going to break through the emotional walls I had constructed for protection.
You see there was never a moment that I believed having an abortion was the right thing to do. I only stubbornly and naively believed that my choice was the only ladder to grab out of the horrible pit I had dug for myself.
I was wrong. Dead wrong.
There, in the sterile room of that stale clinic, I used an alias. I wasn’t Gwen. My charts did not say that I was Gwen, the girl who was raised by good parents, the girl who was raised in the Word of God to know right from wrong. The counselor I had met with said that using my name could have made me feel uncomfortable with the “harmless and legal procedure” I was having done that day. Nobody else needed to know. I was anonymous.
It was my secret. A secret of chains that bound me in silence for the ensuing fifteen years – a secret kept because I mistakenly assumed that no one else could handle the ugly truth of my sinfulness with grace and forgiveness. I was a Christian girl. Christians don’t get pregnant when they aren’t married, and Christians don’t have abortions, right? It was all too scandalous, and I was crazy afraid of the consequences.
Most of that day was a blur. It was a dark, cold January day. Though the clinic was lit with bright fluorescent lights, the flame of dignity and hope in my heart had grown dim. I blocked out all the voices in my head as they contested what I was doing. I was desperate and scared.
I was Peter. Simon Peter was a fisherman Jesus had called to be a fisher of men. His relationship with Christ was passionate and intimate, but far from perfect. He was a disciple, one of Jesus’ closest friends. Jesus called Peter “the rock,” and he would eventually go on to build the foundation of the Christian church.
But before he did, the Bible shows us, in Luke 22:54-60, that the night Jesus was arrested, Peter “followed at a distance,” sat in a courtyard with enemies of Jesus, and denied the Lord he loved three times. Remarkably, Jesus knew Peter would betray Him, yet still extended advanced mercy as He said to him, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32).
I imagine that when Peter betrayed Jesus on that long, dark night preceding the crucifixion, he must have felt a physical illness and emotional angst similar to the one that shattered my life the day I said yes to death and betrayed my Lord. Luke 22:62 tells us that after he had disowned Jesus three times, Peter “went outside and wept bitterly.”
Peter knew Jesus, yet still betrayed Him.
He loved Jesus.
I knew Jesus, yet still betrayed Him.
I loved Jesus too.
But that love was tucked into the icy trunk of my heart on that snowy winter afternoon.
For weeks following my abortion, I went through each day under a dark cloud of despair. I couldn’t reconcile what I had done with who I was, and who I was supposed to be. My heart was broken. I felt hopeless and was horribly ashamed. I hated what I had done, and I hated myself for doing it. I was responsible for the death of my baby. It was my fault. I knew it, and it haunted me.
Voices of accusation used to scream in my head. They shouted things like: Murderer! Baby killer! Hypocrite! You can never tell a soul about this! Condemnation kept me shackled. Without realizing it, I was a captive to my own acceptance of those words. I was guilty. A wretch. No excuses. My heart was paralyzed by death. Words just can’t express the depth of anguish my soul experienced.
The dark days turned into weeks, which turned into months. Although I could turn on the fake charm like water from a faucet…oh, how my plastic smile served me well in those days…I was dying inside! At night, my pillow soaked up rivers of tears. I would lie awake, wondering if my baby was a boy or girl, or if my baby had felt any pain as she was being sucked from my body.
I wept. I wept for both my baby and for myself. It was necessary. It felt right to cry. And though the tears helped my soul grieve, none were as healing as the ones I cried to Jesus when I finally turned back to Him.
Like Peter after the rooster crowed, I wept bitterly at the feet of Jesus in raw repentance. Then, as the psalmist did, I “waited patiently for the LORD; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God” (Psalm 40:1-3). Although I didn’t deserve His mercy, Jesus forgave me. My forgiveness was immediate and complete, but the healing took time. He gave me a new song.
Hallelujah! I’ve been forgiven and transformed by the unconditional love of God. I was dead in my sins, but am now alive in Christ! I am free and it is my privilege to encourage you towards that same freedom in Christ. God longs for you to experience His perfect healing and hope too – no matter what you’ve done, no matter where you’ve been, no matter what has left you broken.
What’s your story? Jesus came that we would have life abundantly (John 10:10). Not because of anything that we have done to deserve it, but because of what He has done. His grace is sufficient. The guilt, pain, and shame of our pasts tell us we are disqualified to move on, to serve God, to be free, and to know peace. But to believe this lie is to believe that your sin is outside the scope of God’s grace. Nothing could be further from the truth. You have purpose in this life. And though you may have gone through a season of hurt, rejection, or pain, God can and will pick you up and place you back on track. I’m living proof.
There is no condemnation for those in Christ. While the enemy loves to cast false guilt, our Lord loves to extend grace and forgiveness, which is the remedy that restores all your broken pieces. Don’t hold onto those pieces. Don’t hide them behind a plastic smile. Bring them into the light, lay them at the feet of Jesus, and let go. Allow your wounds to be healed today.
Let’s Pray
Holy Father, today I come to You with the broken pieces in my life that I have been hesitant to deal with. Take my hand and lead as I walk past my fears and doubts to the refuge of Your forgiving arms. Please take what is broken and transform it into beautiful. Please free me from the lies that have me shackled in silence and that keep me from believing that Your forgiveness can be mine. Help me to trust that You can redeem and restore every area of my life.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Ask yourself these questions:
- What secrets or lies am I allowing to hold me captive?
- How could God use my story for His glory?
- Am I willing to share my experiences and failures for the transformation power of Christ to be seen by others?
Then, read Luke 7:36-50. Consider the secrets in your life. Place them at the feet of Jesus, repent and pray that God will forgive you, restore you and reveal to you how those secrets can be used for His good. Step out of the darkness of secrecy and into the light of unconcealed freedom. Share your story with a close friend. Allow God to use your life for His purposes…the good, the bad and the ugly.
More From The Girlfriends
Ok…take a deep breath with me! Some of you may feel disturbed that a locked door in your heart has been nudged open this morning. I also know that 30-40% of you that are reading this devotion share my experience of abortion. There is healing and forgiveness for you, too. Through the help of my local Pregnancy Care Center, I went through a post-abortive Bible study that helped me to know complete healing. If you have not taken that step toward healing, I encourage you to contact the Abortion Recovery CARE line at 1-866-4-My-Recovery (1-866-469-7326) – visit www.abortionrecovery.org – or call your local Pregnancy Care Center today to sign up for a post-abortive Bible study or retreat.
Portions of today’s devotion are taken from Gwen’s book, Broken Into Beautiful. Her full testimony is featured in the book, along with Scriptural truths and stories of how God has brought restoration the hearts of many other women who had painful life wounds. God delights to transform lives … including your own. Experience God’s healing and hope in your life today as you read Broken Into Beautiful! To order the book online, please CLICK HERE.
CLICK HERE to listen to the song Broken Into Beautiful.
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how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 725
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www.girlfriendsingod.com
Click here to learn more about hosting a Girlfriends in God conference in your area or having one of the GiGs speak at your next women’s event.
Since first seeing a report on 60-Minutes a year or so ago, I have followed the progress of John Kanzius’ Cancer Killing Machine. Only a few weeks ago, an update to the original story appeared on that same program. This new report, unfortunately reported on the death of John Kanzius. Cancer took him out before he could benefit from his invention. I believe in this work and believe it holds one of the keys to curing cancer. We must keep this matter before the Lord in prayer. Great news to report today. Read the bulletin below and rejoice. (NOTE: Click on the Link at the end of the report for even more detail.) Share this info with your friends. –Editor
[caption id="attachment_1663" align="alignleft" width="116" caption="John Kanzius"]  [/caption]
Erie, Pennsylvania – The Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation announced today that Steven Curley M.D., primary investigator of the Kanzius Non-invasive Radio Wave Cancer Treatment at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has been awarded a $2.1 million grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). This grant, to be paid over the next five years, will be used for continuing research on the Kanzius Treatment which seeks to kill human cancer cells treated with gold nanoparticles without damaging healthy cells.
“This is incredibly exciting and encouraging news for the Kanzius Foundation,” said Mark A. Neidig Sr., Executive Director of the Erie, Pennsylvania based Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation. “An NCI grant positions our research work with a stronger base; one which makes a very loud statement regarding the credibility and validity of both our preliminary findings and future studies.”
The work of the Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation is far from complete. The added funding to Dr. Curley’s research is but one aspect of funding needed to advance the multiple research venues utilizing the Kanzius technology and to secure FDA approval.
“The NCI grant was sorely needed and advances our work with vigor,” said Neidig. “However, the total pre-human clinical trial cost is upwards to $12 million so our work continues.”
To read more about the NCI grant, please visit our website at http://www.kanziuscancerresearch.org/ now.
Ever wondered where the current day troubles we have with Islam originated and why? The late Dr. W. A. Criswell, long pastor of the First Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas, shares his studied thoughts and spiritual wisdom on the subject. Dr. Criswell was one of America’s best prepared pastors and was, indeed, a spiritual giant for the cause of Christ. His sermons in text, audio and video live on through his website cared for through his foundation. This message, ISHMAEL: ISLAM AND THE OIL SLICK is a fervent sermon that rolls back the veil that prevents the world from seeing the truth and the history of the great nations of Islam. You need to be acquainted with these facts, truths and spiritual insights of this man of God. The following web link will present his video from that site. Once there you will have access to over 1900 of his famous messages. Click here: http://tinyurl.com/n7xpqe
Notice the date Dr. Criswell preached this in his church: September 14, 1980
ISHMAEL: ISLAM AND THE OIL SLICK
Dr. W. A. Criswell
Genesis 16:10
9-14-80 7:30 p.m.
It is a gladness, infinitely so, for us to welcome all of you who are listening on KCBI, the Sonshine radio station of our Bible Institute, and over KRLD, that carries the Cowboys game. But, we are a lot better than they, I can tell you that. All of you who listen on KRLD, you listen to a triumph every time you tune in on us. We never are defeated, never, ever; not until the kingdom comes and we look at Jesus face to face.
These days the pastor, and you are listening to him now, of the First Baptist Church in Dallas—the pastor is preaching two tremendous series of sermons. The morning ones are on the great doctrines of the Bible, and it will continue over three years. And the first two messages were introductory, delivered last Sunday morning, and this Sunday morning. And then, next Sunday morning, we begin the first section of the fifteen sections on “The Great Doctrines of the Faith.”
The first section concerns the Bible, Bibliology; and the title of the sermon this coming Lord’s Day morning is “Books and the Book.” “The Book: There is just one Book,” cried the dying sage, “read me the old, old story.” And the winged words that can never fade wafted his soul to glory. There is just one Book. That is the sermon next Sunday morning.
And the next Sunday night, the series on Sunday night regards “The Problems of Human Life—the world in which we live, have to live, you cannot escape it. You cannot say, “Stop the world. I want to get off.” We are in it, and we are involved in everything that happens. And the sermons on Sunday night are concerning some of those dramatic problems that are forced upon us.
This message is continued on this web link: http://tinyurl.com/n7xpqe
ISHMAEL: ISLAM AND THE OIL SLICK
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