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I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. (Psalms 34:1) |
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God desires that we always bless and extol the Lord. The Lord is good. We who have been Christians for a period of time have found that the Lord indeed is good. |
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Christians suffer just as much as other people. But if we keep before the Lord constantly we find that the suffering does us good. It knocks the sin and self-seeking out of us if we take it right and don't start complaining and blaming people. |
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I would be a different person today if it were not for a multitude of tribulations. How about you? Would you like to be the same kind of person you were thirty years ago? I sure wouldn't! |
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"Life is not a bowl of cherries," a fifth-grader I was teaching told me once. Her parents were going through a divorce. Poor thing! But she spoke the truth and we all know it. Unless we are one of these people with no principles (they are multiplying like flies in our day) we have to pay our bills and act responsibly toward those who have been entrusted to us. |
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Life has a lot of good times and a lot of hard knocks. Yet we find that God is good. For those who walk with God there are flowers to be picked in every valley. |
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We are to praise God continually. Sometimes this is easy, like in church. But at other times when we are facing a major crisis it is hard to praise the Lord. We feel more like going home and hiding under the bed. |
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When we have to look up to see the bottom, when our head feels like a rotten melon, when we are scared witless because we see disaster ahead, then is the time to praise the Lord. The Lord likes for everyone to praise Him for His love and goodness. But when we are in a dark valley and make ourselves look up in praise and worship, then the Lord regards that highly. It is an act of majesty on the part of one of His sons. |
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We will not always be at the bottom of the barrel. That dark place you are in now is not a grave, it is a tunnel. Don't quit. God is just as good as He was when you first accepted the Lord. |
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At one time you had the world by the tail on a downhill pull and were singing the happy choruses of Zion. Now you are wondering if there even is a God. |
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I've been there! What you sang and what you testified are still true. I understand that since then you have entered a black pit of problems and confusion. How could God let this happen? |
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Believe it or not, this is working for your good! Day unto day is filled with words but it is at night, when you are following the fire, that you gain the knowledge of the Holy. |
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Whatever you do, don't give up on God. Get on the roller coaster. Fasten your seat belt. You are in for the ride of your life. |
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When you get to the end the assistant will help you out of the car. Then you will stand up and say, "It wasn't so bad after all! I think I'll just carry my cross for one more day before I put it away for eternity." |
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My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. (Psalms 34:2,3) |
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How good it is to lift up the name of the Lord! |
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It appears the nations which historically have been associated with Christianity are following the example of ancient Israel. They are forsaking the Lord in favor of human philosophies and ingenuity. |
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Everything today is money and power. The Bible is seen as a venerable tradition that puts a nice cloak of respectability on civilization. But where raw power is being exercised by the movers and shakers, the Bible is kicked out of the way. |
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Do not think for one moment I am bewailing this. It is good that things are getting colder and may they proceed until they are frozen. A society that is half Christian is worse than useless because it leaves the impression that somehow God, although not entirely pleased with us, is giving reluctant approval to what is going on. |
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Each new departure from morality and common sense brings a burst of indignation from several sources. But money talks and the outrage soon is eclipsed by a new outrage. |
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The latest flap is human cloning. Of course it is possible to clone a human as any animal, and it will be done because of the potential for money, power, and entertainment. But the product will be as any other animal because it will have no soul. You can't clone a soul! |
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No, God is not wringing His hands over the antics of His creatures. He is using their foolishness to teach lessons to the angels. When school is over the army will descend from Heaven and the gibbering of demon-driven flesh will be silenced. |
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Get a view of Jesus, God's King. No earthly monarch has attained one millionth of the authority and power possessed by Christ. He is laughing at the fools who would throw off His guidelines. |
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When you and I boast in the Lord and exalt His name, the humble of the earth rejoice. They are mourning the current trends. They bewail the sexual perversion, the murder of the little darlings that would have graced someone's home, the cynicism and lies of the politicians who are serving themselves, the greed of the wealthy. But there is little they can do. |
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Take heart, little flock. Your King is aware of your sorrow. He is coming to vindicate you. |
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Some time ago an attorney said something to the effect that the meek may inherit the earth but the lawyers will win in court. He will answer for his proud boasting in the day he stands in the courtroom of Jesus Christ. |
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You and I are not to fret ourselves because of the increasingly arrogant boasting of those who do not know our Lord. The shoe will be on the other foot when they see Him coming, seated at the right hand of Power. |
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Jesus is supreme Lord and none can successfully oppose Him. Let us make our boast in Him, magnify Him, and exalt His name together. |
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What do you say? |
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I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. (Psalms 34:4) |
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Fear is one of the worst plagues of life on the earth. One thing we look forward to in the next world is the absence of fear and dread. |
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President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, on a radio address during World War Two, said, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself." |
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If I didn't get it just right, someone please put the right words in an E-mail to me. I was about fifteen years old at the time. |
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There is a lot of truth in that statement. The thing to be feared is fear itself. |
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The first class of people in the Lake of Fire are the fearful, the timid, the cowardly. Why is this such a great sin that it would be the number one candidate for eternal torment? It is because fear prevents us from doing God's will. The fact that we are fearful reveals a lack of trust in God. |
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Fearfulness and cowardice are related to self-pity, I think. One time I had done something for which I could not forgive myself. Then I had a kind of vision of myself standing by the sidelines while the Lord's army was parading past me. I was wallowing in my self-pity because I felt I was no longer worthy. |
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I was cheering the soldiers on, encouraging them for the battle. But I stood there in my abject unworthiness. |
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Then a riderless horse stood in front of me. I said, "I am not worthy to ride in the Lord's army, I can't get on that horse." |
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I knew in my heart I was bound by some kind of inverted pride. I remained for a few moments, in the meanwhile cheering the others as they rode past. |
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What a mess we humans are! |
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Then I knew the Lord was not feeling sorry for me and if I expected to go with the Lord I had better get on that horse. |
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Boy, that was a battle to overcome my self-pity and get on the horse! |
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Are you bound with self-pity, cowardice, timidity, fear? Poor me! |
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Don't expect God or anybody else to feel sorry for you. Everybody has their own problems. |
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I think it was Woodrow Wilson who explained that people need justice instead of pity. |
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Get up on your hind legs and do what you are supposed to do if you want God's blessing! |
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If you will seek the Lord He will deliver you from all your fears all your fears! |
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Here we go. Are you ready? One two three! "Hear me Lord! Deliver me from all my fears, cowardice, timidity, and self-pity! Help me get going again! In Jesus' name!" |
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Now, expect your fear to be removed, whether it's cancer, a son in trouble, getting laid off, your marriage, war, an earthquake, the death of your child. |
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It's the fear that is killing you, causing endless dread and anxiety. |
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Is this the way you want to spend your days? Without the fear you will make it just fine through everything. |
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Get up on your horse and ride behind Jesus to perfect victory in every situation. |
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They looked unto him, and were lightened [radiant]: and their faces were not ashamed. (Psalms 34:5) |
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There is a public reproach on those who trust in Christ in front of other people. He who departs from evil makes himself or herself a prey. Sometimes he becomes an object of scorn to less-consecrated church people. |
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But there never is an occasion for shame for those who look to Christ in all matters. They are truly righteous in God's sight and He will justify them. |
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Sometimes it appears that the social environment is becoming increasingly hostile toward Christians. The American people are used to practicing sins of various kinds and if they ever feel that Christians are hindering them from doing as they please there will be vicious persecution. |
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The Christian influence in America was strong in the beginning. Great trees die slowly. It is hard for Christians, who can point back to the original leaders and jurists of America as believers in the Scriptures, to realize that those days may be gone forever. The public has had a taste of unrestrained evil and they will not be frustrated, I believe. |
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I look for a tremendous increase in pornography and other sexual excesses in the days to come and woe to that individual who stands in the way of the juggernaut. |
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What then, are we followers of Christ to roll over and play dead? |
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Our response must be to look to Christ. We must learn righteousness, holiness, and obedience to God from Him. Then when we pray God will hear us. |
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The increasing sin in our land must prove to be a whip that drives us to Christ. God is all powerful. When we pray God is able and willing to move on behalf of those who are seeking righteousness. |
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The wicked may mock us today. They know we have very little power. But they do not know our God. |
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We who follow the Lord understand that no power is as great as His. No one can harm the individual who is good in God's sight. |
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Let the wicked mock as they will. We shall turn to our God and He will save us. |
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If the Christian people of America will humble themselves, pray, seek God's face, and turn from their wicked ways, God will hear from Heaven, forgive our sin, and heal our land. |
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The Lord seems to be telling me we have a few years left in America. If the believers will turn away from the foolish faith and prosperity doctrines, the overemphasis on lawless grace and a pretribulation rapture to save us from suffering, and begin to seek God in earnest, He will hear us and send a revival of righteous behavior. Otherwise we will be unprepared for suffering or even for a rapture should one take place in the near future (which I seriously doubt). |
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The Bible commands us to arm ourselves against the evil day. It does not tell us we will not be exposed to the evil day. |
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The Divine call today is to repentance, a turning away from the world and its ways. We do not have enough strength to overcome evil. But God does and He will if we live uprightly and look to Him. |
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Then our faces will be radiant with His Glory and righteousness will spring up in our country. |
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Maybe, as with Samson, the hair of the Church will grow back! |
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This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. (Psalms 34:6) |
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Jesus came to bless the poor in spirit. James tells us that God has chosen the poor, and not just in spirit. |
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It is noticeable when one goes to India how humble the people are. They are poor in spirit and poor in material wealth. You see the same thing in Mexico. |
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Maybe we Americans are prouder than we think. Maybe we don't see the miracles of God more than we do because of our pride, some of it based on money and some on our "superior" education (which is not so superior anymore because God is not blessing our schools!). |
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Perhaps David meant he was poor in that he was afflicted and in trouble. He was on the run from Saul. Most of us know the story how he pretended to be mad in front of Achish, the king of Gath. |
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In any case, if you want to get something from the Lord, don't come showing off. God sends the rich away empty. |
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We Americans regard ourselves as superior to the rest of the world, especially if some country doesn't govern like we do or eat McDonald's hamburgers or fails in some other manner we try to get them to perform. We are so pleased when they salute and acquiesce to our demands. |
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Oftentimes we do not show much respect for other cultures. |
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Maybe if other nations become as democratic as we they can advance to drive-by shootings of civilians or having their kids in school shoot or stab each other or poison the teacher. But then the other countries of the world aren't doing so hot either. |
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It seems to me while the poorer nations are bowing and scraping they are regarding us as a bunch of fools. Are we too stupid to see it? They are afraid of us because the blessing of God on America (the result of our past Christian population and values) has provided us with wealth and power. But it is likely that many countries even now are plotting to attack the United States in the future. |
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We are doing little today to maintain the blessing of God! We have grown arrogant and self-satisfied. |
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When God decides the United States has played its role in history a rowboat full of boy scouts will be able to overcome our military establishment. |
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Unless there is a wholesale repentance and turning to the Lord Jesus Christ we are in for it but good. |
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It has been said that optimists are learning Russian and pessimists Chinese. If we don't get right with God we better learn Russian and Chinese with maybe Libyan thrown in. I doubt the Libyan leaders have forgotten we made a bombing raid on them a few years back. Arabs are remarkably patient when planning revenge and they don't like to lose face. |
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David had the quick wit to feign insanity. Maybe we will have to do that some day. |
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Let's get poor in spirit and cry mightily to the Lord. Now we are hiding behind our chained, peep-holed doors while we drink beer and watch television. If the entire West Coast fell into the Pacific and it interrupted the Super Bowl we would be grossly upset. |
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When the hairy fist crashes through your security door it may be a little late to call on the Lord. |
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If we will humble ourselves and cry to the Lord He will hear us and save us out of all our troubles. Grab that word all. You may need it some day. |
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The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. (Psalms 34:7) |
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The angel of the Lord. |
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Encamps. |
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Those who fear the Lord. |
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Delivers, or rescues them. |
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Boy, are we going to need this kind of help in the days to come! |
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First of all we need to realize the power of the angel of the Lord. The angel of the Lord, or of any person, contains in himself all that the person is, all that God has given the individual. What we are is in our angel. |
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The angels of little children see the face of the Father, an incomprehensible privilege. They soon outgrow it because they become adults. |
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The Lord's glory, authority, and power are in His angel. When this all-powerful angel pitches his tent next to yours you are well protected. His presence fills the valleys and the mountains. |
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But you must fear the Lord. We are so smart these days we don't have to fear the Lord, we reverence Him. Isn't that cute? |
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"Oh Brother Thompson my New Testament uses the word 'reverence.' We had to fear that awful Jehovah (sic) of the Old Testament but now we have this nice Jesus and He would never want us to fear Him. But we must reverence Him. Anyway there is no difference between fear and reverence." |
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How we have become fools! |
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Would you feel a sense of reverence at Arlington National Cemetery? Would you be filled with fear? |
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Yes, there is a profound difference between reverence and fear. |
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The humanist might reverence God (if he thought there was one) but he certainly would never humble himself to fear God not until the Lord Jesus Christ picked him up and he dangled there unable to even glance at the eyes of fire (something like a cross between the sun and the heart of an active volcano). |
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Have you ever been held in the hand of God? I have. I don't recommend the experience unless you are on excellent terms with God. |
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All of our proud posturing and actions will vanish like a drop of water in a furnace when our Lord begins to stir Himself. We are absolute fools if we think we are going to stand upright in our haughtiness and guile before the throne of God. |
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If we have any brains at all we will choose to fear God now, when the sun is shining and we have a full belly and the rent is paid and the kids aren't sick. |
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Fear the Lord! He is almighty God! He can cast you into Hell or establish you in Paradise at His will. And you are in no position to answer back! |
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Jesus Christ holds the keys of Hell and death. In order for Satan to enter or leave Hell he has to ask permission from Christ. |
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An age of moral horrors is at hand. Spiritual darkness and oppression will make it nearly impossible to pray. People no longer will be able to resist temptation or even think clearly. |
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If you will humble yourself and fear the Lord. His angel will deliver you from trouble and danger. |
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God knows, God cares, God is seeking your good, God has the power to help you. |
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You are not going to be able to make it in the days ahead in your own strength. |
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Get wise. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Humble yourself. You are not as tough as you think you are. Don't wait to find out whether or not I'm right. |
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O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. (Psalms 37:8) |
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Do you remember when Mother put something on your plate you didn't like, maybe spinach or beets? |
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She would say, "Just take a taste. It's good for you." |
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In your opinion a hamburger and french fries topped off with a candy bar were much better for you. |
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Now you are getting chest pains when you walk uphill and you are wondering if Mother had something there. |
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It's like that with the Lord. If you have never known the Lord, why don't you taste and see if the Lord is good? If you want purpose in life, if you want to know there is someone there to help you when you're surrounded with dread, if you want to have a good feeling about where you are going when you die, then get with the Lord. |
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Let me tell you from experience that when you are in an ambulance traveling Code 3, oxygen mask on your face, wondering if you will see your family again, it's a marvelous feeling to know the Lord has everything under control. When they slide you under the big camera and start the probe up an artery, it's a happy thought that the next minute you might hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant." |
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The Bible says we are in bondage throughout our life because of the fear of death. When you know Jesus the hope of dying is like that of a ten-year-old the night before Christmas, or the thought that summer vacation is at hand. |
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Is that the way it is with you? If not, it can be. Look up to Jesus right now. Taste and see that the Lord is good. I have found Him so for fifty-two years and I have no reason to lie to you. |
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Happy is the individual who trusts the Lord. We see the world situation today. It doesn't look good for Israel. We have some good friends there and I know our Arab brothers and sisters do also. |
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Who knows what is going on in the secret chambers of Russia, China, Cuba, and other places. What is tomorrow going to bring? Will our children and grandchildren survive drugs, AIDS, gangs; and if they do, what will they be facing ten years from now? A world gone crazy with lust, greed, and violence? |
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There is a way out of this. I found it when I was nineteen. It works. We do what good we can in the world but our hope is in the next age. I know it's real. People disappear when they die. Their body is with us but they themselves are somewhere else. We will see them all again, not as wraiths but as flesh and bone people. |
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Life is like the old Mission Impossible television series. Events are fabricated to get people to do things they would not do ordinarily. Their real environment remains unchanged but a simulated environment causes them to react in revealing ways. If our eyes were open we would see we've been fooled as to where we are and what really is taking place. |
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Once the truth is out the play acting is over. The "dead" actors get up and go out for dinner. |
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Some day the play will be over. What kind of truth came out of you? You will be amazed that you always have been in the midst of a multitude of spirits and people observing your reactions. |
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No one has really gone anywhere. They are in various holding areas waiting for the great Day of Judgment. |
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That which is spoken in secret shall be proclaimed on the housetops. Nobody will ever know what you have done in secret except the whole universe. |
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Put your trust in Jesus and He will make sure that when the program director says "Cut!" and everyone comes back to life you will be proud of yourself and of Jesus. |
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Mother really does know what she is talking about! |
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