Praying for the Brethren by WR Gingell

¹⁵ Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

¹⁶ Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

¹⁷ That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

¹⁸ The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

¹⁹ And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

²⁰ Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

²¹ Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

²² And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

²³ Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Ephesians 1:15-23

 Recently, I got to know a lady who had just come to God a few months previous to our first meeting. She was reaching out in every direction for fellowship, since she’d lost a lot of her former friends since becoming a Christian.

 For the first few months after I met her, I was very much in prayer for her: in fear, in worry; almost in desperation. I’d had experience before in praying for a loved one who never came to Christ despite my prayers, and this lady’s situation was so difficult, her church life so much less than ideal, and she had for so many years been in the world. I was afraid it would be too much for her. Or, if she really was in Christ and it wasn’t just a phase she was experimenting with, that she might, due to her church situation, simply not continue to grow.

 And as I searched the scriptures in my daily devotions, I began to feel convicted about the spirit of fear in my prayers for her—and others.

 We know that God is a father who knows how to “give good things to them that ask Him” (Matt 7:11). We also know that “all that the Father giveth…shall come” (John 6:37) and that “he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ…” (Phil. 1:6) So we know that those who are the children of God will be called, will be sanctified, and that God gives to those who ask of Him.

 Which in turn means that our prayers for our brothers and sisters in Christ will be answered; it means that they can’t fail to be answered. Any child of God can’t fail to grow, especially when their brothers and sisters in Christ are praying for them.

It struck me for the first time, just a few weeks ago, how inexpressibly joyful a thing it is to be able to pray for my brothers and sisters. Whether it’s a matter of growth in Christ for a specific person, problems in the church, disagreements between brothers, or a desperately wrong spirit we’re mourning for in our brothers and sisters, we can pray in joy, in hope—in peace.

 And we can pray fervently, loving our brothers and sisters, knowing that this is what we’re called to do for each other. Knowing that God won’t fail to answer those prayers. Knowing that sometimes the change to be made is in our own hearts, lives, and prayers.

 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.  This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.  So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,  to be registered with Mary, his betrothed ^]wife, who was with child.  So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.  And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And] behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.  Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”  And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.  Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.  And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.  But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.  Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them. Luke 2:1-20 KJV.

This story does not end here, it is but the beginning!  I encourage all to read the whole Gospel of Luke to find out the ending! 

CHRISTMAS TIME

by Ineke Cornish.

Once again Christmas time is here

Along with greetings and wishes sincere                                                                                                                            

 Bells and baubles, decorated trees  

With tinsel and trinkets sure to please.

Santa and his many helpers abound

Spreading laughter & cheer around 

People everywhere are searching madly

For gifts that might be treasured gladly.

Commercialism is so blatant and rife

And could too easily get us into strife

Christmas parties, drinks and reveling

Isn’t the season all about pleasuring?

 But wait… what’s this we hear….

A message from heaven so clear

That God sent His Son from above

To show mankind His great love.

A Saviour was born in a stable so low

To save mankind from sin and from woe

A heavenly host sang at his birth

Glory to God and peace on the earth.

Wise men came to seek the King

And their gifts to Him did bring.

 Oh let us seek the greatest gift of all

And gladly answer His beckoning call

Jesus came to pay our debt,

Grace and mercy here were met

As Christmas dawns across the land

Let us join the heavenly band

Praising God with hearts aglow

For the gift He did bestow

Bringing salvation to all men

Hallelujah, Amen! 

 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. Isaiah 9:6-7 King James Version (KJV)

The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying:  “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.”  Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel.  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.

Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:  “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the Lord. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!  The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it.  And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it,  if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it. Jeremiah 18:1-10 NKJV.

I am constantly amazed when I look back at my life or the lives of others, to see the effect on our lives when we allow God to have control.

Although here in these verses God is speaking about Israel, it is also relevant for our lives today.  In these verses God tells Jeremiah the Prophet, that He forms and fashions kingdoms and nations as He pleases.  The same God who spoke to Jeremiah, is the same God who is in control today, and His words remain true to us.

We can watch the nightly news on Television, or read about it in the newspapers, and think that the world is out of control, but God still sits on the throne and is totally in control of every situation as this passage shows.

Here the Potter is sovereign over the clay as God is sovereign over His creation.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 New King James Version (NKJV)

Turn to Him in faith today and let the Potter remake your life!