His Heart, My Home

(NOTE: This week’s post continued below)

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NEWS FLASH! URGENT PRAYER NEEDED!

We are sure that by now you are aware of the desperate plight of the Iranian people.

Thousands of unarmed Iranians have been slaughtered in the streets of their nation as they protested against their evil and tyrannical government, Many thousands more have been imprisoned and are being cruelly tortured.

This is much more than a political revolution. It’s also a spiritual revolution! The Iranian people are desperately crying out for our help, seeking freedom in Christ!

Over a million Iranians have already turned from Islam to Christ. Reports say that over two-thirds of Iran’s mosques have been closed due to a lack of attendance.

We are asking you to join us in daily prayer for the people of Iran. Their acceptance of Christ will transform the entire Middle East.

Please click on the link entitled “Prayer for Iran” in the menu at the top of this page. The same prayer in Farsi is also available for selection in the menu.

Pray with us daily, and share this prayer with everyone in your contact list. Ask your contacts to also pray and send it to others. We are believing that God will intervene in a powerful way, and that Iran will be saved!

Thanks and God bless you all!

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THE GOOD OLD DAYS?

“But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase.”
(Daniel 12:4, New Living Translation)

Ain’t it the truth?

Knowledge is increasing, and technology is racing ahead so fast most of us can’t keep up, even as we “rush from here to there” at break-neck speed.

it’s incredible. It’s like the old saying, “The hurrieder I go, the behinder I get.”

Let Grandpa Joe tell you about the “good old days. I remember:

● photo developing… you took the roll of film out of the camera…put it in an envelope to mail… and got your pictures back in about two weeks, maybe longer

● radios that were almost as large as a modern refrigerator

● typewriters…were “manual”… that means they used no electricity… to make copies we used “carbon paper”… one sheet placed between each page to be copied

● drive-in theaters… the cars were parked in rows… the movie was on a big screen in front of the drive-in lot… the audio speaker was hung inside the car window so we could all hear the crackling sound of the movie’s audio

● my first computer… the capacity of the hard drive was 20MB…we put a “stacker” on to double to 40MB and tbought, “I’ll never need this much space”… you typed your commands using a computer code named DOS

● the first “color” TV I ever saw… at my great-aunt’s house… a clear sheet of plastic, tinted blue on the top (for sky) and green on the bottom (for grass)… this was placed in front of the TV screen… (Don’t laugh…my aunt was so proud to have a color TV!)

Now… everything’s wireless… wireless cameras, wireless keyboards,  wireless mouse, wireless headphones, wireless microphones, wireless speakers, wireless earbuds… wireless wireless… everything!

Sorry. I hope I didn’t completely lose you as I meandered down memory lane, because there is actually a point I would like to make.

THE AUDIO-VIDEO CONNECTION

Do you remember the connecting cords that used to come with every electronic device? They were called AV (audio-visual) cords … one yellow, for the visual signal, and a pair, one white, and one red,for the audio signal.

Both the audio and the video cords had to be plugged in for you to get the full picture with sound.

Jesus, in His “High Priestly Prayer” said, ” I have manifested your name to the men you gave me out of the world…” (John 17:6)

We already saw in our last post that the word translated as manifested in this verse is a Greek word that has two main branches:

● The Greek word “phoneo” means “to emit sound“. It is the source of our English word “phone” and other related words.

● The Greek word “phaino” means “to emit light“. It is the source of our English word “photo” and other related words.

THE SOUNDS AND SIGHTS OF FAITH

Just like a correct connection of the AV cords was necessary to transmit and receive the full program, the Church must transmit both the sound of faith (the uncompromising gospel message) and the visual proof of faith (miracles, signs, and wonders) if we are going to be effective in representing a resurrected Jesus to the world.

It takes both the audio (preach, proclaim, and declare) and the video (miracles, signs, and wonders) to accurately and completely present the gospel!

A LOOSE CONNECTION?

Languishing in Herod’s prison, John the Baptist experienced a horrific assault by the enemy against his mind, that caused his faith to begin to waver.

John, had confidently and boldly cried out concerning Jesus, saying, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)

Now, as he faces his own impending death, John sends messengers to Jesus asking if He is indeed the Messiah. We could say John was experiencing a “spiritual glitch”. He had become “temporarily disconnected” from the certainty of faith.

¹⁹ And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are you the Coming One, or do we look for another?” ²⁰ When the men had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the Coming One, or do we look for another?’ ” (Luke 7:19-20)

Questions for Reflection:

● Have you ever been disappointed that you or someone else had not received a miracle when you really needed one?

● Did it shake your faith like John, and leave you doubting whether God was still healing and working miracles today?

● Knowing that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, did you realize that perhaps it wasn’t God who failed to deliver, but you who failed to receive?

PRAYER: Father, forgive us for the times we have allowed circumstances or others to shake our faith, causing us to abort our faith. We trust that you are ever true to your Word… faithful even when we fail. Holy Spirit, teach us how to feed, develop,  and strengthen our faith daily. Truly, all things are possible to us when we believe! Amen!

Jesus, acutely aware of John’s crisis of faith, answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. (Luke 7:22)

Jesus helped John get plugged back into his faith by pointing to the irrefutable proof of God’s plan being worked out. He assured John that both the audio (the gospel being preached) and the video (the attesting miraculous signs of healing) were being broadcast to those tuned into God-TV!

The Word and the Spirit will always agree. They are a balanced synergy of truth and power, working together in perfect harmony to transform our lives!

The WORD, which is the DECLARATION of God’s glory, and the SPIRIT, which is the DEMONSTRATION of God’s glory, produce the miraculous TRANSFORMATION that we call SALVATION!

And the most exciting news is this: we have been chosen and commissioned to be carriers of God’s glory, declaring the gospel message and demonstrating Jesus’ resurrection life and power! HALLELUJAH!

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Once again, we would like to invite you to pray for and donate to our ministry partner in the Philippines:

Student Life Organization, Inc

SLOI provides educational opportunities to the many physically disabled and financially disadvantaged children of Cebu City, both declaring and demonstrating God’s to them and their families.

Would you please give today? If so, please use this link: paypal.me/anaferuiz

“Give generously and generous gifts will be given back to you, shaken down to make room for more. Abundant gifts will pour out upon you with such an overflowing measure that it will run over the top! The measurement of your generosity becomes the measure of your return.” (Luke 6:38 TPT)