By David J. Stewart |
September
2013
Hebrews 11:27, “By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the
king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.”
Praise God! Jesus-is-Savior.com is now running on VPS (Virtual Private
Server). This means that the website shares a computer (server) with only a
small handful of people; as verses the old Shared Web Hosting where
thousands of people share one computer and clamour for resources. Everything
went well. I have been assured by the VPS company that there won't be any
more suspensions over bandwidth.
I brought my Alexander Scourby DVD of the King
James Bible with me. My laptop's sound has been making a humming sound since
going through TSA's scanner. So I went to Wal-Mart and bought a portable DVD
player for my hotel room. I fell asleep listening to the Bible and while I
slept last night. And I'm listening to it now. I've already heard Proverbs,
Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon and now I'm hearing Isaiah as I type. I love
listening to the Bible. I scheduled this morning to work on my website,
because my ministry is important. I have been thinking about my web visitors
and praying for you.
I've had a very hectic week and am tired. My
body is hurting from head-to-toe with nerve pain. I have had numerous
difficult challenges this week, and am just taking everything prayerfully
one day at a time. My body has attacks of peripheral neuropathy, which is a
sensation of burning from within. The failed 2nd surgery in 2010 left me
with this condition. My fingers and hand, especially the right arm, feel
hot, burning and painful. It's the nerves themselves, radiating from my
neck. My neck is hurting horribly today. So it's been a mixed week of
blessings, challenges and pain. Thank you to all those who are praying for
my health and ministry. I do so need them. I believe that God answers
prayer, one way or another!
I heard this awesome Scripture today...
Proverb 4:18, “But
the path of the just is as the shining light,
that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.”
Isn't that wonderful? Every day with Jesus is
sweeter than the day before.
And also heard this Scripture...
Proverb 4:23, “Keep
thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of
life.”
We keep our heart by abiding in the Scriptures
and praying, and by avoiding the evil influences of the world. Evil is all
around us. Temptation is everywhere. David said in Psalms 119:11, “Thy
word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” When
you watch the hellish television (and I hope you don't), wicked people are
slowly indoctrinating you and changing your moral values. It is deliberately
so! I don't have TV and don't want it. The Godless powers behind the
overthrow of the United States want our nation to become a homosexual
utopia, and they are succeeding through television, little-by-little. In
order for homosexuality to be widely accepted, they must first get sexual
immorality widely accepted. That's why television is so disgusting and
perverted today. The sickening immoral cesspool of iniquity is just
beginning in the United States!!!
I've been thinking much about Hebrews 11:27, “By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the
king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.”
What an awesome truth! Do you see God Who is invisible? I do! God is
visible in all of nature! That's not to say that God is a force in nature.
That's new age heresy. I don't believe that at all. God is a literal Person,
an individual (Deuteronomy 6:4), Who exists in three persons; namely, God
the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20).
We are all living on borrowed time, so may we
all learn to number our days by living each day for the Lord Jesus Christ...
Consistent Prayer Is Much Better Than
Long Prayer
I've been repeating this section on prayer,
because repetition is the key to learning and I want you to learn prayer so
much. Most new believers pray for a while, don't see any results and then
quit. Or people are unsaved and pray to a false god they do not know. Oh my
friend, prayer doesn't work that way because God doesn't work that way. God
works behind the scenes in ways that way cannot see nor understand. This is
why we are commanded in Philippians 4:6-7, “Be careful for nothing; but
in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your
requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Most people pray and quit because they don't
understand why God hasn't answered. You just do as God commanded and PRAY
WITHOUT CEASING (1st Thessalonians 4:17). We ought to pray throughout the
day as we go about our business, as problems arise, as we think of others
who are suffering, as we continually realize how great and real and merciful
and awesome our God is! Jesus is precious!
I'm
just taking things one day at a time. God is with me wherever I go (Hebrews
13:5). My faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ. I know more trials and
tribulations are ahead, as always, but God will see me through as He always
has. Amen! Even so, come, Lord Jesus! All my Christian brothers and sisters
in the Lord, please
keep me in your continued prayers. I believe that even a
small prayer activates the machinery in Heaven and starts the ball of God's
omnipotent power rolling. To believe in prayer is to believe in God Who
hears and answers prayer. To not pray is a lack of faith, saying that we
really don't believe God cares about us nor will He do anything to help us,
so why pray?
Listen to what King David said in Psalms 22:1, “My God,
my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and
from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou
hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.” David
said that he prayed to God, but God didn't seem to hear him at all.
Yet God was very much awake and listening!
Psalms 44:23, “Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for
ever.”
David was frustrated, impatient and bold in his prayers to
God. David asked God how much longer He was going to stay sleeping? David
cried out in prayer, but didn't feel like God was listening. We've all been
there. I've learned that you truly begin to mature in the Lord when you keep
on praying anyway, no matter how dismal, unproductive or useless prayer may
seem in our finite, flawed and human minds. God is capable of doing the
unimaginable, miracles and that which everyone said couldn't be done. It
requires a greater faith to keep praying when the answers don't seem to be
coming, and faith pleases God.
Anybody
would gladly pray if the skies of heaven poured down gold, silver and
materialistic blessings. I believe that's why God steps out of the picture
and makes us feel like He's ignoring us. In fact, this is the exact Biblical
teaching of Luke 18:1-8. The unjust judge avenged the irritating woman to
get rid of her, but God ignores us to test us (that is, to test how much
faith we really have). How much faith do you have? You have as much faith,
not how long you pray; but rather, how persistent you pray. Long prayers
don't impress God (Matthew 6:7-8), but to keep praying when it seems like
there's no reason left to pray greatly pleases God. Let's all start praying
consistently, morning and evening and afternoon. Amen!
Remember the story of the rabbit and the turtle. The rabbit was fast and
could outrun the turtle anytime, anywhere. But the turtle still won the
race, because he kept with the stuff! The rabbit became overconfident and
lost sight of his purpose, but the turtle stayed with the course and
finished. In God's marathon it's not a matter of who finishes first; but
rather, just finishing the race that He has set before you. Amen! All God
expects is that we keep going, never quit, don't stop praying, don't stop
sharing the Gospel, keep trying to do right, and keep trusting Him at all
times, no matter what happens (Job 13:15).
The best of Christians may fail to live right 5 times out of 10, but that's
a lot better than failing 10 times out of 10 because you're a heathen that's
not even trying. I am speaking of our fellowship with God here, as
Christians. I am not speaking of salvation, which has nothing to do with our
lifestyle or how hard we try to live right. Eternal life is a free gift,
paid in full by Jesus' precious blood. All we do is receive God's
righteousness by faith in the Gospel, that is, Christ's death, burial and
resurrection three days later (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). What a Savior! Jesus
is precious!!!
The Error Of Expecting Everyone To Have The Same Salvation Experience As
Paul
“Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation
22:20).
I love you all in the Lord,
whoever you may be!
Christ Paid Our Debt
Of Sin!
1st
Thessalonians 5:25, “Brethren, pray for us.”
