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WELCOME!!!!
THE WAY MINISTRIES
AND
BLACK-TOP GOSPEL MUSIC MINISTRY
Vol. 1 Issue # 7
November 2001 issue
THE WAY MINISTRIES
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This e-maga-zine will contain the following
sections.
1- Main article
2- Inspirational Story.
3- Womens Section.
4- News Story.
Featured Web
Sites in this Issue.
*************************************************************************
GREAT SITE
FOR WOMEN
http://friesen-2-11-loretta.tripod.com/dailydevotionsforwomen/
GREAT SITE FOR ALL
http://archangel.jumpwave.com
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ** Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will
hear a voice behind you saying, "THIS IS THE WAY; WALK IN IT. Isa. 30 v 21
Our feature story is the first
in a series on prayer. It is taken from the book A Discourse Touching Prayer written by John Bunyan while in prison in 1662
and published in 1663. We hope that you are finding encouragement and inspiration from these stories of great early Christians
and there life and confession of faith. We encourage you to send us your comments and suggestions on ways to improve this
e-maga-zine. We also are interested in your contributions: poetry, short stories, events, recipes, etc. We would also be interested
in any news items that you may have to place on our on line E-Maga-zine
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Introduction
to A Discourse Touching Prayer
What Prayer Is
ON PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT.
"I WILL PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT,
AND I WILL PRAY WITH THE UNDERSTANDING ALSO"(I Cor 14:15).
PRAYER is an ORDINANCE of God, and that to be used
both in public and private; yea, such an ordinance as brings those that have the spirit of supplication into great familiarity
with God; and is also so prevalent in action, that it getteth of God, both for the person that prayeth, and for them that
are prayed for, great things.[5] It is the opener of the heart of God, and a means by which the soul, though empty, is filled.
By prayer the Christian can open his heart to God, as to a friend, and obtain fresh testimony of God's friendship to him.
I might spend many words in distinguishing between public and private prayer; as also between that in the heart, and that
with the vocal voice. Something also might be spoken to distinguish between the gifts and graces of prayer; but eschewing
this method, my business shall be at this time only to show you the very heart of prayer, without which, all your lifting
up, both of hands, and eyes, and voices, will be to no purpose at all. "I will pray with the Spirit."
The
method that I shall go on in at this time shall be, FIRST. To show you what true prayer is. SECOND. To show you what it is
to pray with the Spirit. THIRD. What it is to pray with the Spirit and understanding also. And so, FOURTHLY. To make some
short use and application of what shall be spoken.
WHAT PRAYER IS.
FIRST, What [true] prayer is. Prayer
is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance
of the Holy Spirit, for such things as God hath promised, or according to the Word, for the good of the church, with submission,
in faith, to the will of God.
In this description are these seven things. First, It is a sincere; Second, A sensible;
Third, An affectionate, pouring out of the soul to God, through Christ; Fourth, By the strength or assistance of the Spirit;
Fifth, For such things as God hath promised, or, according to his word; Sixth, For the good of the church; Seventh, With submission
in faith to the will of God.
First. For the first of these, it is a SINCERE pouring out of the soul to God. Sincerity
is such a grace as runs through all the graces of God in us, and through all the actings of a Christian, and hath the sway
in them too, or else their actings are not any thing regarded of God, and so of and in prayer, of which particularly David
speaks, when he mentions prayer. "I cried unto him," the Lord "with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.
If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear" my prayer (Psa 66:17,18). Part of the exercise of prayer is
sincerity, without which God looks not upon it as prayer in a good sense (Psa 16:1-4). Then "ye shall seek me and find
me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart" (Jer 29:12-13). The want of this made the Lord reject their prayers
in Hosea 7:14, where he saith, "They have not cried unto me with their heart," that is, in sincerity, "when
they howled upon their beds." But for a pretence, for a show in hypocrisy, to be seen of men, and applauded for the same,
they prayed. Sincerity was that which Christ commended in Nathaniel, when he was under the fig tree. "Behold, an Israelite
indeed, in whom is no guile." Probably this good man was pouring out of his soul to God in prayer under the fig tree,
and that in a sincere and unfeigned spirit before the Lord. The prayer that hath this in it as one of the principal ingredients,
is the prayer that God looks at. Thus, "The prayer of the upright is his delight" (Prov 15:8).
And why
must sincerity be one of the essentials of prayer which is accepted of God, but because sincerity carries the soul in all
simplicity to open its heart to God, and to tell him the case plainly, without equivocation; to condemn itself plainly, without
dissembling; to cry to God heartily, without complimenting. "I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou
has chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke" (Jer 31:18). Sincerity is the same in a
corner alone, as it is before the face of the world. It knows not how to wear two vizards, one for an appearance before men,
and another for a short snatch in a corner; but it must have God, and be with him in the duty of prayer. It is not lip-labour
that it doth regard, for it is the heart that God looks at, and that which sincerity looks at, and that which prayer comes
from, if it be that prayer which is accompanied with sincerity.
Second. It is a sincere and SENSIBLE pouring out
of the heart or soul. It is not, as many take it to be, even a few babbling, prating, complimentary expressions, but a sensible
feeling there is in the heart. Prayer hath in it a sensibleness of diverse things; sometimes sense of sin, sometimes of mercy
received, sometimes of the readiness of God to give mercy, &c.
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SHORT
STORY
Sally jumped up as soon as she saw the Surgeon come out of the operating room.
She said: "How is my
little boy? Is he going to be O.K.? When can I see him?"
The Surgeon said, "I'm sorry, we did all we could."
Sally said, "Why do little children get cancer, doesn't GOD care any more? GOD, where were you when my son needed you?"
The Surgeon said, "One of the nurses will be out in a few minutes to let you spend time with your son's remains before
it's transported to the university".
Sally asked that the nurse stay with her while she said good-bye to her son.
Sally ran her fingers through his thick red curly hair. The nurse said, "Would you like a lock of his hair?"
Sally
nodded yes. The nurse cut a lock of his hair and put it in a plastic bag and handed it to Sally.
Sally said, "It
was Jimmy's idea to give his body to the university for study. He said it might help somebody else," and that is what
he wanted. I said, No at first, but Jimmy said, "Mom I won't be using it after I die, maybe it will help some other little
boy to be able to spend one more day with his mother".
>Sally said, "My Jimmy had a heart of Gold, always
thinking of someone else and always wanting to help others if he could".
Sally walked out of the Children's Hospital
for the last time now after spending most of the last 6 months there. She sat the bag with Jimmy's things in it on the seat
beside of her in the car. The drive home was hard and it was even harder to go into an empty house. She took the bag to Jimmy's
room and started placing the model cars and things back in his room exactly where he always kept them. She laid down across
his bed and cried herself to sleep holding his pillow.
>Sally woke up about midnight and laying beside of her on
the bed, was a letter folded up. She opened the letter, it said:
Dear Mom,
I know you're going to miss me, but
don't think that I
will ever forget you or stop loving you because I'm
not around to say I LOVE YOU. I'll think
of you every
day mom and I'll love you even more each day. Some day
we will see each other again. If you want
to adopt a
little boy so you won't be so lonely, he can have my
room and my old stuff to play with. If you decide
to
get a girl instead, she probably wouldn't like the
same things as us boys do, so you will have to buy her
dolls and stuff girls like. Don't be sad when you think
about me, this is really a great place. Grandma and
Grandpa
met me as soon as I got here and showed me
around some, but it will take a long time to see
everything here. The
angels are so friendly, and I love
to watch them fly. Jesus doesn't look like any of the
pictures I saw of Him,
but I knew it was Him as soon as
I saw Him. Jesus took me to see GOD! And guess what
mom? I got to sit on GOD'S
knee and talk to Him like I
was somebody important. I told GOD that I wanted to
write you a letter and tell you
good-bye and
everything, but I knew that wasn't allowed. God handed
me some paper and His own personal pen to
write you
this letter with. I think Gabriel is the name of the
angel that is going to drop this letter off to
you.
God said for me to give you the answer to one of the
questions you asked Him about...Where was He when I
needed him? God said,
"The same place He was when Jesus was on the cross. He
was right there, as He always
is with all His children.
Oh, by the way Mom, nobody else can see what is written
on this paper but you. To everyone
else, it looks like a
blank piece of paper. I have to give God His pen back
now, He has some more names to write
in the Book Of
Life. Tonight I get to sit at the table with Jesus for
supper. I'm sure the food will be great.
I almost forgot
to let you know - Now I don't hurt anymore, the cancer
is all gone. I'm glad because I couldn't
stand that
pain anymore and God couldn't stand to see me suffer
the pain either, so He sent The Angel of Mercy
to get
me. The Angel said I was Special Delivery!
Signed with love from:
God & Jesus & Me
May
the Lord bless you with a blessing today. May the Lord open up the windows
of heaven and pour you out a blessing that
you will not have room enough to
receive it all. May the Lord bless you exceeding abundantly above all you
could
ever hope for. May the Lord bless you that you may walk in a financial
overflow for the rest of your days in the Name
of Jesus. Amen!
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Womans Section
We thought the
following article would be of major interest to our readers, as it seems that the symbolism and Biblical teaching regarding
marriage seems to be lacking in our churches. We feel that marriage is of major importance and it is essential that every
child of God have a clear view of Gods plan and purpose in His design for this God designed and ordained relationship between
Husband and wife. This is part Three in a series on Marriage in Christ.
Marriage In Christ
Submitting
"Wives, be subject to your husbands [subordinate and adapt yourselves to
them], as is right and fitting and your proper duty in the Lord." Colossians 3:18 also Ephesians 5:24 "As the church
is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands." Amplified Bible
This is the
most volatile issue in marriage today. Husbands and wives, in their own understanding, cannot begin to understand what God
meant nor the gift that He has given in this command. A wife is commanded by God to place herself under her husband. The purpose
in this is that God has an order that begins with a headship.
A husband is called a leader. A leader needs a follower.
Women today place themselves in the leadership position, and chaos ensues. It is out of God's order. The bride does not lead
Christ, He leads the bride. The church receives her direction from Him. When the church chooses to do things without the guidance
of her Head, she falters and loses direction.
Submission first begins with our willingness to submit to God. In order
to mature in Christ, we must submit our will for His will. It is in this marriage relationship that we learn the blessing
of submission. When we submit to Christ, He expresses His love and our hearts overflow with joy.
When a wife honors
her husband by submitting to him in Christ, he feels respected as the head and at the same time is humbled in his own submission
to his Head. Submission brings honor.
Christ has shown how we are to submit. He willingly left His Fathers side to become
flesh. He knew He must be the unblemished sacrifice for mankind. At the final hour of the fulfillment of His purpose, He submitted
Himself to God in obedience. His torment spoke in the words, "Let this cup pass from Me", yet knowing what He must
do, He said, "Not My will but Thine".
Submission should be seen as a gift. It is the most Christ-like character
we can express, other than His love. Submission is given out of that love, and in itself expresses His love. For a wife to
place herself under her husbands authority, acknowledging him as her head in the order of God, is to honor God.
Submission
should never be done grudgingly, but given lovingly. Submission simply means to honor and respect your husband as the representation
of Christ to the wife.
"...and let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband [that she notices
him, regards him, honors him, prefers him, venerates, and esteems him, praises him, and loves and admires him exceedingly."
Ephesians 5:33b
Amplified Bible
A wife with these qualities, is a wife who seeks Christ in her relationship with
her husband. A wife who honors her husband by her submission to his headship, receives a Christ-like love in return. A husband
in Christ, who is respected and honored for who he is in Christ, will be so full of love that his wife will glow. The key
is to do everything in love.
Even a husband who is not a believer is effected by a wife who loves him with a Christ
love and submits to him in that love. What is it about that Christ love that makes a difference? The love of Christ is a humble
love. 1 Peter 3:4,5 "But let it be the inward adorning and beauty of the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible
and unfading charm of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For it was thus that the pious
women of old who hoped in God were to beautify themselves and were submissive to their husbands."
A gentle and
quiet spirit. That is how we are told to submit. This is a beauty that a husband is honored by and which brings forth a love
from him that envelopes the wife in honor and adoration. It is only in Christ that these qualities can be expressed, for it
is His nature that flows through this union.
As in everything pertaining to God, there is a flow. When we desire to
be all that He desired for us to be, we must understand His nature and allow that nature to flow through us. A husband and
wife were created to be an expression of Christ's marriage to the church. Our marriage should continually deepen as we continually
mature in Christ. What happens within us spiritually should be flowing out of us through our marriage union.
Every Christian
husband and wife are a ministry. Whether they are called out or simply to be an expression of His unity and love (although
every Christian couple I know has been called and placed into a ministry in one way or another), God created that union to
bring forth godly offspring. This has been his desire since the beginning.
Let's look at Malachi 2:15. "And did
not God make [you and your wife] one [flesh]? Did not One make and preserve your spirit alive? And why [did God make you two]
one? Because He sought a godly offspring [from your union]...
Submission was never intended for a husband to lord himself
over a wife, nor a wife to yield to ungodly behavior from her husband. Submission is God's way of bringing unity and allowing
His headship to flow in all things.
We can refuse, and most marriages today do not honor God's design for marriage.
However in these unions there is a lack of unity and no flow from the throne. These couples are easily defeated and many end
in divorce. God's leadership in the husband is as important in His flow as is the wife's submission.
Wives, I can tell
you that it is an honor to submit to my husband's leadership. A godly husband will seek God's will and direction for your
family, and even though there are times when we may disagree with his decisions, we must never override his authority, but
trust that he is doing as God has led him. This is where our part as helper comes in, in that we help him see a different
perspective through a quiet and gentle spirit, yet we submit to his final decision and help him achieve the vision God has
given him. This is what God intended submission to be. ************************************************************************************************************************************
RECIPE
*********Sour Cream Scones
Serve these scones at your next brunch.
Makes 6-8
2 cups Flour
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Butter, softened
1
Egg
1/2 cup Sour cream
Blend the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a food processor. Cut the butter into
small pieces and add to the mixture. Pulse the processor until slightly mealy. Mix together the egg (beaten) and the sour
cream. Add the mixture to the processor and run until well mixed. Place on a floured board and roll out (about 1/4- to 1/2-inch
thick). Cut into two-inch circles. Place on lightly buttered cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 375 (or until lightly
browned).
- Nick Sundberg
***************************************************************************************************************************************************
NEWS STORY
November 2001
.
Pastor
Ciniraj Mohamed,
Salem Voice, Baseelia, Devalokam,
Kottayam, Kerala-686038, INDIA
Dear beloved in the Lord
George Assi is a Pastor in Pakistan. While he was preaching to a congregation at Bahavalpur, muslims entered the church
and started shooting the Christians. 18 Christians including four children and five women and a policeman were killed. pastor
George Assi sending very urgent prayer request. Following is his message.
Dear All People of God:
I am Pastor George
Assi from Pakistan. I hope you all might have heard
the sad news about Christian people being killed by some muslims
while
they were worshipping in the Sunday morning at 9 AM. I was the pastor
and was leading the service at the same
time in this church. Suddenly
some people with covered faces appeared and shooted the congregation
and
4 children
under 12 and 5 women and 9 men were dead at the spot and
many are injured badly who know how many more will die there?
I want to let all of you know that I am also having threats from the
Muslims people here in my area. Please pray
for the safety of our
people, especially my family and myself are in great danger right now.
We need your prayers.
Please pray for me since myself do not know
whether how long I do live here because soon or later we will also have
these attacks on our people and our church. And may be we will have to
flee but we have no place to flee anywhere.
This is really hard time
for us here in Pakistan now.
May the Lord bless you all.
Yours in His love
Brother George Assi
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