*Volume 88 *No. 01 *Published by Christian Triumph Co. *Permit # 695 *JANUARY 2007
Contents: In My Opinion Anger He Careth For Me Trusting God in Times of Change Trusting God in Times of Change A Look at the Book Is Your Wood Wet? Chat Time
1 2 3 4 5 5 6 7
2007 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone; the New has come.” (2 Cor. 5)
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you Hope and a Future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you…’” (Jeremiah 29)
2007 A New Year – a New Insight In My Opinion By Juli Someone hurt me very badly recently. I wanted to rail, blame and grieve - looking everywhere and anywhere but at myself. I was overwhelmed by that person's cruelty. It was ugly. Dark, black ugliness in their soul that had caused them to act that way, I cried. Then as I was lamenting to God over the cruelty I had suffered because of this person's action, God spoke in my agony and let me know that what was in my "enemy" was also in me. I realized I too had that cruel "can't-runover-me" protective streak - that part of me that would protect my own heart by obsessively controlling everything, so much that I had become hurtful to many people in both obvious and subtle ways. I had especially hurt the person who had hurt me. I began to cry, to weep, and to realize that the ugliness in me was part of the reason that person had hurt me so deeply. She was merely reacting as I myself had done so many times, in a human, unloving way - defending myself by verbal attacks against the other person, guilt trips, and outright insults. Many times I had acted from my emotions without thought to God or how He would have me behave. This girl had grown into what I had become myself - someone afraid to open up, someone afraid to trust, someone afraid to believe in the wonderful possibilities of life, someone afraid to get hurt. Someone caught up in the pain. (Cont. on Page 2)
(Cont. from Page 1)
accordance with His kindness and mercy. Please keep me from hurting others and keep my heart and mind safe within You no matter what I must go through here on this earth. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen"
I had been battered by the emotional waves of others' cruel humanity. It was natural for me to close myself off and think that I was protecting myself that way. I thought that if I never trusted or ever believed in anyone, I'd be prepared for every bad situation. It didn't work that way. I only became negative and cruel and afraid. A kind of anger and even pride became my way of "protecting" me. I developed a hardened shell of mistrust. I built the walls around me and did not want to let anyone in, sometimes not even God. The problem was I didn't let much of anything positive - out - either. "Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law ... and if there be any other commandment it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," (Romans 13:8-9). Kindness, love, optimism and all things gentle, sweet, and positive: that's what I read in this verse. Not "protect thyself from all possible or probable injuries," but open thyself to all possibilities and to all humanity. No walls, no negativity, no cruel words or actions. Just love. The love of a little child who has not yet been tainted by a cruel world, who has not yet been hurt by those around her, but one who does remember from whence she came: the Loving Father's arms, and to where she shall return when the earth is finished with its days, if she only believes: her Loving Father's arms. "Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein," (Luke 18:17). This is my prayer for the New Year: "Oh God, Dear Heavenly Father, Please forgive me for my cruelty, my ugliness, my negativity and my attitudes and actions that hurt other people. Please give me a kind, soft heart, a child's heart. Let me see the good, positive, optimism in all things and all people. Help me to trust You - to protect me. Make me truly Your child, the servant of Jesus, the vessel outpouring His love. Help me to act in
+ ANGER Anger often comes from suppressing emotional pain. Praying and speaking about issues may be helpful. If the other person involved refuses to listen, consider other resources: First: God’s Word -such as found in Matthew 18, “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” (Hopefully, it will not come to that.) (Cont. on Page 3)
Faith Messenger Permit #695 Periodical Paid at Corpus Christi, Texas Published monthly, except July and August. POSTMASTER SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO:
Christian Triumph Company P.O. Box 5187 905-909 Bluntzer Corpus Christi, Texas 78405 L.Y. Janes, Founder (deceased); Steve Beletic, President; Israel Hernandez, Vice-President; William Anderson, 2nd Vice-President; Diana Beletic, Secretary/Treasurer; Una Collins, Asst. Sec./Treas. This periodical is issued without charge in the name of the Lord Jesus to help inspire child-like faith and maintain Christ-like simplicity among the people of God. To send donations or for your FREE SUBSCRIPTION, write to the address above or contact Christian Triumph Co. at christiantriumph@yahoo.com. Or see us on the web at christiantriumphcompany.com
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He careth for me in all of my times And makes life worth living with purpose sublime. I love Him, I trust Him to guide me each dayI know He’ll be with me each step of my way! By: Maxine Trigleth
(Cont. from Page 2)
Each individual must be the owner of his personal anger. “In your anger do not sin; do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.…be made new in the attitude of your minds; and …put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Instead, speaking the truth in love.”(Ephesians 4) Additional resources: A caring friend, a God-centered Pastor, a qualified counselor.
(edited)
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A NEW YEAR’S PRAYER Set me apart, Dear Lord, I pray Set me apart, For You...today! +
Scripture “Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing…” (1 Peter 3) +
XF NEED TO KNOW WHO XE ARE: Xf are a chosen people, called unto Holiness. We are Kingdom children, a Royal Priesthood, a separated people who live in the world but are not of the world. Our value system and approach to living is diametrically opposed to the Epicurean philosophy of the world which is to eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die!!! Xf are called from egocentricity to Christo-centric behavior, from the Kingdom of self to the Lordship of Christ. Xf are called to ministry, to servanthood. Xf are called to be conquerors, overcomers, victorious. Great and mighty promises are extended to us. We may not have Philistine giants nor Canaanite chariots of iron swooping down upon us, but we shall have fierce storms that shall challenge our position in Christ. Jesus said, “in the world, you will have tribulation, but I have overcome the world.” The gracious Holy Spirit within us is greater than the spirit which rules the world. With Him as energizer, we are able!!! Let us claim what is ours and never waver!!!
HE CARETH FOR ME! He careth for me when the troubles descend. When menacing torrents of rain and of winds Threaten to thrash every fiber within. He draws me and holds me so close to Him! He stands by me like a sheltering oak – Whose life giving branches have power to invoke All the strength and protection that my life will need In the time of temptation, in the times when I weep. I sense His sweet presence, when everything’s right. The sun richly shining, the sky clear and bright, When the grass is so green, the flowers are in bloom And the birds sing their love songs and nest building zooms. And God’s special orchestra blends its rare songs The cricket, the grasshopper, locust and frog. Their instruments tuned and their talents displayed, In the still of the night & sometimes through the day.
By Maxine Tolbert Trigleth
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One day at work for that small, weekly paper, my editor sent me out to find a story in Bayside, a town of about 200 people. So I literally drove around looking for a story. Finally I spotted an Emu penned up in a yard and thought I could make a story of that. In the interview, I learned the Emu’s owner was contributing editor for a professional magazine. After the Emu story came out in the local newspaper, she reprinted the article for the magazine, and then another, and another until finally she asked me to become her assistant. Fast forward to July 2004. All is well! I am happily assisting editing when one day, the editor calls me to say that she will be “retiring.” She had told me from the start that she’d like a simpler life and was grooming me to take her position - which is why I was quite shocked to hear her say she had already selected her replacement – and it was not me. Her choice for the new editor was an excellent one so I could only swallow my disappointment, knowing they had made a choice in the best interest of the magazine. On the new editor’s first day at work, my worries got even bigger. She was “let go” as was every staff person. The Board announced that the management of the organization was being contracted to another organization, effective immediately. Whereas I had been worrying about the new editor wanting to keep me on, I was now worried about being out of work immediately. My husband, John – a college student, and I both worried a lot about how we would make do without my income, and it would be difficult to find another perfect parttime, work-from-home, well-paying job. With the old editor retired and the new one fired, the management association turned to me to step up to the plate quickly and continue production of the magazine. Although I had fretted for 4+ months about the possibility of losing my job, I ended up with a new one-year contract, the title of editor and making more than twice as much as I did as assistant editor. Praise God. Through the transition of the first year, there was still a constant threat that the magazine might be discontinued, but eventually the situation stabilized and I’m now editor-in-chief and general contractor for the complete production of the magazine. (Cont. on Page 5)
Trusting God in Times of Change By Donna L. Schillinger In August 2000, I quit my full-time job and moved from Georgia to Corpus Christi, Texas, to live with and take care of my paternal grandparents (Noel and Evelyn Anderson), as well as to begin homeschooling my daughter. I had a small income but not enough to really make ends meet; thus, I decided I would try to begin a part-time career in writing – something that could be done from home in the odd hours I had available. At about this same time, I made a decision to start tithing. I had $450 a month income at that time, so giving $45 of it didn’t seem like I was giving much, but it was what God asks of us, and I knew it was Biblical. I always excused myself from tithing with the rationale that I was not going to finance a preacher’s new Mercedes. I don’t know what kind of a car the preacher of the church I was attending at that time drove, which is probably a good thing – it was a huge church. That preacher, however, pointed out that God invites us to try Him in this – bring in our tithe and see if He does not pour out a blessing - such that we do not have room to receive. In the dismal financial situation that I was in at that time, I didn’t really have anything to lose in taking God up on His Word. That was in February 2001. Not even a month after I paid my first tithe, I found a perfect part-time job writing features for a small, weekly newspaper. And in just a few months more, I picked up another writing job for a monthly paper in Corpus Christi. With God in charge of my finances, from February 2001 to the present, we have prospered more and more, becoming debt-free except for the mortgage, (my family and I now live in Arkansas) and putting money in savings. There are so many miracles that God has worked regarding finances – little ones and great big ones – that even if I could recall all of them, they would fill a dozen pages or more. It’s a wonder that I ever worry about finances But I have worried; I confess it like the sin that it is. I’ve wronged myself and my family with a lot of unnecessary stress, and though I’m sure I’ll continue this battle, I have recently had a breakthrough in faith on this very matter. And here is where the preface stops and the story begins. 4
In doing so, Jesus began His mission in Galilee where lived persons that were eager to hear the Word. The Synagogues, which were built within small colonies, offered a place for an approved person to volunteer his message. This was the ideal setting for Jesus to proclaim His new and precise edification of God. And so, Jesus began to preach, and He healed the sick. People flocked to hear Him and to receive benefits from His mercy. They also came from Syria, a great province encompassing the city of Damascus as its center. The news about Jesus was spread outward with many persons traveling from Jerusalem and Judea to see Him. People came from across the Jordan and the Decapolis, a federation of 10 independent Greek cities. Both Jews and Gentiles were hurrying to hear Jesus for He alone could give them complete, miraculous healing and the Words of Life. Jesus came preaching – informing individuals the truth about God. Never again would they have to “guess” what God is like. Jesus came teaching – explaining the meaning of true belief and worship of God. Jesus brought healing – overcoming man’s pain and sickness with newness of body and spirit. He came converting the will of God into powerful action! He came showing each one of us that God really does care! Through Jesus, the misunderstandings about God would be defeated, and the Truth would reign! +
(Cont. from Page 4)
What I have learned through all of this is that things can and do change quickly - sometimes for our immediate benefit, sometimes in ways it will take a long time to see the benefit. And as changes are happening, a strong faith that God is in command is essential for peace of mind. With God’s help, I won my battle with worry over work even before I had the security of my present contact and position. I thought back about how much I had worried in those 4 months in 2004 through all the transition of awaiting a new editor then wondering if the magazine would be continued at all. The net result of those events was more money and a better position for me and that all the worry had been for nothing. What a waste of my peace of mind. So I determined to trust God – more than just a profession of trust, but actually trusting Him – without worry – and achieving peace of mind that regardless of what happens, He will cover me. “‘I the Lord do not change…return to Me, and I will return to you.’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit…Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,’ says the Lord Almighty.” (Malachi 3) ****
(FEBRUARY 2007 will find us “looking at the Book of Matthew”, beginning with the SERMON ON THE MOUNT.)
A LOOK AT THE BOOK OF MATTHEW
(Editor’s note: Please feel free to send in your comments and thoughts about the Book of Matthew. Send to Christian Triumph Company, PO Box 5187, 905 Bluntzer, Corpus Christi, Texas 784655187)
Jesus Goes Forth to Complete His Mission Chapter 4 - continued (Reference for this study comes from the Holy Bible as well as the book, The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 By William Barclay)
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Beginning in Matthew 4: 23 Jesus (God the Son) came into our earthly midst to let us know what God (our Creator) is like.
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While contemplating this act of God, I thought about the times when our own “wood is wet.” We may find ourselves – depressed, stressed, losing our joy in living or just caught up in the humdrum of life. We just can’t seem to get on fire for the Lord. Maybe we plod along, trying not to despair but feeling desperately sure that it will be hard for us to even smolder, let alone be set ablaze. Hope seems to be one step ahead of us no matter how hard we try to catch up. But because we, too, know the God of Israel, we cry out to Him for fire from Heaven. And that is when we discover that the God of Heaven is the God of “wet wood.” He created it, and He can restore its capacity to burn. So if your ‘wood is wet”, don’t give up! God knows how to light a fire in the soggiest of places! “By awesome deeds You answer us in righteousness, O God, of our salvation, You Who are the trust of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest sea, Who establishes the mountains by His strength, being girded with might; Who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples. They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs; You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy.” (Psalm 65 5-8) (edited)
2007 Tired? Worn out?
A word from:
Anita
“The following article was written by my neighbor, Sara.”
IS YOUR WOOD WET? Have you ever listened to a rousing song or a compelling testimony and then heard someone say, “If that doesn’t light your fire, then your wood is wet”? If you know Elijah’s story in the Bible, you will recall that he challenged 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah (idols) to a contest. Two altars were built; wood was placed on the top as well as meat for a sacrifice. No fire was to be placed on the altar. The prophets were to call down fire from above, and the god that answered was to be worshipped as the One True God. The prophets of the false gods spent hours calling them. They danced and finally began cutting themselves with swords to prove their devotion to them. However, no answer came! Now it was Elijah’s turn. He built an altar with 12 stones, dug a trench around it, placed wood on it, laid the sacrifice on the wood, and then instead of calling on the Lord for fire, Elijah commanded that four jars of water be poured over the wood and sacrifices. Elijah had them do it again and then again. Not only was the wood wet but the trench was full of water as well. Wet wood is extremely hard to ignite (if you can get it to burn at all); therefore, Elijah’s idea was to prove that it had to be Divine intervention that would start a blaze on the altar. And we can read in 1 Kings 18 that when Elijah prayed, fire indeed fell from Heaven consuming the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and even dried up all the water which was in the trench.
The sunset shouts for Joy! (Editor’s note: The book God Almighty! His Word for Christians, Jews, and Moslems is now being translated into Arabic and Swahili. Lessons have been completed on understanding Islam and evangelizing Moslems. In the U.S.A., there are over one million Moslems living in addition to the 180,000 Moslem foreign students. Email: truthinlove22@msn.com) 6
And I felt the peace of His loving care As I stood on that lonely beach; But the beach to me was lonely no more For God was with me there. (Editor’s note In the December Faith Messenger, a beautiful poem was printed entitled, “God’s Gifts.” Along with this poem, came a letter from Virginia, the author, who shared her experience in writing this work of art.)
“I will never forget these thoughts He gave to me as I sat on that beach. Since then, I have had several more heart attacks, and God has brought me through each one…the doctors said I was dying but I pulled through…with God’s help…with prayer and faith in our Lord, I have survived 19 months now…and have organized a Gospel Hour on Sunday afternoon, as I felt we needed some time each week to worship our Lord. We have about 25 attending on Sundays…We do not have preaching as such but we worship the Lord and have a wonderful time together. (God gave me the thoughts in the middle of the night about organizing this Gospel Hour)…I am now 82 years old.” Love In Christ, Virginia
“…In your June (2006) Faith Messenger, I read you were asking for poetry that honored God and decided I would send a copy of a poem I wrote some 30 years ago when I was recovering from my first heart attack and was very depressed. This is an actual experience I had with the Lord. One day as I stood on a lonely beach And gazed at the ocean waves, I thought how great our God must be To have created such as these.
(Editor’s note: Please remember Virginia in prayer.)
Each wave so gracefully rolled and swirled Topped by its pure white foam As it softly touched the grains of sand And then retreated home. Then as I gazed at the glistening sand With its millions of tiny grains, I realized God had created these All for the joy of man.
Dear Loved Ones, …I used to correspond with Brother Janes. I visited one time, with Bob, my husband and granddaughter…we were welcomed by Edith and Albert who took all three of us to their home…Edith and I became quite close through the years…love you all, Vesta
The silvered driftwood piled high on the shore Was also a gift from Him, And the graceful gull that swooped overhead Was all a part of His plan. Then suddenly I thought, He created me too, And how dear to Him I must be. For unlike the beautiful scene I viewed, It was in His own image, He created me.
From Kathryn: I sure do enjoy every word in the Faith Messenger. When it comes, regardless of what I am doing, I read it right then – every word….God bless everyone who helps to get it ready to mail. Please pray for W. Hunter who is a minister… I pray God will bless everyone. In Christian Love (Editor’s note: Thanks to all who write!!
So why do I fret and worry so, When the pathway of life grows hard? For I know in my heart, He will see me through All problems small or large. 7
A MESSAGE - from God - in 2007
Happy New Year!
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.� (John 3:16)
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