*Volume 78 *No. 7 *Published by Christian Triumph Co. *Permit # 695 * SEPT 2014
Contents: I Will Never Forsake You…………1-3 Take Off the Grave Clothes……… 3-4 God’s Eagles ...………….….……. 4-7 A prayer, CT NEWS...……………….7 WELCOME
B A C K!
The Lord is the everlasting God, The Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.
The Creator’s Promise Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you! Heb. 13:5 In the original Greek, the word “never” is actually a compounding of five negatives. It really should read, “I will never, no, not ever, no never leave you or forsake you!” It’s a forever never which has no exceptions. In the original Greek the word “leave” means “to leave behind, to abandon, to give up on, to send back.” So far, then this verse reads: “I will never, no not ever, no never leave you behind, abandon you, give up on you, or send you back!” “Forsake” means in the Greek, “to leave one in a helpless state, to disregard.” It also can be further expanded to include “not relaxing my watchfulness over you.” …In other words, we can relax. God will always
Isaiah 40
be there for us! GOD LOVES YOU!
(The Daily Encourager) Pg 2
These scriptures on Page 1 (2ND column) are from the book of Hebrews. The writer was encouraging those who were even then struggling with temptation “to turn away from their faith and give up…” as well as those “hurting believers” and those who needed encouragement, strengthened, or “relief” from burdens plus those weary who needed rest. (Comments from the Living
you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninetynine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.” -Jesus (Matt. 18) NIV God is not willing to “give up” or “abandon” those who have walked away.
Insights Study Bible, Page 1330, NIV)
In the story of the lost son who wandered, Jesus uses these words to describe the Father’s love: “But while [the son] was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. Continued - Pg 3
Hebrews 13:6: “So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid…” These words of assurance are for us today as well. Many face difficulties and need the help of God our Father. Paul’s promise in Philippians 4:19 gives hope and strength: “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
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Along with this, God does not give up on His wandering sheep.
P.O. Box 5187 Corpus Christi, Texas 78405 L.Y. Janes, Founder (deceased); Israel Hernandez, President; William Anderson, Vice-President; Fred Pena, 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 ChristianTriumph.org
“If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell 2
The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
Lazarus, come out! Unwrap him and let him go” John 11: 39-43 LB. Yet, it is sometimes hard to believe that Jesus wants to… or… has freed us from our own “grave clothes” of past sin and mistakes. In fact, our remorseful thoughts and actions may feel very binding at times, especially when we ponder a decision to enter ministry or assist in church leadership.
But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet….let’s have a celebration.’” Luke 15:22-23 NIV
And, sure enough, just like a chorus of background singers, the evil forces blend in with those thoughts of selfdefeat, determined on discouraging a God-anointed labor of love.
COME HOME! LET’S CELEBRATE!
Though we understand that God does forgive and forget, as found in Micah 7:19 LB, “…You will tread our sins beneath your feet; you will throw them into the depths of the ocean,” we sometimes pass by opportunities to “spread our spiritual wings” and, solely by faith, move forward.
-----------------------------------------------FREEDOM
“TAKE OFF THE GRAVE CLOTHES AND LET HIM GO!”
Being called into ministry of any kind is much more about God and much less about us. The Apostle Paul writes that “…we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7 NIV
In the Biblical account of Lazarus’ resurrection, Jesus spoke words of liberation! “Anyone who believes in me, even though he dies like anyone else, shall live again. He is given eternal life for believing in me and shall never perish.” John 11:25, 26 LB
In fact, our clay jars may also “show” some scars, but it is God’s Spirit who ministers through us as He “intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” Romans 8:26 NIV And, nothing, not even painful memories, can separate us from the P4
We know that Jesus is all powerful and that He did release Lazarus with the words, “…roll the stone aside! 3
love of God. Romans 8:37-39.
GOD’S EAGLES “As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: so the Lord alone did lead him and there was no strange god with him.” Deuteronomy 32:11, 12 Now we are going to talk about eagles – God eagles. In the first place, how does God make His eagles? Moses says that God has several stages in the process of making a spiritual eagle. The first thing - He stirs up the nest as an eagle stirs up her nest, so the Lord stirs up the nest of the people of whom He designs to make “eagles.” The eagle builds a large nest on the mountain crag or in the highest tree that it can find, a great nest of sticks, that it lines with wool or skins of animals making it soft, and there the young eagles get fat and lazy. When the time comes for young eagles to fly, they are not disposed to get out of their nest – just like people, exactly. Thus, the mother bird, with her bill, picks out every soft thing in the nest and throws it outside and lets the eaglet down on the sharp briars and sticks, and it tries to find a soft spot but cannot. It gets on this side of the nest and there is a stick, and on that side, but there is another stick. It cannot sleep and becomes so miserable and unhappy that finally, it is willing to get out and go somewhere else. This is also God’s method with those who are going to be His spiritual eagles. God stirs up the nest of every true saint. It may be one’s home life that God stirs as He takes away the soft lining, one’s property, or loved ones, a father, mother, sister, brother, husband, parent or children. As well, He stirs the church nest, making things unpleasant and disagreeable, so that we find no peace or rest in the home church. He stirs up the neighborhood, digging away the soft
Entering a selfless, spiritual ministry is attainable through childliketrusting in God’s Amazing Grace, and, oh, the freedom from bondage one experiences when completely dependent upon His measureless mercy! What inexpressible freedom and joy to hear and “feel” these words, deep within one’s spirit, while moving forward into the will of God: “TAKE OFF THE GRAVE CLOTHES AND LET MY CHILD GO!” - Jesus By Editor (In appreciation to Chaplain Ron and Jeanne) -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Editor: Several months ago a person requested the tract, God’s Eagles. Unfortunately, it needed reprinting which has now been done. The next article on this page entitled God’s Eagles is that very tract. Although the author is unknown, Brother Janes (the founder) wrote a poem following the story of the mother eagle. If after reading the tract, you would like a few to share, just write to Christian Triumph PO BOX 5187, Corpus Christi, TX 78465-5187, and we will mail those – without cost. Thank you!
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things and making life miserable so that we are perfectly willing to move out and go anywhere or any place. God stirs up our theology, our notions, our opinions, and our plans, and all kinds of crucifixions come. All the apostles had their nests stirred, all the patriarchs, all the reformers, all the evangelists and all the pastors, in some way or another, have had their nests stirred – their social nest, family nest, or the church nest. In one way or another, God stirs the nest, and lets us down on hard things that draw the blood, make us ache, and make us suffer. And so, friends, this is the way that God works and is working. Look back twenty-five, thirty or forty years and see how you were fixed; look at the change in your life from then to now. See how God has taken all props from under you – that church, that preacher, that Christian, that piece of property. God took away the props until you laid down on the hard rocks, thorns, and briars. He tore up the soft nest. This is God’s method. God not only stirs the nest of the saints, but He flutters over them. When God allows trouble, sorrow, poverty, and desolation to come to us, and we are sad, and weep and cry and look down to find something to lean upon, then God flutters over us – the sound of wings. God does it to draw attention to Himself, to get us to look away - to Him, to look away from the coffin and the grave, the old house, the deserted farm, and the departed friend. Then when God gets our attention, there comes a change. The mother eagle might flutter all day long, but the young birds would never look up while lying on a soft sheepskin or a rabbit skin. But when it is all thorns, briars and sticks in the nest, they look up. The next thing God does is “spreadeth broad His wings.” He unfolds His
magnitude, His attributes, His majesty, His might, His power, and His glory. I shall never forget when we lost everything we had, after trying to save a little for twenty odd years, everything was swept away, and we were two thousand dollars in debt, without even a dollar to pay. Then God began to reveal Himself to us, and my wife said one day, “I believe God is a living God!” We all say we believe that, but I never knew what it meant until He began to spread abroad His wings. When God shows a person the amplitude of His providence, the unspeakableness, the greatness, the vastness of His resources, it is a revelation to the soul. You have read it and believed it all your life with the intellect but that doesn’t count like it does when God actually shows you the magnitude of His amazing grace. The eagle spreads abroad her wings, and then the young bird sees that the mother is larger than the nest. When God shows us the resources that He has and that these resources are larger than all our needs for body, soul and spirit, for time and eternity when God shows us that even more than we need is, in God, provided for us - what a sense of assurance comes into our souls! When I had not a dollar on earth – only fifteen cents – and a family to support, I felt just as safe as or even safer than I do now. I felt that Almighty God was just as able and willing to help me as though I had a million dollars. The nest was gone; everything was gone, but God showed me His long wings: “He spreadeth abroad His wings.” Are you an orphan? Is your wife or husband deceased? Is your mother or father gone? Are you poor? Are you hated? Are you cast out? Are you ostracized and minimized and undersized? Are you perplexed? If you will get your eyes on God 5
and God alone, you will not have a care; you will not have an anxiety. All we need is to see God as we do the eagle: “spreadeth abroad her wings.” When God comes to a soul and begins to unfurl His attributes, unfurl His inexhaustibleness and draw the vision of the soul away from the briars, thorns, rocks, distress, sin, and everything on earth or in hell, and when you begin to see God and let God unfold Himself to your soul, oh, what a wonderful epoch that is! The next step: “She taketh them and beareth them on her wings.” The first step was “stirs the nest, tearing it all to pieces.” That is what God did to Christian Church in Jerusalem. He stirred their nest, and they went out everywhere preaching the gospel. They never would have gone fifty miles if God had not stirred their nest in Jerusalem. He stirred the nests of Luther, Wesley, and Whitefield, and my own nest. What for? To make us go! The mother eagle will spread out her wings from tip to tip and lay them right flat down and the young eagle will step from the briars, thorns, and sharp sticks, climbing upon the mother’s soft wings. The eaglet puts its claws in her wings and holds on to her feathers. When she begins to shake her wings, the bird takes a stronger hold. The little bird can look back then and see the tree and the nest as round and round the mother goes into the clear blue sky. After she has soared one thousand, two thousand and more feet, she will give a sudden lurch, and off falls the little eaglet. Oh, how it tumbles and rolls, putting out its wings and beating the air. The mother bird watches and when the young bird is about halfway down to the earth, she shoots with the accuracy of a bullet, catching the bird, then around and around and up she goes. That process is
repeated until the little bird learns how to fly. So God stirs our nest; we weep, sob and cry – money gone, friends gone, church gone; nobody loves me. Then Jesus Christ stretches out one great wing, and we begin to take hold of Him as He moves out and up and away! “My! Oh! What shall I do? I thought I was sanctified. I thought I was going to heaven and now it seems to me that my religion is gone! Down, down, down, the devil will get me.” But God is watching from the skies, and when we get almost down, He shoots under us and bears us up, around and around, higher and higher, until we get to where we have learned the lesson. “Lord, forgive me! I was leaning on my own sanctification; I was leaning on what You have done for me. Now I see, Lord, I dare not lean on anything in this world, not on my feelings, shouts, blessings and not on the past. Instead, I must trust you now and live by faith.” When we get to that place, we learn to fly. Lean on the Lord and Him alone. That is God’s way to make us eagles. Then God can turn us loose in a thunder storm or at midnight or on a cold winter day with the wind blowing forty miles an hour, knowing that we will turn our face right into the face of the blinding storm and beat our way like a sailing ship against the storm. God teaches us how to fly, how to go through these storms, how to keep alive while pressing on, willing to live by faith, trusting God for soul, body and for all things. – Selected (minor editing)
Learning to Fly God stirs the nest and makes you fly, Then you begin to weep and cry; His hand has failed and down you go, With naught in sight but rocks below. 6
Fire of love, burn in us, burn evermore Until we burn out for thee.
A dreadful sight and fast the fears Take place as all hope disappears: Oh, how you miss the downy nest, But God has stirred it for the best.
Author Unknown
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So from your nest He picked the down, Left naught but thorns, and briars around; Then gladly you stepped upon His wing, And to this thought you’d always cling. But still on this you could not grow The ways of God to fully know; ‘Tis time to exercise your wings, And get the faith that launching brings. So quick He lurches, down you go, And help you cannot see nor know; Then to your wings you swiftly take, While fears increase your heart to break. Christian Triumph Church “In the works”
Far down, down, down you swiftly go Until you’re near the rocks below; Then quick beneath your trembling frame He darts: you’re safe from care and pain.
Christian Triumph News By Diana The radio ministry of the Christian Triumph church, Israel Hernandez, Pastor, is on for three hours per week. The Spanish church is still growing and attendance is approximately 40 persons on Sunday morning. The local Bible (Spanish) Institute is going strong; eight new students are attending twice a week. The Spanish correspondence courses have approximately 400 Bible students. Many requests are coming from Cuba, Brazil, Peru and even Spanish requests from England and Spain, asking for tracts and Bible courses. News about Peru in Oct.
This lesson He repeats quite oft, Until you learn to soar aloft Above all troubles, trials and waves, Until you learn Christ always saves. - L. Y. Janes
_______________________________ A PRAYER Father, forgive the cold love of the years As here in the silence we bow. Perish our cowardice, perish our fears kindle us, kindle us now. Lord, we accept; we believe; we adore Less than the least though we be;
Editor: MORE TO COME. Thank you! 7
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Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles‌ Isaiah 40 8