JREnsey blog November 2019

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The Word for Today

“For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults…But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ…Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it” (II Corinthians 12: 20; 11:3; Hebrews 4:1 KJV).

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“Praying always”

Scottish minister Robert Murray McCheyne (1813-1843) died at age 29 from complications of typhus, a problem most likely aided by sheer exhaustion. His personal disciplines were commendable but they ultimately contributed to the destruction of his health. He is known for his intense prayer life as much as his preaching. He is said to have spent hours a day in personal prayer and study.

McCheyne is often quoted regarding his view of piety: “If you lack holiness, you will never see the Lord. A real desire after complete holiness is the truest mark of being born again. Jesus is a holy Saviour. He first covers the soul with His white raiment, then makes the soul glorious within—restores the lost image of God, and fills the soul with pure, heavenly holiness. Unregenerate men among you cannot bear this.”

On Sundays, he spent six hours in prayer and devotional reading! On Mondays he met the ministers of the presbytery for a 90-minute prayer meeting. One day a month he reserved for a full day of prayer and fasting. McCheyne’s prayer life was, to put it mildly, intense.

McCheyne was incredibly disciplined also in his Bible reading. He was constantly rethinking and sharpening his mind. He rigorously followed a pattern of specific confession of sin, thanksgiving, adoration, and specific intercessory prayer. He prayed daily for missions with a map on his lap. Below is an excerpt from his intercessory prayer diary:

People

Relatives
Friends
Elders
Church Members
The sick and dying
For God to raise up Elders, SS teachers and prayer meeting leaders
For the power of the preached Word on the Sabbath
For fellow ministers
Against Popery
The persecuted Church

Subjects

For the power of the Holy Spirit
For the unity and purity of the Church of Jesus
For the Queen and all civil rulers
For the Lord to raise up—in great numbers—ministers to serve the church
For the Word of God to be more reverenced in our land
For the success of missionary efforts in heathen lands
For the Jews to come to Christ
For a blessing upon the General Assembly

It was McCheyne’s aim to avoid any hurry which prevents “the calm working of the Spirit on the heart. The dew comes down when all nature is at rest—when every leaf is still. A calm hour with God is worth a whole lifetime with man….”

During his last illness he wrote: “To me that grace is not now given to preach to you…still the Lord allows me to give myself unto prayer…my soul does not rest in silence. I am permitted to go in secret to God and I can make mention of you all in my prayers and give thanks for the little flock.”

The cook in the manse said of McCheyne’s prayer life, “Oh, to hear Mr McCheyne at prayers in the morning! It was as if he would never stop, he had so much to ask.”

Even on his deathbed, McCheyne continued to intercede for His people. His last words were spoken while under a raging fever as he lifted his hands and cried out, “Lord, save this church and these people!”

McCheyne died at the age of 29 in an epidemic of Typhus, almost certainly complicated by a worn out body and sheer exhaustion. But we are still talking about him 176 years later. – Adapted from Wikipedia

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Churches may lose tax exemption

One of the presidential candidates has promised to not only take your guns but your church tax exemption if he is elected—unless you and your church bow before the throne of political correctness and agree to embrace the sinful practices of this present culture (my words—his meaning). He says that people will surely volunteer to follow the law when it is passed. He further stated that it is time for Americans to submit to the laws of the land. It would be nice if he did the same. The law, yea, the Constitution, says we can “keep and bear arms.” It states that the practice of one’s religious faith is not to be “abridged.” Has he read the Constitution? He doesn’t want to abide by present laws he doesn’t like, but wants to change them and force everyone else to abide by laws he plans to pass.

Source: https://www.theblaze.com/news/beto-strikes-at-religion-over-gay-marriage?utm_source=theblaze-dailyAM

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Modern proverbs regarding our tongue

• The teeth may be false but let the words be true.

• When you feel dog-tired at night, it may be because you growled all day.

• Prayer: “Lord, fill my mouth with worthwhile stuff, and nudge me when I’ve said enough.”

Here is how to freshen your breath:

• “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver” (25:11).

• “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and health to the bones” (16:24).

• “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life” (15:4).

• “A soft answer turneth away wrath” (15:1).

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Common sense isn’t common any more

“Americans deserve elected officials who focus on key issues to improve the lives of families, strengthen our communities, grow our communities, grow our economy, and keep our country safe.” – Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham

“The whole history of modern times is for human ingenuity, innovation and technological know-how to combat the challenges that mankind confronts. If you think global warming is a challenge, thank God you don’t have to deal with smallpox, typhoid, tuberculosis, polio or the plague. The black death in Europe killed about 1 of every 4 residents [actually, more]. Now, that is an apocalypse. What the young lack today is perspective. AOC thinks she has problems? It wasn’t so long ago that as many as 1 in 10 women died while giving birth. I always marvel that the ‘woe is me’ refrain from the young today is often recited as they tap on their $600 iPhones (charged with the electric power they want to do away with) and they carry around their caramel lattes from Starbucks. I tell my kids that without fossil fuels, they may not have power for their computer games. That gives them pause. …Our responsibility as parents, teachers, clergy and lawmakers is to teach the children how to solve problems effectively, not to preach the end of the world [via climate change].” – Stephen Moore; Patriot Post

“I trust a billionaire who became president more than politicians who become millionaires. After two years of intense investigations, not one of his accusers have committed suicide. We are witnessing a group of people so twisted by hate that they are angry their own president was investigated and found innocent.” Anonymous; Patriot Post

Common sense is like deodorant—those who need it most never use it.

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How weddings differ

In Egypt the women pinch the bride on her wedding day for good luck.

Moroccan women take a milk bath to purify themselves before their wedding ceremony.

Ancient Greeks and Romans thought the veil protected the bride from evil spirits. Brides have worn veils ever since.

American brides carry or wear “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue” on their wedding day to symbolize continuity with the past and good fortune in the future. The “something blue” in a bridal ensemble is said to symbolize purity, fidelity, and love.

The tradition of a wedding cake comes from ancient Rome, where revelers back then broke a loaf of bread over a bride’s head for fertility’s sake. Queen Victoria’s wedding cake weighed 300 pounds.

In many cultures around the world—including Celtic, Hindu and Egyptian weddings—the hands of a bride and groom are literally tied together to demonstrate the couple’s commitment to each other and their new bond as a married couple (giving us the popular phrase “tying the knot”). Hmmm…not a bad thing if it isn’t a “slip knot.”

Don’t forget this: It is said that men who kiss their wives in the morning are said to live five years longer than those who don’t. [Who tested and proved that wonderful theory?]

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Now we know

• Abraham Lincoln is best known as the 16^th president of the United States. But before that he had a reputation as an accomplished wrestler. There is only one recorded instance of him losing a match in 12 years. In fact, he was honored with an award from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1992. He was better at wrestling than running for office—he lost many more elections than he won. But he did win the one that really counted!

• The act of crossing the street without first checking for oncoming vehicles, or not crossing at an intersection, is called jaywalking. Not surprisingly, “jay” was once a slang term that meant stupid or simpleton.

We already knew this:

• When church attendance is optional, you set up your kids to fail.

• Too many politicians have a glib tongue attached to a shallow mind. (Reckon that ailment could also afflict some preachers?)

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Books

People in Proverbs

J. R. Ensey

Solomon and others share their wisdom about nineteen different people in the Book of Proverbs. From the Man of Understanding to the Stupid Man, from the Busy Woman to the Contentious Woman, from the Generous Man to the Offended Man and thirteen others, we deal with their traits, both good and bad. These lessons serve as sermons, Bible lessons or just personal devotional reading.

AM Price $12.95 To order click here or call 936-537-0250.

Life Is Too Short To Spend It With A Kicking Cow (eBook)

Kicking cows deserve to be taken to the slaughterhouse! Life is too short even when we are not being kicked, but when our time here is being spent with anger, drugs, unwarranted guilt, apathy, doubt, and other hangers-on, we need to get rid of them quickly. Our spiritual life suffers when the sins of the spirit are not dealt with properly. Here are a dozen chapters that deal with some of life’s “kicking cows.” Is there one in your life?

AM price $9.95 To order click here or call 936-537-0250.

WHY…Do Apostolics believe…?

Some younger men have called for reasons that specific doctrine and holiness standards appear in the UPCI Manual. They were not around when the issues were debated and passed in conferences. It is easier in today’s cultural climate to give up the fight than to take the time to find out why Pentecostals believe what we do. Here are 224 pages of some common sense, Word-based answers for our apostolic positions.
Chapters:

• Why do Apostolics embrace the Bible as the Word of God?
• Why do Apostolics teach monotheism?
• Why do Apostolics receive the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues?
• Why do Apostolics disengage from a worldly lifestyle?
• Why do Apostolics abandon or avoid harmful personal practices?
• Why do Apostolics choose modest apparel and shun ornamental
jewelry?
• Why do Apostolic ladies refrain from cutting their hair and wearing cosmetics?
• Why do Apostolics live with a blessed hope?

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander” (I Peter 3:15,16).

AM price $12.95 To order click here or call 936-537-0250.

Don’t forget to order a supply of Into His Marvelous Light Bible studies for the coming evangelism thrust by your church! This is the study that is easy to use, gets right to the point, makes the salvation message clear, and invites an immediate response. It has guided many souls into the kingdom.

To Order click here or call 936-537-0250.

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