Positive Words Newsletter #02

GREAT CHRISTMAS PRESENTS RIGHT HERE! by Peter Wade (available from Amazon.com)

In Christ Treasures -- 19th century great preachers on "in Christ".
God's Principles and Your Potential -- Principles to release the potential of every believer.
Seeds and Secrets -- Cultivating God's seeds of greatness and applying God's secrets of success.
La Dinámica del Vivir Positivo -- La Manera de Dios de vivir una Vida Positiva.
En Cristo: Una Nueva Creación -- ¡Este podría comenzar una revolución en su vida!.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This newsletter is sent only to subscribers. See the end of this message for subscription information if you received it from a friend. YES... please share it with your friends -- use the Redirect feature of your email program. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #02/12-Dec-98 P O S I T I V E W O R D S Editor: Peter Wade ----- http://www.peterwade.com/ ----- S E A S O N ' S G R E E T I N G S Wise Men Still Worship Christ! IN THIS ISSUE... 1. New at the Positive Words site 2. Songs I Remember 3. Positive Words for Today 4. Book Wanted 5. Searchlights from the Word 6. Christmas Gift Idea 7. Humor ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 1. NEW AT THE POSITIVE WORDS SITE ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ A feast of good things! "Why Are Christians Not Giving?" by Peter Wade. < http://www.peterwade.com/articles/wade/giving.shtml > This is the first of what I am calling a "study folder" -- this one on God's financial plan for believers. Three areas of study are suggested and links to further reading. And for some CHRISTMAS teaching: "The Helpless Babe" by E.W. Kenyon. Love came in the form of a helpless Babe. A teaching on the wonder of Christmas by a positive teacher. Also "The Manifestation of Christ" by F.E. Marsh. The Spirit of God travels along many lines in His distinctive ministry to bring us to the terminus of God's revelation about His Son, and one such line is found in what He says regarding the purpose of Christ's manifestation. Another chapter in the series "In Christ Jesus" (Part 4, Ephesians) by A.T. Pierson. Great material on the phrase "in Christ" in Paul's epistles. Also the completion of the article "The God of Detail" (Parts 2 & 3) by F.E. Marsh. When we ponder God's works, we see that He is a God of Detail. He can number, but He cannot be numbered. Seven rules for Bible readers. There enough in this one article to keep you going right into the new year! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 2. SONGS I REMEMBER ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ My father told me that when he was a teenager, at the close of the Sunday night service the whole congregation would stand and sing as a doxology the words from an old hymn, "It is well, it is well with my soul". I can well picture the scene as I spent 10 years' of Sundays and many weeknights in that Salvation Army hall. With words by the ominous- sounding Horatio G. Spafford and music by the prolific Philip P. Bliss, the hymn is still popular today. Here is the hymn as it appeared in my songbook, which I still have from those far-off days. IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL When peace like a river attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea-billows roll, Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know It is well, it is well with my soul. It is well, it is well with my soul. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come Let this blest assurance control, That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate And hath shed His own blood for my soul. For me be it Christ, be it Christ, hence to live If Jordan above my shall roll No pany shall be mind, for in death as in life Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul. But, Lord, 'tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait The sky, not the grave, is our goal. Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord, Blessed hope! blessed rest of my soul! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 3. A POSITIVE WORD FOR TODAY ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ A MESSAGE OF CONTENTMENT "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances" (Philippians 4:11). In the scripture verse above, the words "because I am in" are a translation of the Greek "according to." We do not speak "according to" or on the level of the standard of need, but since we have the New Creation within, we know that whatever the outward circumstances, we are content. Actually the words "to be content" are better translated "to be self-adequate." Those who do not emphasize or stand for the New Creation message, which is a message of completeness, very often do not have contentment. Here is a quote from a Christian magazine: "Paul was a sinner saved by grace, fighting a battle to stay a Christian, and it's the same battle you and I fight every day of our lives." Where is the contentment? That writer needs the message of the completeness of the New Creation, for it will naturally outflow into a message of contentment. Ephesians chapter 4 informs us that the support ministries have been placed in the Church for this purpose,"... to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up -- until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming (Ephesians 4:12-14). The message of the New Creation, of completeness in Christ, gives us such a contentment that we are not influenced by the hobby horse of each evangelist that comes to our city [or to our TV screen]. (From "You Are A New Creation", Chapter 1, adapted by Hildy Matthews.) AFFIRMATION: Today I will remember I am no longer an infant, tossed back and forth or blown here and there. I trust God to give me answers to every aspect of my life. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 4. BOOK WANTED ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Book found! Thanks for your help! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 5. SEARCHLIGHTS FROM THE WORD ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ G. Campbell Morgan was also a well-known preacher and writer from the turn of the century. In this spot each issue we will reproduce a comment from one verse in every chapter of the Bible. We start with the so- called "Prison Epistles" of Paul: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon. "Him who worketh all tbings after the counsel of His will " Ephesians 1:11. It will readily be conceded that in this letter Paul reached the highest level of his teaching concerning the Church, as he reached that concerning the Christ in the Colossian letter. These particular words occur in the opening movement of the letter, in which he was showing how the Church was the outcome of a purpose and plan of God from before the foundation of the world. God had chosen its mem bers to "be holy and without blemish before Him in love"; and in order that this purpose should be realized, He foreordained them to "adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto Himself." The whole conception is stupendous, and as we read it in the light of what we know of our own weakness and waywardness of will, we wonder more and more. It is when that wonder threatens us with hopelessness that these words come to reassure us. Our God is a God Who not only wills; He works; and He works according to His will. Notice how the thought moves backward, until it reaches the will of God. That is the ultimate reach. Next in order is His counsel, and that is more than the will of God as desire. The word counsel stands for deliberate planning and arranging, in which the ways and means of carrying out the will are considered and provided for. Finally, when the counsel is complete, God works. He does in His own might, all that He has planned to do in order that His purpose may be realized. That is the place of our assurance and confidence. He wills that I should holy be What can withstand His will? The counsel of His grace in me He surely will fulfil. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 6. HUMOR ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The only thing Adam would recognize if he came back to earth would the jokes! Each issue we will include one of the best we have seen since our last issue. So here goes... YOU MIGHT BE A PREACHER IF... You've waded in a creek wearing a necktie. You've ever dreamed you were preaching only to awaken and discover who you were. You'd rather negotiate with terrorists than the church organist. A church picnic is no picnic. You've ever wanted to fire the church and form a congregation search committee. You've been tempted to take up an offering at a family reunion. You've ever wanted to give the soundman some feedback of your own. You've ever wanted to lay hands on a deacon, and you weren't thinking of praying for him. You often feel like you're herding mules rather than shepherding sheep. Your sermons have a happy ending; everyone's happy when it ends! You've never preached on TV, but your wife made you get down before you break something. It's your job to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. --Author unknown. YOU KNOW WHEN YOU'RE GETTING OLD... When your back goes out more than you do! You get tired out playing chess! Your little black book only contains names ending in M.D. Your children really begin to look middle aged! You can't make your rocking chair move! When you finally reach the top of the ladder and find it's leaning against the wrong wall! Your knees buckle and your belt won't! You want to chase girls but can't remember whay! You turn the light out for economic reasons rather than romantic reasons! You become 17 around the neck, 42 around the waist, and 96 around the golf course! The little gray haired lady you help across the street is your wife! Dialling long distance makes you tired! You sink your teeth into a steak and they stay there! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ THANKS for reading Positive Words. Please share it with a friend! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ (c) 1998 Peter Wade http://www.peterwade.com/


	"In Christ" quote for today
		Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come -- II Corinthians 5:17.