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#18/ 12-Jan-2000
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          P O S I T I V E     W O R D S
               Editor: Peter Wade

     ----- http://www.peterwade.com/ -----

IT'S A NEW YEAR. We have survived the Y2K bug. God is
still on the throne. You are still blessed with heaven's
best! Accept it, believe it, confess it!

IN THIS ISSUE...
1. New at the Positive Words site
2. Songs I Remember
3. Positive Words for Today
4. Searchlights from the Word
5. Bible Study Outlines

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1. NEW AT THE POSITIVE WORDS SITE
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POSITIVE WORDS will be moving to a new server with
better features and more space some time before our
next newsletter. The change should be seamless, but we
do ask in advance for your patience if some challenge
should present itself. After four and a half years on
the web, we have taken the opportunity to tidy up the
site, so some pages will have moved but you should not
get lost! More about all this in our next newsletter.

PETER & VIVIEN'S SCHEDULE FOR 2000 / 2001

AUGUST 2000:
In Christ Seminars: Seattle/Tacoma, WA; Pittsburgh, PA.
Family Camp: Mendocino, CA.
JANUARY 5-11, 2001:
*Australian Bible Conference* : Halls Gap, Victoria, with 
group tour from USA.

THE LIFE ON WINGS by Hannah Whitall Smith
This life hid with Christ in God has many aspects, and
can be considered under a great many different figures.
There is one aspect which has been a great help and
inspiration to me, and I think may be also to some other
longing and hungry souls. It is what I call the life on
wings.
   Our Lord has not only told us to consider the
"flowers of the field," but also the "birds of the air";
and I have found that these little winged creatures have
some wonderful lessons for us. In one of the Psalms, the
Psalmist, after enumerating the darkness and bitterness
of his life in this earthly sphere of trial, cries out,
"Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly
away, and be at rest. Lo, then would I wander far off,
and remain in the wilderness. I would hasten my escape
from the windy storm and tempest" (Psalm 55:6-8).
   This cry for "wings" is as old as humanity. Our souls
were made to "mount up with wings," and they can never be
satisfied with anything short of flying. Like the captive-
born eagle that feels within it the instinct of flight,
and chafes and frets at its imprisonment, hardly knowing
what it longs for, so do our souls chafe and fret, and
cry out for freedom. We can never rest on earth, and we
long to "fly away" from all that so holds and hampers and
imprisons us here. This teaching continued at 
< a href="http://www.peterwade.com/articles/other/lifewing.shtml" >

WHAT WE ARE IN CHRIST by E.W. Kenyon
I was  surprised to find that the expressions "in
Christ," "in whom," and "in Him" occur more than 130
times in the New Testament. This is the heart of the
Revelation of Redemption given to Paul.
   Here is the secret of faith -- faith that conquers,
faith that moves mountains. Here is the secret of the
Spirit's guiding us into all reality. The heart craves
intimacy with the Lord Jesus and with the Father. This
craving can now be satisfied.
   Our Redemption is a miracle of His grace. It is
according to "the riches of his grace." It is a present-
tense work wrought "through His blood." It is lavish. It
is abundant. Our Redemption is a perfect thing. When you
know it, enter into it, and your heart grows accustomed
to it, there will be ability in your life that you have
never known. This teaching continued at 
< a href="http://www.peterwade.com/articles/kenyon/inchrken.shtml" >

OUR TRUE YOKE-FELLOW by A.J. Gordon
The emblem of the yoke is just one of these prolific
figures of speech. It condenses and packs into itself the
whole gospel, giving us "infinite riches in a little
room." It involves the deepest principles of
discipleship, and so gives us that from which we can
evolve the most vital suggestions and instructions for
Christian living. Let us consider the relations which are
most obviously suggested by this language. First, these
words tell us of the constraints of Christ, -- "Take My
yoke upon you, and learn of Me."
   The strong ox cannot be made serviceable to man
except by being brought under restraint; neither can man
be of any use to his Lord, or to himself, till his
freedom has been restricted. This indeed is a universal
principle, extending to all animate and inanimate forces
alike. The water-wheel is but a yoke put upon the neck of
the river, that it may be compelled to spin and weave for
us; the sail is simply a yoke attached to the winds to
make them plough the great deeps with the furrows of a
nation's commerce.
   And so, instead of contradicting the general order,
Christ by these words lays down one of the most universal
of principles. This teaching continued at 
< a href="http://www.peterwade.com/articles/gordaj/yokefell.shtml" >

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2. SONGS I REMEMBER
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This month we look at a grand old hymn of the church,
first published in 1787, but the author of the lyrics
remains a mystery. It is a hymn that reminds us of a
believer's stability in this life and confidence for
eternity. It is particularly meaningful as we start
another year of fellowship with a loving Father.

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said--
To you, who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

Fear not, I am with thee--O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God, I will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by my gracious, omnipotent hand.

When through fiery trails thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee--I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to his foes.
That soul, though all hell should endeavour to shake,
I'll never--no, never--no, never forsake.

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3. A POSITIVE WORD FOR TODAY (Peter Wade)
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               GLORIOUS CONTENTMENT

"Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim
anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from
God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new
covenant" (II Corinthians 3:5-6a).

Read the scripture verse above again. Since we are a New
Creation from God, then we are competent and self-
sufficient in Him, and that gives us tremendous
contentment. Every fact or statement that I hear, I
relate to my completeness, to the New Creation that is
within. If others try to tell me that the New Creation is
not complete, that there are another nine gifts to
follow, or that I need this blessing or the second
blessing, I say, "Just a minute. God says I am complete."
No longer do we need to be "infants, tossed back and
forth." The foundation of the New Creation gives a
security and contentment to all who believe it.
   "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be
content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never
will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we say
with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be
afraid. What can man do to me?'" (Hebrews 13:5-6). We
have that kind of contentment; it comes from the
knowledge of the New Creation within. Since God is all-
knowing, I am tapped into His all-knowingness; since God
is all-powerful, I am tapped into His all-powerfulness;
since God is everywhere present, I am in His presence
everywhere. What glorious contentment! (From "You Are A
New Creation", Chapter 1, adapted by Hildy Matthews.)

AFFIRMATION: My sufficiency is in God. I have nothing to
fear. No matter what circumstance I am in, I am content.

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4. SEARCHLIGHTS FROM THE WORD
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G. Campbell Morgan was a well-known preacher and writer
of over 60 books from the first half of the 20th century. 
In this spot each issue we reproduce a comment from one 
verse in every chapter of the Bible. We continue with 
Paul's letter to the Galatians.

"My little children, of whom I am again in travail until
Christ be formed in you" (Galatians 4:19). 

Here suddenly, amid the anger, the satire, the severity
of the letter, the deepest thing in the soul of the
Apostle breaks through in a flash of revealing glory. It
is that of his tenderness, his compassion, his love.
   He was angry, but why? Because the danger,
threatening them, threatened the highest and best things
in their lives. He was satirical, but why? Because by
such a method he was likely to arouse them from the false
lethargy which resulted from resting in rites and
ceremonies, instead of exercising faith in Christ. He was
severe, but why? because the course they ere pursuing
under false teachers were subversive of their very life
in Christ. All the anger, the satire, the severity of the
letter, resulted from his profound love for them. It was
all the outcome of the care of the churches which he
carried daily.
   How deep and strong that was, is revealed by the
daring of this figure. It is the most sacred figure of
motherhood. He was "in travail" for them! How searching
is this gleam of light! How it rebukes us and instructs
us! As we consider it, we are made ashamed of any
bitterness which may at any time have entered into our
defence of truth. Anger, satire, severity, yes, these are
proper things, providing always that no element of
personal bitterness enters our heart. The peril is so
subtle that we need ever to watch and pray that we may be
delivered from falling in this matter. It is only as our
love of our fellow-disciples is kept alive, and our
solicitude for their spiritual well-being is the one and
only motive of our action, that we have the right or the
ability to defend the truth.
  
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5. BIBLE STUDY OUTLINES
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These Bible Study outlines come from the excellent book
by F.E. Marsh, "1,000 Bible Study Outlines".

"ALL THINGS"
"All things" occurs 221 times in the Bible.
1. They are of God as to their Source. "All things are
of God" (II Cor. 5:18). 
2. Are for the sake of the believer as to their Object.
"All things" are yours (I Cor. 3:21). 
3. Work together for good as to their Purpose. "All
things work together for good to them that love God"
(Rom. 8:28). 
4. Christ Head over the Church as to their Arrangement.
"Head over all things to the Church" (Eph. 1:22). 
5. The believer may know, hence his Privilege. "Teacheth
you of all things" (I John 2:27). 
6. The believer can do, hence his Power. "Do all things
through Christ which strengtheneth" (Phil. 4:13). 
7. Granted in answer to Prayer, hence his dependence.
"All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer" (Matt.
21:22). 
8. Only possible to Faith, hence his responsibility.
"All things are possible to him that believeth" (Mark
9:23). 
9. Are to be Proved, hence his diligence. "Prove all
things" (I Thess. 5:21). 
10. Thanks to be given for, hence his gratitude. "Giving
thanks for all things" (Eph. 5:20). 
11. Their End at hand, hence his watchfulness. "The end
of ali things is at hand" (I Peter 4:7). 
12. To be Inherited by the believer, hence his hope.
"Inherit all things" (Rev. 21:7). 

ALL-NESS OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
How many of God's saints know the fullness of blessing
found in connection with the little word "all" in the
following Scriptures. 
1. God has blessed us with "all spiritual blessings in
Christ" (Eph. 1:3). 
2. He has "given all things that pertain to life and
holiness" (II Peter 1:3). 
3. He is able to make "all grace abound toward you" (II
Cor. 9:8). 
4. "All the promises of God are yea and amen in Christ"
(II Cor. 1:20). 
5. He desires we should be filled into "all" His
fullness (Eph. 3:19. 
6. He can supply "all" our need, according to His riches
in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19. 
7. He assures us "all things" are ours (I Cor. 3:21,22.

THE "ALL" PSALM
Psalm 34, R.V.
1. A Joyful Chorister. "I will bless Jehovah at all
times" (v.1).
2. A Delivered Suppliant. "Jehovah... delivered me from
all my fears" (v.4). 
3. A Saved Saint. "Jehovah... saved him out of all his
troubles" (v.6). 
4. A Confident Witness--v.17. "Jehovah heard, and
delivered out of all troubles." 
5. Escaped Believer--v.l9. "Afflictions... Jehovah
delivereth him out of them all." 
6. A Preserved Servant--v.20. "He keepeth all his bones." 

"ALTOGETHER"
1. What man is. "Every man at his best is altogether
vanity" (Psa. 39:5) . 
2. What man has become. "Altogether become filthy" (Psa.
53:3). 
3. What God's Word is. "The judgments of Jehovah are
true and righteous altogether" (Psa. 19:9). 
4. What God thinks about man's thinking about Himself.
"Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as
thyself" (Psa. 50:21). 
5. What the convicted saint knows God knows. "There is
not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Jehovah, Thou knowest
it altogether" (Psa. 139:4) 
6. God's other blessing of His people. "Thou hast
altogether blessed them these three times... what the
Lord saith, that will I speak" (Numbers 23:11,26;
24:1,10,13). 
7. The secret of blessing. "That which is altogether
just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live and inherit
the land" (Deut. 16:20). 

"ALL THAT HE," OR "SHE HAD"
1. A Clean Separation. "Abrarn went up out of Egypt...
and all that he had" (Gen. 13:1). 
2. A Beautiful Type. "Abraham gave all that he had unto
Isaac" (Gen. 25:5; John 3:35). 
3. A Worthy Ruler. "All that he had he put into his
hand" (Gen. 39:4,6). 
4. A Prosperous Man. "The blessing of the Lord was upon
all that he had" (Gen. 39:5). 
5. A Bankrupt Servant. "Commanded him to be sold. .. and
all that he had" (Matt. 18:25). 
6. A Weary Quest. "Spent all that she had, nothing
bettered" (Mark 5:26). 
7. A Magnificent Gift. "Cast in all that she had" (Mark
12:44). 

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THANKS for reading Positive Words. Please share it
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(c) 2000 Peter Wade
http://www.peterwade.com/