~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Positive Words 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; this way they will know
it is not spam, and you can add some words at the start of the
email. *** Friends don't let friends live without Positive Words!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

#28/ 02-Oct-2000

          P O S I T I V E     W O R D S
               Editor: Peter Wade

       ----- http://www.peterwade.com/ -----
   ... helping you discover who you really are!

         CELEBRATING FIVE YEARS ON THE WEB!

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

-----------------------------------------------------------------
1.   n e w   t h i s   m o n t h
-----------------------------------------------------------------

FOR YOU TO LISTEN ...
    The fifth session of the "Living is Giving" audio series
taught by Peter Wade... "Poverty: Its Cause and Cure" (25:20)
examines this age-old problem and shows from the book of Proverbs
seven ways people make themselves poor.
   The series is based on Proverbs 11:24, "One gives away, and
still he grows the richer; another keeps what he should give, and
is the poorer" (Moffatt). We are either giving or grasping!
Listen online at --
< http://www.peterwade.com/modules.php?name=zina > (25:20). 
   The first four sessions are still online for you to study.

FOR YOU TO READ ...
STUDIES IN GIVING & RECEIVING
A  slide show and two articles on God's financial plan for
believers. Work through these powerful online resources.  
< http://www.peterwade.com/articles/wade/giving.shtml >

For advanced Bible students...
   "The Great Cloud of Witnesses" by E.W. Bullinger
Two more excerpts from E.W. Bullinger's study of Hebrews chapter
11 -- "Reckoning by Faith" and "Faith Cometh by Hearing"
   Having given the true definition of faith, the Apostle
proceeds to give examples of it; showing how men of God in past
days lived by it: i.e., how they conducted their lives according
to it...
   Before we pass on to the first example of these elders -- to
the faith of Abel -- we must go deeper, and seek for some
positive information as to the origin of "such a faith as this."
Read both articles online ...
< http://www.peterwade.com/articles/bullingr/cloud02.shtml >.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
2.   s o n g s   I   r e m e m b e r
-----------------------------------------------------------------

The Word teaches the importance of being careful as to what we
say and sing. Vivien Wade found this quote, similar to ones I
have shared in the past. "Christians sing, 'Come by here, Lord,
come by here', implying that the Lord's not here -- but if we
could just get Him to come by, He might do something for us. And
we sing, 'Reach out and touch Jesus as He passes by'. All of
these sentiments are based on physical sense knowledge. I don't
have to reach out and touch the Lord, because He lives in me! And
we sing, 'Just to have a touch, O Lord, from you'. What do I want
with touches when I've got the Holy Spirit living in me? Trust
God who already dwells within you! Learn to become 'God-inside
minded'! (From "Faith Food Devotions" by Kenneth Hagin.
   This month's hymn was written by an American Methodist pastor
and first published in 1890. I can remember singing its rousing
verses and chorus in the church where I met my wife Vivien. The
tune is by William Kirkpatrick. It tells about the gift of Holy
Spirit which Jesus promised to His disciples in John 14:16

Oh, spread the tidings round, Wherever man is found,
Wherever human hearts and human woes abound,
Let every Christian tongue proclaim the joyful sound:
The Comforter has come.

    Chorus: The Comforter has come! The Comforter has come!
    The Holy Ghost from heaven, the Father's promise given!
    Oh, spread the tidings round, wherever man is found:
    The Comforter has come!

Lo, the great King of Kings, with healing in His wings,
To every captive soul a full deliverance brings;
And through the vacant cells the song of triumph rings:
The Comforter has come!

Oh, boundless love divine! How shall this tongue of mine
To wondering mortals tell the matchless grace divine,
That I, a child of hell, should in His image shine?
The Comforter has come!

-----------------------------------------------------------------
3.   p o s i t i v e   w o r d s   f o r   t o d a y
-----------------------------------------------------------------

                     FORGET THE TECHNIQUES
                         by Peter Wade

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever
is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is
admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think
about such things" (Philippians 4:8).

Meditating upon God is obviously important. As I consider things
from the Word, the concepts of God become firmly established in
my consciousness. All guidance from God lines up with His Word;
it is never at cross-purposes with it.
   Joshua was commanded to "... meditate on it day and night, so
that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you
will be prosperous and successful" (Joshua 1:8). Timothy was
exhorted to "Be diligent [meditate, KJV] in these matters; give
yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress"
(I Timothy 4:15).  
   I can forget about the hundreds of techniques that can be
applied to help me meditate. I only need to get comfortable in
some quiet place and start thinking about God and His Word. I
believe God will surprise me with solutions to my problems during
these quiet times.  
   Once I have become quiet and fixed my mind on God, two things
will happen to me. One, my problems (outward circumstances) will
cease to influence me and two, I will be in a position to "see
things, as it were, from His point of view" (Colossians 1:9,
Phillips).
   God wants me to understand His viewpoint. Instead of my
standing at the foothills and seeing the mountain ahead as
insurmountable, He wants me to view that same mountain from
directly above. At that point the mountain looks no larger than a
bump on the earth's surface! (From "You Are A New Creation",
Chapter 4, adapted by Hildy Matthews.)

AFFIRMATION: I fix my mind on God in order to understand His
viewpoint and I know He freely gives me guidance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
             *** Australian Bible Conference ***
                JANUARY 5-11, 2001 (Fri-Thur) 
    DR. NORMAN CAMPBELL writes: "I have been asked to be the main
guest speaker at this conference run by my good friend Dr. Peter
Wade of Positive Word Ministries, who also will be sharing in the
teaching times.  It is expected that a number of folks from
Australia, New Zealand, USA and other places will be attending
the conference set in wonderful Victorian bushland in the SUMMER.
[You can miss a cold winter by coming to this summer conference].
The Conference will be held in Halls Gap, Victoria, Australia,
in the beautiful Grampian Mountains in Western Victoria. Quiet,
restful, yet within easy reach of tourist activities and
recreation. 
   The conference is for the period January 5th to 11th, 2001 --
6 nights, 7 days. It commences with the evening meal Friday 5th
and concludes after lunch on Thursday 11th. Accommodation is
excellent. All rooms are motel-style, carpeted and with their own
ensuite. All meals catered by conference centre staff.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
4.   s e a r c h l i g h t s   f r o m   t h e   W o r d
-----------------------------------------------------------------

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 first letter to the
Thessalonians.

"That ye be ambitious to be quiet, and to do your own business,
and to work with your hands" (I Thessalonians 4:11).

Here again we have adopted the marginal reading, because that is
the exact meaning of the Greek word rendered "study." Here then
is a revelation of proper ambition, and it is remarkable as
contrasting with worldly ambition. Three things the Apostle
exhorted these young Christians to be ambitious about. 
The first was to be quiet, and the word describes that which
stands in sharp contrast to the passion for notoriety, the desire
to be seen and known. He urged them to be ambitious to be
secluded, hidden, quiet. The next was to attend to their own
affairs, instead of interfering in the affairs of others. The
last was to work with their own hands, rather than live by the
exertions of others. 
   As we have thus endeavoured to state the ideas, we have seen
the contrary and unworthy ambitions which so constantly master
human life. The first is that for distinction, for the
conspicuous position. The second is for the power and opportunity
to meddle with the business of other people The last is for
freedom from the necessity for personal toil, gained through
imposing work on others. 
   How revolutionary Christianity is! How it cuts clean across
popular conceptions, and runs counter to the mean desires of the
human heart! And yet how great it is in all its constructive
purposes! Think of the life which is described here by
implication. The life of quiet strength and repose; the life that
is arranged and orderly; the life that is honourably independent.
Surely it is good to be ambitious for such a life.
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------
5.   B i b l e   s t u d y   o u t l i n e s
-----------------------------------------------------------------

These Bible Study outlines come from the excellent book by F.E.
Marsh, "1,000 Bible Study Outlines".

CANDLES
1.	A Lighted Candle. "Light a candle" (Matt. v. 15).
2.	An Essential Candle. "The light of the body is the eye" (Matt.
vi. 22).
3.	A Useful Candle. "Light a candle, and sweep," etc. 
(Luke xv. 8).
4.	A Shining Candle. "He was a burning and a shining light" (John
v. 35).
5.	A Burning Candle. "Your lights burning" (Luke xii. 35).
6.	A Necessary Candle. "A sure Word.. .a light that shineth,"
etc. (II Peter i. 19).
7.	A Glorious Candle. "The Lamb is the Light thereof" (Rev. xxi.
23).

"CAN NOT" -- THINGS THE SINNER CANNOT DO.
1.	Cannot reverse what God does. "I cannot go beyond the Word of
the Lord" (Num. xxii. 18).
2.	Cannot find God by Himself. "I cannot perceive Him" (Job
xxiii. 8, 9).
3.	Cannot supply what is lacking. "What is crooked cannot be made
straight" (Eccles. i. 15).
4.	Cannot please God -- Rom. viii. 8.
5.	Cannot see or enter the Kingdom of God -- John iii. 3, 5.
6.	Cannot be where Christ is. "Whither I go ye cannot come" (John
viii. 21, 22, 43).
7.	Cannot pass the gulf which divides the saved from the unsaved
in the next life -- Luke xvi. 26.

"CAN NOTS" IN JOHN’S GOSPEL
1.	The natural man "cannot see" or "enter the Kingdom of God"
(iii. 3, 5).
2.	The sinner "cannot come" or "go" where Christ is, as long as
he is unsaved -- vs. 34, 36; viii. 21, 22.
3.	The unregenerate "cannot hear" Christ’s Word (viii. 43).
4.	The "Scripture cannot be broken" (x. 35).
5.	The world "cannot receive" the Holy Spirit (xiv. 17).
6.	The believer "cannot bear fruit" of himself (xv. 4).
7.	Conditions often limit Christ’s revelation to us, so He has
said, "Ye cannot bear them now" (xvi. 12).
The Greek word "luknos" is rendered "candle" and "light" in the
above verses.

"CANNOT" -— SOME THINGS GOD CANNOT DO
1.	He cannot break His Word. "Scripture cannot be broken" (John
x. 35).
2.  "God cannot lie" (Titus i. 2).
3.	"God cannot deny Himself" (II Tim. ii. 13).
4.	"God cannot be tempted of evil" (James i. 13).

CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOUR
"We endeavoured" Acts xvi. 10
A GOOD Christian endeavourer is --
1.  Christ Encircled. "In Christ" (II Cor. xii. 2).
2.	Christ Enthroned. "Christ sanctified as Lord in the heart" (I
Peter iii. 15, R.V.).
3.  Christ Empowered. "Can do all things in Christ" (Phil. iv.
13).
4.	Christ Enlightened. "Christ shall give thee light" (Eph.
v.14).
5.	Christ Enjoyed. "I rejoice in the Lord greatly" (Phil.	iv.
10).
6.  Christ Experienced. "Christ liveth in me" (Gal. ii. 20).
7.	Christ Expanded. "Grow up into Him in all things" (Eph. iv.
15).

CHANGES
1.	Repentance is a change of purpose -- Luke xv. 18; 
I Thess.i.9.
2.	Salvation is a change of position -- Eph. ii. 6-8.
3.  Justification is a change of state -- Rom. v. 1.
4.	Adoption is a change of family -- Eph. i. 5.
5.	Redemption is a change of masters -- Eph. i. 7.
6.	Sanctification is a change of life -- I Thess. v. 23, 24. 
7.  Consecration is a change of will -- Rom. xii. 1, 2.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
THANKS for reading Positive Words. Please share it with a
friend!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

(c) 2000 Peter Wade
http://www.peterwade.com/