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Articles
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God is a silversmith
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Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver"
This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered
what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One
of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and
get back to the group at their next Bible Study. That week, the
woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at
work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest
beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she
watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and
let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to
hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were
hottest as to burn away all the Impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she
thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and
purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that
he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver
was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit
there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver
the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment
too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent
for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when
the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh,
that's easy -- when I see my image in it." If today you are feeling
the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will
keep watching you until He sees His image in you. You need to know
that God is watching over you. And, whatever you are going through,
you will be a better person in the end.
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Our responsibility as a believer
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The present day believers are forgetting their position before
God. The high calling of each believer is great and with great
responsibilities, which is accountable before God.
Every child of God is a priest before Him representing the needs of
people. First of all, we pray for all men for their salvation. "For
this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who
desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the
truth''. We should have a global vision. Paul asked "How can they
hear without someone preaching to them?'' On this basis, shall we
ask, "How can they be saved without someone praying for them?''.
Then we are to pray for God's people for their revival and restoration. The
church that is, is not the church that was. The church that is, is not the
Church should be. By and large we are backslidden and have lost the former
glory. This is the condition of the majority of the Churches. Five out of the
seven Churches of Revelation 2 and 3 were rebuked by Christ. They represent our
condition. In the first Church - Ephesus- Christ was in the midst of the
candlesticks, but as we come to the last church Laodicea- Christ is out knocking
for an entrance! The church does miss her Lord but continues functioning! "Lord,
will you not revive us again". We have preached, printed and published enough
about revival, but not prayed enough for revival. That's why revival tarries! A
sick Church cannot save a dying world. Let revival be the first item in our
daily prayer list.
Thirdly, we are to pray for the believers with whom we closely move
or work. This may refer to the members of the same local Church or
fellowship. "Pray for one another, that you may be healed. The
effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much". Remember
your fellow-believers before the Throne regularly. We cannot manage
with our own prayers. Jesus wanted His disciples to watch with Him
in prayer. Paul beseeched the believers to strive with him in
prayer. Let's pray for one another really, fervently.
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What is with a Fork
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There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things "in order," she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in.
Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her. "There's one more thing," she said excitedly. "What's that?" came the Pastor's reply. "This is very important," the young woman continued. "I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand." The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say. That surprises you, doesn't it?" the young woman asked. "Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request," said the Pastor. The young woman explained. "My grandmother once told me this story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.' It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming... like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!" "So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder, "What's with the fork?" Then I want you to tell them: "Keep your fork. The best is yet to come." The Pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge. She KNEW that something better was coming.
At the funeral people were walking by the young woman's casket and they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the Pastor heard the question, "What's with the fork?" And over and over he smiled. During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. He told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either. He was right.
So the next time you reach down for your fork let it remind you, ever so gently, that the best is yet to come. Remember that your hope lies in a god who lives and there lies a world which is prepared for you by Christ. May god bless you..
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My Son
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A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.
When a war broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.
About a month later there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands.
He said, "Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art." The young man held out this package. "I know this ! isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this."
The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. "Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift."
The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.
The man died a ! few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.
On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. "We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?"
There was silence.
Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, "We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one."
But the auctioneer persisted. "Will somebody bid for this painting. Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?"
Another voice angrily. "We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!"
But still the auctioneer continued. "The son! The son! Who'll take the son?"
Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. "I'll give $10 for the painting." Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.
"We have $10, who will bid $20?"
"Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters."
"$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?"
The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son.
They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.
The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!"
A man sitting on the second row shouted, "Now let's get on with the collection!"
The auctioneer laid down his gavel. "I'm sorry, the auction is over."
"What about the! paintings?"
"I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings.
The man who took the son gets everything!"
God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die for us. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: "The son, the son, who'll take the son?"
Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.
FOR ! GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, WHO SO EVER BELIEVETH, SHALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE...THAT'S LOVE
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