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"Just Consider The Lilies" "And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:" Matthew 6:28 As I woke up this morning, the first thing I did was ask the Lord what to write to you this morning. He spoke as clearly as a bell to me and said these words, "You have a heavenly Father who loves you and promises to be with you "even into the end of the world". He is there with you, watching over you whether you feel like He is or not, whether you see Him and even if you don't see any evidence that He is there." The second thing He said to me for you this morning He said in a song. Oh, my, I can't tell you how long it's been since I heard this song--- literally years. I want to sing it to you this morning, but it's not from me, it's from your heavenly Father to you. Consider the lilies; they don't toil or spin, But there's not a king with more splendor than them. Consider the sparrows; they don't plant nor sow, But they're fed by the Master who watches them grow. We have a Heavenly Father above With eyes full of mercy and a heart full of love. He really cares when your head is bowed low; Consider the lilies, then you will know. May I introduce you to this Friend of mine Who hangs out the stars, tells the sun when to shine. And kisses the flowers each morning with dew, Oh, but friend, He's not too busy to care about you! We have a Heavenly Father above With eyes full of mercy and a heart full of love. He really cares when your head is bowed low; Consider the lilies, then you will know. Consider the lilies, then you will know. If you ever doubt the Father's love, if you begin feeling as though He does not care, when you feel so alone, when you wonder if He is listening, if you doubt His ability to take care of you, if you begin to feel like He's not even there and He's left you, consider the lilies. Go look at the flowers, the trees, the grass that grows, even the weeds and remember that God watches over them and gives them everything they need to grow. He sees them at each stage of their life- beginning, middle and end. If God watches over the lilies, then He watches over you... you are of MUCH more value to Him than the lilies are. Have a great day. Consider the lilies. -- a friend like you makes the darkness bright! a friend like You Makes The Day Go Right!

I thought you would all like this blog entry. Here is the link to the blog entry called " Lifes Railway!" http://www.gshministry.org/node/61 Ron. -- a friend like you makes the darkness bright! a friend like You Makes The Day Go Right!

Here is another blog post that I thought you would all like to read. http://www.gshministry.org/node/52 -- a friend like you makes the darkness bright! a friend like You Makes The Day Go Right!

Let me introduce myself, my name is Keith. I am an English Christian, who lives in Nanjing China. I am married to Helen, a wonderful Chinese lady and we have a daughter called Sherry, who has in the last year, returned from Study in Canada, she is a fine arts major, having obtained a BA. She is a brilliant artist and piano player. Helen is a public-school teacher and I am a private English tutor, both online and in person. I am also a devotional writer; I write three devotions; I have been writing devotions since 2002, I am spirit taught, as I have no bible college training, I have been told that I am a Barnabas, a son of encouragement. I am an ordinary Christian, who seeks to share to bless others. The name the Lord gave me was and is totallylovedbyGOD, but then aren't we all.. amen Noonday Devotion, which are short devotions on a verse or verses of scripture Simply Scripture, which is my longer bible study on a biblical subject or passage of scripture These two go out every 4-5 days, they will be put on the group, all I ask is that you share them Battle stations, payer letter about our family church here in Nanjing, please pray and also partner with our church, we don't need money, we need prayer Please pray for the church in China, I would encourage you to get the books Operation China and Operation world, so you can pray effectively I have a huge backlog of devotions from various sources, that I will be sharing on the group I pray you will be blessed by what I share. All I ask with Noonday Devotions , Simply Scripture and battle stations, is that you share them Thanks and God bless you Keith

"These dark souls need mercy. So I am patient, work on it solemnly, Which is like examining souls." ~ Chinese church leader Dai Zhichao, recounting his persecution in the poem, Examine Souls NIGERIA: Murderous Raid on Church Service Sources: Christianity Today, Morning Star News, BBC, PM News, The Nation Believers gather for worship despite the constant dangers they face. Photo: World Watch Monitor At least one worshipper was killed and 60 kidnapped after gunmen raided the Emmanuel Baptist Church in Kakau Daji village, Kaduna, on October 31st. The church members had gathered for worship when the attackers suddenly entered the building and opened fire. An uncertain number of Christians were also injured in the attack. Upon fleeing the building, dozens were taken captive by the assailants. Speaking of the attack, Rev. Joseph Hayab, the chairman of the Kaduna chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, referred to this latest incident as "another sad story" in which no one knows who the next target will be. While lamenting the rise of violent attacks in the nation, he remarked, "Citizens are being killed like chickens with only press statements as consolation." Many Nigerians have called on the government to declare those responsible for the recurrent attacks across the country as "terrorists." However, government leaders have rejected this appeal, arguing that there is a need to follow due process. Such inaction has led to calls for the authorities to "separate war against enemies of Nigerians from politics." For more reports addressing the suffering of Christians in Nigeria, go to our country report. Please pray that God will greatly comfort our Nigerian brothers and sisters in Christ who are mourning the loss of their dear loved one due to this recent attack, heal and strengthen those who have been injured, and provide protection and courage to those who were kidnapped. May Nigeria's governing leaders and security forces take proactive steps against the ongoing crisis, bringing an end to the violence that's plaguing the country. In the meantime, prayerfully uphold all Christians throughout the nation, asking the Lord to use them as instruments of His love and peace as they seek to spread the light of Christ amid the darkness of terrorism. INDIA: Politician Claims Associating with Religious Minorities "Will Destroy You" Sources: International Christian Concern, UCA News, Hindustan Times Pray that Christians in India will be encouraged by the Lord’s faithfulness. Photo: World Watch Monitor A member of the legislature in Madhya Pradesh is facing backlash from religious minority leaders after cautioning Hindus from keeping company with Christians or Muslims. Rameshwar Sharma, a member of the ruling BJP Hindu nationalist party, even urged Hindus to stop using the phrase, "Good morning," a greeting he associates with Western culture and Christianity. The comments were made while Sharma was speaking at an annual Hindu festival on October 17th. Religious leaders have expressed concerns about this prevalent attitude among members of the BJP since such comments serve only to drive a wedge between communities. Catholic archbishop Leo Cornelio said that the remarks "hurt the sentiments of peace-loving people" and divert from important issues such as illiteracy, malnutrition and unemployment. Opposing politicians have asked for clarification from the party. In response, the BJP leader, Rajneesh Agrawal, referred to the comments as Sharma's personal opinion, saying that "he was just warning people against conversion" and that "he did not insult any community." Anti-minority statements have frequently fuelled religious intolerance in India, resulting in increased attacks against Christians and their places of worship. In October, one report recounted over 300 instances of persecution against India's Christian community within the first nine months of 2021. For previously posted news reports, and/or to view video documentaries about the persecution of Christians in India, visit our country report. Amid the heightened persecution, p

"Can You Handle It?" A singer had a song called "Need You Now". Over the last few weeks I have cried and prayed through the words. The chorus says, "How many times have you heard me cry out 'God please take this'? How many times have you given me strength to just keep breathing? Oh I need you. God, I need you now." Life has been absolutely crazy; I feel like just yelling, "I'm tired of the ride now can I please get off!" Do you ever feel overwhelmed? Do you ever feel like you just can't cope anymore. Now how many times have you heard, "God won't give you more than you can handle"? Why then does it seem like we so often find ourselves overwhelmed – drowning in life? Right now I am swamped with chores. Juggling care giving, shopping, appointments, cleaning, cooking, having to listen to all the politics that I can't do anything about, etc. All these things are too much. And I still get asked to do more by everyone around me, sometimes I think, including God. I am way beyond what I can handle. Why does God let this happen? Could it be that God has been lying to us? No, God is truth. God cannot lie. Well how do we make sense of the statement we hear so often, "God won't give you more than you can handle"? First we must realize that this is not found anywhere in scripture. In fact we find something more in line with what I have experienced. 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 (NIV) 8 Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the hard times we suffered in Asia Minor. We were having a lot of trouble. It was far more than we could stand. We even thought we were going to die. 9 In fact, in our hearts we felt as if we were under the sentence of death. But that happened so that we would not depend on ourselves but on God. He raises the dead to life. 10 God has saved us from deadly dangers. And he will continue to do it. We have put our hope in him. He will continue to save us. 11 You must help us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because of what will happen to us. They will thank God for his kindness to us in answer to the prayers of many. Paul was at his wit's end. He was beyond what he could handle. And God let him go there. Did God lie to Paul too? No, God never made the statement he is so often credited with. Notice what happens here, Paul is pushed beyond his ability so that he leans on God's ability. Now that seems to line up with scripture doesn't. God will let you be pushed beyond what you can do so you learn to trust him with it. Romans 8:28 (NASB) And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. All the good and bad that is dumped upon us and pushes us to our limits and beyond will be good if we love God and rely on him. Notice this promise is only for believers (a.k.a. those who are called according to his purpose since his purpose by his own words in the Gospels was to seek and save the lost). Philippians 4:13 (NASB) I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. I can do all things, put up with all things, and endure all things because of God who strengthens me. This rings true so what about the "God won't give you more than you can handle" statement? I've heard it attributed to scripture and accredited to many people including Mother Theresa but perhaps the best explanation of it is that it arises from a misunderstanding of a verse in Paul's first letter to the Corinthian church. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NASB) No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. God won't let us be tempted with more than we can handle. He will always provide a way out of the temptation. This promise is probably the one that has been twisted into the one we hear so often so please know that God does allow a lot to be put on us. He even allows some to be martyred – that is definitely more than we can handle physically. God won't promise us an easy li

"Lord, Save Me!" Psalm 116:3, 4, "The cords of death entangled me. The anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the Lord: O Lord, Save me!" David here remembers that he had some hard times. "The cords of death entangled me." He says that he was overcome by sorrows that could very well have caused his death. This could easily be the pains of conscience he felt because of his sin, but he doesn't tell us specifically. What we know is that his struggle was one that caused anguish of such a degree that it almost brought him down to the grave. If we understand these verses as him speaking of how he is saddened concerning his sin, they can be very instructive to us. John Bunyan, when considering his sin, used to say that he wished he had been born a "frog or a toad, or a venomous serpent," rather than to have been a man who had lived as he had lived. His sorrow for his sin was great, and it was proper. We should sorrow for our sin. We should shed tears, and cry out our eyes at offending a holy God who has loved us throughout our entire lives. God has protected us, cared for our needs, given us uncounted blessings, and patiently endured our rebellion against Him,and our ever-constant forgetfulness (daily, hourly) of His rightful place as Creator, Lord, and Savior. We should be driven to weeping when we consider our thoughtlessness. We should bawl, holler, and mourn with David, feeling anguish that brings us near to the grave when we consider our sin. If we continue to dwell on this topic, I fear the only emotion we can feel is hopelessness. What hope is there for all of us who have so treated such a loving, kind, and forgiving God who has not treated us as our rebellion deserves, returning kind for kind, but rather has been long-suffering in his loving care towards us? Maybe there is hope that God will simply keep looking upon us in a loving manner. Maybe there is hope that He will always and forever overlook our rebellion, but this is the kind of hope that has no basis. God has, in fact, promised, in the end, to punish sin. His patience with us has limits. But there is hope for anyone reading this. If you are reading this, it shows that His patience with you has not run out. He still offers you His mercy. He still lovingly extends His offer of everlasting grace to you. It is found in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is where we see David ending. He does not end in hopelessness. He does not give us a benediction of despair. He does the only thing that we can logically do. He begs God to continue to show His love to him. He calls on the name of the Lord and he says, "Lord, save" Rather, than beating himself into the dust for his sin. He remembers the mercy and love of God toward him in the past, His promise of continued care and provision for those who cast their cares upon Him (Psalm 55:22), and he flings himself upon the loving God that he has known and observed throughout his life. So what does David find, when he cries out to the Lord to save him? We find it in the next two verses. He finds that, "The Lord is gracious and righteous Our God is full of compassion. The Lord protects the simplehearted. when I was in great need, he saved me."

Dearly Beloved, BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL! "Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty?" (Psalm 104:1 NKJV). The book of Psalms is full of praises of, and prayers to God. Psalms 103 and 104 are distinct out of the other psalms because of their description of who God is and what He is doing to us that make Him deserve our worship, adoration, praises and thanksgiving. Let us examine first who God is in Psalm 104 before coming back to Psalm 103 to discover what He is doing for us that made the psalmist told his soul "and all that is within" him to bless or praise the Lord. The psalmist started with the greatness of God. The greatness of God is manifested in His creation: He stretches out the heavens like a tent (verse 2b); He sets the earth on its unmovable foundations (verse 5) and covers it with the deep (verse 6a); He sets the course of water (verses 6b-9); He satisfies the earth and other creatures by His work (verses 10-13); He makes the earth produce food for the animals and even man (verses 14-15); He provides dwelling place for His creatures (verses 16-18); and He marks off seasons, days and years by the sun and the moon (verses 19-23). The psalmist continues to describe how God made His creation in wisdom, and all these creatures look unto God for sustenance (verses 24-29). Having considered all these things, the psalmist concludes that the glory of God will endure for ever and that he would respond to God's greatness by singing to Him all his life and that he would find pleasure in meditating about it. The implication of this psalm is that we should always praise God for who He is as He has demonstrated it in His creation. Bless the LORD, O my soul! In His service, Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor). Prayer Point: Pray that your soul and all that is within you will always praise and bless God for who He is in your life.

Genesis 1 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. TURNING ON THE LIGHT I remember so vividly, the night I came to faith. It was like God had turned the light on, Keith, who was living in darkness, because of God's mercy and grace, was now living in the light. At creation, the spirit of God was hovering over the waters, it is truly like that in salvation, it is the Spirit that gives life, there is nothing but an empty void, there is a nothingness there, there is no spiritual life, we are dead in our sins. Ephesians 2:1-3. The holy spirit testifies of Jesus, it convicts of sin, righteousness and judgement, when God says the word, he will come in and indwell you. and change you. your life will be made new. People say that they have life, but in reality, it is not life at all, it is a slow road to death and hell. God is the one, who said to start creation " let there be light", it is the same when it comes to salvation, only God can bring a person to salvation, Jesus said that people come to Him, because the father draws them. We aren't drawn to the light; indeed, we shy away from the light. John 1 and Romans 1. So, to start the creation process, God had to say those four words, likewise to make us alive , he has to say the same four words. Man tries to turn the light on, he tries good works, he tries religious duties and he tries everything, but they don't work. Every light switch, he touches, never turns on the light, it is only, when God turns it on, that we can be saved. I know that all those years ago, God said over my life: LET THERE BE LIGHT Has he said it over your life? If he has then you are a new creation in Christ. 2 Cor 5:17 God bless you KK Acts 5 11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. WHAT WOULD IT TAKE? This story of the book of Acts is punctuated by this incredible occurrence, a sobering story, that should remind us to take sin seriously, God is a consuming fire. He will not tolerate and condone sin in his church, he wishes to have a church that is pure and holy and so he will root out sin in any shape or form. That is why he says the words to 5 of the seven churches in Revelation chapters 2-3, he sees all their sin, he is the one, whose eyes cut through all the deceit, lies, compromise and falseness of the churches. Maybe that is why the last church, the one in Laodicea, had him stand outside the door, they thought they could shut him out. My question for you is this: Look at what happened to the early church, great fear fell upon them. God had showed himself and this was a watershed moment in the life of the church. What would it take for you or your church, for great fear to fall upon it? Would God have to do a great miracle in your midst? One of the main reasons, that the church is ineffective is that there is no fear of God before their eyes, a fear that says, I will not offend my heavenly father. We sin and hurt God's heart, so often, I know I do, it is so easy to sin and say, well, we have grace. That is the same attitude this couple had, they thought, it was a little sin, but it wasn't! They had no fear of God, they trifled with God. Sin is not a trifle with God, he takes it deadly seriously. The fear of God needs to be an essential part of each believer's life and of every church. What would it take for the true fear of God to fall upon you and your church, a holy reverence, where you saw sin as he sees it. Remember God sees everything that goes on in church, every complaint, every piece of juicy gossip, every time you backbite the pastor, every time you moan about another believer, if the true fear of God had fallen on your life, you wouldn't do these things. God bless you KK

JAMES 2 雅各书2章 14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 我的弟兄们，若有人说自己有信心，却没有行为，有什么益处呢？这信心能救他吗？若是弟兄或是姐妹，赤身露体，又缺了日用的饮食；你们中间有人对他们说：“平平安安地去吧！愿你们穿得暖，吃得饱”，却不给他们身体所需用的，这有什么益处呢？这样，信心若没有行为就是死的。 必有人说：“你有信心，我有行为；你将你没有行为的信心指给我看，我便藉着我的行为，将我的信心指给你看。”你信 神只有一位，你信的不错；鬼魔也信，却是战惊。虚浮的人哪，你愿意知道没有行为的信心是死的吗？ THE BEST EVIDENCE OF CHRISTIANITY 基督教最好的见证 This is one of the greatest discourses in the whole of the NT. It looks like James is speaking against the rest of the NT, but he is confirming it. 这是整个新约最伟大的演讲之一。看起来雅各说的 与新约其他书卷相违背，但实际上却是相辅相成的。 In verse 14, James asks two questions; the answers to these questions are that if we have faith and we do not that faith, it is worthless. First, let me say that all that is needed for salvation is Faith alone by Grace alone in Christ alone, but the true evidence of that faith, will outflow in what a person does and says. 在第14节，雅各问了两个问题;这些问题的答案是，如果我们有信心，但我们不把这种信心显明出来，它是没有价值的。首先，让我说，得救所需要的，只是在基督里恩典里的信心，但信心的真正凭据，要从一个人的言行中流出来。 James gives a wonderful illustration in verses 15-16. He has already given a wonderful one in chapter 2:1-5. The apostle John builds on this in Chapter 3 and verses 17-18 of his first epistle, when he says: 雅各在15-16节给出了一个精彩的说明。他已经在2:1-5章给出了一个精彩的例子。使徒约翰在第3章，第17-18节中以此为基础，他说: 17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 17凡有世上财物的，看见弟兄穷乏，却塞住怜恤的心，爱 神的心怎能存在他里面呢？ 18小子们哪，我们相爱，不要只在言语和舌头上，总要在行为和诚实上。 What both John and James are saying is this, if you hear at church, that a brother/sister is in need and have the resources to service that need, but don't do anything.. then your faith is worthless. Whats the point! If you don't show it, you talk about loving your brethren, but God isn't interested in your mere talk, He's interested in your walk. 约翰和雅各的意思是，如果你在教堂听到有弟兄姐妹需要帮助，并且有能力去帮助他们，但是什么也不做。那么你的信仰就毫无价值了。这就是重点!如果你不表现出来，你就说爱你的弟兄，但是神对你的耍嘴皮子不感兴趣，他对你的行动感兴趣。 The Apostle Paul says many times, that our faith will work itself out in acts of love. 使徒保罗说过很多次，我们的信心会在爱的行为中显现出来。 Look at the book of Acts. The disciples had faith, but that faith was shown, at the end of Acts chapter 4, and these disciples had true faith, but there was evidence of this faith, works is faith in action. 看看使徒行传。门徒们有信心，但这种信心在使徒行传第四章的结尾显示出来，这些门徒有真正的信心，也有证据证明这种信心，行为就是实际行动的信心。 Jesus was the Saviour, but it says about HIM, that He went about doing good. Yes, He died for us, but He spent three years doing good, healing people, teaching and feeding people. 耶稣是救主，但书上说他到处行善事。是的，他为我们死，但他花了三年时间做善事，医治人，教导人，牧养人。 Works in themselves are not enough for salvation. Look at the example of Cornelius; he was a good man, he did many good works, but this was not enough for salvation. Are you depending on your works for salvation? 光靠行为也是不够的。看看哥尼流的例子;他是个好人，做了许多善事，但这还不足以救他。你依靠你的行为来得救吗? True, good works are the evidence of being born again...they are NOT THE WAY TO BE BORN AGAIN. 的确，善行是重生的证据……但不是重生之道。 God bless you 愿上帝祝福你 Keith Keith STANDING STILL IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD 在上帝面前肃静（敬畏） “Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah… Psalm 4:4.” 你们应当畏惧，不可犯罪； 在床上的时候，要心里思想，并要肃静。 （细拉） (诗篇 4:4 ) God is holy. We need to remember that, so often we forget that fact, when we approach Him in prayer. Yes, he is our Father, but we must show Him reverence and godly fear. 神是圣洁的。我们需要记住这一点，当我们祷告的时候，我们常常忘记这一点。是的，虽然他是我们的父，但我们必须敬畏他。 We are told in this verse to stand in awe o

"The Last Bride" Revelation 21:9 And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the last seven plagues, came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here and I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." What follows this verse is a description of the New Jerusalem in all it's radiant splendor, coming down out of the heavens. Staggering visions of enormous gates made of singular pearls, and foundation stones of precious and semi-precious stones that are hundreds of miles in dimension, and streets paved with gold so pure that it is clear as glass. This is the new home for the bride of Jesus Christ -- the church. Those of us who name the name of Jesus and are His disciples, or bond-servants, will live with Him in this place that He has spent a very long time preparing for us. In the time of Christ, it would be typical for a young man to spend a period of time building an addition on to his father's home to prepare for His bride. Then, at any time, he could call his groomsmen and call for his bride, who had a obligation to be ready. This is replete with similarities for the church. Revelation 7:9,10 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and all peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white linen robes, with palm branches in their hands; and they cried out with a loud voice saying, "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." The church standing before Jesus, finally face to face, we are permitted to express our adoration and our thanks. They day of our redemption is completed, and we have entered our home. Who of us is not, at times, homesick? This world and the plans that spin before our eyes, and the thoughts and intents of men who do not know Jesus and think they are wise enough, powerful enough, or whatever to tell everyone to walk and talk and eat and blink as they do, or be left out of the game. So sad to know that when the music stops, the chair they think is rightfully theirs, will be taken from them by One they cannot argue against. And we will walk past them into glory, with nothing to brag of in ourselves, but supported and defended by Jesus Christ and His love, grace and mercy. Be encouraged my friends. I cheated and read the end … Jesus shares the mightiest victory of all time and eternity with us, His bride. Revelation 7:13,14 And one of the elders answered, saying to me, "Who are these dressed in white robes, who are they, and from where have they come?" And I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Jesus warned us that in this world, we would have tribulation. He quickly encourages us not to worry, because He has overcome the world. All the schemes of the world and its leadership, spun in Hell by the enemy and his angels to thwart the end they knew could not be finally withheld, are for naught and are finally unraveling. My robes are tattered and torn and stained with my best efforts. All our righteousness are like filthy rags, literally menstrual cloths, making us unclean and unholy. By sinking my robes in Jesus' blood, they are replaced with pure thoughts and actions. Jesus shares His righteousness with me, so that I can be made holy and acceptable through no effort of my own. Lord Jesus, I stand in awe that You in your holiness, see me as a member of Your bride, becoming completely prepared and adorned for You. It is so hard to see me as You see me. But, thank You for Your provision toward the end, and never giving up on me. You have promised to complete the work You have begun in me. I look forward to the day when I will be as You already see me and the day we will all be at home with You. Amen

Coffee Break "Faith In Suffering" "From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised". Psalm 113:3 Praising the Lord from the time we wake up in the morning until we go to sleep at night is not always an easy thing because there is a lot that can happen to us in a day. And not all that happens to us is good. Trying times happen. Tragedy strikes. Grief comes. Sickness attacks our bodies. Pain enters. It happened to Job. I don't believe there is any way we can fully comprehend all that this man went through. (I can't.) He lost all his children. He lost his herds and flocks. He lost his health. All he had left was a wife who out of her own pain encouraged him to curse God and die. Yet in the midst of all his pain and suffering, he worshipped God. "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord". (Job 1:21) He didn't worship God for the suffering, he praised Him in spite of it. He knew that his relationship with the Lord was the only thing that was going to carry him through the pain, sorrow and grief. He knew he had to maintain his relationship with the Lord if he was going to survive the agony of what he was going through. He knew that he had to stay close to the Lord if he was going to have any peace. He knew his strength to make it through was found in the Lord. He knew his comfort would not come from man but from God. Like Job, our worship is an indication of our faith. Sometimes, when going through difficulty praise doesn't always come automatically or easily. Often it is a sacrifice. I am very sure Job didn't feel like worshipping the Lord, but he did anyway as an act of faith-- faith that he still trusted God, he still knew God was faithful no matter what he was going through, he still knew that God would be with him and he still knew that God would turn this around for good. Are you going through something today that makes it hard for you to worship the Lord? Do it any way. Let your faith speak for you-- not your pain. Job did and as a result he made it through his time of suffering. Have a great day. Praise the Lord even in suffering.

"Do you feel the world is broken? We do. Do you feel the shadows deepen? We do. But do you know that all the dark won't stop the light from getting through? We do." ~ Lyrics by Andrew Peterson from Is He Worthy? CHINA: Church in Exile Faces Repatriation Sources: VOM Korea, ChinaAid, Christian Solidarity Worldwide Dr. Foley teaches the "Mayflower Church" how to Biblically respond to persecution. Photo: Do the Word After enduring years of persecution in China, most members of the Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church, led by Pastor Pan Yongguang, fled the country in 2019 and sought refuge on JeJu Island in South Korea. These 60 Christians (consisting of 28 adults and 32 children) have been supporting themselves by doing menial labour during the asylum process. Human rights advocates have dubbed this group of believers as the "Mayflower Church" for their similarity to the pilgrims who fled England in 1620 due to persecution. During the past two years, The Voice of the Martyrs Korea has been involved in the training of these mentioned church members, teaching them how to effectively respond to persecution in the event that they are forced to return to China. Advocates believe that, if the Christians are repatriated, they will likely face extreme punishments – including imprisonment, forced disappearances and torture. Chinese agents have already interrogated members of the church who have chosen to remain in the country. Commenting on the present situation of his group of Christian refugees, Pastor Pan lamented, "There's no way back for us." Despite various appeals, the asylum seekers' application for protection in South Korea has been repeatedly denied. The church recently discovered that their second appeal has been turned down, prompting concerns that they may well be forced to return to China. There have been various calls on the American government to grant refuge to the group of believers and, according to Dr. Bob Fu from ChinaAid, several churches in Texas have announced their willingness to receive the congregation if the resettlement is approved. As the Christian refugees and their concerned advocates around the world now await a decision, Dr. Fu remains hopeful: "We quietly await God's great deeds." For more information on the persecution facing Christians in China, go to our country report. Pray that our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters who are seeking asylum will be granted a safe place to raise their children in the ways of Christ, all the while experiencing His divine provision, protection and peace. May the Lord also mightily intervene within the hearts and minds of the governing leaders involved, moving them to respond with compassion to the plight facing these believers so that the best decision will be made in their favour. Additionally, prayerfully uphold organizations such as VOM Korea and ChinaAid that are advocating on their behalf, as they faithfully continue working to both encourage this church group and seek a resolution. May these advocates receive wisdom and guidance through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit as well. MYANMAR: Christians Targeted by Governmental Forces Sources: Church Times, CBC, Al Jazeera, International Christian Concern The Chin people group consists of a large Christian population. Photo: Flickr / CortoMaltese_1999 (cc) For many years, warring factions have caused issues throughout the country of Myanmar (also referred to as Burma). While most members of the population are Buddhist, some tribal groups such as the Chin and Karen peoples have large Christian communities. There is also a significant Muslim population among the Rohingya people. Tribal and religious tensions within Myanmar have been evident for many years. In 2017, hostilities came to a head for the Rohingya people, causing many to flee to the neighbouring country of Bangladesh to escape what has been described as "ethnic cleansing" by governmental forces. The global response to that situation has been significant. This past February, a military coup overthrew the democratically elected government. In the aftermath

NOTE: Some people believe there has been a kind of "feminizing" of the church, so that many men don't feel comfortable getting involved. Too much wishy-washy music, tugging at the heart-strings, and softly-softly preaching. Is there a revolution coming where this is going to change? Below are some insightful comments on this: WHERE are THE MEN?? Rodney Francis writes: "In my travels around the world I continually notice in Christian meetings the shortage of MEN! While putting this article together, I spoke in a church I had not been to before, and could not help but notice the shortage of men in the meeting. So I counted up the adults - and the women outnumbered the men seven to one! "Men always seem to be in the minority. I remember a number of years ago reading the statistics of people on the mission fields of the world. It was a staggering sixteen women to every one man! This does not seem to be right, nor is it God's will that more and more responsibility for the proclaiming of the Gospel should be upon the women (this in no way reflects upon the women - many are doing a marvellous work). But we do have to ask, "WHERE are the MEN?"" Rosalie Foote writes: "We were talking about this amongst ourselves and came up with the fact that men like to do things. Sitting in the pew was never what God wanted. David's mighty men were doing people - they were already doing things before they came to support David. Men love to work together and see a result, practically or spiritually. That's why there are so many men's service clubs now - they are the pseudo church. God's people are all supposed to be doing stuff. Everyone has gifts and should be using these gifts for the furtherence of God's Kingdom." Tom Whitestone writes: "Quote: "Some people believe there has been a kind of "feminizing" of the church, so that many men don't feel comfortable getting involved. Too much wishy-washy music, tugging at the heart-strings, and softly-softly preaching. Is there a revolution coming where this is going to change?" Answer: "The "feminizing" is not specifically of the church but the spirit within the church. From my experience speaking with other men I have found them to be oppressed by the very spirit of "Love" within the "church" that has disguised itsef as the Spirit of Love. The church has become a habitation of unclean spirits and this has darkened the Gospel that was given by Holy men of God. The spirit that has infiltrated the "church" has caused many men who are "real men" to be repulsed by its presence." KDT writes: "My pastor's wife suddenly kept getting the word from the Lord "Get rid of the pink in the church!" "Get rid of the Pink!" We looked around the beautiful sanctuary, decorated so elegantly, yet predominantly feminine mauves and muted pinks." It was a word for our church and we knew it was because we had many more women than men, something we'd been praying about."

Welcome to Battle Stations Thanks to God. Please let me introduce myself and the church I fellowship in. I am a British Christian We are a family church situated in Nanjing China, we humbly come before you to pray for us 2 Thess 3:1 Please share these prayer needs: On your social media profiles/groups With your contact list Please share with your church, we are seeking partner churches, we do not need money or resources, we need prayer and round the clock support. PRAYER NEEDS Our dear Pastor Z and his wife S, son A (who is a preacher) and daughter, who is 12. Please stand with him as he serves 5 churches. Please pray for our prayer meetings, that start at about 4.30am and are bathed in tears, please stand with us, as between 50-100 people meet every morning to cry for revival and weep before the throne of Grace. Please join us Please pray for a movement of the Spirit of God in not only our church, but in all churches in China. Please pray that the Holy spirit would bring conviction and conversion in many hearts. Please pray for the men of our church, we have about ten, but the majority of church members are women. Please pray for our small group of men, who meet on Wednesday night at 7:30 to study. Please pray for the children and young people, this is vital to reach the next generation. If you are a church members child, you are mocked at school and taught humanism/evolution. Please pray that we would have more young people and couples come to the church. We have a lack of young families in the church. May of the sisters have unsaved husbands. Please pray that these dear men, would be reached and that they would commit their lives to God. Amongst these are F and H. Please pray for many of the older sisters as they have influence over their grandchildren, please pray that many of these children, would come to faith. Please pray for the establishment of stronger Christian marriages, there are 3-5 Christian marriages. Please pray for the protection of all marriages within the church. Please pray for S, a sister, her daughter and husband are in serious debt and the marriage is under serious strain, both of them, are lapsed in faith. Her husband needs to come through totally for the Lord also. Please pray for our monthly meetings, we cannot meet in person, we do meet at a restaurant run by a church member, once per month for communion and a meal. Please pray for this sister as she has health issues as does her husband. Please pray for F and her husband, she is very troubled and every time she has a problem, she asks for money, please pray she would be saved and rely totally on Christ. Please pray for a deep and powerful unity between all the co-workers, all of which are women. Please pray for our five groups, most meet on Friday, please pray for this training ground. Continue to lift up my beloved wife, as she leads the church. Please pray for my daughter M and others in the church, who are seeking life partners, esp MW, X AND P. Please pray for protection for our meetings, especially online. Please pray that we would be able to reach out and have opportunities to share the gospel. Please pray that God would work through our lives. Please pray that God would revive our church and that we would be a pure and open church. Below is a prayer guide to the largest people group in the world, the Han Chinese Mandarin, if China is to be reached then the gospel must touch this people group, the largest in the world. HAN CHINESE MANDARIN POPULATION 890 MILLION EVANGELICAL 8.30% Praise God for: The mighty turning to God over the past forty years; the Han Mandarin are the dominant people in China and God has been pleased to gather multitudes in that harvest. Please pray for: Deep and lasting revival to strike every Chinese Church. Some of the godly leaders who were used of God are now in their later years and have passed the baton to younger men. Please pray that the rain of revival does not stop and that the Church continues to preach the gospel despite persecution Persecution is here and relevant; it can take many forms. Please pray G

A HEBREW SAGE MIGHT SAY. . . A king of flesh-and-blood stamps his image on a coin, hence all coins look and are alike; but the KING of kings has stamped every man with the seal of the first man, yet no man is like any other. [MISHNA 4. 5] BLESSED WALK "Happy and blessed is the man who has not followed the counsel of the wicked, or taken the path of the sinners, or joined the company of the insolent; but rather, the Teachings of the LORD is his delight, and he studies and recites that teaching day and night. He is like a tree planted beside streams of water, which yields its fruit in season, whose foliage never fades; and whatever he does, he prospers." [Psalms (Tehillym) 1. 1 - 3 Tanakh, Kethuvim] A good illustration of an empty experience is self-centeredness. The world seeks happiness, but the only happiness it finds is brief as real joy cannot be found. Joy, however, transcends the circumstances; it is a happiness which has its source in things the world can not offer. GOD'S WRITTEN WORD, the SACRED SCRIPTURES, give us directions and highly endorsed instructions for obtaining this joy. Various man-made religions teach that GOD'S Law is bondage. HOLY SCRIPTURES tell it differently — it is the only SOURCE of great joy. Only the WORD OF GOD can really gratify us, filling our very soul! Our GRACIOUS HEAVENLY FATHER gives many teachings to HIS children for their own good, worth, advantage, moral integrity and discipline. "Know in your heart that the LORD your GOD disciplines you just as a man disciplines his son. Therefore, keep the commandments of the LORD your GOD; walk in HIS ways and revere HIM." [Deuteronomy (Devarim) 8. 5 - 6 Tanakh, Torah] "For whom the LORD loves HE chastens, and scourges every son whom HE receives." [Hebrews 12. 6] "Do not reject the discipline of YEHOWAH, my son; Do not abhor HIS rebuke. For whom YEHOWAH loves, HE rebukes, as a father the son in whom he favors and delights." [Proverbs (Mishle) 3. 11 – 12 Tanakh, Kethuvim] Today, society is finding out the hard way that the rules of conduct laid down in GOD'S TRUTH are not to take away our fun, but are there for our own benefit. "Seek the favor of the LORD and HE will grant you the desires of your heart." [Psalms (Tehillym) 37. 4 Tanakh, Kethuvim] Unmistakably, as we delight ourselves in HIM, the desires of our heart will be changed. "In HIS PRESENCE is fullness and joy. In HIS right hand there are pleasures forever more." [Psalms (Tehillym) 16. 11 Tanakh, Torah] We can have the DELIGHT of our life, the LORD JESUS, in our lives now and for all eternity. "How precious is YOUR faithful care, O GOD! Mankind shelters in the shadow of YOUR wings. They feast on the rich fare of YOUR house; YOU let them drink at YOUR refreshing stream." [Psalms (Tehillym) 36. 7 - 8 Tanakh, Torah] There is great contentment, pleasure, and indescribable joy in knowing Y’SHUA ha’MASHIACH as your LORD & SAVIOR, and a peace you cannot know without HIM. Sha’alu (Pray) for the shalom (Peace) of JerUSAlem and all of Israel! Redeem Israel, O ELOHIYM, out of all their troubles! LORD, help us to break down the barriers which keep us from YOU — falsehood & faithlessness, callousness & selfishness, injustice & hard-heartedness. Awaken our soul to grateful acknowledgement of YOUR grace which has bestowed upon us the gift of life, and make our pathway come in safety to the coveted goal — YOUR LOVING PRESENCE.

There’s no way forward. And no way back. Migrants are still stuck at the Poland-Belarus border. And the situation has reached a boiling point. Belarus says their security forces are present, but not stopping migrants to avoid conflict. Poland says Belarus is intentionally shuffling migrants to the border to create a humanitarian crisis as payback for EU sanctions. Known as “Europe’s last dictatorship,” the president of Belarus has been in power for almost 30 years. In many ways, this authoritarian regime still feels like the Communist era. And while the Orthodox Church has a strong influence in Belarus, it is plagued with nominalism. But what if the Holy Spirit breathed new spiritual life into this country? Imagine the ripple effects if Belarusians came to know the salvation, joy, and new life that Jesus offers! The impact could reach across the nation and even across the borders. Let’s pray for that. Together let's watch and pray, The Prayercast Team Pray for Belarus

Victory Over Unforgiveness Forgiving others for their wrongdoings allows us to have genuine fellowship with them and with God. November 20, 2021 Matthew 6:1-15 Immediately after teaching His followers how to pray, Jesus warned that those who refuse to forgive others won’t be forgiven by the Father. Do not misunderstand Jesus’ meaning here—believers don’t lose their salvation when they refuse to forgive. Rather, they break fellowship with God because their attitude gets in the way of regular confession and repentance. Often people don’t feel like being merciful to someone who has wronged them, but forgiveness is an act of the will more than an act of the heart. Take responsibility and acknowledge your unforgiveness as a violation of God’s Word. Claim the divine mercy He offers, and ask Him to enable you to lay aside anger and resentment against others. Try praying for those who hurt you, and if God so leads, seek their forgiveness for your wrong attitude. A resentful spirit can grow into a terrible burden that isn’t healthy to carry through life. Forgiving characterizes who we are in Christ, and it’s truly in our best interest to pardon others, even when difficult. Jesus promised to make us free (John 8:36), so choose to be liberated from your hurt. Bible in One Year: Acts 25-26 The Forgiveness of God In Him we have…the forgiveness of sins… EPHESIANS 1:7 Beware of the pleasant view of the fatherhood of God: God is so kind and loving that of course He will forgive us. That thought, based solely on emotion, cannot be found anywhere in the New Testament. The only basis on which God can forgive us is the tremendous tragedy of the Cross of Christ. To base our forgiveness on any other ground is unconscious blasphemy. The only ground on which God can forgive our sin and reinstate us to His favor is through the Cross of Christ. There is no other way! Forgiveness, which is so easy for us to accept, cost the agony at Calvary. We should never take the forgiveness of sin, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and our sanctification in simple faith, and then forget the enormous cost to God that made all of this ours. Forgiveness is the divine miracle of grace. The cost to God was the Cross of Christ. To forgive sin, while remaining a holy God, this price had to be paid. Never accept a view of the fatherhood of God if it blots out the atonement. The revealed truth of God is that without the atonement He cannot forgive— He would contradict His nature if He did. The only way we can be forgiven is by being brought back to God through the atonement of the Cross. God’s forgiveness is possible only in the supernatural realm. Compared with the miracle of the forgiveness of sin, the experience of sanctification is small. Sanctification is simply the wonderful expression or evidence of the forgiveness of sins in a human life. But the thing that awakens the deepest fountain of gratitude in a human being is that God has forgiven his sin. Paul never got away from this. Once you realize all that it cost God to forgive you, you will be held as in a vise, constrained by the love of God. Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 14-15; James 2 WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One Who is leading. from My Utmost for His Highest, March 19, 761 L

Please pray for these two people groups, they are less than 2,000 people, indeed one has less than 40 and is the smallest people group in China. Please stand in the gap and get others to do the same Ongkor These people live in Xinjiang, they number about 30 and there has never been a believer amongst them. They are totally un-reached, but beloved of God, please pray that someone would go and that they would hear the gospel. https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/18649/CH Han Chinese Xunpu Situated in a few fishing villages in Fujian province, these distinct people, have a few Christians, but they have little or few resources. They are surrounded by many strong churches. Please pray for these people and read the links.. https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/18485/CH PLEASE SHARE THESE DEAR PEOPLE WITH FRIEENDS AND PRAYER GROUPS

AFGHANISTAN https://operationworld.org/locations/afghanistan/ ALBANIA https://operationworld.org/locations/albania/