Apron Strings Devotional for 4/28/99

4/28/99

Good Morning....
Jesus loves You!!

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The most impossible thing to you is that you should be so identified with the
Lord, that there is nothing of the old life left. He will do it if you ask
Him.

-Oswald Chambers-

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Hi Dear Friends!!Hi Dear Ones!

Hope this finds you doing well in our Lord Jesus Christ!! Things are going quite well over here in Alabama. I pray this devo will minister to your hearts and minds and be even "justa" little bit instrumental in your walk with Christ. Actually I hope it ministers a lot! With God, all things are possible! ( smile ) See you at the end!

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

I was with American soldiers near the front line at Danang. Can you imagine what it meant to them that an old lady came to see them? Their wives and mothers were far away in America. At first I made them laugh heartily. Americans have a great sense of humor. But then I spoke to them very seriously. "Boys," I said, "we all know that you are in danger of your lives. It is possible that tomorrow you will be killed. Are you ready to look a righteous God in the eyes? It is possible if you repent and take your sins to Jesus. He wants to forgive you and to cleanse your heart with His blood and fill it with His Spirit. He said: 'Come unto me: and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out (John 6:37).'" Many of these boys and men came. It is quite possible that now they are in heaven.

What about you who are reading this? Perhaps you will say: I am not on the front line of a war; my life is not in danger. But we all know that every person will have to die one day and after that the judgment---everyone, whether he wants it or not. Are you ready?

From: "Not I But Christ"
-By: Corrie Ten Boom-

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"How does one become a butterfly?"she asked pensively. "You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar."

"You mean to die?" asked Yellow, remembering the three who fell out of the sky.

"Yes and No," he answered. What looks like you will die but what's really you will still live. Life is changed, not taken away. Isn't that different from those who die without ever becoming butterflies?"

" And if I decide to become a butterfly," said Yellow hesitantly, "What do I do?"

"Watch me. I'm making a cocoon. It looks like I'm hiding, I know, but a cocoon is no escape.

"It's an in-between house where the change takes place."

"It's a big step since you can never return to caterpillar life. During the change, it will seem to you or to anyone who might peek that nothing is happening - but the butterfly is already becoming.

"It just takes time!"

From: "Hope For The Flowers" ( a children's book )
By: Trina Paulus
Received from Wanda, amcdonald@ala.net
Thanks Wanda!

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HAPPYTOWN

Everyone wants to live in Happytown
No pain. No fear. No death. No hell.
Everyone wants a house with a white picket fence
No rain. No floods. No break-ins. No fire.

Everyone wants a perfect little world
No war. No dictators. No bombs. No army.
Every man wants a perfect woman
No blemishes. Nice hair. Nice eyes. Nice tan.
Every woman wants a perfect man.
Nice job. New car. Good money. Strong face.

But no one ever wakes up in Happytown
Because it doesn't exist in this world.
Down here it's not so perfect,
People bleed. People cry. People break down.

Yet everyone chases a vision
Ignoring...always ignoring the only Perfection.
There is a town called Hope.
Deep in the heart, ruled by a King,
Open to all...The Door is The Son.
The city is real.

-Author Unknown-
Received from: Curler7@aol.com
Thanks Glendia!

Rev 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and
opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

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"Now I have given up on everything else
I have found it to be the only way
To really know Christ and to experience
The mighty power that brought
Him back to life again, and to find
Out what it means to suffer and to
Die with him. So, whatever it takes
I will be one who lives in the fresh
Newness of life of those who are
Alive from the dead."

-By: Cassie Bernall-
-Christian Martyr, Littleton Colorado-
-Received from: Aleehead@aol.com-
Thanks Lee!

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2 Chr 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Me again!

I woke up this morning with that scripture rolling through my mind...and I see confirmation after confirmation through various sources and emails, that this is the Word today for the Body of Christ. Actually it has been for a very long time, but the fervency seems greater than ever at this very moment. Look at Strong's Concordance translation of the word "humble" in this verse.

3665 kana` (kaw-nah');

a primitive root; properly, to bend the knee; hence, to humiliate, vanquish: KJV-- bring down (low), into subjection, under, humble (self), subdue.

I like that translation. To "bend the knee." You know...somehow, I see more power in those few words, than in all the suggestions I have heard all week, regarding the plan to "cure" this epidemic of sin and out-of-control people. So many band-aids, but no antibodies.

It is very difficult to understand all the "whys" of things that happen in this world, especially devastating events, such as the terrible one that occurred last week in Littleton, Colorado. Let's take a look at the situation from God's point of view:

Eph 6:12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Despite this devilish atrocity, all things are STILL working together for GOOD for those that love the Lord, that are the called according to His purpose. ( Romans 8:28 ) I know that is hard to fathom with the natural mind, considering the death toll and the anguish this has caused. But it has also caused something else. What the enemy intends for evil, God is still quite capable of turning around for His good. One example: Many more are drawing closer to the Father in light of this darkness. And I am sure there is more to come. We have to continue to trust Him, and follow Him. That's called "faith."

If we truly want to see change, then it must begin with us. It must begin with me. It must begin with you. Then, one by one we will see a difference. The ironic thing is, it may not be the difference that we think we will see.

Isa 55:9
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher
than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

One voice can make a difference, but that voice needs the authority behind it that WILL make the difference. And the only way we will truly see change, is to allow Christ to be formed in US. God desires willing vessels to pray, even when the eyelids feel heavy. We have a will, that was given to us, and we can us it to serve our flesh or serve God.

Josh 24:15
...choose you this day whom ye will serve;

He desires for us to desire Him above all else, including His blessings. I have such a heaviness in my heart right now, because the time is short, and there is such a great harvest at hand. We cannot fruitfully gather the harvest without His Spirit guiding us. And that is not easy if we are not seeking Him in the first place. We must not allow our feelings to dictate this moment. Oswald Chambers pretty much summed it up with these words:

"Be instant in season, and out of season."
2 Tim 4:2

"Many of us suffer from the morbid tendency to be instant "out of season." The season does not refer to time, but to us---"Be instant in season, out of season," whether we feel like it or not. If we do only what we feel inclined to do, some of us would do nothing for ever and ever. There are unemployables in the spiritual domain, spiritually decrepit people, who refuse to do anything unless they are supernaturally inspired. The proof that we are rightly related to God is that we do our best whether we feel inspired or not."

Perfect oneness with God will produce a sensitivity in us to become "instant in and out of season." If we take this word to heart, then there is no limit to what we can do through Christ who strengthens us. I would like to close with a song and one more scripture. We sang this song in church last Sunday. It penetrated to the very core of my soul, and I pray this song and scripture for your lives as well..

Lord I come to You.
Let my heart be changed
Renewed, flowing from the grace that I've found in You
Lord I've come to know the weakness I see in me
will be stripped away by the power of Your Love

Hold me close
Let your love surround me
Bring me near
Draw me to your side
And as I wait, I'll rise up like the eagle
And I will soar with you
Your Spirit leads me on
In the power of Your Love

Col 1:9-10
...we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God..

God Bless You All!!
And remember..
Jesus loves you and I do too!

In Christ!!
Carol
Justaservn@aol.com

Ps 42:7-8
Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.

Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.

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