From: "Bayo Afolaranmi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Dear Beloved, THE MIRACLE OF EATING
"…always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:20, NIV). "…give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV). The Yoruba people have a form of greetings for every occasion. One of such forms of greetings especially to someone that is eating is translated literally, "The food will pass through the right passage." Such form of greetings may not be meaningful to a novice in physiology or somebody who does not care about how the food we eat, and even water we drink, get to their destination in the stomach before the digestive process commence. Such ignorance and/or carelessness do not make people appreciate God for the miracle of eating and even drinking water. To them, eating and drinking water are ones of such ordinary and normal routines of life. However, they are indeed miracles. Interestingly, some Yoruba people jokingly tell someone that is eating that he is performing a miracle. (The word "miracle" in Yoruba etymologically means "the opening of the mouth.") Eating food and dinking water may be ones of those things that are ordinary and normal to us, but they are indeed ones of the miracles of God. It is when they mistakenly pass through the wrong passage or when we are unable to eat because of an ailment that we appreciate them as miracles. For this reason, we should always be grateful to God not only for providing our foods, but also for enabling us "to perform the miracle" without any accident during the act. We should also learn to thank Him for other seemly ordinary and normal routines of life. For "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end" (Lamentations 3:22, RSV). Lord, thank you for the miracle of eating! In His service, Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor). +234 805 515 9591 http://www.afolabayo.org/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spiritualdigest2003/ "I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. FOR TO ME, TO LIVE IS CHRIST AND TO DIE IS GAIN" (Philippians 1:20-21, NIV). ============================================ From: Suzianty Herawati "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." --John 6:37 No limit is set to the duration of this promise. It does not merely say, "I will not cast out a sinner at his first coming," but, "I will in no wise cast out." The original reads, "I will not, not cast out," or "I will never, never cast out." The text means, that Christ will not at first reject a believer; and that as He will not do it at first, so He will not to the last. But suppose the believer sins after coming? "If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." But suppose that believe! rs backslide? "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for Mine anger is turned away from him." But believers may fall under temptation! "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." But the believer may fall into sin as David did! Yes, but He will "Purge them with hyssop, and they shall be clean; He will wash them and they shall be whiter than snow"; "From all their iniquities will I cleanse them." "Once in Christ, in Christ for ever, Nothing from His love can sever." "I give unto My sheep," saith He, "eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand." What sayest thou to this, O trembling feeble mind? Is not this a precious mercy, that coming to Christ, thou dost not come to One who will treat thee well for a little while, and then send thee about thy business, but He will receive thee and make thee His bride, and thou shalt be His for ever? Receive no longer the spirit of bondage again to fear, but the spirit of adoption whereby thou shalt cry, Abba, Father! Oh! the grace of these words: "I will in no wise cast out." CH Spurgeon ============================================= From: Suzianty Herawati "Thou, Lord, hast made me glad through Thy work." --Psalm 92:4 Do you believe that your sins are forgiven, and that Christ has made a full atonement for them? Then what a joyful Christian you ought to be! How you should live above the common trials and troubles of the world! Since sin is forgiven, can it matter what happens to you now? Luther said, "Smite, Lord, smite, for my sin is forgiven; if Thou hast but forgiven me, smite as hard as Thou wilt"; and in a similar spirit you may say, "Send sickness, poverty, losses, crosses, persecution, what Thou wilt, Thou hast forgiven me, and my soul is glad." Christi! an, if thou art thus saved, whilst thou art glad, be grateful and loving. Cling to that cross which took thy sin away; serve thou Him who served thee. "I beseech you therefore, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Let not your zeal evaporate in some little ebullition of song. Show your love in expressive tokens. Love the brethren of Him who loved you. If there be a Mephibosheth anywhere who is lame or halt, help him for Jonathan's sake. If there be a poor tried believer, weep with him, and bear his cross for the sake of Him who wept for thee and carried thy sins. Since thou art thus forgiven freely for Christ's sake, go and tell to others the joyful news of pardoning mercy. Be not contented with this unspeakable blessing for thyself alone, but publish abroad the story of the cross. Holy gladness and holy boldness will make you a good preacher, and all the world will be a pulpit for you to preach in. Cheerful holiness is the most forcible of sermons, but the Lord must give it you. Seek it this morning before you go into the world. When it is the Lord's work in which we rejoice, we need not be afraid of being too glad. CH Spurgeon
