Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this new day. Thank you for praying for Sunita. I heard from Sunita by e-mail yesterday. She is excited to be in Jerusalem, and she is very busy with her work. She is currently staying at the Hotel of Seven Arches, built on the Mount of Olives. Our group that visited Israel in 1998 stayed at this very Hotel. You have a spectacular view of the City of Jerusalem from steps of the Hotel, including a clear view of Temple Mount. Laureen and her team are heading West, with just a few more concerts in the US - including New Mexico, Arizona, and California. They will be in California this coming Sunday and flying to Bangkok on Monday from Los Angeles.
Praise the Lord that we can do life and death well, because of Jesus who is the Resurrection and the Life. I have been visiting and praying with a woman who is in Hospice care. She shared with me with a smile that she has no fear of death, because she feels nearness to Jesus, who is her Lord and life. When we are very young we have fears of things like darkness, monsters, etc. In our teenage years we deal with fears of things like rejection, humiliation, and failure. Adulthood is also filled with possible fears of such things as disease, death, financial problems, broken relationships, loved ones being hurt, storms, failure, aging, crime, etc. I personally know what it is like to be filled with anxiety.
We are an anxiety-laden society, as the sales of many books on dealing with anxiety and the sales of calming drugs indicate. Fear is very unpleasant and it is very harmful physically, mentally, and even spiritually for as the Bible tells us in Matthew 13:22, fear or anxiety chokes out the word of God. Fear can be very displeasing and dishonoring God if we do not respond to it with faith in him. As the Bible says we will have anxieties but we are to "cast all of our anxieties on him." We all want solutions to the fear problem. We all want answers to anxiety. We look for something to relieve us from our fears and to reassure us. We look for some source of security that will instill a perfect confidence and peace within our hearts.
Some people look for that security in their possessions. Some seek that reassurance in a relationship. Others place their trust in the government, in the latest drug, in alcohol, etc. Not one of these things is a solution to anxiety and fear because none of them offer total security or absolute reassurance. No amount of money, success, or any position in life can truly give you peace in every situation. So the question becomes, "How can we have victory over fear?" That answer to this important question is given in Psalm 27 which says in effect "Focus on God and your fears will disappear!"
In Psalm 27:1-3 David expressed his confidence in God and an absence of fear though he found himself in a very fearful situation. He was fearless because he is focused on God as his Light, Salvation, and Stronghold. In verses 4-7 we see that David focused on God. David lived in the presence of God, looking at his beauty, and listening to his voice. Because of this focus on God and dwelling in his presence David could lift his head with confidence and sing with joy, as we see in verses 5,6. In verses 7-14 he again focused on God and prayed to him in the midst of this trouble, and he was reminded that God would never forsake him (vs. 10) and would always guide him (vs. 11), therefore even though he did not receive an immediate answer or relief he could still say in verse 13, "I am still confident..."
This is the consistent message of the Bible regarding fear. For example when Peter walked on water Peter’s fear was victorious only when he lost his focus on Jesus. In Isaiah 26:3 God has said "I will keep in perfect peace all who trust in me, who thoughts are fixed on me!" We also see the same idea and Philippians 4: 6-7 which says "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. Then the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
There will be times when anxiety and fear come into our lives. In those times we must make a choice - we can choose to focus on the problem and be overcome with fear, or we can choose to focus on God and are fear will disappear. We can say with David, in verse 14, "I will wait for the Lord and I will be strong..."
One tribe of native Americans had a unique practice for training young braves. On the night of a boy’s thirteenth birthday, he was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone. Until then he had never been away from the security of his family and tribe. On this night he was blindfolded and taken miles away. When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of thick woods by himself... all night long. Every time a twig snapped, he probably visualized a wild animal ready to pounce. Every time an animal howled, he imagined a wolf leaping out of the darkness. Every time the wind blew, he wondered what more sinister sound it masked. No doubt it was a terrifying night for many of the young braves.
After what seemed like an eternity, the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest. Looking around, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of the path. Then, to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with a bow and arrow. It was the boy’s father. He had been there all night long.
Best of all, Jesus our Savior, the Prophet, the Priest, and the King is with us .
In Him,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIAdgLR1ZGw
Praise the Lord for Chuck Loeffler who is celebrating his 90th birthday. Praise the Lord for Arlo Lawrence who is 94.
Dear friends of LeRoy and Peg Jones,
On Thursday morning at 9:15 I am scheduled for joint replacement surgery in my right hand, plus carpal tunnel correction, and a nerve in my right elbow which restricts my little finger on the same hand. The reason LeRoy and I made this decision at this time is that my desire is to serve the Lord through the musical (and other)gifts He has invested in me. In the present state of my right hand...... this is now impossible. The surgery will be performed at the Moses Cone Surgical Center, Greensboro, NC.
Please pray for me, my surgical team, Dr. Robert Sypher and his assistant, Robert. and the approximate recovery time of 6 weeks. I need your prayers very much.
Down through these many years of ministry we have prayed for so many people for healing. Now we appeal to the same Healing Jesus for our present needs.
Thanks for praying and remembering LeRoy also during this time.
God bless you abundantly,
Peg
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