Word for Today, Tue, 14 Feb 2006: Everyone Needs Help
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>
Dear friends,
The title of this week's message from Sowing Seeds of Faith says it all -
everyone needs help. To those of us who are financially successful and
generally succeed in most of the things that we do, this is particularly
difficult to see and believe, but that does not make it any less true.
The plain truth of the matter is that the very best of us fail - and if we are
brutally honest with ourselves, we fail quite often.
There is hope, however. Since this is a bible oriented list, you can correctly
assume that the answer is Jesus Christ. Yes, He is our Help, He is our hope.
But it's not just a cute phrase or something to make us feel good. No,
actually, at times, we have to face harsh realities and get real. What is
great is that the God of the universe cares enough about each and every one of
us that He did not just dump us here and forget us. No, He gave us His Word,
and He even became part of History (His Story) by becoming human flesh and
dwelling among us - He is Jesus Christ. He gave up His fleshly life in a
painful and undeserving way, for He suffered greatly and died in our place,
that we might be redeemed.
Do I need that kind of redemption? Oh yes, every single day!
Yours in Christ,
Brian
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Sowing Seeds of Faith...
Sowing Seeds Ministry thrived for over twelve years with few outside donations.
We've managed along with the help of a few friends and the sale of books to
keep the ministry active and aggressive. We are now, larger and our expenses
are higher so that we cannot continue without financial support. We need your
help. Please click here for further information on how you can become a partner
in a ministry that is reaching people all around the world:
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/ministry_partner.htm
Sign up for our prayer ministry... you will receive prayer requests from all
over the world and you can even reply if you choose. Check it out:
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/sign-up.htm
"Everyone Needs Help..." Larry Davies
One unique part of Sowing Seeds of Faith is our prayer ministry. We receive
nearly one hundred requests for prayer from around the world every week through
our web site. Thanks to the dedication of my prayer partner, Brian Masinick,
three prayer lists are sent each week to several thousand prayer partners who
pray and often send emails offering encouragement. Readers often ask: "Larry,
where did you get the idea for an email prayer ministry?"
Some say problems have the potential to become opportunities for growth. Well,
I had a problem.
Several years ago, I encouraged visitors to our Sowing Seeds of Faith Website
to share their concerns through an interactive web page, entitled "Prayer
Needs." Over the next few weeks, I received nearly one hundred requests for
prayer from around the world. For example, (Names were changed):
* Alice (Alabama) We are custodial parents of a seven-year-old granddaughter.
Now her unfit biological mother is going to file to regain custody and we are
devastated.
* Stephanie (California) I am a single mother raising a teenage daughter who
just turned thirteen. My church is not offering much support. It's scary and
very lonely sometimes.
* Larry (Canada) I would like to change but I have a hard time obeying
Godu2019s Word. I would like to serve him and find happiness. I don't want to
fall back to the world.
* Allison (South Africa) We have been trying to have a child for almost five
years. We have been through many doctors and procedures. We conceived once
and lost the baby ten weeks later. We were both devastated.
I personally answered each request with encouragement and prayer but every day
three to four more letters would arrive. Soon the requests for prayer became
overwhelming. Increasingly, I was feeling inadequate to meet all the many
prayer needs.
* Nicole (California) I lost my Mom and have a broken heart. She is with
Jesus and I should be rejoicing but some days I hurt so much inside. I want to
feel joy again.
* Tracy (Peru) I am 33 and mother of a 12-year-old son. My husband was
unfaithful and I must file for a divorce. He has no desire to continue being
married to me. I am really struggling with why this happened to me. I don't run
around. I've been a good wife.
* Patricia (South Carolina) My son is serving a fifteen-year sentence for
something he is innocent of. Please ask God to turn his heart. Pray God's
blessings upon him.
* Colleen (Colorado) My friend was badly injured in a terrible car accident.
He looks well on the outside but he's still having memory loss, fatigue, mood
swings, etc. He desperately needs help.
I wanted desperately to suggest words of hope articulating God's love and grace
but at this point the person needing help and solid scriptural guidance was...
(gulp) me.
Several respected leaders asked Jesus to come and heal the slave of a Roman
officer who was near death. Before they arrived, however, the officer sent
friends to meet Jesus who said, "Lord, don't trouble yourself by coming to my
home, for I am not worthy. Just say the word from where you are, and my
servant will be healed. I know because I am under the authority of my superior
officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, 'Go,' and
they go." When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd, he said,
"I tell you, I haven't seen faith like this in all the land of Israel!" And
when they returned the slave was healed. (Parts of Luke 7:6-10)
On the surface, Jesus using a Roman officer as the main character in a lesson
about faith makes no sense: Unless that is the lesson... For you see, it was
the Roman Officer, not the religious leaders who grasped exactly who Jesus was.
"Just say the word from where you are and my servant will be healed." While
the religious experts, the insiders were conducting debates, a religious
outsider; a Roman officer went from debates to faith to action.
Bad News: I am the religious insider who neglected to trust in God's authority.
Good News: It's never too late to ask for help. Boy, did I need help. In
other words: I was at a turning point.
Next Week: Help for me and the hundreds of prayer needs arrived from a unique
combination of modern technology and the old-fashioned resources of a committed
local church. It's a great story so don't miss it. Meanwhile, please sign up
for our unique prayer ministry that is changing lives all over the world.
Sowing Seeds Ministry thrived for over twelve years with few outside donations.
Weu2019ve managed along with the help of a few friends and the sale of books
to keep the ministry active and aggressive. We are now, larger and our
expenses are higher so that we cannot continue without financial support. We
need your help. Please click here for further information on how you can become
a partner in a ministry that is reaching people all around the world:
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/ministry_partner.htm
Read Sowing Seeds of Faith... everyday! Click here:
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/Devotions.htm
Are you receiving prayer concerns from around the world? Join our prayer team
today. Check it out by clicking here:
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/sign-up.htm
How can I regularly support your ministry? Become a Sowing Seeds Ministry
partner. Click here: http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/ministry_partner.htm
Jesus said: "You are the light of the world -- like a city on a mountain,
glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your light under a basket!
Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all." (Matthew 5:14-15)
"Breaking the Peanut Butter Habit: Following Godu2019s Recipe for a Better
Life" now on sale only through our website.
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/peanbutt.htm
--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/
__________________________________________________
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