Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
As I am teaching through the book of Romans, I see so much of myself in the Nation of Israel. Israel is disobedient and fickle just like me sometimes. The story of Israel isn’t over. Just like me, we are both being drawn back again and again to the Lord by God’s tender chords of love. God is not an indian giver. He does not give up on us. Do not bring God down to our level. Because God does not give up on Israel, He will not give up on you.
Hosea 11:4 I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.
The Bible is indeed a TwoEdged sword. It cuts (painful) the bearer of God’s Word just like it cuts the hearer of God’s word. When I teach the Word, I get convicted as well as the listener. Faith comes from hearing (with the ears) hearing by the Word of God. When I am teaching I am receiving as well. Realizing this makes me gentler and kinder. Knowing God is not going to quit on a sinner like me, makes me love Him more.
Yestarday AM in our men’s zoom Bible fellowship with CCOB, we were asked if we ever had been slighted. And if we were slighted, how did we handle that. For me that’s a no brainer. I was a middle child, sub-par student, and mediocre soldier/athlete and not so great of a pastor,0 so being slighted is a lifestyle. Being slighted is a TwoEdged sword, and that’s a good thing. Being slighted definitely does not feed your ego. You can either take it badly or take it well. At first, before I was saved, when I was all about myself, I took being slighted very personally. I still do, for a fifth of a second, but then I realize that what I feel doesn’t matter. The fact that God loves me, and that I am saved and going to heaven, is all that’s important and I always praise Him for taking me down a peg or two when needed.
1 CORINTHIANS 10:12 THEREFORE LET HIM THAT THINKETH HE STANDETH, TAKE HEED LEST HE FALL
This is a very relevant thought. Both as a Christian and as a heathen, I have obtained some pretty lofty positions. I praise God I am no longer at that altitude. Even as a Christian I am sometimes self righteous and mean spirited. That has no place in a minister of the Gospel. I am so thankful that I was not permitted to stay there, because I would have thought that those attributes were acceptable to God, but they aren’t.
As I said, the Bible is TwoEdged. So when I read the Bible, I always saw myself as Israel, David, Abraham, Moses, Peter, Paul and the rest of the good guys. But as I age, and learn my lessons, I also see glimpses of myself in Goliath, Delilah, Saul, Pilot, Judas and the rest of the bad guys. As I grow in the The Lord, I see that I can be the Villan just as easily as being the Saint. Oswald Chambers says the closer to God you are, the more blaring is your sin. Billy Graham was asked to weigh in on the Jimmy Swaggart scandals. His answer humbled me. He said ‘there but for the grace of God go I’. God’s Grace, Wisdom and Holiness show us our own depravity.
James 4:10 Humble yourself in the presence of the Lord, and he will honor you.
We have two choices. One is the easy choice. Realize that we can easily be a Goliath or Jimmy Swaggart and that will make us humble. We won’t be as hard and unforgiving on others. Or, we can choose the hard way. We can be mean and judgemental and think we are right. Then God will humble us (if we are His). If we aren’t His, He’ll just let us go on our merry way until we are in eternity. If you get humbled by God, praise Him, no matter how humiliating. God spanks those He loves to keep them from going to hell. I am speaking from experience.
Hebrews 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Even the early church. When someone one was acting bad, they had to be disciplined. God is all about keeping your soul from hell. His Holy Spirit is like a teacher. We are teachers here. We try to give the kid every chance possible to pass. We stay late, give parents advice, praise him when he does good, positive reinforcement, enormous encouragement always included. Then there is that one kid (out of hundreds over the years). He absolutely did not want to have anything to do with school. It broke my heart because I’ve been there. I got it. We eventually had to ask the parent to change schools cause he was affecting the rest of the students. He’s thriving in the new school praise God!! God showed the same thing with the primitive church.
1 Cor 5:5 I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
Ever see a 100 year old millionaire who is also an atheist? You must pray for him, don’t envy him. He has had his heaven on earth, which is just the wink of an eye compared to eternity. If he got his legs knocked out from under him when he was 60, and had to suffer embarrassing situations, that could have been possibly the best thing that could have happened to him. He might have gotten saved. That God delays His judgement is not weakness, but mercy. God wants us all to get saved.
Prisons are filled with believers, not just because they’re trying to get parole, but because they’ve been spanked by God. That’s my sermon when I preach when I visit prisons, Psalm 107. When you are at the bottom you have to cry to God. That’s a very good place to be. TwoEdged Sword. What?? Yes! You’re life is terrible, but you’re eternal like is great because you had to cry out to God because no one here could help you.
Psalm 107: 12 Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses
In the Army, when we had to do something horrible we would say ‘embrace the suck’. You have to do it anyway so you can embrace it or hate it. Porque? ’why?’ Or Para que? ‘For what purpose?’ Same situation, you can either cry about it or get something out of it that’s positive. It’s up to you.
The Christian life itself is TwoEdged. If I didn’t grow up being slighted, I probably wouldn’t be working with the children in the dump. Talk about being slighted, those kids are slighted by everyone, even Christian missionaries! My ministry is working with people that have been slighted, because I was slighted. I love great churches with strong Sunday Schools and VBS but it isn’t my calling. My calling is for the kid that isn’t the first pick on the baseball or soccer team. The kid that isn’t pretty or good smelling. The ‘dummy’ in school is my passion. Even most of our staff have been slighted most of their lives. Slighted people, hurt people, sad people, broken people make great servants of God. In fact, you can’t be really used of God until you’ve been broken. We see the TwoEdged sword daily, in the Word, in our prayers, and in the children we serve. God is good. Receive Him and His Word, even if it is painful. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross keeps us from hell if we trust in His finished work. There is no condemnation for those who are in Him.
Romans 8:28 For all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord
God uses the Word to correct the person that chooses to believe and to condemn those who choose to not to believe. I close with this
1Cor 11:31 But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment.32 Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.
Love
Dean and Winnie Peters
Praise Report
1. Our new room, and warehouse are complete completed,(w AC) ready for a visit
2. Jose our SEO is doing a great job.
3. Melisa is better.
4. English class, Daily Bible studies, school and feeding centers are all going well.
5. A fellow American missionary down here who is really struggling, wanting to quit.
Pureheart Overall Update – All is well
PRAYER REQUESTS
1. For Souls and Fruit.
2. FOR HEALING OF LOVED ONES WITH EVERYTHING FROM CANCER TO MENTAL ILLNESS.
3. FOR HOME VISITATIONS TO PRODUCE RESULTS, FOR VISITORS TO OUR HOME TO GET SAVED. FOR THE FAMILIES AND PARENTS OF ALL THE PUREHEART WORKERS TO GET SAVED.
4. FOR OUR 2 FEEDING CENTERS AND THE TWO OTHER FEEDING CENTERS THAT WE HELP. FOR OUR SISTER FEEDING CENTER IN ISLAMBAD PAKISTAN.
5. AS WE ARE HELPING OTHERS WITH EMERGENCY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS *THIS CONTINUOUS RAINY SEASON DESTROYS THE SHACKS THAT MANY OF OUR PEOPLE LIVE IN*. THAT WE BE THE LIGHT AND PEACE OF JESUS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STORM.
7. GOVERNMENTAL PAPERWORK, IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT, FRUSTRATING, AND EXPENSIVE. AMONG OF WHICH IS FOR PERMISSION TO HAVE AN ORPHANAGE-SPECIAL NEEDS-OLDFOLKS HOME ON A LOT IN THE MANAGUA CITY LIMITS.
7. THE DELAY IS OK, BECAUSE WE ARE STILL WAITING ON THE LORD TO PROVIDE THE MONEY AND THE PERFECT RESOURCES FOR ALL THE FULL TIME STAFF, DOCTOR, NURSE, AIDES ETC THAT COME WITH A FARM THAT HAS ROOM FOR AN ORPHANAGE, SPECIAL NEEDS CARE AND AN OLD FOLKS HOME ON IT, AS WELL AS THE PROPERTY ITSELF. EVEN WITH JUST AN ORPHANAGE HERE, OUR STAFF WILL ALMOST HAVE TO DOUBLE IN SIZE PER NICARAGUAN REGULATIONS
9. FOR OUR OWN CHILDREN`S SPIRITUAL GROWTH AND SAFETY WHILE STUDYING IN THE STATES.
10. A water tower for water pressure and a 2nd floor here for more space. Total 15k