Christian Newsletter Online

Almost every time I think of a boat I think of having true fellowship one with another.

The first time I was taught that Koinonia is like being in the same boat with someone I loved hearing that.

I was at a meeting that was held for Prayer Group leaders at a Church we attended.  My friend, Genevieve & I went to the meeting because we were leading a prayer meeting together.  Our church offered to cover us with their prayers.  They were also taking time to make sure we realized the importance of what were doing. 

People of God need to have fellowship with one another.  When it is at all possible it’s a good thing to obey God’s Word where it says we are to have this fellowship.

It is like getting in a boat together.  I can tell you this there may be times when I wouldn’t mind being in a boat alone but it seems to me it would be more enjoyable to get in it with someone joining me.

That’s what church attendance should be like for us all.  We should want to attend church and it’s always great to have people you care about there with you.

Note:Thanks for the prayer support about this one.  I’m still praying about what I should type up about this.  There are many things coming to my mind about this. My y. daughter has had thoughts about it, too.  Keep praying & we will see what comes forth. 

I had this thought come to me yesterday.  I’ve spent some time studying the Scriptures about when Jesus got in a boat. 

Pray for me to put together something very special about getting in the boat. 

Quick notes from the Greek Dictionary:

2841 – koinoneo from 2844 ; to share with others, communicate, distribute, be partaker

2842 -koinonia from 2844 ; partnership, participation, communicate, communion, distribution, fellowship

2843 – koinonikos from 2844 ; communicative, liberal; willing to communicate

2844 – koinonos from 2839 ; a sharer, companion, fellowship, partaker, partner

Fellowship is like two fellows in the same boat. 

I was taught years ago about how true Christians are meant to have fellowship with one another. 

When I heard the words “Get in the boat” go through my mind last night I felt it would be good for me to read about things recorded that happened when JESUS got in a boat.

I can quickly give a summary here about the first 8 things I noticed about His boat trips.

1. Jesus got in the boat to travel
2. He used boat trips to get away to a solitary place
3. He got away from a large crowd in a boat.  One time He only got far enough away to keep from being overcrowded.  He did teach while He was in the boat.
4. He was worshiped in the boat. They recognized Jesus is the Son of God while they were with Him in a boat.
5. There were 4 miracles recorded about Jesus & boats  (1M) He commanded the winds & the rain to calm down (2M) He walked on the water & told Peter He could do the same thing (3M) Men struggled to catch fish but when Jesus told them to let down the net again fish were caught (4M) A demoniac was healed.  The man that was healed of the demons wanted to go with Jesus.  Jesus had another plan for the man to follow. 

I’m going to ponder and pray about the information I’ve collected.  We’ll see what comes forth after this time of study and prayer.  I look forward to typing up something on here encouraging fellow Christians to get in the boat. 

We already know getting in the boat means having fellowship with one another.  I think it’s possible something else is to be shared about what God wants us to do after we get in the boat.

I look forward to what the Lord may reveal to me.  Please pray I’ll have words inspired by God to encourage fellow Christians as they put forth the effort to serve the Lord with gladness. 

God gives us hope even when things look hopeless.

Many pastors today may quote Jeremiah 29:11 to you where it talks about the good plans God has for you. God does have good plans for His people.

Some people seem to think that this hope God has for us means we will never have times of sorrow or disappointment. Some people have even talked about how God’s good plans or blessings for them means they don’t have to correct things of the past that they can correct.

We can be of good cheer because Jesus has overcome the world. There will be trying times while we reside on earth though.

Anyone that has lived past the age of 30 or so has probably witnessed the death of a loved one, sickness, divorce, or other things that bring sadness into life. These difficulties cannot be avoided here on earth.

I know of some Christian people that had to face hardships even though they did everything they thought was proper and good. Evil tidings came their way and they didn’t deserve the bad things that happened to them. God still has words of hope for them. He gives grace that is sufficient for people who cling to Him.

I keep thinking of Corrie & Betsy Ten Boom and their family. They were doing good things to help others. They were willing to suffer for righteousness.

It looked like they had no hope for a bright future once they were headed to that prison camp. They had not done anything bad that should have had them have to live in a horrible place like that.

Their decision to do the right thing mattered more to them than getting to enjoy a finer way of living.

Obedience to God brings blessings. I would guess that many times obedience to God brings more blessings in the hereafter than what is found while residing on earth.

If you hear God speaking to you telling you to do the right thing then obey Him. Do what you know is right and turn away from the evil selfish thoughts.

God will give you grace to do the right thing. God will walk with the righteous ones. The Saints of God will not walk alone even if it looks like they are walking on the road that is far less traveled.

Obedience to God is not for those who are faint of heart. It takes more strength to stand up for what you believe in and to do the right thing than it does to selfishly follow the wide road that leads to destruction.

No man may serve two masters. Each person has a free choice granted to them by God. They can obey God and reap the harvest of blessings that comes from obeying God or they can reap the sorrows that come from disobedience.

God does give hope to people even when their situation looks hopeless.

The hope of glory and everlasting life is one thing we know a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ will receive. This hope is what we cling to when things on this earth can’t bring us joy or happiness.

I expect most people end up realizing that money and the things it can buy just won’t bring lasting happiness. There is nothing this old world has to offer that will come close to the wonderful things God has in store for those who trust God to give them a home in heaven.

God will never fail you. God is the God of hope.

Don’t put your faith in your home or all those things you thought would bring you security. Those things won’t last. Material things will fade away. You can strive to keep them but they won’t last forever. If you die tomorrow nothing this world has to offer will be with you. The things you worked so hard for will be left to someone else and even still they will fade away in time.

Your hope comes from God if you truly believe in Him. If you fear God and you love God you will want to obey Him. If you truly believe what God’s Word says then you will want to do the right thing.

This past Saturday evening we went to hear a testimony from a woman that was delivered of a life of misery.  She was once in bondage to drugs.  She found the saving grace of Jesus helped her get free from the drug activity. She is walking with Jesus telling others about how God set her free from the things that were hurting her.  We know God can do this for anyone that will ask Him for such help.  She did have to accept His help and she had to be willing to give up the things that were a trap to her.  She tossed aside the things that were entangling her.

The pastor who shared Bible teaching with everyone after the woman gave her testimony talked about how we all have choices.  He talked about another preacher that he knew that tried to follow God’s Word and yet he also followed his own selfish desires at the same time.  He sadly reported that the other preacher left this world without ever getting a grip on following God’s Word only.  He gave us examples of how a person can be walking with God and they can still be following their own evil desires within.  He was lovingly warning us to follow one set of rules.

I was taught years ago that when a person tries to follow God and their own selfish desires they are in essence walking the fence line.  They don’t want to give up their selfish ways even though they pray hard that they will give up those things.  God knows each of us from within.  He knows when we have totally surrendered our lives and our wills over to Him.  He watches to see how we will conduct our lives.  He freely lets each of us choose whether we will serve Him with all of our hearts, minds, bodies, souls, and might or whether we will continue to try to keep our feet in both camps.

The book of Revelation also talks about how God will spew one out of his mouth if they won’t choose between hot and cold.  See Revelation 3:14 to the end:

¹⁴And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

¹⁵I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

¹⁶So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

¹⁷Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

¹⁸I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

¹⁹As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

²⁰Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

²¹To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

²²He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

A Christian friend of mine reminded me that God will deal with those that are not doing all that they know is right to do.  God is very patient with us.  He gives us warnings of all kinds.

I was talking about a loved one yesterday.  This particular person is dearly loved and I’ve seen how merciful God has been to her in so many ways.  She calls on God.  God gives her grace and mercy.  She complains that she isn’t always getting everything she desires.  Much of what she wants is selfish.  She follows God part way.  She wants all the blessings God will let come her way but she does not seem to be willing to want to be free of the things she knows God does not want her to be a party to.  I think of her & pray for God to continue sending mercy her way.  I think of Rev. 3 and ask God to open her eyes so she can follow Him in all her ways.  I know God wants her to choose to follow Him in every way not walking on that fence line.

Preachers share the Word.  They are sounding the trumpet for us.  They are warning us to follow God’s teachings so we can be in right standing with God.  They tell us what the Bible has to say about following God’s Word obediently doing what we know is right rather than doing our own thing.  To follow the flesh is to follow selfishness.  Selfishness comes from the devil.  To follow God is to listen to what He says we are supposed to do turning away from the fleshly desires.

It’s not easy to do things God’s way.  Obedience to God’s Word will bring blessings.  Giving into the flesh will bring forth sad tidings.

My sincere hope and prayer is that all who read this will search their own hearts seeking God’s help to acknowledge if they are trying to walk in both camps or not.  Trying to walk in God’s camp while trying to keep your feet in the camp of the devil is destructive.  Christians know that we cannot serve two masters.

A person that says they are following God and then they tell lies is not walking with God.  That is deception.  The devil is the father of lies.  When such a person continues to blame others for their wrong doing they are continuing to walk in their own sin.  They may lie to themselves.  They may even convince a lot of people that they are the unfortunate one that is always being dumped on but their sin will find them out.  In the book of Numbers 32 verse 23 we are reminded of how God told people that their sin would find them out:

²³But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

There is no hiding things from God.  You cannot lie to our Creator.  God knows everything done and why it has been done.

Pastor Ron Johnson used to tell his congregation the importance of self-examination.  It is our responsibility to examine ourselves.  We are not supposed to compare ourselves among ourselves.  We are not accountable for another person’s sins.  Each person will be held accountable for the things they have done whether good or bad.

I was listening to a television preacher this morning.

He was preaching the Word. I love it when a man of God speaks telling things that are found in the Bible.

How many times have you heard someone act like a preacher but they don’t even say what the Bible says?

The man that was preaching this morning talked about how curses are broken when you obey the Word of God.

He used Scriptures to prove what he had to say was truth.  He told everyone listening that they have a choice whether they will do what the Bible says we are to do or whether they will walk after the flesh.  God’s Word tells us to walk after the Spirit rather than to walk after the flesh.

The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God.  God’s Word is where Christians are supposed to find how to walk in ways that please God.

I was happy to hear the Word of God.  It is a good thing for Christians to be reminded that the things of this world are not what we are supposed to walk after.  Our goal should be to walk after God doing all He says we are to do.

The straight and narrow path is not chosen by the majority of the people.  It is the path we are supposed to walk on if we want to take up our crosses to follow the Lord.

May God help us all hear Him clearly so we can obey Him in all things.

This was a powerful message God gave me me in 1985.  I've been praying God would
help me find it. It's a set of words that came to my mind after prayer and after
being awakened from a dream.  I had specifically prayed asking God for words of
help.  I named it a powerful message because of the way some of my Christian friends
responded to this message in the past and because of the impact these words
had on my own life.  Anyone that reads the Word of God can see that the power
of the words in this writing is backed up by God's Word. He is the One that
inspired man to write His Holy Word.  When we feed on God's Word thoughts like this
are able to permeate from within us.  It comes from renewing our minds with
God's Word.  

You will probably sense a stronger anointing of the Holy Spirit of God if you
read and reread this out loud giving the words heartfelt meaning. 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

God is love, peace, joy, & Harmony 

God is so good, God is so good, God is so good - He's so good to me. 

Do all that you said you would do.  My people have come to Me and said, "Father,
What do you want me to do?"  I answered them and told them and they replied;
"Oh, yes, Father, I will do everything you say!"  And then My people forgot what
they said they would do.  People, My people, I tell you now, "DO ALL THAT YOU
SAID YOU WOULD DO."   If you spoke with your mouth and said I will do it, then
do what you said you would do. 

I am leading you and guiding you.  I shall keep you in perfect peace as your
mind is stayed upon Me.  Listen to My commands.  I command you to trust Me and
obey Me.  You need not fear, I will not mislead you.  Trust Me. 

You answered your own questions, when you come to Me and say; "How shall I do
what You told me to do?" You have answered rightly, when you have said you will
be led by My Holy Spirit. 

Do all that I command you to do, and this is My commandment, that you love one
another that your joy may be full. 

Share My words with others, be ready at all times to share Me with others.
Others need to hear of Me, others need to see Me in your  face, others need to
hear you sing about Me. 

Don't give up hope.  Don't ever give up and be discouraged.  For faith is the
substance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not yet seen.  Oh, My
children, don't give up.  Believe in  Me and believe that I am with you.
Believe in what you cannot see until you see it. 

You don't have to tell everyone everything I tell you.  Keep some secrets in
your heart until I lead you to speak of them.  Just be ready to share what I
want you to share when I want you to share it.  Don't follow set rules and
patterns that bind you and keep you from being free in the Holy Spirit.
Remember at all times to be led by the Holy Spirit of God.  Those who are led by
the Spirit of God shall be called the children of God. 

Everything I promised you will come to pass.  Everything I said would happen
will happen.  Everything will occur at a perfect time. There really is a perfect
time for every event under heaven.  You must realize that I still do things My
way; for My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts are higher than your
thoughts. 

Come to Me with all your burdens and lay them down at My feet. Come to Me with
your sorrows and sow tears at the foot of my cross.  Come to Me with your every
heart's desire and share your every thought with Me. 

Don't limit My power and don't think that you can limit Me for I AM who I AM and
I will perform My will, My way, and there is absolutely nothing you can do to
stop it! 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

I received these words after being awakened from a dream in February of 1985.
The words encouraged others in 1985 and they asked for copies of it at the time.
It has been something that has continued to help me through the years.  There
are others who have be blessed to read these words years after they were first
penned down on paper.  It is my prayer that God will use these words to bless
you now.   Elizabeth Evans Wolfe