Spiritual Passages Pg. 6

~~~Cyrian's Diary~~~

Spiritual Passages Pg. 6

Some of the Nicest Passages show up each week......

The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it's the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him with his friendship.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

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You are younger today than you ever will be again. Make use of it for the sake of tomorrow.

- Anonymous

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Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by an encounter with another human being. Each of us owes the deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this inner light.

- Albert Schweitzer
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A small trouble is like a pebble. Hold it too close to your eye and it fills the whole world and puts everything out of focus. Hold it at a proper distance and it can be examined and properly classified. Throw it at your feet and it can be seen in its true setting, just one more tiny bump on the pathway to life.

- Celia Luce
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The Watchman

Ezekiel was called to be a prophet after being taken captive to Babylon.
Since the beginning of his ministry Ezekiel knew his path would be
difficult - he knew the people would not be receptive to his message;
"The people to whom I {God} am sending you are obstinate and stubborn"
(Ezekiel 2:4). And yet, from the very beginning, God made it clear that
Ezekiel was accountable to speak the truth.

Ezekiel 3:17-18
"I have made you a watchman; so hear the Word I speak and give them
warning from Me. When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and
you do not warn him...that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will
hold you accountable for his blood."

God called Ezekiel and clearly gave him a message of truth that was
expected to be shared; "whether they listen or fail to listen" (Ezekiel
3:11). Ezekiel was not responsible for how many people obediently
followed God's Word; but he was definitely accountable for sharing the
message God gave.

God's call is not reserved for pastors, missionaries, or ministry
leaders. His call goes out to each of us who hear His message of
forgiveness. Yes, the world is still full of "obstinate and stubborn"
people (we probably need look no further than the mirror); but God's
truth is good news which can save lives and give hope - it's a truth
which must be shared.

Now here's the difficult part: Sharing God's truth is not an optional
part of our walk. Each of us have been called and given a mission field
in which to minister; and we are held accountable for our ministry into
this field. Notice we're not accountable for the response, only for our
action or inaction; "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and
doesn't do it, sins" (James 4:17). Failure to respond to God's leading is sin!

What field has God called you to today? What message has He placed on
your heart? There are family, friends, and coworkers who desperately
need to hear the gospel message. There are people all around us who
need to be encouraged to draw closer to God; encouraged to forgive and
restore relationships; encouraged to live according to who they are in
Christ. This is our mission field and this is our message! We must
obediently share, in love, and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit,
even if no one listens.

We are God's watchman over whatever field He provides. Let's draw near
and love Him with all our heart - so close to His side that His message
and direction are clear. We must proclaim His truth wherever He leads.
Let's accept the responsibility, and accountability, of the watchman.

Have a Great Day!

Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries

God's Daily Word Ministries
P.O. Box 700113
San Antonio, TX 78270

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He who wants to expand the field of happiness, let him lay the foundation of it on the bottom of his heart.

- Tao saying
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Dreams are but thoughts until their effects be tried.

- William Shakespeare

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Winter is the time of love and of taking the light within. Earth is the element of winter, and archangel Gabriel and his angels bring us the potential for peace and harmony on Earth.

- Terry Lynn Taylor,
"Angel Days"

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Our angels cradle our every prayer in their hands, laying it confidently before the throne of God.

- Eileen Elias Freeman,
"The Angels' Little Instruction Book"

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Embrace your secret angel--she's never more than an arm's length away.

- Suzanne Siegal Zenkel,
"Your Secret Angel"

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He who loves goodness harbors angels, reveres reverence, and lives with God.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Just Passing Through

It's a great privilege to be part of God's creation. It's an honor to
view "God's invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature"
(Romans 1:20), through the beauty of this world. Every plant and
animal; every hill, valley and body of water; every star in the sky and
every man, woman and child declare the glory of God and attest to His
majesty. And yet, as glorious as this world may be...it is not our home.

Philippians 3:19-21
"Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in Heaven. And
we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the
power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will
transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body."

When we place our trust in Jesus, He provides a way for us to be united
with God and "adopted as His sons" (Ephesians 1:5). We are adopted by
grace and become "fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's
household" (Ephesians 2:19). If we could gain even a small
understanding of "God's household," we would hold very loose any of our
attachments to this world.

Abraham lived his life by faith. When God called Abraham to pack all
his household and move, he obeyed "even though he did not know where he
was going" (Hebrews 11:8). Abraham was never concerned with his earthly
dwelling; he was "longing for a better country - a Heavenly one"
(Hebrews 11:16). Abraham honored God through faith while remaining an
"alien and a stranger on earth" (Hebrews 11:13).

We have been placed in this world with all its beauty and with all its
temptations. In fact, when we give our life to Christ, we are
specifically sent into the world for the purpose of ministry; "As You
have sent Me into the world, I have sent them into the world" (John
17:18). But we must NEVER become identified by the values of the world
or driven by anything it can offer. We are sent into the world, we must
never be of the world; "They are not of the world, even as I am not of
it" (John 17:16).

Our home is defined as the place we feel most comfortable; the place we
store our treasures and find rest for our soul. If we are a child of
God, our eternal home is Heaven and we ought to be able to say, "Take
everything I own but leave me Jesus and I will have enough!" This world
can be VERY beautiful and our lives should always be a productive
_expression of worship for our Lord. But let's always remember...we're
just passing through!

Have a Great Day

note: when forwarded an eagle is added.)

Prayer wheel for our soldiers...please don't break it
Prayer Wheel

"Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they
protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they
perform for us in our time of need. I ask this in the name of Jesus, our
Lord and Savior. Amen."

Prayer Wheel: When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a
prayer for our troops in Afghanistan, and around the world.

There is nothing attached.... This can be very powerful.... Just send this to all the
people in your address book. Do not stop the wheel, please....
Of all the gifts you could give a US Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine &others deployed in harm's way,

Prayer is the very best one.

UPDATE CALENDAR REFERENCE INSTR......

Took 11 days to figure out what to do to link the calendar to the page #'s, so here's the "fix" (also proper way to do this again with each new page added):

Open and make the day's page. Publish when thru. Check browser address line and obtain the correct page id #. (November calendar HTML is working perfectly/ back-reference).

In between tags, enter the page id# and date.