Activated Magazine 2005 / 07

(Traditional Chinese Activated mag 7 of volume 2--text mostly from English issues June 2003, and from old Act mag 10)

Cover:

AS PURE GOLD
The making of a better you

STEPPING STONES
Trials equal good

FAILURE?
No such thing

page 2

This is Activated magazine volume 2 issue 7. If you are interested in receiving more issues or ordering some of our inspiring and strengthening Bible-based publications, please write, phone or e-mail us today! Thank you!

(address of various Activated desk around the world)

(credits)

© 2004 Aurora Production, Ltd.
All Rights Reserved

Golden Sunrise Production
(address)
e-mail: info@goldensp.com
Website：www.goldensp.com
PO Account：19610600
Name of Account：Golden Sunrise Production

Unless indicated otherwise, all
Scripture quotations in Activated! are
from the Chinese Union Bible, Chinese Living Bible,
Modern Chinese Bible & new Chinese Bible.

Personally Speaking
Sometimes it seems that life is just full of problems-sickness, accidents, loss of loved ones, financial problems, family problems, and on and on the list goes. “Hasn't there been some sort of mistake here?” we may ask.
The answers to these questions are nearly as varied as the problems we face. Sometimes the Lord allows these things to test and strengthen our faith. Sometimes they happen to keep us close to the Lord and dependent on Him, as we realize that we're insufficient in ourselves and need His help. Sometimes they happen to make us pray more earnestly. Sometimes they happen to teach us lessons of patience, or positiveness in the face of adversity. Sometimes they happen to keep us humble. Sometimes they happen so God can demonstrate His power to solve our problems. Sometimes they happen to make us stronger in mind and spirit. Sometimes they happen to make us wiser. Sometimes they happen to help us appreciate our other blessings and all the problems we don't have. There are all kinds of good reasons for having troubles, believe it or not! And whatever the reason, it is always for our ultimate good! “All things work together for good to those who love God” (Romans 8:28).
Of course, how quickly and completely God is able to accomplish His good purpose often depends on how much cooperation He gets from us. This issue of Activated! explains how to put your spiritual resources on God's side and work with Him so He can give you His very best-even when things seem to be at their worst.

Hsu Ling
For the Activated family.

Page 3

As Pure as Gold
The making of a better you

       Nothing "bad" happens to a Christian without some good reason. "All things work together for good to those who love God" (Romans 8:28). Don't worry about the times of testing and weakness, thinking that you must have done something terribly wrong. What you feel is the Lord's tender hand upon you, making you into the person He knows you can be. He's not punishing you, He's testing and refining you and making you even more beautiful in spirit. He's making your inner beauty shine for all to see.
       As hard as it is, these breakings and remakings are inevitable. He must make you weak. He must make you humble. He must make you desperate for Him and His help. But in this time of weakness, as you acknowledge your dependence on Him, He will come to your rescue, give you strength of spirit, and shape your character in ways that would otherwise not be possible.
       You're in His hands and He will perfect that which concerns you (Psalm 138:8). So don't be angry or bitter at the Lord for these testings, which are only for a time. You will rejoice and be grateful when you look back and see how this was necessary for Him to accomplish His good purpose.
       -David Brandt Berg

* * *


       In ancient times, goldsmiths had a simple but sure method to determine when the refining process had purged away all the base metals and other extraneous matter from the gold ore. When a goldsmith could see his face reflected in the molten metal in his cupel, he knew that the refining fire had worked its purifying purpose; only pure gold remained.
       Job said, "When God has tested me, I shall come forth as gold" (Job 23:10).
       King Solomon wrote, "The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the hearts" (Proverbs 17:3).
       The apostle Peter wrote, "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you" (1 Peter 4:12).
       When God sees the image of His Son reflected in our lives, He knows that His purifying fires have achieved their purpose.

* * *


       No matter what happens to those called "His own,"
Events that are awful or grand,
Every trial of your life He sends from His Throne;
Things just don't happen; they're planned.
       -Alice Reynolds Flower
Page 4-5

Stepping stones

 If you ever find yourself feeling down and out because of your weaknesses, failures or circumstances, you may be about to discover just how close and caring the Lord is, because it's through life's most trying times that we learn that Jesus is always there at our side. He loves us and wants only the best for us. When we understand that the Lord has a positive purpose in everything He allows to happen to us, we can learn to benefit from even our troubles. Each difficulty or disappointment can become a steppingstone to lead us to higher ground.
 God's loving plan
God has promised in His Word, "All things work together for good to those who love God" (Romans 8:28). He will never let anything happen to you, His child, that isn't for your good. Although a lot of things may have happened to you that didn't look very good at the time, you'll find out sooner or later, if you haven't already, that in some way they were good for you.
The Lord's answers to our prayers are infinitely perfect, but sometimes He doesn't answer our prayers the way we want Him to because He sees ahead and knows that our desires would harm us or others if He were to grant them. Often we later find that what we were asking for was actually a stone that merely looked like bread, while He was trying to give us bread that in our shortsightedness looked like a stone (Matthew 7:7-11).
The darkest times of all
God's purposes aren't always immediately clear, but you can always rest assured that you're in His care, and that things will work together for good in the end-someway, somehow. When you're going through trying times, in spite of the battles, in spite of the loss, in spite of the confusion, in spite of the heartbreak, you must hold on to the knowledge that the Lord loves you. His love is unchanging, unfailing and unending. No matter what happens, no matter how bleak the outlook, no matter how difficult the battle, no matter how long and dark the tunnel, no matter how severe the suffering, He loves you! He doesn't give His love stingily. He doesn't mete out a little here or a little there as you earn it. He always pours forth His love freely and abundantly!
Jesus has promised you, "I am with you always, even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20 KJV). He also promises, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). Even through the darkest and most trying times, the Lord is always "a Friend who sticks closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24). "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4). He is there in the darkness. He is there in the trial. He is there in the test. He is there in the confusion. He is there in the depths. He is there because He loves you. He is there to help you through.
Jesus doesn't like to see you suffer and be unhappy, but He knows you have to go through these things in order to become the man or woman He wants you to be and to fulfill your part in God's great plan-even as He had to go through the agony of dying on the cross for the sins of the world.
 Pathway to glory
When you come to the end of life's road and look back at all that happened to you, you'll see just how much the Lord loved you and how faithfully He cared for you all along the way, especially when the going got rough. It will be clear then that the rocks in your path were not placed there to cause you to stumble, but they were meant to be steppingstones to glory-the glory of utter dependence upon the Lord, the glory of His Spirit working through the humble spirit, the trusting soul, the yielded mind, the loving heart.
So no matter what hard turns your road may take, remember that Jesus is with you. He cares, and He will eventually cause even the "worst" situations to work together for your good. He has promised to!

Quote: If you learn the simple equation “trials equal good,” your life will be richer, your lessons greater, your mind more tranquil, and you will more easily recognize the Lord's hand in the events of your life. It makes all the difference in the world whether you look at a flood of problems, trials, battles and tribulations just waiting to see the worst happen, or if you look at them with the excitement and challenge that comes from waiting to discover all the good you know the Lord will bring out of them.
-Maria David

Book ads for OFO:
For more on how to pass through life's tests and trials victoriously, don't miss Obstacles Are for Overcoming, from the Get Activated! series!

Pages 6, 7, 9a
Fighters (edited)
By David Brandt Berg

Many people, when they receive Jesus as their Savior, assume that all their problems will be immediately and forever solved. They think they'll never have any more difficulties, but this usually isn't the case.
When discussing the tests and trials that new Christians often face, especially those who are witnessing their newfound faith to others, my mother used to say, “The Devil doesn't start shooting until you 'go over the top'!” She was alluding to the trench warfare of World War I. The soldiers on both sides often spent days or weeks huddled in their trenches, during which time they held their fire. But whenever one side ordered an offensive and their soldiers climbed over the top of the trenches to attack their enemy's territory, the other side would immediately start shooting at them with all their big guns!
It reminds me of the story about Sam, a Christian who was the servant of a wealthy, unbelieving plantation owner. One day Sam's boss asked him, “Why is it, Sam, that you're a Christian, and yet you have all sorts of problems and tribulations? I don't even believe in God, and I don't have nearly as much trouble as you do!”
Sam replied, “Well, boss, I guess I'll have to think about that one before I can answer you.”
A few days later, Sam's boss went duck hunting, and took Sam along to help him.
After Sam's boss had shot several ducks, he shouted to Sam, “Bag the live ones, Sam! Bag the live ones! Leave the dead ones lay!”
(When hunting ducks or other fowl, some are killed outright. Others are only wounded and will sometimes revive enough to fly away if the hunter doesn't quickly grab and “bag” them.)
When Sam returned with the ducks, he said, “Boss, I think I have the answer to the question you asked me the other day. I'm a live one!” And he went on to explain, “The Devil's afraid I'm going to get away, so he tries to bag me first. You're a dead one! He's not a bit worried about you. He's already got you!”
The Devil is out to stop each new Christian the best he can. He can't get us back once we're saved, because we can't lose our salvation; we're the Lord's forever. The battle for our souls is won, and it's a permanent victory (John 6:37; 10:28-29).
Although the Devil can't get us back, he can still give us a lot of trouble. He will especially do all he can to try to keep us from serving God and winning others into the Lord's kingdom. Every person won to Christ is a threat to the Devil. Every new Christian is potentially capable of winning hundreds of others away from him, so the Devil tries to destroy their usefulness to the Lord.
In the face of such opposition, some Christians ask, “Well, what did receiving Jesus do for me, anyway? I'm having these horrible trials now!” Christians who complain like that need to stop and think about what Jesus has done for them. They're saved; that's the main thing. They've got eternal life; they're not going to Hell; they don't have to worry about death anymore.
Where's their gratitude? Where's their love and loyalty? Isn't the love of their Savior worth fighting for? Aren't their new Christian brothers and sisters worth fighting for? Maybe they don't want to go through all these trials and tribulations just for themselves, but shouldn't they be willing to fight for the sake of others?
They also need to remind themselves that there are all kinds of benefits to being a Christian. They've got all the promises in the Bible on their side now. Yes, “many are the afflictions of the righteous,” but the second half of that verse promises, “but the Lord delivers him out of them all” (Psalm 34:19). Even if they have to make some sacrifices, the Lord's going to repay them a hundred times over in this life (Mark 10:30). They can also have peace of mind, contentment of heart, and a feeling of genuine accomplishment for all they do for the Lord (Isaiah 26:3; John 14:27; Romans 5:1; Philippians 4:7).
They have the greatest power in the universe-God Himself-on their side. They can rest assured that no matter what happens, they're going to win in the long run. Regardless of how difficult the day-to-day battles may be or how heavy the fighting may get, they're going to win the overall war. The final victory is already theirs. They cannot lose because they're on the winning side!
They need to keep their eyes ahead on the eternal goal, as is brought out in the “faith” chapter, Hebrews 11: “By faith, by faith, by faith…” It says that all the great patriarchs of the Bible looked forward, through the eyes of faith. They weren't satisfied with being a citizen of this world; they looked for a heavenly country, a heavenly city, made by the Lord. They were willing to go through trials and tribulations and be strangers and pilgrims here-people without a country-because they knew they had one comingand they knew it was worth fighting, living, suffering and sometimes even dying for! (Hebrews 11:13-16). Paul wrote, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).
New Christians need to realize that there's a war going on-a war of the worlds between the Devil's dominion and the kingdom of God-and they need to be prepared to fight in that war. They need to understand that they've joined the Lord's army and it's engaged in battle with the Devil and his evil works. It's a fight! After all, that's what armies are for-to fight battles. They're on the winning side, but they've still got to fight!
In the Lord's army, He often lets His soldiers go through some of the heaviest tests in the very beginning, just like boot camp in the army, where new recruits experience some of the toughest training in order to weed out all those who just can't make it. The Lord allows the Devil to test the “recruits” to see if they can take it.
Serving the Lord is often a struggle, but we learn to like it because we know we're on the right side, the winning side, and we've got the right Commander, Jesus, who we're proud of and happy to live for and serve. We like the battle, just as an athlete likes the athletic trial. We like to fight the Devil and defeat him in the never-ending battle for the souls of men. We like the fight, the excitement and the exhilaration of victory on the battlefront.
The Lord says, “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). There's no crown without a cross, no testimony without a test, no triumph without a trial, no victory without a battle! Remember, that's what you joined the army for-to fight and to win! So let's get on with the battle! As long as you keep fighting, you'll keep winning.
Take a lesson from John Paul Jones, the 18th century naval captain. His ship had been shot out from under him and was sinking. Half his men had been killed and many others had been wounded, including Jones himself. When the enemy captain called upon Jones to surrender, Jones screamed back, “Surrender? Hell no! We haven't even begun to fight yet!” He refused to surrender and kept on fighting-and he eventually won the battle. That's the kind of soldier who wins victories-the kind that refuses to stop fighting.
May God raise up soldiers who like to fight for the Lord with the weapon of His Word, who enjoy defeating the Devil, who know they can't lose-conquering heroes who like to live and fight and sacrifice for Jesus and their brethren and the truth! That kind of soldier can't be conquered. Even if they die fighting, they can't lose, because they'll get a crown of glory.
The Apostle Paul said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness” (2 Timothy 4:7-8). Will you be able to say the same?

Pull quote: With God you cannot lose, because you're on the winning side!
Pull quote: “Endure hardship, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:3).
Caption: “Hell no! We haven't even begun to fight yet!”

 

Pages 8, 9b
Things Could be Worse!

When going through a rough time, it helps to put your troubles in perspective by considering what some others have gone through.
Take the Apostle Paul, for example. He suffered plenty. “Five times I received stripes minus one…three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned… in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren.”—2Corinthians 11:24-26
Nevertheless, Paul continued to trust God despite his troubles. What was his secret to overcoming the obstacles? It’s found in the next verse: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”(Philippians 4:13) He leaned on Jesus, and Jesus gave Him strength. And through this, Paul became a great man of God and an inspiration to millions ever since.
***
A serious traffic accident forced an 18-year-old Spaniard to abandon a promising career as a goaltender with the professional football team Real Madrid. While hospitalized he took an interest in music after a doctor’s assistant gave him a guitar. Several years later he won a national song contest with one of his own compositions, “La Vida Sigue Igual” (Life Goes On) and opened a new career for Julio Iglesias.
Your handicap couldbe your way out. It could be your greatest asset. It could strengthen your character and stretch your soul. It could spur you on. It could inspire new creativity. It could lead to deeper and happier relationships with others. Whether or not it will depends on you.
***
Look at the famous American inventor, Edison. Do you think the success of his inventions all came about very smoothly?  He failed 25,000 times before he created a simple storage battery, yet he was so positive and expressed that these “failures” only represented his learning process.  As far as his invention of the light bulb, it took him 2,000 times of experiments before he got it to work.  Even when Edison reached the age of 67, and his laboratory was virtually destroyed by fire, he still didn’t give up.  On the contrary, he kept on going cheerfully and optimistically, and not long afterwards, he managed to deliver his first phonograph.
So, dear friend, keep on going and keep on fighting, and God’s love and His promises will never fail!

Quote:
God has a purpose in everything, even if it is only to force us to exercise our faith and demonstrate it for the encouragement of others, to inspire their faith and encourage them to trust in the Lord too.--David Brandt Berg

Pages 10, 11a

Transform your mind

MEMORIZATION Tips

1. Your memory can be developed like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets; lack of use causes it to weaken.

2. The more you concentrate, the easier it is to memorize. Find a quiet place, free from distractions.

3. Find the best time for you. Most people find it easiest to memorize first thing in the morning, when their minds are rested. The evening is a good time to review what you memorized that day.

4. Sight, sound and action. Read what you are memorizing, write it out, and quote it out loud to yourself. Using these three methods together reinforces the memory process.

5. Memory work is work! It does take a certain amount of determination and self-discipline on your part, but the more you do it, the easier it gets.

6. Know you can. God has given you a mind that's more powerful than any computer. If you find it “impossible” to memorize, claim Philippians 4:13-“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”-and keep trying.

7. Set goals. When getting started, try to memorize one verse every day, or one verse every two days. Have short-term and long-term memory projects.

8. Be regular. Find one or two time slots in your daily schedule that work well for you. Five minutes or so at a time is all it takes.

9. Repetition is the law of memory. The more you go over what you're memorizing, the quicker you'll learn it; the more often you review what you've already learned, the longer it will stick with you. Go over a new verse three times a day till you know it well, then once or twice a week for the next few weeks, then once or twice a month, etc. If you have difficulty quoting an “old” verse correctly, you need to review it more often.

10. Try to learn the references too (the book name, and the chapter and verse numbers where the verse appears in the Bible). This will come in handy when you want to find the verse later.

“Bind them [God's Words] continually upon your heart; tie them around your neck. When you roam, they will lead you; when you sleep, they will keep you; and when you awake, they will speak with you” (Proverbs 6:21-22).n

For a listing of some of the most important verses in the Bible for memorization, arranged topically, order Key Bible Verses. You'll find this small booklet-in a handy shirt-pocket size that you can easily carry with you-to be an invaluable memorization aid.

Why should we memorize Scriptures? There are many benefits! The Scriptures we “hide in our heart” will be a blessingto us all our lives; they'll encourage our faith and help us recognize and thank the Lord for all He does for us. Memorization gives us a special closeness with Jesus, who is the Word (John 1:1-14). It is also easier to claim in prayer the promises that the Lord has made in His Word when we know these promises by heart (2 Peter 1:4).
Jesus said, “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). The Word is what gives us life and food and nourishment and strength and spiritual health. If you are faithful to hide it in your heart, it will come to life for you! You'll also always have it with you, whether you have a Bible on hand or not. This is very useful when witnessing to others.
As you delight yourself in the Word and meditate on it, the Lord will bless and prosper you, and you will be “like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season!” (Psalm 1:2-3).

Try these for starters

SALVATION
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Acts 16:31 Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.
Ephesians 2:8-9 By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

THE HOLY SPIRIT
John 14:26 The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
Acts 1:8 You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me.
Acts 2:17 It shall come to pass in the Last Days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh.

THE WORD OF GOD
Psalm 119:105 Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

PRAYER
Jeremiah 33:3 Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.
Matthew 7:7-8 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
1 John 5:14 This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

Page 11b
PRAYER FOR THE DAY

       Help me to trust You, Lord, and never to question or criticize You for anything You send or allow to come my way. I know that You know best, even when it doesn't seem best to me at the time.
Give me the faith to let go of my own wants and wishes so You can have Your way. You have promised to always work things out for my good in the long run, because You have my best interests at heart.

Pages 12, 13b

HEAVENLY VICTORY
IN THE GREAT TRIBULATION

The Bible warns us that a powerful one-world govern-ment will arise in these final days of man's reign on Earth, led by a demonic dictator-the Antichrist-who will actually be possessed by Satan himself! The last three and a half years of his rule will be a time that the Bible calls the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21; Revelation 7:14). This Antichrist government will use a universal electronic credit system to try to cause everybody to come under the control of the Antichrist, because no one will be able to buy or sell without a personal credit number, or “mark of the Beast” (Revelation 13:16-18). The Antichrist will also set up an idol, an image of himself, and somehow cause those who refuse to worship the image to be killed (Revelation 13:14-15).
But God's children will refuse to worship the Antichrist or receive his mark-and God will take care of them! (Revelation 12:6,14). Although some Christians will die as martyrs, the Antichrist will not be able to overcome them spiritually. The Lord says, “And they”-the Christians-”overcame him [the Antichrist] by the blood of the Lamb [Jesus] and by the word of their testimony; and they did not love their lives to the death” (Revelation 12:11).
God's Word also promises that during this time “the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits,” and that “those of the people who understand shall instruct many” (Daniel 11:32,33). In those days many will be seeking the truth and a way out of their desperate situations, and those who know the Lord and understand His Word will be able to explain to them what's happening. Those in the know will lead and encourage God's other children till the very end.
The Lord has also promised to come to His people's defense with mighty signs and wonders. When you read in Revelation chapters 8 and 9 about of the “trumpets of tribulation” and the horrific plagues that they herald, you need to remember that God is sending these plagues to torment the wicked and ungodly. Those who have the “seal of God”-that is, those who believe in and love Jesus-have nothing to fear! (Revelation 7:2-3; 9:1-5). The Lord is also going to give many of those who believe in Him miraculous powers to defend themselves, survive, continue to proclaim the truth and lead others to Him right up till His return (Revelation 11:3-6).
So don't worry about the Great Tribulation! It's not going to be some kind of a lopsided, rampaging victory for the Devil! God's people are going to win supernatural victories over him and all of his powers!n

Pull quote: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)
Pull quote: The Lord is also going to give many of those who believe in Him miraculous powers ...

Page 13a

Feeding Reading
Why Does God Allow Trials and Tests?

To draw us closer to Him
Psalm 107:12-13

To see if we will
remain true to Him
Deuteronomy 8:2
Deuteronomy 13:3-4
Jeremiah 17:10

To draw us closer
to His Word
Psalm 94:12
Psalm 119:67,71

To make us more fruitful
John 15:2

To train us
Hebrews 5:8
1 Peter 4:1-2

To make us
more useful vessels
Jeremiah 18:4
2 Timothy 2:21

To purify us
Psalm 66:10
Job 23:10
Isaiah 48:10
Daniel 11:35
1 Peter 1:7

To prepare us for the future
Deuteronomy 8:16
Psalm 105:17-22

To teach us patience
Romans 5:3
James 1:3-4

To teach us compassion towards others
Hebrews 4:15
2 Corinthians 1:4

Page 14
answers to your questions

Q: I've been told that prayer is a sure thing-that when I pray God will answer.
Why, then, do some of my prayers go unanswered?

A: Each of us has experienced disappointment when things didn't work out the way we wanted them to, and if we had prayed for that outcome that didn't happen, we were doubly disappointed-first because we didn't get what we wanted, and second because it seemed God had failed us.
Even when there are obvious, logical reasons why something didn't go our way, we wonder why God didn't make it happen anyway. After all, if He's God, He can do anything, and if He loves us as much as the Bible says He does, why didn't He? At times like that, it's easy to hold it against God for not answering prayer.
Of course, it's not right to question God in that accusing sort of way, as though we know better than He does. It is good to ask Him where things went wrong, however, because that will help get better results next time.
The first thing to bear in mind is that God never fails to do what's best for everyone involved, and He never goes back on His promises He has given in the Bible. We, on the other hand, can and do fail sometimes. Also, because He's given us free will, God is often limited in how He can answer our prayers by the choices we or others make.
When prayers seem to go unanswered, some good questions to ask yourself are:
*       Was my request motivated by unselfish love and concern for everyone involved?
*       Did I believe and claim promises from God's Word?
*       Did I put feet to my faith by doing all I could to bring about the desired result?
*       Was God unable to do what I asked because of the choices of others?
*       Was it perhaps not yet God's time to answer or His plan for me?
*       Is it possible that God's "other" answer will prove better in the long run?
God's delays are not denials.
God always answers our prayers, but not always right away or in just the way we expect Him to. Sometimes He says yes, sometimes He says no, and sometimes He says wait. There are a number of factors that affect the process, including you and your situation, God and His will, and the situations of others involved. You don't control the outcome completely, others don't control it completely, and God has specifically limited Himself not to control it completely, which is, of course, one reason why prayers don't always get answered right away. But when the conditions are ready for the result God knows is best, He will answer. So never doubt for a moment that God is going to answer. Trust Him and thank Him for the answer-even if you don't see it immediately!
-David Brandt Berg

page 15a
God Is Love
A deadly coalmine explosion in Northern England left scores of miners trapped underground, beyond help. The large crowd that gathered at the mouth of the mine included many relatives of the dead and dying miners.
"It is very difficult for us to understand why God should let such an awful tragedy happen," said Handley Moule, a clergyman who was asked to speak to the crowd. "I have at home an old bookmark given me by my mother. It is woven in silk, and when I look at the wrong side of it, I see nothing but a tangled mass of threads. It looks like a big mistake! One would think that whoever made it didn't know what she was doing. But when I turn it over and look at the right side, I see there, beautifully embroidered, the message, 'God is love!' We are looking at this tragedy from the wrong side. Someday we shall view it from another standpoint and we shall understand."
***
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ... In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
     -- The Apostle Paul, Romans 8:35,37-39

page 15b

Coming Next…

When it comes down to it, what matters most in our lives besides ourselves, the answer is quite obvious, our own family!  It’s wonderful how the Lord created man & woman & ordained them to become one in marriage & to be “fruitful & multiply”! (Genesis 1:28)  How would the world be without the families?  But the funny thing is, you may have noticed as well, tending a family takes a lot of work, like tending a garden in order to keep the family life blossom & more fruitful & happier. And oftentimes we found that we even neglect our own loved ones due to different reasons.  If you would like to know how you can have more true enduring lasting love & joy in your family, don’t miss the next issue of Activated which is full of the subjects concern you personally—marriage, children & family!

Page 16

From Jesus with love
I am here to help

       I know all about you-your gifts, your ­talents, your strengths. I also know your weaknesses, your idio­syncrasies, and all the funny things about you that make you an individual. I know about the nagging problems that you can't seem to overcome and all the things about yourself that bother you. I know your heart's desires and ­secret longings. There is nothing hidden from Me.
       I care about each of your disappointments and heartbreaks. I care about how you feel. I care about what you think. I care about the difficulties and hardships that you face. I care about your health. I care about your material needs. I care about your spiritual struggles. There is not one detail of your life that does not concern Me, and I am here to help.
       Every time you look up to Me, I am there. I hear your prayers and My heart is moved with compassion. I never get tired of listening to you.
I am never distant. I am never too tired or too busy for you. I never turn away. I never sleep. I never hang a "Do Not Disturb" sign on My door. I always hear and answer your prayers. Sometimes I don't answer in the way you ask Me to or think I should, and sometimes you don't see the answer immediately, but I always hear and I always answer.

eof