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#16/ 22-Nov-1999

          P O S I T I V E     W O R D S
               Editor: Peter Wade

     ----- http://www.peterwade.com/ -----

H A P P Y   T H A N K S G I V I N G  to our US readers.
First proclaimed in 1863 by Abraham Lincoln, but the
British and Australians have no official Thanksgiving 
Day; only the unofficial one on July 4th .

IN THIS ISSUE...
1. At the Positive Words site
2. Sale Special
3. Songs I Remember
4. Positive Words for Today
5. Searchlights from the Word
6. Bible Study Outlines

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1. NEW AT THE POSITIVE WORDS SITE
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COLORADO SEMINAR "The New You"
The 1999 Australian visitors continued travel to the
Denver area in late September, guesting at John and Kathy
Barksdale's home.
  The Barkdsale's hosted a weekend seminar at the Denver
Days Inn Motel on the 25th and 26th.  Ros Singleton
returned from appearances in England and Ireland. Geri
Johnson, Bill Morgan and Steve Heefner represented the
San Francisco Bay Area, and a number of believers from
Colorado also attended.
  Peter Wade taught on "The New You" and also on I John
2:12-14, where former "little children" and "young men"
are called "fathers" and instructed to "enter the rest"
that God has provided for mature Christians.
  Vivien Wade also blessed the group with thoughts on
"Spiritual Vitamins".
  The Denver visit was the second for the Wades in recent
years. It was noted that this year's visit was 
"particularly sweet". Saints were most enthused by the 
hotel seminar format. Such meetings are being planned for 
Seattle and Pittsburg in 2000.
     -- report by Steve Heefner.

NEW AUTHORS
This month we introduce a new author to our site:
Hannah Whitall Smith. Hannah wrote
several books in the first half of this century, and we
have several more articles by her which will appear in
coming months. 
    Our policy has always been to provide the widest
possible range of authors on our site, so that we can
see God's positive Word from many different angles.

THANKSGIVING versus COMPLAINING 
by Hannah Whitall Smith
    Thanksgiving or complaining -- these words express two
contrastive attitudes of the souls of God's children in
regard to His dealings with them; and they are more
powerful than we are inclined to believe in furthering or
frustrating His purposes of comfort and peace toward us.
The soul that gives thanks can find comfort in everything;
the soul that complains can find comfort in nothing.
    God's command is "In everything give thanks"; and
the command is emphasized by the declaration, "for this
is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." It is
an actual positive command; and if we want to obey God,
we have simply got to give thanks in everything. There is
no getting around it.
    But a great many Christians have never realized
this; and, although they may be familiar with the
command, they have always looked upon it as a sort of
counsel of perfection to which mere flesh and blood could
never be expected to attain. And they, unconsciously to
themselves perhaps, change the wording of the passage to
make it say "be resigned" instead of "give thanks," and
"in a few things" instead of "in everything," and they
leave out altogether the words, "for this is the will of
God in Christ Jesus concerning you." ... continued at
< http://www.peterwade.com/articles/other/thankcom.shtml >

ALSO RECOMMENDED READING FOR THANKSGIVING...
They Sang His Praise. They Soon Forgat His Works
    (E.W. Bullinger)
< http://www.peterwade.com/articles/bullingr/forgot.shtml >
Gratitude Opens the Door to Christ-life Living (Litzman)
< http://www.peterwade.com/articles/christlf/gratitud.shtml >
Be A Thanksgiver, Praiser, Rejoicer (Peter Wade)
< http://www.peterwade.com/articles/wade/thanksgv.shtml >

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2. SALE SPECIAL
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*** We have secure CREDIT CARD facilities online and
can accept US checks online also.  

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3. SONGS I REMEMBER
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Psalm 23 has been a beloved passage of scriptures for
most Christians. Being a psalm, it is itself a song from
Israel's hymnbook. A number of English versions have been
set to music, the most common of which is "The Lord's my
Shepherd, I'll not want, He makes me down to lie", sung
to the tune "Crimond". 
    The version I particularly like was written by Sir
Henry W. Baker, an English musician and editor of "Hymns,
Ancient and Modern", a popular hymnal which has sold more
than 60 million copies since it was published in 1861.
Baker combines thoughts from both Old and New Testaments
in this wonderful hymn.

The King of Love my Shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.

Where streams of living water flow
My ransomed soul He leadeth;
And where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.

Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me,
And on His shoulder gently laid,
And home rejoicing brought me.

In death's dark vale I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me;
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.

Thou spread'st a table in my sight,
Thine unction grace bestoweth;
And O what transport of delight
From Thy pure chalice floweth.

And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house for ever.

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4. A POSITIVE WORD FOR TODAY (Peter Wade)
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              CHANGE YOUR BELIEF

"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but
the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things
that are freely given to us of God" (I Corinthians 2:12)

If you are getting the wrong results you probably have the
wrong beliefs. Beliefs are causes. Change your belief from
an expectation of blessing from outside yourself to a
belief in the New Creation within, and you will start
seeing the results that God's Word promises. A ministry
based on the New Creation demands an endogenous approach
to the Christian life: an outworking of that which God has
placed within.
   God's gift of righteousness has totally satisfied my
hunger and totally quenched my thirst. I believe Jesus
when he said "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me
will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never
be thirsty" (John 6:35). Today I am reaching within to my
perpetual spring. I will spend today thinking of what God
has done for me and how His spirit within me will provide
me with every answer I will ever need.
   Since God has done a perfect work within, then there is
no sense in my fasting and praying, or struggling and
straining, for some blessing I think is just out of my
present reach. God wants me to believe His Word, which
tells me I am blessed and I am complete. The outworking of
it will be a divine-human reciprocity and an act of mutual
involvement. Beginning today, I believe miracles are the
norm in my life. (From "You Are A New Creation", Chapter
1, adapted by Hildy Matthews.)

AFFIRMATION: Today I will remember God has done a perfect
work within me. I will practice today believing in the New
Creation and expect to be completely blessed with God's
goodness and wisdom.

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5. SEARCHLIGHTS FROM THE WORD
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G. Campbell Morgan was a well-known preacher and writer
of over 60 books from the first half of the 20th century. 
In this spot each issue we reproduce a comment from one 
verse in every chapter of the Bible. We continue with 
Paul's letter to the Galatians.

"If righteousness is through the law, then Christ died 
for nought" (Galatians 2:21).   

Dr. Rendel Harris has aptly described this letter of the
great Apostle to the Gentiles as an "explosive epistle."
Its force lies more in the truths it declares than in the
way in which they were stated -- yet the method of
statement is most arresting. Perhaps in the course of the
whole argument, nothing is more tremendous in the impact
made upon the mind than this superlative declaration. 
   If the Law, which does reveal righteousness, is able to
produce righteousness, then the death of Christ was a
mistake; it was unnecessary; He died to accomplish
something which might have been accomplished in some other
way. Those then who hold that a man may reach
righteousness through the Law are compelled either to get
rid of the whole conception of the atoning death of the
Lord, or to say that God was mistaken. Moreover, if the
Law could not make righteous, and the death of Christ is
able to do so, then why superimpose upon faith in that
which is able, the rites and ceremonies of that which is
without force? 
   That is the whole case of the letter; and it is that
truth, so forcefully stated, which has made this letter
the high explosive which more than once in the history of
the Church has shattered false doctrine as to the way of
salvation. It was Martin Luther's weapon. Because the
heart of man is ever prone to add something of human
device to the Divine provision, it is well to keep this
writing at hand, for its power is as great as ever.  

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6. BIBLE STUDY OUTLINES
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These Bible Study outlines come from the excellent book
by F.E. Marsh, "1,000 Bible Study Outlines".

ACTIVITIES OF GOD
Among the activities of God on behalf of His people, 
we have... 
1. Hurrying Feet in Grace for our blessing -- Luke 15:20. 
2. Holding Hands in Power for our security -- John 10:29.
3. A Loving Heart in Sympathy for our encouragement --
   John 16:27.   
4. Listening Ears in Attention for our prayers -- Psalm
   34:15.   
5. Watching Eyes in Outlook for our enablement -- II
   Chron. 16:9.   
6. Gracious Lips in Promise for our faith -- Song of
   Solomon 5:13.   
7. Everlasting Arms in Upholding for our sustainment --
   Deut. 33:27. 

"AFAR OFF "
There are many characters who are said to be "afar off."
1. A Demon-Possessed Man, when he "saw Jesus afar off,
"ran and worshipped Him (Mark 5:6).   
2. The Women at the Cross were "beholding" Him "afar
off" (Matt. 27:55).   
3. Peter followed his Lord "afar off" when he ought to
have been near (Luke 22:54).   
4. The Lepers, conscious of their disease, "stood afar
off" (Luke 17:12).   
5. The Publican, knowing his sin and unworthiness, stood
"afar off" (Luke 18:13).   
6. The Gentile Sinners are "afar off" from Jewish
blessings and promises (Acts 2:39; Eph. 2:13,17).   
7. Old Testament Saints did not enjoy to the full the
blessings of the Gospel, but they saw them "afar of"
(Heb. 11:13). 

ACTIVITIES OF JESUS IN JOHN XI
The Man of men, the greatest Person who ever lived.
1. The Listening Friend. "Jesus heard" (verse 4). 
2. The Loving Lord. "Jesus loved" (5). 
3. The Gracious Teacher. "Jesus answered" (9).    
4. The Wondrous Speaker. "Jesus saith" and "spake"
   (13,23).
5. The Timely Visitor. "Jesus came" (17).    
6. The Located Saviour. "Jesus was" (32).    
7. The Seeing Helper. "Jesus saw" (33). 
8. The Troubled Groaner. "He groaned and was troubled"
   (33,38).
9. The Weeping Compassionator. "Jesus wept" (35).
10. The Believing Son. "Jesus lifted up His eyes and
    said, Father" (41).
11. The Commanding Life-Giver. "He cried" (43).
12. The Constant Worker. "Jesus did... done" (45,46).
13. The Undisputed Witness. "This Man doeth many
    miracles" (47).
14. The Delivering Substitute. "Jesus should die" (51,53).

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THANKS for reading Positive Words. Please share it
with a friend!
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(c) 1999 Peter Wade
http://www.peterwade.com/