Produced and distributed by Ruth Y. Nott
Welcome:
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
May you wake each day with His blessings and sleep each night in His keeping. And as you grow older, may you always walk in His tender care.
The Book of 1 Corinthians - This letter was written by Paul to the church in Corinth, probably in the winter of A.D.55. It was sent in response to a letter from the Corinthian church. Located on the Mediterranean, the city of Corinth was a wealthy trading center. It was also a wicked city and was known for that throughout the roman world. Because the church in corinth was new, it was hard for the Christians there not to act like their neighbors, so the church had some problems. The Christians in Corinth were not getting along with one another -- they were taking sides and some were living very sinful lives. Paul wrote this letter to scold them and teach them how Christians should act. He tried to teach practical lessons about the Christian life so that people in Corinth would know right from wrong. (From the Introduction to 1 Corinthians NIV)
Chapter 1
Paul first introduces himself as he does in all his letters and specifies to whom the letter is written. He blesses them and and thanks God for them saying:
1 Corinthians 1:8-9 - He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
He then admonishes them for being quarelsome about who they follow, some sayhing they follow Paul, others follow Apollos, others saying they follow Christ. He directs them thusly:
1 Corinthians 1:13-17 - Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel -- not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
Paul goes on to tell of the wisdom and power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:22-25 - Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeds, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.
He tells them to remember what they were when they were called to Christ. They were foolish and weak and and lowly. He chose them, the lowly things of this world and the despised things -- and the things that are not -- to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.
1 Corinthians 1:31 - Therefore, as it is written: Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
Chapter 2
Paul tells them that he did not consider himself eloquent or superior in wisdom as he testified about God. He did not use wise and persuasive words... but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.
He states that no ruler of that time understood the secret wisdom of God for, if they had, Jesus would not have been crucified.
1 Corinthians 2:9-11 - However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" but God has revealed it to us by his spirit. The spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment. "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.
References: The Holy Bible NIV
Today’s Poem:
SHARING TIME WITH JESUS
There seems no better way to start a day
than talking with the Lord,
Jesus, my Lord and Savior
and soaking up His word
in the early morning hours,
just as my day begins,
once I am up and out of bed,
to spend some time with Him.
Some days I wake up singing,
some chorus on my mind,
some joyful words about my Lord
and in that song I find
bright rays of happy sunshine
even when the dawn looks gray
that fills me up with gladness
as I begin my day
on life's path, where e'er it leads me,
at home, at work or play;
Sharing time with Jesus
sure lightens up my day.
It lightens up my burdens
though life's roads are rough and steep;
and sharing time with Jesus
each night before I sleep,
as I crawl into bed at night
and snuggle down to rest;
an evening talk with Jesus
fills my night with peacefulness.
Sharing time with Jesus,
spending time with my Lord God
sure puts some happy in my steps
though the world around is flawed
and filled with sor'ful troubles…
It sure saves a lot of fuss
and grief and aggravation when
my day starts and ends with Lord Jesus.
Annette Bromley
Copyright 2011…all rights reserved (Printed with permission)
Smile With Me:
LEXIPHILES: WHOEVER PUT THIS TOGETHER LOVES LANGUAGE.
To write with a broken pencil is pointless.
When fish are in schools they sometimes take debate.
A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.
When the smog lifts in Los Angeles, U.C.L.A.
The professor discovered that her theory of earthquakes was on shaky ground.
The batteries were given out free of charge.
A dentist and a manicurist married. They fought tooth and nail.
A will is a dead giveaway.
You are stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.
A boiled egg is hard to beat.
Police were called to a day care where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.
A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two tired.
The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine was fully recovered.
Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.
When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye.
Acupuncture: a jab well done.
Encouraging Words:
Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do..but how much love we put in that action. --Mother Teresa
I have found that if you love life, life will love you back. --Arthur Rubinstein
Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get ... Only with what you are expected to give. . . . Which is everything. --Katharine Hepburn
Death is a challenge. It tells us not to waste time... It tells us to tell each other right now that we love each other. --Leo Buscaglia
Today’s Prayer Requests:
Please note: Due to our prayer requests being so long, I am asking your help in keeping them updated. If I have not had an update to your prayer request for two weeks, it will be deleted. Please help us out by sending weekly updates if you wish to have your prayer request remain.
Important! - There's a lady I've known all my life. She's very sick. On top of that, she's being abused by those to whom she has given everything. Lies about her abound, and seem to come from all sides. Just breaks my heart. Seems there's nothing I can do alone. But maybe, if we join in and lift her up together we can heal her. She's well over 200 years old, but way too young to die. Her name is America... and I love her.
From Cheryl O. (*New* 2-15-12) - My husband's mother has had another stroke. It doesn't look good. (Update 2-16-12) - Ann has had a bi-lateral stroke, 40-50% involvement. She has developed pneumonia and they are keeping her comfortable until her passing. She will be 90 this year.
From Bill (*New* 2-16-12) - Please pray for one of our senior saints, Nellie H. She'll be having colon surgery next Tues, Feb. 21. Thanks
From Kay (Updated 2-16-12) -
1) Giving praise for all the prayer requests that have been answered, all the healings that have been given, all the blessings that we have daily.
2) Please pray for April(surgery upcoming), Virginia(worries), Andi and family(health and worries), Pauline(worries), Carole(health), Veda(health and travel), Mindi(health), Bill(health), Bob(health), Deb(health), Chris(health), Marla(health),Vickie(worries,husband’s job), Franzi(health), Sharon(health),Bea and family(job,health,worries).
3) Please pray for those in need due to health, finance, whatever.
4) Please keep all our friends, furbabies and families in your prayers.
From Michelle T - (Updated 2-16-12) -Please pray for Michelle Triska that I don't have any side effects from my medication Lexapro. Pray that God touches and heals my stomach of intestinal churning and excessive intestinal gas. Pray God gives me strength to make it through testing. Pray that he heals my intestinal yeast overgrowth and my hiatal hernia.
From Elaine in GA (Updated 2-16-12) -
1) Prayers for my neighbor who has terminal cancer and my neighbor who has MS; prayers also for my neighbor with MS whose mother has just been diagnosed with stage 4 inflammatory breast cancer.
2) Prayers for my upcoming dental extractions. I need a clear indication of when to make the appointment.
3) Praise that our grandson is home on leave. Prayer that he will have a "safe" deployment overseas after his leave is up.
4) Praise for God's eternal love
From Sue in CT – (Updated 2-16-12) -
1) Please pray for Priscilla who has stage 4 melanoma and her cancer meds have stopped working.
2) Please pray for Sheryl who is suffering a severe case of shingles.
3) Please pray for me in coping with newly diagnosed diabetes.
4) Please pray for Jaime and Cassandra in the loss of their two little boys in an accident.
5) Please pray for Donna recovering from knee surgery.
6) Please pray for Charlie recovering from a heart attack.
7) Praise to God for all of His goodness, for the spiritual revival in my church, for his help in all times of need, and his promise of Heaven for believers.
From Jan (Updated 2-16-12) -
Praise: After 6 weeks my cold, cough and ear infection are finally gone. - (Janet)
Praise: My sister Jean's asthma is much better after moving to a different home. (Jan)
===
Please pray for
1) Sandy who is looking for a place to live,
2) Christina who has a hernia and a job interview,
3) Gary who hasn't been able to eat anything in 5 days.
4) salvation of Barbara, Gary, Will, Chris.
5) Nancy - will have medical tests.
6) Martha's unspoken needs.
7) Gary - will receive medical disability.
8) comfort and strength for the family of my Aunt Edith who passed 2 days ago. Her husband passed on about 2 months ago. Jan J.
9) Jan P. has cancer treatments.
10) Jean's vision.
11) the healing of Andre, Carla, Don, Dottie, Fern, Gary, Hope, Jean, Joanne, Kevin, Lois, Millie, Roger, Skip.
12) employment of Ashley, Craig, Christina, Don, Eric, Erin, Karen, and Tracey.
13) deployed soldiers: Charles, David, Eric, Jesse, and Joshua, Thomas and finding employment for those who have returned.
14) U.S., state and local elections.
15) pregnant ladies: Andrea, Christina, Jennifer, Ruth.
16) those addicted to food, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, etc.
17) those caring for family members.
18) unspoken requests for Nancy D. and Rick.
From Ruth – (Updated 2-16-12 )
1) Prayers for Eric’s brother and nephew and sister for health and personal issues.
2) Cindy, my husband’s daughter, for brain tumor and for her attitude,, but praise that she seemed in good spirits and anxious to visit with family when we saw her last Sunday.
3) Prayers for my husband's attitude on many things.
4) Prayers that Eric's feet continue to heal and for his health
5) Prayers for my sister-in-law Linda who has congestive heart failure, an aortal aneurysm and other problems. Tests seem to show that it would not be wise to operate to correct some of these things due to her present condition and past history. Pray that God will direct her doctors to the right type of care for her needs.
6) Prayers for my friend Bobby's continuing back problems and now pneumonia.
7) Prayers for my friend Lillie's continuing shoulder pain. Pray for the best results for her shoulder replacement surgery on the 27th..
8) Prayers for my daughter's dental needs.
From Ruth’s Church – (Updated 2-16-12) - Edith Pounds (knees), Tara Tussey (cystic fibrosis), Dan Acre, Eleanor Baynard (cancer), Owen Baynard (coma), Dave Reevis (cancer), Susan Bamberger (arthritis), Cyn Wolf (infection), Francis Bailey (cancer tests), Health: Michael (infection, hospitalized), Faris Sweet (heart), David Sharpe (back pain), George Patterson (liver cancer), Brad Daly (spine, cancer, recovery from operation), Jerry Davis (still recovering from lung problems), Jack O’Brien (cancer), Keith Wilbur (COPD breathing problems, heart, spots on lung, seizures), Gayle Marr (arthritis, back, diabetes), Fred Marr (heart and recovery from knee surgery), Norma B (health), Liani Shoff (sinus, plantar faceitis, knee and back problems), Cynthia (heart), Janice Roossien (lungs), Elizabeth Levy (health), Spiritual: Jim Bicknell, Jimmie Davis, Angie Ottenger, Roberta’s children and grandchildren, Jason Shoff, Payton Dickerson, Katherine McDonald, Christina Gomez, Merle Nott, Brian Rose,Matthew Allen, Jim Dotson, Felicia and Joby Ward, Joshua Patrick, Jamie Davis Other: Brian Rose (personal decisions), Frances Bailey (drugs and theft), for a new evangelist at Severn Christian Church, Joshua Patrick (alcoholism), Felicia & Joby Ward.
From Brother Keith Wilbur of Messiah’s Disciples Motorcycle Ministry - (Updated 2-16-12 ) - (From Ruth: Please keep Keith Wilbur in your prayers for his battle with COPD and heart problems. He is so good to send in prayer requests for his group, but keeps his own troubles to himself. He can use our prayers as well!)
1) Much Prayer, and Love for the Myers Family in California and Grandmother Suzzanne and Family in Florida . "Jace" has now blessed us with his arrival,he is 6 weeks early and weighs 4 lbs 10 ozs and 17 and 1/2 inches,He is beautiful and may need to be in the hospital until March. Kaitlyn is doing very well and Trevor "Jaces" Big Brother and Jimmie his dad is doing very well. Much Prayer will still be needed,so please continue to Pray for this family and newborn In Jesus Name./Brother Keith
2) Miss Ruth and her family are in need of our prayers for her family In Jesus Name (Brother Keith MDMM W.W)
3) Please uplift "Joni" In Prayer for a heart transplant/Ocala
4) Prayers are needed for this country as "One Nation Under God ' in these difficult times.
5) Prayer for Jay and Sally due to difficult times ( No Change)
6) Much Prayer for the First Christian Church in Chiefland and all of the family there
7) Prayers for all Of Gods Children in these difficult times!
8) Much Praise and Prayer for our Men and Women in our Military fighting for our rights and democracies as well as others .
9) Much Praise for Miss Ruth as she does so much for so many,she is truly a Blessing !
10) Much Prayer For "Boz" In So.Florida due to some difficult times
Nothing is impossible with God. When we call on him he bends down to listen, as a father bends down to listen to his precious child. Please send me any prayers requests you would like to submit to our newsletter recipients.
Weight Loss and Health:
Eating Well:
A Little More:
The Reading Room:
The Seven Pillars of Health by Dr. Don Colbert
Dr. Don Colbert is a board-certified medical doctor, highly trained in alternative medicine, and Christian author with thirty-six titles totaling over 3.5 million copies sold. He believes in combining alternative and traditional medical practices for optimum results in achieving optimal health...and he shares his life message in a program that guarantees wellness in just seven weeks.
THE SEVEN PILLARS OF HEALTH A seven-week journey to great health
Americans are the unhealthiest people in the world! Dr. Don Colbert is on a mission to turn that around. His 50-day plan provides information that will not only change your life but also challenge your thinking, motivate you, and impact your entire community-forever.
Yes, you know what the pillars are-but you may not know how to incorporate them into your daily life in a way that will energize you, help you think more clearly, feel better, look younger, and live longer. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Try it!
Book Store and More:
Be sure to go to our Book Store page on the Comforting Faith web site to see all the books our talented members have written.
http://www.comfortingfaith.com – Please feel free to advertise books you have written as well as any other items you have had a hand in creating on our blog. Just send me the information on your book or craft and I will post it there for you. I hope each of you will go there and click on both the Book Store and Crafty Corner group on the left side navigation bar to see what talented members we have and help support their efforts.
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Invitation:
If you’re looking for peace today, call upon His name. Invite Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, follow His Word and allow His peace to flood every area of your life.
Dear God, thank You for the gift of peace which passes all understanding. I receive Your peace today and trust that You are leading and guiding me in the good plan You have prepared for me. ~ Amen
Graphic below from "Washington Window."
