Happy New Year 12/31/17

31 December 2017 - Happy New Year – devotion by Dorothy Callies

Psalm 16:11a
"You will show me the path of life" (Amplified).

The New Year is coming. David focus on God and said, "In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore". (Ps.16:11b Amplified). The poem I found from a book called, Becoming a Prayer Warrior by Elizabeth Alves.  This poem was written by Sandra Goodwin.  

I Traveled on My Knees

Last night I took a journey to Israel across the seas;
I did not go by boat or plane, I traveled on my knees.

I saw so many people there with scars and wounds within.
But God told me that I should go--there was oil to pour from Him.

I replied, "Lord, I cannot go and work with such as these."
He answered quickly, "Yes you can, by traveling on your knees."

He said, "You pray, I'll meet their need, you call and I will hear.
Be concerned about the fate of those both far and near."

And so I tried it, knelt in prayer, gave up some hours of ease.
I felt the Lord right by my side while traveling on my knees.

As I pray on and saw them helped, and badly wounded healed,
I saw God's workers' strength renewed while laboring on the field.

 
I said, "Yes, Lord, I have a job--my desire Thy will to please,
I can go and heed Thy call by traveling on my knees."
--Adapted from a poem by Sandra Goodwin.

Dorothy: This inspiration poem was from Dec. 2010.  I was inspired by the poem that visualized the prayer when one prays. Truly, we can’t travel anywhere, but we can “travel through prayer,” praying for those who are doing the work of God around the world. When you pray, Holy Spirit takes your prayers to wherever is needed and make them happened. The poem about traveling brought out the song when I remember "Johnny" singing this in a deaf church when I was a teenager.  He is the husband of deceased wife, Rev. Bea Berry who was my former pastor of the Deaf Church in Riverside, California. 
 

Song: I Feel Like Traveling On

My heavenly home is bright and fair,

I feel like traveling on.

Nor pain, nor death can enter there,

I feel like traveling on.

Chorus:

Yes, I feel like traveling on,

I feel like traveling on;

My heavenly home is bright and fair,

I feel like traveling on.

[Lyrics: William Hunter, Sing His Praise]

So let us focus the New Year with "Traveling on our knees."
 

May God bless you! And a Happy New Year!!!!

Dorothy and Tony

Christmas Letter from Tony 12/17-30/17

Top Secret of Christmas!

Long ago before Jesus was born, Mary was pregnant with a first child. Nobody knew about this until Mary went to visit her cousin Elisabeth and her husband, Zacharias (Luke 1:39-40). The baby in Elisabeth’s womb leaped for joy and she realized that her cousin was with a child, the Promised Messiah. She became the first person to know the secret of the soon-coming Messiah.

Later Joseph found out about Mary’s secret pregnancy. He decided to put her away in a silent divorce. An angel of the Lord revealed the secret to Joseph and encouraged him to go ahead and marry Mary (Mat. 1:20-23).

Just before Mary gave birth to her child, there was a law from Rome that all people must return to their birth-places to be registered. Joseph took Mary and traveled to Bethlehem. Upon their arrival Mary gave birth to a son. God through the angels revealed the secret to the lowly shepherds and they came to see the Child (Lk 2:1-20).

Joseph and Mary took their Child to the temple to be circumcised. The secret was revealed by the Holy Spirit to Simeon and Anna and they saw the Child were glad (Lk 2:21-38).

Next, the secret was revealed to the wise men from another country and they came to ask King Herod for the whereabout of the Child. They learned from the Word that he was at Bethlehem and they traveled and saw Him (Mat. 2:1-11).

Thirty years later the Messiah was revealed to the people at River Jordan by the baptism of John the Baptist. From there on Jesus Christ opened Himself up to the world (Mat. 3:13-17).

Aren’t you glad that the secret of God was revealed to you through the preaching of His word and we continue to hear about the birth of a Child which is Jesus Christ, our Savior.

May the Lord bless your Christmas as you continue to remember His birth and why He died for our sin. That was and still God’s finest Christmas gift to you!

Merry Christmas!
Tony and Dorothy Callies

Never Alone 12/16/17

16 Dec. 2017 - Never Alone, Always Care For – Devotion from Joseph Prince

1 Peter 5:7 “Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about what happens to you” (NLT).

It does not matter how tightly knit our families are or how many close friends we have. When we go through a difficult time or trial, many a time, we still feel all alone and that no one really cares or understands.

Martha knew that feeling. She had on one occasion cried out to Jesus, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?” (Luke 10:40) Jesus’ disciples also knew what it was like to feel small, alone and in trouble. They cried out, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” when they were swept up in a terrifying storm. (Mark 4:38)

Today, maybe the cry of your heart is also, “Lord, do You not care that I am left all alone…that I am going under…that I am perishing?”  My friend, the Lord does care for you. He loves you so much that He wants you to cast all your cares upon Him—not just some but all your cares. He wants both your big and small cares. There is nothing too small or big for Him. If it is a care in your heart, He wants you to cast it upon Him.

When the apostle Peter wrote “casting all your care upon Him”, he was talking about the continuous act of casting all your cares upon the Lord. As a care comes, God wants you to cast it to Him. That is the lifestyle He wants you to adopt. Why? The verse gives us the reason—“for He cares for you”. You are casting all your cares upon the One who loves you, and who left all of heaven to come and die for you. That is who you are casting your cares to. It is not just any person, but it is the One who gave His life for you!

When you are going through a difficult time, God wants you to believe that you are never alone because He Himself has said that He will never leave you nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5) As the object of His care, He will take care of you for the rest of your life. You are never alone and always cared for!

Dorothy: I was singing from the collection of songs and came to “Never Alone.” Then I read Joseph Prince’s devotion “Never Alone, Always Care For.” I thought it was good timing because “Ten Series of Apostasy, the Falling Away” wasn’t really an encouragement, but it’s important to be aware of the events. I believe God wants us to know, ‘we are not alone’ and I like to share that song, Never Alone, author unknown.

No, never alone! No, never alone!

He promised never to leave me,

Never to leave me alone;

No, never alone! No, never alone!

He promised never to leave me,

Never to leave me alone.

May God comforts you today!

Dorothy

Falling Away Series 10 - 12/15/17

15 Dec. 2017 - The Falling Away series 10 – Feb. 2009 Manna revised. 

Theme: The Falling Away: Some shall depart from the faith.  

I Timothy 4:1-2 NCV: Now the Holy Spirit clearly says that in the later time some people will stop believing the faith. They will follow spirits that lie and teachings of demons. v2. Such teachings come from the false words of liars whose consciences are destroyed as if by a hot iron.

KJV: Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron.

*Commentary from the Full Life Study Bible by Donald C. Stamps:
*The Holy Spirit has revealed that in the later times, there will be a falling away both from a personal faith in Jesus Christ and from Scriptural truth. This is a prophecy from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit wants to prepare us to stay strong in the Lord and not to be upset when these things are beginning to happen within the churches all over the world. Today in Europe, many churches are being closed due to not enough Christians attending. This is one example of what is happening lately.

*Paul has said, that the day of the Lord will not come except there comes a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed (II Thess. 2:3). Why does the falling away have to come first? The Antichrist dares not to appear until the “falling away” of apostasy comes first. Antichrist will not rise to power alone. Antichrist will have the False Prophet who will prepare “The Falling Away” to accept this false “Messiah, the Antichrist.”

*The False Prophet will performs signs and miracles and be able to deceive the whole world. This will make it easier for the False Prophet to bring all men (the falling away) into spiritual allegiance (promise to follow) with the Antichrist. When we approach the end of the age, false prophets, new religious, and spiritual darkness will take over the whole world for the rise of these great deceivers—The Antichrist and the False Prophet.  Right now, the Holy Spirit is holding back the Antichrist until the right time when God the Father will allow the Antichrist to have his own way for only a short period of time.

Dot: Until then let us stay true to our Lord Jesus Christ and remember that He is Lord. Song: He is Lord, He is Lord, He has risen from the dead, and He is Lord. Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

15 Dec. 2017 Dorothy: It really breaks my heart to learn that there will be many falling away people. No wonder, Paul encourages us to “wear the full armor of God” from Ephesians 6:10-18 as part of our daily walk with Him and to be ready to fight against Satan’s influence to lure (bait) us away from Him.  Now I shall live by faith that He will hold me close to His heart. And now a song of praise to Him.

I will enter His Presence with thanksgiving in my heart.

I will enter His Presence with joy.

I will enter His Presence with my love for Him.

I will enter His Presence with praise.

I will say this is the day that the Lord has made,

I will rejoice for He has made me glad.

He has made me glad, He has made me glad,

I will rejoice for He has made me glad. 

God bless you today!

Dorothy

PS. This is the last series 10 of Falling Away.  

Falling Away Series 9 - 12/14/17

14 December 2017 - The Falling Away Series 9 – Manna Feb. 2009 by Dorothy

Theme: The Falling Away: Left your first love.

– John wrote Jesus’ message to the Church of Ephesus:

Revelation 2:4-5
KJV: “...I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else, I will come unto thee quickly; and remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”
NCV: “But I have this against you: You have left the love you had in the beginning. So remember where you were before you fell. Change your hearts and do what you did at first. If you do not change, I will come to you and will take away your lamp stand from its place.

*What does Jesus means when He said, “thou hast left thy first love?” Jesus was speaking to Ephesians’ Christians who once had their first deep love for Christ and devotion to Him and His Word. Perhaps they had been attending the church for a long time and it became a “habit” for them [Or they became bored]. Even when they tried to keep up the “correct doctrine,” “obeying some of the commandments,” and “worshiping in the church” were not enough for Christ because the Christians had slowly lost their “heartfelt love for Jesus Christ and all His Word.” They had lost the sincere love for Christ, purity of life, and a love for His truth. [Perhaps they got bored. See Series 8]

*Prophetic message through John who wrote Jesus’ words of warning: “remember where you were before you fell …change your heart and do what you did at first.” Paul encourages all those who say that they are born-again, to “examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you…” (2 Cor. 13:5a). NCV: “Look closely at yourselves. Test yourselves to see if you are living in the faith. You know that Jesus Christ is in you…”

*All those who say that they are Christians should examine themselves as to be sure that they still have the love for Christ and all His Word. This will keeps us from falling away from Him. It is good to examine our hearts and allow the Holy Spirit to help us stay close to Jesus Christ our Lord who is coming soon to take us home in heaven.

[*Some of the part are from commentaries.]

Prayer: Thank You Lord for revealing Your Word to us. Thank You for reminding us to keep our first love with You. We ask you to keep our hearts tender toward Holy Spirit and be able to listen to the Holy Spirit and keep us from falling away from You. We love You, we adore You, and we praise You through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!

14 Dec. 2017 Dorothy: I noticed two words: “slowly lost.” Lost from what? Heartfelt love for Jesus Christ and His Word.  Jesus really wants our heartfelt love and a love for His truth. Prayer: Thank You Holy Spirit for reminding me from John 15:5 that I am the one of the branches, holding on to the Vine, Jesus through prayer and studying His Word.  John 1:1 said, “. . . the Word was God.” Thank You Holy Spirit for making His Word, His Presence real to us.  Thank You Holy Spirit for keeping God’s Word alive in our hearts and in our spirits. Thank You Holy Spirit for helping us to never lose our first love for our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank You . . . in Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen! 

God bless you today! 

Dorothy 

Falling Away Series 8 12/13/17

13 December 2017 - The Falling Away Series 8 – Feb. 2009 Dorothy Callies

Theme: The Falling Away: Their hearts are far from Me.

Isaiah 29:13-16 NCV
The Lord says: “These people say they love me; they show honor to me with words, but their hearts are far from me. The honor they show me is nothing but human rules.

v14. So I continue to amaze these people by doing more and more miracles. Their wise men will lose their wisdom; their wise men will not be able to understand.”

v15. How terrible it will be for those who try to hide things from the LORD and who do their work in darkness. They think no one will see them or know what they do.

v16. You are confused. You think the clay is equal to the potter. You think that an object (pot) can tell the one who made it, “You didn’t make me.” This is like a pot telling its maker, “You don’t know anything.”

During 700-680 B.C. God had spoken to Israelites through the prophet, Isaiah about how He felt toward His own people who were coming before Him. People praise and honor Him with their lips, but God noticed their hearts had changed. Their hearts were indifference toward Him and His Word. They got bored so they came up with their own human rules to satisfy their own needs. [Commentary]

They changed their religious rituals and new traditions to make it more interesting. They had no real love for God. They were bored with His righteous obligations (must follow) so they seek the pleasures of sin and the world to satisfy their carnal desires. This was the beginning of their “Falling Away” from their God. We have read how God sent His judgments against them to bring them back to Him. [Commentary]

Dorothy: After reading Isaiah 29:13-16, I was surprised to notice a few things that seem to match the “philosophy” from “The Falling Away.” The philosophies of men were nothing new during 700 B.C. There are few things to notice: human rules or rules taught by men; wisdom of men; hide in darkness so God would not notice them; and the clay and the potter. God compares the “philosophy” to the clay and the potter to God. The philosophy, the clay or the pot tells the Maker who is God, “You didn’t make me.” The philosophy, the clay or the pot tells the Potter, our God, “You don’t know anything.”

God had spoken the insight of the hearts of His people during Isaiah’s time. God is speaking to us today. God sees our hearts and let us know that we cannot hide in darkness. We cannot hide from Him. So Paul is saying to us, “Do not let philosophy to spoil you” [Col.2:8]. I pray we don’t get tired of singing this: Keep Me True, Lord Jesus.

Keep me true, Lord Jesus, keep me true;
Keep me true, Lord Jesus, keep me true.
There’s a race that I must run,
There are victories to be won,
Give me power, every hour, to be true.

13 Dec. 2017 Dorothy: I noticed three words: They got bored. One meaning of the word, bored: to make weary and restless by being dull or doing the same thing over and over. Prayer: Oh God of Heaven, Oh Holy Spirit, Oh Jesus, helps us never to get bored with You. I pray that we do not become weary in well doing for in due season, we shall reap harvest of healing for our bodies and blessings for all things. We love You. We worship You. We praise You. We glorify You. We thank You for loving us so much. In Jesus’ name! Amen! 

May God bless you today!

Dorothy 

Falling Away Series 7 12/12/17

12 December 2017 - The Falling Away Series 7 – Feb. 2009 by Dorothy Callies

Theme: What does philosophy of humanism teach?

Colossians 2:4 & 8 [Paul said]
KJV: v4. And this I say lest any man should beguile (mislead or fool) you with enticing words (smooth talk). v8. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. NIV: v.4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. v8. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow (empty) and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

So what does philosophy of humanism teach?
The philosophy teaches that they can build on man's thoughts... ideas... human wisdom that would meet the needs of the people; what makes people happy; bring them pleasure; what seems good for people according to the goal set by their leaders. They seek to improve human behavior through education, modern psychology or human wisdom.

Philosophy rejects belief in a personal, eternal God and denies that the Bible is God’s inspired revelation to the human race. Philosophy teaches that man has not been created by a personal God, but through evolution. Philosophy rejects God’s Word that Jesus Christ alone is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).

This is one of the spiritual deceptions (tricks) that false teachers who taught that teachings and salvation in Christ were not enough to meet our spiritual needs. Paul warned us to be on guard against all the philosophies, religions, and traditions that teach people can be independent from God and His written revelation.

The false teachers use philosophy to teach people that they do not need to depend on God and His Word because it does not meet their needs. Where does philosophy come from? It began with Satan and is an expression of the lie of Satan that man can be like God.

Satan said to Eve in Genesis 3:5 “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” NIV. Scriptures identifies humanist’s teachings as those who have “changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator…” (Romans 1:25).

Through the love of our Heavenly Father has given us salvation through Jesus Christ. Right now, Jesus is interceding for us in heaven. The Holy Spirit is helping the Christians to know His Word more so that we can protect ourselves against philosophy. The Christians are encouraged to know God’s Word more and more.

Prayer: O loving God, heavenly Father please helps us to be well prepared against the future attacks of sly words and philosophies. Help us to know Your Word to preserve ourselves from falling into Satan’s tricks. Keep us in Your love and help us to love Your Word in Jesus’ name. Amen! 

God bless you!

Dorothy

[Some notes came from commentary] 

Falling Away Series 6 12/11/17

11 December 2017 - The Falling Away Series 6 – Feb. 2009 by Dorothy Callies

John Loves the Truth.
2John 1-2 NCV: …I love all of you in the truth, and all those who know the truth love you. We love you because of the truth that lives in us and will be with us forever.
2 John 7-8 NCV: Many false teachers are in the world now who do not confess that Jesus Christ came to earth as a human. Anyone who does not confess this is a false teacher and an enemy of Christ. v8. Be careful yourselves that you do not lose everything you worked for, but that you receive your full reward.

John warns that many deceivers and false teachers have tried to change from Truth to lies about Jesus Christ. The Apostasy, the falling away says that:

1.  Jesus Christ did not come in the flesh;

2. Jesus Christ was not the eternal Son of God;

3. Jesus Christ was not born of the virgin; and

4. the blood of Jesus has no power to forgive our sins.

The Apostasy, the falling away says that “Jesus came in the spirit.” 1John 2:22 “Who is the liar? It is the person who does not accept Jesus as the Christ. This is the enemy of Christ: the person who does not accept the Father and His Son” [NCV]. [References: Matt.1:18; Luke 1:27; 1John 2:2; 1John 4:9-10; 1John 5:20; 1John 2:18-28]

John’s argument is found in 1 John 1-4 NCV:

v1. “We write you now about what has always existed, which we have heard, we have seen with our own eyes, we have looked at, and we have touched with our hands. We write to you about the Word that gives life.

v2. He who gives life was shown to us. We saw him and can give proof about it. And now we announce to you that he has life that continues forever. He was with God the Father and was shown to us.

v3. We announce to you what we have seen and heard, because we want you also to have fellowship with us. Our fellowship is with God, the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

v4. We write this to you so you can be full of joy with us.”

John and the disciples have been with Jesus for three years. They all met Mary, the mother of Jesus. They were His witnesses. We have four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. He came in the flesh and was born of the virgin. He died on the cross to save us from going to hell and Jesus’ blood has power to forgive our sins. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.

One of Song Collection, author unknown:

Lord, I believe.. Lord, I believe..
Savior, raised my faith in Thee
‘till it can moved a mountain.
Lord, I believe.. Lord, I believe..
All my doubts are buried in the fountain. 

May God bless you.

Dorothy 

[Some notes are from commentary] 

Falling Away Series 5 12/10/17

10 December 2017 - The Falling Away 5 – Feb. 2009 Manna by Dorothy Callies

Theme: Falling Away: Love Not the Truth.
2 Thes. 2:10 “And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of truth, that they might be saved.” 2Thes.2:12b “…who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” KJV

The secret evil powers are working within the church, the apostasy, the falling away from the true faith in the Son of God. The apostasy, the falling away seeks freedom to do what they want and to take pleasure in sin. The apostasy, the falling away who did not love the truth, and entertained themselves with evil and immorality [wrongdoing; lewdness (dirty); unchastely, (no control)], will experience the wrath of God.

The steps which lead to apostasy are the believers within the churches who would be influenced by different kind of teachings that lead them not to believe God’s truth.

What are the things that we should take notice about the apostasy and their teachings?

1) Professing believers will accept “new revelation” even though it conflicts with the revealed Word of God. This will lead to opposition to Biblical truth within the churches.

2) Those who preach distorted [change from truth] gospel may gain leadership positions in different churches and theological schools of Christendom [Christian part of the world or all Christians] which gives them a chance to deceive and mislead many within the church. They may focus on the personalities of a person more than the Creator.

3) They seek religious experiences and supernatural manifestations rather than God’s Word. Those are a few examples of Apostasy, the falling away.

The key to being a true Christian will be our loyalty to Christ and love the truth which is God’s Word; a total commitment to the truth of God’s Word and follows the Biblical righteousness of living. We can be protected against being deceived, how? It will be our enduring faith and love for Christ, in a commitment to the absolute authority of His Word and in a thorough knowledge of that Word.

Matt.24:13 ‘he that endure to the end shall be saved.’ This should encourage us to stay close to Jesus, keep our faith in the Son of God. This is why we often need to memorize some songs that keep us in tune with God.

May the Holy Spirit helps us stay loyal to our Lord Jesus Christ who came in the flesh and died for our sins, arose from grave, went to heaven and will come back soon to take us home. My friends, stay true to Christ.

God loves you and so do I.

Dorothy

PS. [Some notes came from commentary, the Full Life Study Bible]

Falling Away Series 4 12/9/17

09 December 2017 - The Falling Away Series 4 & Part 2 – Feb. 2009 by Dorothy  

From Series 3 question: What happened when there is no word of God?

Proverbs 29:18 NCV “Where there is no word of God, people are uncontrolled, but those who obey what they have been taught are happy.” KJV: “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”

Without the Word of God, it would be like having no law in our lives and in our lands. We, the people would be out of control such as if there would be no traffic lights, no policemen, and no laws to control the situation. It would be awful. So it is important to have God’s law to keep us under control. We are happy when we are taught to obey the laws.

The vision means “revelation.” When there is no revelation from God; when no one know what God’s will is and when people don’t know God’s law for them to live righteously, the people will die without God. So it was important for the priests to have ‘The Scripture’ preached to the people in the congregation often when they gathered to hear the Word of the Lord.

Hearing the Word of God often was a reminder to the people of Israel to always remember their God as One Lord, and the only One to worship to. The Israelites would always remember God’s law to live by. God would bless the people who kept the law in their hearts and they would be happy.

Such as Proverbs 30:5 quoted “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.” To keep us from falling away is to stay close to Him, study His Word, obey Him, love Him, worship Him, and learn what the will of the Lord is for us. Because the Bible says, “He that doeth the will of God abides forever.”

I remember this short song when I was a child.
The B-I-B-L-E.
It stands the Word for me.
I stand alone the Word of God,
The B-I-B-L-E.

Dec. 9, 2017 Dorothy: After I wrote from Proverbs 30:6 and it became long and I realized it was another subject “Do not add to His Word.” It was interesting because it was something I had not study before. It helps me understand how to deal with this.

So God bless you,

Dorothy

[Continue to part 2, The Falling Away Series 4]

Part 2 from The Falling Away Series 4 Theme: Do not add to His Word.

Dec. 9, 2017 Dorothy: I want to review from Proverbs 30:5 & 6 in NCV. “Every word of God is true.  He guards those who come to Him for safety.” And in verse 6 “Do not add to His words, or He will correct you and prove you are a liar.” KJV: “Add thou not unto His words, lest He reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” The commentary from The Full Life Study Bible by Donald C. Stamps explained what would people add?

“God’s Word must not be mixed with human ideas and speculations, such as those found in worldly philosophy, psychology, sorcery, or spiritism. God’s revealed truth is fully enough to meet the spiritual needs of humankind. Those who teach that something must be added to Biblical truth in order to fulfill our lives in Christ are liars.” See #2

Dorothy: 2 Peter 1:3 explained that “Jesus has the power of God, by which He has given us everything we need to live and to serve God. We have these things because we know Him.  Jesus called us by His glory and goodness” (NCV).  Commentary: “The love of our heavenly Father, salvation through Jesus Christ, His intercession for us in heaven, the indwelling of and baptism in the Holy Spirit, communion of the saints, and the inspired Word of God are all sufficient (enough to reach the goal) to meet the needs of believers as those things “that pertain unto life and godliness” (KJV).

#2 Commentary: No additional human wisdom, technique, or theory (idea) is needed to complete the sufficiency (meet one’s need) of God’s Word that reveals our perfect salvation in Christ. The words of Jesus, the N.T apostolic faith, and the grace of God were adequate (plenty enough) in the early days of the church to meet the needs of the lost, and they are just as enough for today. Jesus Christ alone is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).

Dorothy: Okay, in my language what this really means . . . A person comes to me and say, “I am not satisfy with just to know that the Bible is truth. I want to add human ideas like philosophy. It means I want to study someone else belief’s about the way people should live. I want other gospel. That will make me feel good and satisfy for myself.” 

I say, “Whoa, watch out!”  Here’s a warning: “Do not add to His words, or He will correct you and prove you are a liar” (Proverbs 30:6).  Those who teach that something must be added to Biblical truth in order to fulfill our lives in Christ are liars.”  It means that if you teach something else that is not in the Bible, and you want to feel satisfied and are not depending on Christ to meet your spiritual need, you are making God a liar because you are saying, having Christ is NOT enough for you. Proverbs 30:6 “Do not add to His words, or He will correct you and prove you are a liar.”

May God convicted our hearts if we ever go astray from His teaching of God’s Word. Lord, I pray that we stay true to Your Word and that You would shield us when we put our trust in You. Thank You for open our eyes of warnings to keep us true to You. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen!

God bless you today! Dorothy

Falling Away Series 3 12/8/17

08 December 2017 - The Falling Away Series 3 – Manna Feb. 2009 Dorothy

Matthew 13:3, 5, 6
“… Behold, a sower went forth to sow… Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
Mark 4:16,17
“And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.
Luke 8:13
They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

Dorothy: Reading few verses shows me the key of what causes the “Falling Away”?  Have you notice three places that say: “they had no root,” “have no root in themselves,” and “these have no root?” So where do we get to the topic about having no root?

First, the Sower went forth to sow… Jesus Himself is the ‘Sower’ and He sows His Words. Matthew, Mark, and Luke heard the words of Jesus and wrote them down for the generation to read and to study His Word. Paul studied God’s Word and he said in Ephesians 3:17 “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love…”  So it is very important to have a deep root in Christ.

Song collection, author unknown:
My heart is filled with singing Lord to Thee,
Oh mighty God, great is Thy love.
My heart is filled with singing Lord to Thee,
Oh mighty God, great is Thy love.

Dec. 8, 2017 Dorothy:  I just noticed something from Mark 4:17 “. . . so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution arise for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.”  The word, affliction means something that causes pain or unhappiness. And another word, offended means to cause to be angry or annoyed or irritated, not happy about it or not able to accept things. Then the person could “fall away.”  For a while a person keeps believing for something, but in time of temptation or testing like long waiting for something, finally gave up and began to “fall away.”

Now I began to see something about the long wait that develop the fruit of patience in God’s time.  Christ encourage us: “… blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.” The key words: keep it.  Luke 8:15 “… having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.”  Notice again “bring forth fruit with patience.” Bible Study is one way to keep the Word of God in our hearts and let it grow deep inside of us. It is important to labor in keeping God’s Word because if we don’t, next thing happened . . .

Luke 8:11 tells us that the devil comes to take away the word out of their hearts. And Mark 4:15 tells us that where the Word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan comes immediately, and takes away the Word that was sown in their hearts.  So what happen when there is no Word of God in a person’s heart? (Continued to Series 4]

May God bless you,

Dorothy 

Falling Away Series 2 12/7/17

07 Dec. 2017 - The Falling Away Series 2 – Manna Feb. 2009 Dorothy Callies

Hebrew 3:12
KJV: “Take heed, brethren, least there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.” NCV: So brothers and sisters, be careful that none of you has an evil, unbelieving heart that will turn you away from the living God.

Personal Apostasy
The “apostasy” means “departure,” “falling away” (2Thes.2:3), or “abandonment and rebellion,” will happen. So what is exactly could a person actually “falling away” from? The scripture says two things: heart of unbelief in God’s Word and departing from the living God.

Why is it important to know this word, “Apostasy?” The note came from Zondervan, The Full Life Study Bible and we could learn a lot from this study. This topic will help us to know what things that cause people to fall away from God.

I have seen the word, ‘Apostasy’ from the TV, the history channel and TBN [Trinity Broadcasting Network] and I had wondered why they talked about it. When I asked the Lord what He wants me to put on Fresh Manna for the beginning of Feb. 2009. He gave me three words: The Falling Away.

The Lord wants us to know His word and stay close to Him. Studying the title, “The Apostasy, the Falling Away” might save many Christians if they know what is happening around us and what to watch out for.

The Bible says “The heart is deceitful above all things, who can know it” came from Jeremiah 17:9. We need to guide our heart into the Word of God so our hearts will not deceive us. Those are words of encouragement that will keep us in union with Christ.

Paul wrote in Hebrews 3:13-15 “But encourage each other every day while it is “today.” Help each other so none of you will become hardened because sin has tricked you. We all share in Christ if we keep till the end the sure faith we had in the beginning. This is what the Scripture says: “Today listen to what He says. Do not be stubborn as in the past when you turned against God (NCV).

Song: How Great Thou Art
Then sing my soul, my Savior God to Thee,
How great Thou art, how great Thou art.
Then sing my soul, my Savior God to Thee,
How great Thou art, how great Thou art.

(Lyrics & Music: Stuart Wesley Keene Hine, Sing His Praise)

May God bless you,

Dorothy

Falling Away Series 1 12/6/17

06 Dec. 2017 - The Falling Away Series 1 – Manna Feb. 2009 Dorothy Callies

2 Thessalonians 2:3
KJV: Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there comes a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.
NCV: Do not let anyone fool you in any way. That day of the Lord will not come until the turning away from God happens and the Man of Evil, who is on his way to hell, appears.

In Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, he gave assurance to all true believers that they would be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and would forever be with the Lord (1Thes.4:13-18). This event would deliver them from the coming wrath of God that was to fall upon the earth (1Thes.1:10; 5:9-10). However, the false teachers were teaching that the day of the Lord had already begun and that God’s final wrath was being poured out upon the earth.

The Thessalonians’ Christians were ‘troubled and shaken’ (upset) because of what the false teachers were saying about the day of the Lord. Paul tells them not to be alarmed, for the day of God’s wrath has not yet arrived. Two things will signal its arrival: 1) There must be a specific “falling away,” and 2) the “man of sin” will be revealed.

Reading: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 NCV
Brothers and Sisters, we have something to say about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and the time when we will meet together with him. v2. Do not become easily upset in your thinking or afraid if you hear that the day of the Lord has already come.

Someone may say this in prophecy or in a message or in a letter as if it came from us. v3. Do not let anyone fool you in any way. That day of the Lord will not come until the turning away from God happens and the Man of Evil, who is on his way to hell, appears.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to stay true to Your teachings of the Word of God. Help us to remember what Paul was telling us about Your coming again. We realize Paul’s warning about being upset with false teachings that Christ has already came when it isn’t true. 

It reminds me of what someone quoted, “The New Age” and even share with others. It seems to cause confusion. Lord, I pray that the Holy Spirit helps us to study Your Word and stay true to Your teachings. I rejoice to hear Your Word of Wisdom and be strong in the Lord. Thank You and I bless You in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen!

Song collection: Keep Me True
Keep me true, Lord Jesus, keep me true;
Keep me true, Lord Jesus, keep me true.
There’s a race that I must run,
There are victories to be won,
Give me power, every hour, to be true.

God bless you,

Dorothy

Love of Many 12/4-5

04-05 December 2017 - Love of Many – Fresh Manna by Dorothy Callies

Matthew 24:12 KJV: “And because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold.” NCV: “There will be more and more evil in the world, so most people will stop showing their love for each other.”

NCV: “But those people who keep their faith until the end will be saved” Jesus said in Matthew 24:13. KJV: “But he (you) that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”  This calls for a spiritual fight through endurance who are keeping their faith in Jesus Christ. In daily prayer, I quoted the Scripture “to put on the whole armour of God” and “name each part of clothing that represents the purpose” from Ephesians 6:10-17.

Why was it important for me to quote the whole armour of God? Because so many things were going on. I just felt like there was an atmosphere of “falling away” and the Holy Spirit led me to check out 2009 Manna on the month of February.

To my surprised, that month of February 2009 had ten series of “The Falling Away.”  It took me two days to read and study them.  I wrote down each Scripture and what each represent for. Somehow, I felt my inner spirit released when I came to realize what causes the “The Falling Away.”  So God allowed me to experience what I was struggling with. It felt so good to be delivered! PTL!

As I was reading the list of ten series of ‘Falling Away,’ the Holy Spirit brought the Scripture to my thought, “Love of many shall wax cold.” I just felt that I need to share this. This might be the key to the Scripture’s understanding what causes the “Great Falling Away” that Jesus and Paul predicted (to declare in advance or tell ahead of time or tell about the future happening).  And . . .

What cause the people to stop showing their love for each other? The Scripture explained that “Many false prophets will come to deceive many and cause many people to believe lies” (NCV Matt. 24:11). They listened to the preachers who have changed from truth to lies. And the people not knowing the Scriptures enough to study the truth of God’s Word against the lies. They were losing their faith in Christ. They did not have the root of Christ’s love in their hearts. [Ref: Matt. 24:4,11,13,25]

So the only protection against being deceived is to stay in an enduring faith and love for Christ, and being in absolute commitment to the authority of His Word, and in a thorough knowledge of that Word. 1 Timothy 4:16 “Take heed unto thy self, and unto the doctrine (of Christ); continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee.” [2John 1:9; Heb.6:1]

So starting right after this introduction of "Love of Many," I will begin the Series of “The Falling Away” copying from 2009 February Fresh Manna.  So here is the song and a prayer: “Keep me true, Lord Jesus, keep me true. Keep me true, Lord Jesus, keep me true. There’s a race that I must run, There are victories to be won, Give me power, every hour, to be true.”   

God bless you,

Dorothy

Abiding In Christ 12/1-3

01-03 December 2017 - Abiding in Christ – Manna from May 2009 Revised

John 15:7-9 KJV If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

I remind myself that abiding in Christ is important. Jesus is telling me that our Heavenly Father is glorified and happier when we abide in Christ and His Words abide in us.

I remind myself that this is the kind of fruit that my Heavenly Father is looking for: constant contact with Christ and constant contact with His Word and His fruits will show inside of us. [Constant means always, over and over and never stopping].

There are so many things going on inside of me. This song reminds me to come home to Jesus. ‘Home’ meant inside of my heart, a place of rest and peace in Christ. I pray that the song will draw me to Him much closer.

Song: Softly and Tenderly
Chorus:

Come home, come home,

Ye who are weary, come home,
Earnestly tenderly, Jesus is calling,

Calling, O sinner, come home…

1. Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me,
See on the portals He’s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.

2. O for the wonderful love He has promised,
Promised for you and for me;
Tho we have sinned He has mercy and pardon,
Pardon for you and for me.
[Will L. Thompson]

December 1, 2017 - Prayer: Thank You, Heavenly Father for reminding me how important it is to abide in Christ, Your Son and allow the Holy Spirit to grow fruits inside of me. I pray for friends and families to abide in Your Word.  Thank You for the strength to be faithful to Your Word of promises. We all claim the Word of healing through the powerful name of Jesus. Amen!

God bless you!

Dorothy