January 13, 2023 ~ January 2023 Devotions: "Radiant"

 And so, I continue. . . 

That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving and tell of all thy wondrous works.  Psalms 26:7 KJV

Isaiah 60:4-5 ~ 4 Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. 5 Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.  KJV

The future. Don't we always question what will happen next? We should not be weighed down by our future as Christians, God is in control, and He directs our every step. Did we know that 45 days ago we would be without a home? No, if I had I would have tried to do something about it . . . but I didn't. But God DID! We can trust Him with every little thing, and every BIG thing that we must face in the future. Will it be our home, our health, our family? Only God has those answers, and He reveals them in perfect timing.

Israel has been beaten down and their heads are down, filled with grief, but here is when God reveals that He is in control. ". . .lift up thine heads. . ." God has a plan, and He will execute that plan using His people. He gives them a glimpse of what their future will hold here in these verses, and it is all and more than they could ever ask! And the best part to me, I'll get in on it as a child of God.

The Jews all around the world will GATHER together in Jerusalem.  Sons and daughters will be restored to their rightful place. In 1948 we saw some of this happen as told in prophecy. But here Isaiah is encouraging them with these words of wisdom and knowledge as God revealed to him. Their city will be restored, and all that had been dispersed around the world, will be brought back home. The Gentiles will bring all their wealth and they will be enlarged (Swell with delight) and all that is due them will be laid it before them, and as God planned all along, the Jews will be honored and uplifted. 

We don't always know our futures, but one thing I do know is that I am saved and ON my way to heaven. That is my total future as a child of God. I know that I know that I know! Do you? Are you sure that you will be in heaven one day, worshiping the King of Kings? If you don't know that for sure, please search your heart, and if you have rejected the calling of Jesus Christ, make a change and a difference in your life and be saved!

I'll be praying for each one that reads this blog and has a desire to be saved. If you don't know how to make sure you are saved, email, message or call one of us. We would love to show you how you can truly be saved.

Do You Know HIM?

Lord, help us to be wise, studied up, aware, and faithful to You. Amen.

With love and prayers,

May we be your faithful Philippians 2:16 Missionaries?

Philippians 2:16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

Tom and Linda Milam

Missionaries to America

and around the world

SPECIAL PRAYER REQUESTS:

• The Echeverria Vallejos family in the homegoing of Patricia's father
• Miss Shirley-health - doing some better and able to help in the print shop some in the last couple of weeks. Miss Shirley has had a couple of rough days with vertigo! please keep her in prayer!
• UPDATE: Continue to Pray for Donna Kendall's daughter - her surgery went well yesterday - pray for swift healing!
• Pray for Richard Rosenmeier family - Passed 1/8/23 Lord, please help and bless the family and friends.
• David Wiles - Cancer
• Pastor Baker - went home to be with the Lord. Please pray for his family and his church
• Pastor Bernard Antonis ~ HEALTH, PRAISE
  THE LORD for answered prayers - Pray for Mrs. Carolyn as his caregiver.
• Pray for our need for a home here in Florida - we know you have the supply Lord already, help us to be patient. We are moving Saturday once again to a precious saint's home for a couple of Months... at least till May when we will "move again" 
• Pray for Stan Skriloff - cancer and treatments, and pray for his caregiver wife Caren 
• Pray for our dear friend, Sister Connie Booher and her graciousness to put us up for a couple of weeks till Mrs. Cora's is ready for us in a more long-term situation.
• Pray for Sister Cora and her hip healing from a fall and surgery. Miss Cora graduated from her wheelchair to her walker and can now sit in her very own chair. Praise the Lord! Keep her in your prayers please. Her granddaughter Christy leaves Saturday and I know she will be lonely for her. Please pray for the family.
• Pray for the Printing Ministry and all that goes on with it. Pray our paper supply will continue - we are still not able to purchase COVER STOCK, but we praise the Lord for our previous pastors wisdom in buying several truck loads of this precious product. Only God knew what we would be facing today with shortages, and we have the "widows mite" we are working from.
• Pray for the Mission Team coming in June that we will be able to finish all the work they will do for the few days they are with us.
• Pray for me and Tom; our health, out strength, and our service.
• Robyn-Health
• Carol and Richard-Health
• Cathy-Health
• 2-month-old great-nephew Evan. Evan is home from the hospital and doing well.
• Marsha-Health and ankle pain
• Sharon J. Her mom Kathryn's health.
• Pastor Johnny J-health and recovery from surgery - recovering well from surgery thank you for your prayers
• Carol and Richard-Health
• Cathy-Health
• Arlene-Health
• Ruth-Health
• Brian-Health
• Keth Cook Family
• Lucinda Lane Family - pray for my brother Joe. This is a hard transition for anyone, but his health is poor as well
• Tipton Family - pray for Bro. Paul who is back on the field in Nicaragua without his helper and bride
• Penny - special unspoken - pray for her husband Mike
• Bro. Wayne-health - He turned 91 on December 24th, and is still working, but mighty slow :) 
• Carolyn-health
• Tudino family
• Fuentes Family
• DeSalvio Family
• Thompson Family
• Dewey Williams and wife - flu
• David Harrison-cancer diagnosis and treatment
• Davis and Tichnell Family
• Billy Ward - health and healing
  
• Benjamin - surgery went well, pray for his recovery which may be long
• The Toler Family in the homegoing of Donnie
• Elaine - continued good health and strength
• Linwood - health
• Walter - health
• Pray diligently for all those that carry the title "Caregiver"
• Sandra Parsons - her call yesterday to encourage the servants at FBC Publications & Printing. 90-year-old pastors' wife, now living alone at her church after her husband's homegoing. Saved 72 years loves the LORD God more today than ever. A real blessing and encouragement. 
• Mary Nutter - Cancer
• Kimberly LaSage - health and her John Peters and family

"The secret of Judaism. . ." ~ LKMilam

This story is said to be true, but I do not have the authors complete identity or the complete identity of the teenage boy, Yankel, described in the story.  What did catch my eye and heart this morning was in the last paragraph.  “Let me tell you the secret of Judaism. . . .”  I believe it is a secret that all people should embrace.  And even more importantly, if it is exercised through the love of Christ, it will be everlasting.

I found four verses in our King James Bible that say, "love your" - we are to love through Christ even our enemies.  So thankful for the instruction and guidance of our God through the Scriptures.

Matthew 5:44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Luke 6:27  But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,

Ephesians 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

Colossians 3:19  Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

Please share your thoughts. And so, the story goes. . .

In Crown Heights, there was a Jew, Yankel, who owned a bakery. He survived the camps. He once said, “You know why it is that I’m alive today? I was a kid, just a teenager at the time. We were on the train, in a boxcar, being taken to Auschwitz. Night came, and it was freezing, deathly cold, in that boxcar. The Germans would leave the cars on the side of the tracks overnight, sometimes for days on end without any food, and of course, no blankets to keep us warm,” he said. “Sitting next to me was an older Jew – this beloved elderly Jew - from my hometown I recognized, but I had never seen him like this. He was shivering from head to toe, and looked terrible.

So, I wrapped my arms around him and began rubbing him, to warm him up. I rubbed his arms, his legs, his face, his neck. I begged him to hang on. All night long; I kept the man warm this way. I was tired, I was freezing cold myself, my fingers were numb, but I didn’t stop rubbing the heat on to this man’s body. Hours and hours went by this way. Finally, night passed, morning came, and the sun began to shine. There was some warmth in the cabin, and then I looked around the car to see some of the other Jews in the car. To my horror, all I could see were frozen bodies, and all I could hear was a deathly silence.

Nobody else in that cabin made it through the night – they died from the frost. Only two people survived: the old man and me… The old man survived because somebody kept him warm; I survived because I was warming somebody else…”

Let me tell you the secret of Judaism. When you warm other people’s hearts, you remain warm yourself. When you seek to support, encourage and inspire others; then you discover support, encouragement and inspiration in your own life as well. That, my friends, is “Judaism 101”.

Please Pray for us,

 

Tom & Linda Milam

Missionaries to America

Phil. 2:16