Revival
Author: Pat Aman…

I remember growing up, at lest twice a year, we would sing the old song,
“Revive Us Again.” Why? It was time for Revival.

How sad, when we should be singing it everyday. Revive us again, Lord,
revive us again.

Then we would not have so many people jumping from one church to another, because when they finally get a true Revival within themselves, they
become a happier person and they stop running from church to church searching for something.

WOW! What a thought, people that experience true Revival and then they are ready to help build the Kingdom of God.

Yes, then they are able to reach the lost and dying world, by staying where God has them and start doing His work. Yes, because they have experienced true Revival.

I have the words to the song at the end of this devotion.

Psalm 85:6 Wilt Thou not Thyself revive us again, that Thy people may
rejoice in Thee?

Revival is one of those interesting subjects that everyone talks about, but few understand. It is for this reason that I would like to spend a little time looking at revival historically, and with a view to a response of Christian devotion.

Revival is a phrase that is applied to the spiritual state of a community.
A town is said to be in revival.

The mark or evidence of a revival is a escalation or surge in the hearts of individuals with concern over the condition of their souls.

Religious concerns, however, do not make a revival. Revival takes place when those religious concerns are married with a visitation of God’s Spirit, coming to a church, town, community or nation and awakening believers, reclaiming backsliders, and converting sinners.

This is why we can not plan revivals. The greatest misconception regarding revival is that we can have a yearly, or semi-annual revival in April or/and October. Churches fall into this trap all the time. They, in a sense, announce to the congregation that God’s Spirit will visit on this or that weekend in this or that month, and therefore, “we will be having a revival.” On Monday morning, after a planned revival, everything for the individual in the congregation is often back to normal.

This is NOT revival!

Revival is the spontaneous and unplanned, flowing of the Holy Spirit into the lives of the unsuspecting in such power, in such glory, that the world takes notice. In a revival in Windham, Connecticut in the early 1730’s the effect was so extensive, so pervasive, that there was not one household in the town that did not have a member in the local church. Every house was effected. Every person in that town and all the surrounding towns knew that something beyond human design was happening.

Are you in need of revival?

As noted above, revival awakens believers who have become comfortable in their circumstances and walk with the Lord, it reclaims backsliders, who have fallen into sinful practices and customs, and it converts sinners. Revival does these things to such an extent that in a town that experiences revival, all the bars, gaming houses, and similar dens of sin shut down their operations because there are no patrons.

Everyone of us fits into one of those above categories. We either need to
be converted, reclaimed, or awakened. Revival is not something that we can create in ourselves, but we can pray for it. Since we can’t create it, we
can attempt to “pray it down.”

Would you like to have all the people in
your town or city concerned with the state of their souls?

Well, then, revival has begun with you, for you know the value of concern for your soul. Go now to the Lord and beg Him for a special visitation of His Spirit upon you, upon your church, your town, your state, your nation!

Revive Us Again

We praise Thee, O God!
For the Son of Thy love,
For Jesus Who died,
And is now gone above.

Refrain

Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Hallelujah! Amen.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Revive us again.

We praise Thee, O God!
For Thy Spirit of light,
Who hath shown us our Savior,
And scattered our night.

Refrain

All glory and praise
To the Lamb that was slain,
Who hath borne all our sins,
And hath cleansed every stain.

Refrain

All glory and praise
To the God of all grace,
Who hast brought us, and sought us,
And guided our ways.

Refrain

Revive us again;
Fill each heart with Thy love;
May each soul be rekindled
With fire from above.

Refrain

Love, Blessings, and Prayers
Pastor Pat

Pastor Pat Aman/©1996/2019 CWPM and Christian Faith Publishers…

Do You Truly Love Each Other?

Author: Pat Aman

Luke 6:32 If you love only the people who love you, what praise should you get? Even sinners love the people who love them.

Love, ah… it’s easy for us to love each other. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s easy to love members of your family, of your church, and it’s easy to love friends. But how about the hard-to-love?

What about the person that has wronged you? The person who has talked bad about you, spread gossip, rumors? The person that did you wrong in a business deal, at school or at a social function? How about that person you truly feel you cannot love anymore, because of the hatred they have shown to you? 

Maybe you have had judgmental people in your life that seem to sit high up on their self built pedestal and judges everyone. They remember everyone’s short coming from 100 year ago. But, never look at their own sinful life. 

We all have them, don’t we? Or am I the only one? 

Jesus says,  “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; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

Matthew 5:44-48 

Notice how the love of Christ turns the “world’s” value system upside-down. The world says, “hate your enemies;” Jesus says love your enemies. But how do we do it?

I remember one time someone ask my daddy, “hey do you like me?”  His answer was, “as a human man I do not like your ways, but as a child of God, and my brother in Christ, I love you.”  WOW!

Now as the sentence above states, Jesus says love your enemies. But how do we do it?

Ready for the answer? Hang on to your hats! 

Pray! 

Yes, prayer. Simple answer yes, but a powerful solution. Pray for that person who has wronged you. Now don’t go and pray like I used to pray, “Lord get back at that person. Lord, make them pay for what they did to me, or Lord, give me a chance to blow him out!”

You really don’t think God wants us to pray to change God, do you? Prayer doesn’t change God; it changes us. In my opinion, God uses prayer for two reasons. One — to allow us to participate in His plan and two — to change us. Pray fervently and earnestly for someone that is hard for you to love, and God will change your heart toward that person. God will show you what He Himself sees in that person.

How will the world know us Christ-Followers? They will know us by our love that flows from our love of Jesus Christ.

John 13:34-35  I give you a new command: Love each other. You must love each other as I have loved you. All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other.

Well… tough stuff, but we need to do it, folks — and we can do it — armed with His love.

Love Pastor Pat

Pastor Pat Aman/©1996/2019 CWPM and Christian Faith Publishers…

Come On Now!

Author: Pat Aman

I would like to start by saying I was raised Southern Baptist.

After Joe and I married, we went to a Freewill Baptist Church and later a Methodist Church because He was raised Methodist. But we ended up in a Pentecostal Holiness Church where I went thought seminary studies and received my Ordination Credentials. 

(Thank you Pastor King White for being my mentor. You have gone back home now, walking on the streets of gold. I know you had a beautiful crown to lay at the feet of your Savior.)

Anyway,  I love to read and study about the history of the Christian church.

John 1 The Word Became Flesh :1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

As many have started to get ready for Easter, you will begin to hear people talking about the ways different religious institutions celebrate this Easter season. And people will begin to also disagree and fuss over the teachings of God’s Word.

Now please bear with me on a little history today, because I need to share some things, to make a final point about how words that people speak can touch people’s lives.

I have had to handle situations through the years on Christian Celebrations. 

I have never cared to argue the Bible with anyone. But when I have been faced with those situations, I held fast, and only lost it one time. 

But, when someone tells you that you are not smart enough to know what you are saying, you kind of sit up in your seat. 

Well, really they were saying that all preachers, teachers, evangelists, and just people saved by the blood of Jesus, are dumb, believing in illusion.

You know that is when you want to say, “Lord, can I just lay hands on them one time? I promise I will pray for their healing afterwards.”

Now people remember to laugh, because the word says, (“Nehemiah 8:10)“The Joy Of The Lord, Is Your Strength.”)

I have had conversations with people who says the Bible was written by man for man’s own use.  

Also, there is a God, but Jesus was just a man who was on earth, did a good job while he was here, but that was the end of Him.

I will tell you that during these words of conversation, I so wanted to lay my Bible aside for just a few minutes, but I stood fast and worked hard at sharing with the person what God was telling me to share.

They would come back and say, well, who wrote the Bible? And who did this? And who said this? And we need to remember that evil is inside of us to do as we see fit.

I would used scripture after scripture, but they would come back and say, ‘Tell me the answers to my questions, without using scripture.’

Boy, oh boy, it just seem to deeper and deeper until I realized that Satan was wasting my time.  

See, Satan knows God’s Word also, and he even used it in the wilderness when temping Jesus.  He took it out of context, and quoted it to suit his own needs, but Praise God, he lost the battle, and Jesus was victorious.

Quickly, let me get something straight, and do not take me wrong when I said it was wasting my time. I pray that maybe I said something that will one day sink in, and the person or persons will turn their lives around. I will not give up on the them, I will continue to pray for them and I told them I would.  I told them that I pray they meet the Jesus I know, and then they would know without a doubt that the Word, (Bible) was with God, and the Word was God.

I explained how God, through the Holy Spirit, uses visions, and so many other ways to speak to man, (giving solid Scriptures again)  to write His Word for us. I even tried to explain that the only way over forty men could write the Bible and there be no contradiction, should be enough to know the Bible was and is the inspired Word of God.

I do read a lot of books, and I study many great theologians of all denominations. I have studied Charles Haddon Spurgeons (know as the Prince of Preachers) sermons, not all of them, I have a long way to go.

I have study the workings and history of Benjamin H. Irwin, of Lincoln, Nebraska, a former Baptist preacher, who organized the body into the national Fire-Baptized Holiness Church at Anderson, South Carolina in August of 1898.  By this time, Irwin’s group had organized churches in eight U. S. states and two Canadian provinces.

Abner Blackmon Crumpler, a Methodist Holiness evangelist in North Carolina,  founded the Pentecostal Holiness denomination in 1897,  as the inter denominational North Carolina Holiness Association. The first congregation to carry the name Pentecostal Holiness Church was formed in Goldsboro, North Carolina, in 1898. Pentecostal was dropped from the name in 1901, but was restored in 1908.

Gaston B. Cashwell,  a minister of the Methodist Church, joined the Pentecostal Holiness Church in 1903. He became a leading figure in the church and the Pentecostal movement on the east coast. In 1906, he traveled to Los Angeles to visit the Pentecostal revival at the Azusa Street mission.  Upon returning to Dunn, North Carolina, in December of 1906, Cashwell preached the Pentecost experience in the local Holiness church.

And I have studied many more great theologians.

But a statement that was made by Karl Barth caught my attention, and really touched my heart.

Karl Barth is considered by some the greatest Protestant theologian of the 20th century, and possibly the greatest since the Reformation. He went to a college to speak. When it came time for the question period, a student asked him,”Rev. Barth, what is the greatest thing the Bible ever taught you?” His answer was plain and simple, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

People, that says it all.  That is what the Bible is all about. Yes, it tells us of history past, and of things to come, but most of all, it tells us that Jesus Loves Us, This I Know.

Amen and Amen

Please take time to read your Bible. Take the time to dig deep into why we as Christians and many other religious organizations celebrate Easter and Christmas.

Do not just take for granted what you have heard others say and preach. Research and talk to God and let the Holy Spirit teach you. 

So, when you are faced with questions from others, you will know the truth. 

Below is a little study of Easter celebrations. Maybe it will help you begin your research and study. 

Love Pastor Pat

Pastor Pat Aman/©1996/2019 CWPM and Christian Faith Publishers 

The first Christians, Jewish and Gentile, were certainly aware of the Hebrew calendar. Jewish Christians, the first to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, timed the observance in relation to Passover. Direct evidence for a more fully formed Christian festival of Pascha (Easter)begins to appear in the mid-2nd century…

The Christian Liturgical Calendar:

Until the 4th century CE, Easter and Pentecost were the only two holy days that Christians observed. Easter Sunday was the main day of celebration, formally recognized by the Council of Nicea in 325 CE. Pentecost Sunday was also observed as a less important holy day, 7 weeks/49 days after Easter. Other occasions related to Jesus’ execution were gradually added to the church calendar:

Lent (in Latin: Quadragesima): This was a period of spiritual preparation for Easter which typically involves fasting, penance and prayer. It was originally established by various Christian groups as an interval ranging from a few days to several weeks. It was eventually fixed in the 8th century CE at 40 days. (The number 40 is one of many magical numbers with religious significance in the Bible. 40 days recalls the interval that Jesus, Moses and Elias spent in the desert. Other magical numbers were 3, 7, 12, and 70).  Among Roman Catholics, Lent lasts for 38 days spread across six and a half weeks before Easter; it starts on Ash Wednesday and concludes on Holy Thursday, and does not include Sundays. Other Western traditions observe Lent for 40 days, from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday and also do not include Sundays. Among the Eastern Orthodox churches, it is a full eight weeks.

Mardi Gres (a.k.a. Fat Tuesday and Shrove Tuesday): This is  held on Tuesday, the day before the first day of Lent. The reference to “fat” refers to the custom of eating righ fatty foods on the evening before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent.

Ash Wednesday: This is  held on the first day of Lent, a Wednesday. 

Holy Week: the week before Easter Sunday: 

Palm Sunday (a.k.a. Passion Sunday): This is held on the Sunday before Easter Sunday and begins Holy Week. It recalls Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem one week before his execution.

Holy Monday commemorates Jesus’ cleansing of the temple, when he committed aggravated assaulted against money changers and other commercial interests who had tables within the Temple. Some believe that this triggered his arrest and crucifixion. It certainly would have been considered an act of insurrection by the occupying Roman Army, particularly because it occurred so close to a Passover when nationalistic feelings among Jews were at an all-time high.

Holy Tuesday recalls Jesus’ description to his disciples on the Mount of Olives of the destruction of Jerusalem.

Holy Wednesday (once called Spy Wednesday) recalls Judas’ decision to betray Jesus in exchange for 30 pieces of silver.

Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper, Jesus agony in the garden and his arrest. “Maundy” is derived from the Latin “mandatum” (commandment of God in John 13:34-35 For centuries, people in authority have washed the feet of their followers on this day.

Good Friday recalls Jesus’ death on the cross. The origin of the word “good” has been lost. Some claim that it is a corruption of “God” and that the early Christians called this day “God’s Friday.” “God” morphed in to “good” just as “God be with you” has become “goodbye.” Others claim that “good” refers to the blessings of humanity that Christians believe arose as a result of Jesus’ execution. 

“A fourth-century church manual, the Apostolic Constitutions, called Good Friday a ‘day of mourning, not a day of festive Joy.’ Ambrose, the fourth-century archbishop who befriended the notorious sinner Augustine of Hippo before his conversion, called it the ‘day of bitterness on which we fast’.” 10

Holy Saturday (a.k.a. Easter Eve) is the final day of Holy Week and of Lent.

Easter Sunday commemorates Jesus’ resurrection. In the early church, converts were baptized into church membership on this day after a lengthy period of instruction. This tradition continues today in some churches…..

The Foolish Things of this World.
Author: Pastor Pat Aman

God’s word, the gospel is real, it is radical, it is life changing.

The Bible says He uses the foolish things of this world, preaching to bring about racial change in people’s lives.

1 Corinthians 1:27
“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.”

Psalm 8:2
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

Today I pray that I can touch a spark off in each of your lives, through Jesus and God’s word to bring about change in your life.

I pray you through the word will forget about who you use to be, and what you use to be, before you connected to the gospel, because when Jesus cleans you up, you’re cleaned up.

If you have excepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you do not act or look like you used too.

Even though Jesus brings us through hardships, gossip, false accusations, lies and gives us the strength to have the ability to speak to demons, working through other humans, and they be delivered from Dominic powers, we must remember to stop and give praise to God.

Jesus gave us His POA to use His Name and people be delivered. But, those persons must want deliverance. Some have lived their entire lives and become comfortable and even happy, continuing to live under the powers of satan.

When it seems we try to live a Godly life is when satan uses the mouths of others to try and bring people down. Even to the point of sending curses out.

You must study, fast and pray to keep your life a shining light for others to see Jesus in you.

Maybe you feel you are not qualified to minister to do God’s work, when you feel the enemy is beating you up with condemnation, and you feel like your mistake has disqualified you, and you feel that you have to manipulate and lie to get people to do things for you, my friend you do not have to do this, because, because God can take our shortcomings, our failures and He can make us whole to be what he wants us to be.

Your mistakes do not disqualify you, but they actually qualify you to do his work.

It is the things you have been through, brothers and sisters that make you able to stand, and help reconcile people back to our Lord, Jesus Christ.

We must remember that we must use our past mistakes to help others not to make those mistakes.

And remember the ones falsely accusing you, will be handled by and at the hands of God.

Jesus shook the church world. When he stepped on religious people. If you have to live a life that you cling to religion more than you cling to Jesus, then you’re not really ready for Jesus either.

If you have a tradition or a concept you have to hold on to, or a concept you have to hold on to more than Jesus, he will tear up your concepts, he will confuse your tradition, he will blow up everything because he is soveriegn and he does not have to read and go my your man made bylaws. He does not have to read your bylaws, he does not have to read your manual, he does not have to go through your doctrine before he moves, he will more if you want him to or not. He is God all by himself. He does not need you to do his work. He can do it himself, he is a sovereign God.

Do you really understand he is a sovereign God?

All power is in his hand. He can move the wind, he can say peace be still and the winds obey his voice. He can say to the mountain be removed and it will be done. There is nothing that happens on this earth that he cannot control. He gives the sun permission to shine, and the rain permission to fall. He can tell that giants in your life to fall down with one word and it is done.

God does not need to wait on us to move before he moves. He gave us our breathe in increments so we could understand, if he does not give us our next breathe, we cannot breath without him.

He is God, he is the alpha, he is the omega, he is the beginning and the end, he is here, you cannot hire him, you can not fire him, You cannot vote him in you can not vote him out, He is God. He is everything.

They could deal with him in the streets, they loved him in the streets, but when he hits the church that was an all to different story, because they did not know what to do with him.

It was the drunkards; it was the prostitutes, for they loves him because he loved the sinners. They loved him

It was the religious people, it was the church folks, who could not deal with him, they could not deal with his anointing, there are people who cannot deal with YOUR ANOINTING. So, they are giving you crap on earth, because they themselves live an unhappy crappy life. It is called jealously.

Jesus spent a lot of time teaching the church folk, because they had been forever learning, but never coming into the truth.

So he set in the synogod, teaching the saints of God, who knew the acts of God and the ways of God

The Bible says they were dull of hearing because their ears were uncircumcised. It simply meant that their hearing was dismished because excess flesh. Their ears were uncircumcised. They were constantly trying to catch and judge others, but never judge their own self righteousness.

And let’s take it a step further, How would the Pharisee who claim to holiness, know where to go to catch someone in sin, say like adultery?
Because they themselves live a sinful life.

You would be surprised to know just how many people constantly try to get just a little dirt on you.

Not a whole lot, it does not take a whole lot, something they could use against you, just waiting for you to have some kind of inconsistence in your walk with God. They are waiting for you on your job, so they can say, I thought you were a Christian, now how come you are acting like this. They are just waiting for you to have a bad attitude. They are lying in wait to catch you acting like an uncircumcised Pharisee.

It is bad when sinners do it to you, but it is terrible when the family and church folks to it to you.

They lie to your face, others faces, because they have done it so long, they believe it themselves. They have let the spirit demon of lying and confusion live happily in their lives so long they are comfortable with their living arrangements.

I know today that God is so displeased because your mistakes and low self confidence has made a job for you. You are continuing hurting others along the way. You need to stop and see who you stepping over on the ladder of ladder of life to get your name out there.

Accusers are more interested in destroying others not realizing they are hurting themselves, because that maybe accusing God, by accusing his child.

I am sorry to say, but today, you better watch people with their words, because they maybe just trying set you up they are just trying to flatter you like they did Jesus by calling him master. They were convincing, they were sly, they were being deceitful in their doings. This is how demonized people act.

There are a big difference between the facts and the truth.

You cannot base your life on the facts because sometimes the facts are not the truth.

The truth is the reason the devil is always rehearsing the facts, in your hearing is because he cannot deal with the truth.

The bible does not say you shall know the facts and the facts shall set you free, but you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.

And here we are. People maybe bringing the untrue facts, but the truth is turning his back on the facts.

What do you mean the truth, he is the way the truth and the life.
He brings the facts to the truth and the truths turns it back on the facts.Because real truth is always able to ignore the facts.

When you start walking in real degrees of truth people will not always agree with you, some will think you have lost it.

Because they kept talking about the facts and your talking about the truth. Real truth always ignores the facts.

Remember, the devil side is saying justice and the other side is saying mercy. The mercy of God.,

Justice may say death, and mercy says live.

You see that is why I love Jesus, because when I should have been condemn, Jesus said wait one minute, because again justice said condemn but mercy showed love.

Even when justice wanted to condemn each of us. Jesus sets us up high in the secret of the tabernacle.

Jesus-gives us beauty for ashes, he gives us the oil of joy for mourning. The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

In Galatians 6:1 If you find your brother overtaken in a fault. Restore such a one. Remembering yourself.
Ye which are spiritual do not stone them but fix them. Restore them and I will be checking them you are restoring them with meakness, remembering yourself.,

So that tells us before we can restore ourself, we must remember where we came from.

YOU, cannot minister with the mind and heart of God, if you are constantly lying and trying destroy others.

People need people who love them.

Look where you came, you cannot help restore people in their mess if you cannot remember your mess and where you came from. Stop judging people

There has got to be something that keeps you in check that teaches you compassion and love🥤

God came to earth to give compassion.

John 3: 15 – 18

“that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
‭‭John‬ ‭3:15-18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

You cannot redemn what you are not related too

Don’t comdemn people, but labor to touch someone.

Be someone who will touch others and help them out of their mess.

Worship God and become like him

In the Bible when the so called religious people wanted to stone the women caught in adultery, Jesus knelt down and starting writing in the dust. He was giving them a chance to remember where they came from, then asked which of you have not sinned throw the first stone.

Remember, Just when you get tired of helping somebody I charge you to remember you ton drop the stone.

Then listen to them quietness of your heart.

Drop the stone and remember you.

Remember how many times God had to work with you and minister with you and tell you, your going to make it. How many times he bought you out.

Stop judging others.

What stones are you trying to throw.
Whom are you accusing.
Whom are you trying to deceive.
Whom are you trying to get over something on?

I can say, I love and can put up with the unsaved. I do not like their sin, but I love the sinner.

And yes, just like God, I agitated and hate the so call religious unbelieving person. People who call themselves Christians, but daily walk in a demonize life….

“A worthless person, a wicked man, Walks with a perverse mouth; He winks with his eyes, He shuffles his feet, He points with his fingers; Perversity is in his heart, He devises evil continually, He sows discord. Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly; Suddenly he shall be broken without remedy. These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭6:12-19‬ ‭

Devotion Written By: Pastor Pat Aman Book © 1996/2019 “Coffee With Pat Daily Devotionals” & “Christian Faith Publishers

I want to share tonight a devotion I posted back in 2002. Please take the time to read The Quilt.

I think I needed to read this devotion tonight. I needed to remember, that even in times I fail, and fall flat on my face, Jesus picks me up.

Whether it be in actions or words, we all at times do not reach the mark.

But, in the end, can we say Christ shined through us.

God bless you,
Pat

“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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
‭‭John‬ ‭3:16-17‬ ‭

The Quilt
Author Unknown

As I faced my Maker at the last Judgment,

I knelt before the Lord along with the other souls.

Before each of us laid our lives, like the squares of a quilt, in many piles.

An angel sat before each of us sewing quilt squares together into tapestries that represented our lives.

As my angel took each piece of cloth off the pile, I noticed how ragged and empty each of my squares was. They were filled with giant holes. Each square was labeled with a part of my life that had been difficult, the challenges and temptations I was faced with in everyday life. I saw hardships that I had endured, which were the largest holes of all.

I glanced around me. No one else had such squares.

Other than a tiny hole here and there, the other tapestries were filled with rich color and bright hues of worldly fortune.

I gazed upon my own life and was disheartened.

My angel was sewing the ragged pieces of cloth together, threadbare and empty.

Finally, the time came when each life was to be displayed, held up to the light. . . the scrutiny of truth.

The others arose, each in turn, holding up their tapestries.

So filled their lives had been!

My angel looked upon me, and nodded for me to arise.

My gaze dropped to the ground in shame. I hadn’t had all the earthly fortunes. I had had love in my life, and laughter. But there had also been trials of illness and death,
and false accusations that took from me my world as I knew it.

I had to start over many times. I often struggled with the temptation to quit, only to somehow muster the strength to pick up and begin again. I had spent many nights on my knees in prayer, asking for help and guidance in my life. I had often been held up to ridicule, which I endured painfully; each time offering it up
to the Father in hopes that I would not melt within my skin beneath the critical gaze of those who unfairly judged me. And now, I had to face the truth. My life was what it was, and I had to accept it for what it had been.

I arose and slowly lifted the combined squares of my life to the light. An awe-filled gasp filled the air.

I gazed around at the others who stared at me with eyes wide.

Then, I looked upon the tapestry before me. Light flooded the many holes, creating an image. The face of Christ.

Our Lord then stood before me, with warmth and love in His eyes. He said, “Every time you gave over your life to Me, it became My life, My hardships, and My struggles. Each point of light in your life is when you stepped aside and let Me shine through, until there was more of Me than there was of you.

May all our quilts be threadbare and worn, allowing Christ to shine
through.

Devotion Written By: Pastor Pat Aman Book © 1996/2019 “Coffee With Pat Daily Devotionals” & “Christian Faith Publishers”

The Quilt: Author Unknown

Bible Verses: The New King James Bible
Devotional Notes: Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible

Its Party Time 

Author: Pat Aman

I have gone back and refreshed myself with some old devotions. I am re-reading the book of Revelations. Mostly the first four chapters.

Does Your Life as a Christian make you feel like dancing?  It should. 

Being a Christian should be joyous. 

Revelation 2:4 

4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

Revelation 2:4 (The Message)But you walked away from your first love – why? What’s going on with you, anyway?” 

I am including next a quote from Mike Yaconelli. 

(Mike Yaconelli once observed, “It doesn’t take much to make most of us realize that we have become too serious, too tense, too stressful. Theresult is that we have forgotten how to live life…What happened to the gleam in our eye? What happened to that joyful, crazy, spontaneous, fun-loving spirit we once had? The childlikeness in all of us gets snuffed out over the years…the sign that Jesus is in our hearts, the evidence of the truth of the Gospel is that we still have a light on in our souls.”) The End…

How can someone walk away from their first love, lose that gleam in their eye? 

Could I walk away from my husband of 42 years? By all accounts, mylove for him is not same as that June day in 1977 when I walked down the aisle at our wedding. Since then we have had two daughters, careers, personal successes and tragedies and a growing walk with the Lord. nothing else, today my love for him is stronger and more intimate than in those precious and heady days as newlyweds.

Yet as I claim a stronger relationship with the Lord during this time, Ihonestly know that I have been living in Ephesus when it comes to my walk with God. Just as human relationships have plateaus, I must confess that I have not sought out the depth of God, pursuing the love and fellowship I knew in my early days as a believer. This is what is going on: I have walked away from my first love and forgotten how to live life!

I made a remark today to the receptionist at the eye doctor. If I were not saved and walked into some of the churches today, I would never get saved. 

Why? 

Because even our churches have walked away from their first love.

They are all doing their own things. Not the God things. Priorities have been misplaced in our personal lives as well as 75% of our churches today.

Regaining the life I seek with Him, returning to a childlikeness, requires intimacy. I know full well the intimacy I seek with Him willbenefit from improved spiritual disciplines (such as more time in His Word and in prayer). But I cannot rely on these activities alone, otherwise I have fallen under the Law and am practicing faith by works. Relationships grow out of intention and communication as well as in following through with responsibilities. Any life with Him begins and ends with making God the priority, not just one of many pressing concerns in my everyday living.

Living this life means adopting a willingness to live His life, not myown. Returning to my first love means saying “no” to all the competing interests and consistently putting the needs of my Beloved before my own. 

My marriage is no different and it suffers when attention and intentiongive way to selfish living. When my priorities are restored, the joy returns to the relationship.

It is the same with our relationship with God. When it  is not where itneeds to be, and when attention and intention gives way to selfish living, our intimacy with God gives way to hurt, grief, sickness. 

Why? 

Because we have left God out and let the devil sneak in.

I find hope and direction in Yaconelli’s concluding thought: (“Christians are not just people who live godly lives; we are people who know how to live, period. Christians are not just examples of moral purity, we are also people filled with the everyday challenges and joys of life.) The End

Christians not only know how to practice piety, we also know how to party. I believe it’s time for the party to begin.”

With the reminder of from Ephesus and hopefully a gleam in my eye, I know it is party time! We need to let the world know that we as Christians are happy and not just a long face, sad, bunch of people just attending a building one to three times a weeks just because of it being a habit. 

Jesus love to laugh as well as share the truth of His Father God to the world. 

Let us as Christians get busy. Yes, it is Party Time.

Devotion Written By: Pastor Pat Aman Book © 1996/2019 “Coffee With Pat Daily Devotionals” & “Christian Faith Publishers”

Bible Verses: The New King James Bible

Devotional Notes: Dake’s Annotated Reference  Bible

Letter to the Church of Sardis 

Revelations 3:1 “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: 

1 These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 

2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. 

3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. 

4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 

5 He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blotout his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.

6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 

What is our Lord saying to the church at Sardis, and through them, to us?

The diagnosis was spiritual death. But resuscitation was possible. 

Is your Christian walk lively? Or have you become stuck in a rut? Are you going through the motions, or are you excited about going to church, reading God’s word, conversing with your Heavenly Father? 

If church has become a habit, something needs to change in your spiritual walk. 

Once upon a time, most of us were excited about our faith. But eventually, it usually becomes “old” to us. We fall into, yes, that routine mode. 

How can we revive it? 

Try something fresh. If you usually prefer traditional worship, give one contemporary service a try. You may not want to attend all the time, but it could quick start your faith excitement. It speaks to people in the vernacular – just as Jesus did. 

Try a new version of the Bible. Oh boy, I hit a rock there. Remember, even the King James was translated by men, from the original transcripts, so do not let yourself fall into not reading the newer translations.

Read a new (to you) Christian author, or revisit an old one that inspired you. 

Start a daily journal of your Bible study time and prayers. 

Join a Men’s or Women’s weekly Bible Study. Even start on in your home. 

Get yourself an accountability partner.

Get involved, be a disciple. The disciples God’s intent for us to be. 

We aren’t complete spiritually, if we are not using the gifts He has abundantly blessed us with. 

And pray, pray, pray. God wants you to have a lively faith walk. But be

careful what you ask for; you will get it! He may drop you out of your comfort zone. 

Blessings, Love and Prayers,

Pastor Pat Aman

Devotion Written By: Pastor Pat Aman Book © 1996/2019 “Coffee With Pat Daily Devotionals” & “ Christian Faith Publishers”

Study Notes: The New King James Bible

As a small child I remember watching Billy Graham on TV. But my favorite part of his Crusades was when Ethel Waters would sing, “His Eye Is On The Sparrow.” I have always loved this song, and I have always loved Miss Waters singing. Now she is singing with the Angels and I can just see her smiling and praising God, because she knew what it was like to be touched by God and have her life turned around. She knew of the bad, good and ugly. 

But, as she sings this great anthem of praise, we can see, feel and knowthat she never looked away from her Father God. Even when things got rough, she knew that as God was watching the Sparrow, that He was keeping his eyes on His daughter, His child. 

Forsaken, but not Forgotten

Psalm 37:23,24 “The steps of a man are established by the Lord; and He delights in his way. When he falls, he shall not be hurled headlong; because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.” 

First, let me say, “God will never forsake us, His children.” 

But, do you ever feel that God has forsaken you at times? Do you feel like there are perpetual clouds above your head, that the Lord has hidden His face from you, or that He has turned His back on you? Can you say that the “God of all comfort,”(2 Corinthians 1:3“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,” seems like He lives in another time zone? 

Well, so did many in the Bible. It has been the common experience and condition, that even the best saints have seemingly been deserted by God in the Bible. Let’s look at just two briefly. 

“Behold, I go forward but He is not there, and backward, but I cannotperceive Him; when He acts on the left, I cannot behold Him. He turns on the right, I cannot see Him.” Job 23:8,9. 

These are the words of Job, and while we all know the story of Job, have you ever considered the despair echoed in these words? Job is seeking the Lord in the midst of His struggles, and he cannot find Him. He is not seeking God haphazardly, or only putting forth a sham effort, but rather He has gone forward and backward, to the right and the left, and he cannot find God. He feels like God has deserted him. 

“Now as for me, I said in my prosperity, I will never be moved. O Lord, by Thy favor Thou hast made my mountain to stand strong. Thou didst hide Thy face; I was dismayed.” Psalm 30:6,7. 

This is an interesting passage from David, a man who God greatly loved and favored. Here David goes on about how great things have gone with Him. He had it good. He even knows that having it good is not due to anything he deserved, but he acknowledges God for His benefactor. It is God who made David strong, and David both knows it and thanks God for it. So what a surprise to read the next line, that God hid His face from him. But here we see that David knew both the favor of God and also felt, at times, that God had deserted him. “Thou hast put me in the lowest pit, in dark places, in the depths.” Psalm 88:6. 

In looking at these two examples, we see that even the best of Christians may feel that God has hidden his favor from them. However, both these examples also show that us that even if God has hidden his face for a while, his forsaking is always only partial, and is never total. God knows what we are able to endure. God may seemly forsake his people in His comforting presence, and it may feel like all around us is falling down, but God never forsakes His children in His supporting presence. “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9. 

Lastly, consider that God may forsake His people for their good. He may be preparing them for greater manifestations of His blessings and grace. Thiswas the case with Job. Job was greatly afflicted, but in the end, the Lord blessed him with more than he had before He allowed him to be afflicted.

Afflictions should also drive us to Christ. God may forsake us, that wemay not forsake Him. A true child of God will be driven to pray, hope and trust God all the more, when the roof of life seems to be caving in uponthem. If God hides His favor from us, we will naturally seek to cleave closer to Him when His favor returns. God may have hidden his face from David for a while, but David says, “O God, Thou art my God; I shall seek Thee earnestly; my soul thirsts for Thee, my flesh yearns for Thee, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1. David says that he seeks God earnestly and yearns for Him, even in a place of desolation.

Can we say that of ourselves? Would others say that of us? 

The application from these two examples of Job and David is simple. If we feel deserted by God, or feel that we cannot find His favor – though we look forward and backward, right or left, we still must seek His face more. We still must rest in His mercy to a greater extent. We still must come before Him, humbly, and plead with Him for His restored favor. We have here two encouraging examples in Scripture (there are others also) where God was gracious to His servants, and let this be an encouragement to us, to follow their example.

Blessings, Love and Prayers,

Pastor Pat Aman

Also, please know that: 

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with Joy.

Philippians 1: 3-4

Devotion Written By: Pastor Pat Aman Book © 1996/2019 “Coffee With Pat Daily Devotionals” & Christian Faith Publishers 

Study Notes: The New King James Bible

I can hardly believe it is almost Easter Time. It seems we have just celebrated Christmas. 

When I think of Easter, I think of Mary anointing Jesus feet. She once was a broken person, but, Jesus touched her. Because Jesus had touched her and gave her a new life,  the Holy Spirit spoke her to anoint Jesus, preparing Him for the steps He would soon take to walk the Road to Calvary.

I love the story of Jesus, Mary and the Alabaster Box.

I often tell people, “do not judge others by what you see, because you do not know what is in their Alabaster Box!”PAA

She broke a box of ointment and poured it on Jesus. This ointment was valued at 300 pence. A pence was the daily wage of the average worker. Therefore, in modern terms, it was worth about $15,000.00. This spikenard was produced from a rare plant that grew in India. It was very expensive and many people saved for years to be able to provide this for their own funeral preparations. However, this woman, poured it out on the Lord Jesus.

A lot of preachers teach on the subject of how expenses the oil/perfume cost. Others teach that it meant Mary was giving her best, her all.

But, I think of it this way. ‘What was really in Mary’s Alabaster Box?

I like to imagine that as she broke the vessel so that she might extractevery drop of ointment for use on the Lord Jesus, she was also showing Jesus every broken part of herself. 

The vessel was her broken life, filled with the oil of all the hurts, sorrow, jealousy, hatred, disappointments and even happiness that she had experienced. 

Yes, she had paid a great price in her life, the way she had lived, but, Jesus only saw the broken vessel as clay that He could mold into a beautiful vase. And he did not judge or smell the unpleasant odor of her sins, but the sweet smelling aroma of her love and her willingness to scarified everything to follow her Lord and Savior. 

Whatever you may think about when reading this story, Mary gave all she had to Jesus for His glory! She totally opened herself up to Him. She did not try to hide one part of herself.

I wonder have we broken the Alabaster Box of our lives and poured out ourselves, every drop for Him? All the broken of our sinful lives.

God is seeking people who have surrendered everything they have, everything they are and everything they hope to be. He is looking for people who will assume the place of servants before Him. He is looking for those who will merely respond when He speaks to them. He is looking for those about whom He can say, “They have done what they could.”

I think of Apostle Paul also when I read this story. In 2 Timothy 4, hesays, “6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

I feel that after Mary anointed Jesus, she also, felt the very same way that Paul did. 

Are you now ready to break the Alabaster Box of your life? Please right now, open your Alabaster Box to Jesus. He is waiting to heal you