"Life,Victory Certainty." by J Sidlow Baxter

As we journey through life we meet all sorts of obstacles along the way. Some people have an attitude of eat,drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. That could be labelled fatalism. Others explore different approaches. Many are the spiritual pathways people latch onto and others seek to find answers in the food they eat and/or extensive physical activity or slowing down and meditating. Being in the moment, mindfulness. Others claim to have a relationship with God. Many do this through Jesus Christ and have a time in their life where they say they have been "born again". That is a Biblical expression. I,like many others claim to be born again(that doesn't mean I am any better than anyone else) and I like many others soon discover that just because you have been "born again" it doesnt mean life is all plain sailing from there. There are many upsets alomg the journey. Relational, Physical, Spiritual. The euphoria of that first rush of the infilling of God's love can start to wain.Doubts creep in. We wonder about whether prayer really works. We Christians and others of all persuasions long for a happy fullfilled life, being able to cope with our circumstances, and, also have a sure knowledge of what happens when we die. J Sidlow Baxter was a wonderful teacher,preacher,theologian and author. He wrote some wonderful books and travelled the world extensively talking with and meeting with thousands of people. I have in my collection of tapes many of his addresses recorded here in Adelaide,South Australia and about 4 of his major books. He addresses the questions I have outlined above in this message called "Life,Victory ,Certainty." I have put a link here where you can listen to this oinline. This is not the version I have but fairly well identical. Will you take time to listen? http://turret2.discipleshiplibrary.com/1511A.mp3

The Focal Point of Spiritual Power by Oswald Chambers

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By Oswald Chambers …except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ… —Galatians 6:14 If you want to know the power of God (that is, the resurrection life of Jesus) in your human flesh, you must dwell on the tragedy of God. Break away from your personal concern over your own spiritual condition, and with a completely open spirit consider the tragedy of God. Instantly the power of God will be in you. “Look to Me…” (Isaiah 45:22). Pay attention to the external Source and the internal power will be there. We lose power because we don’t focus on the right thing. The effect of the Cross is salvation, sanctification, healing, etc., but we are not to preach any of these. We are to preach “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). The proclaiming of Jesus will do its own work. Concentrate on God’s focal point in your preaching, and even if your listeners seem to pay it no attention, they will never be the same again. If I share my own words, they are of no more importance than your words are to me. But if we share the truth of God with one another, we will encounter it again and again. We have to focus on the great point of spiritual power— the Cross. If we stay in contact with that center of power, its energy is released in our lives. In holiness movements and spiritual experience meetings, the focus tends to be put not on the Cross of Christ but on the effects of the Cross. The feebleness of the church is being criticized today, and the criticism is justified. One reason for the feebleness is that there has not been this focus on the true center of spiritual power. We have not dwelt enough on the tragedy of Calvary or on the meaning of redemption.

"Lord I believe,help my unbelief!