www.hismansion.com
His Mansion Ministries, Inc.
"In
the beginning was the Word and the
Word was with God, and the Word was
God. He was in the beginning with God.
All things were made through Him, and
without Him nothing was made that was
made. In Him was life, and the life was
the light of men."
-John 1:1-4
Greetings in Jesus' name,
It is so difficult for most young men
and women to grasp the notion of
timelessness. What am I saying! It is
difficult for me! I recently taught
this passage to the fellowship that
meets here on the hill, "The Meeting
Place." "In the beginning" sounded like
the start of a long story. The
"beginning" for many in this generation
was this morning or perhaps the day
they entered this program, or, at a
stretch, the day they were born.
The concept of creation is well outside
their box, so trying to describe or
dialogue about the beginning of the
beginning, before the first creation,
is fantasy on par with the latest
digitally created SciFi sellout!
Cap this teaching off with the notion
that Jesus Christ was the LOGOS (The
Word), before He was Jesus, and we're
done!
We have just been blessed with sixteen
new candidates in the program replacing
the recent graduates. In addition to
"putting Humpty-Dumpty together again,"
we have the challenge and joy of
introducing them to Christ and
nurturing them in the faith. All in one
year!
I'm thankful to God that we can start
this process with them by shoveling
manure, planting flowers, chopping
wood, cooking food and keeping the
"johns" flushing. Frequent visits to
daily "Prayer & Share," weekly Bible
classes, and Sunday fellowship, allow
us the privilege of feeding these, for
the most part novice Believers, the
most basic truths.
Concepts like "the beginning, before
the beginning," are merely planted in
their heads, teasing them with the
possibility that they are, indeed, part
of something far, far greater and more
wonderful than their minds can
presently grasp.
The highlight of the year are the
graduations that take place every four
months. September's graduation saw
seven men and three women complete the
twelve-month challenge. Together they
represented the nine states of CA, CT,
FL, IA, MA, MI, NC, NH and NY. Family
and friends packed the chapel. For many
parents the contrast between the plight
of their loved ones upon arrival and
the person standing on the stage seems
nothing short of a miracle. For some it
is!
One of these past graduates now
residing at the Michigan Growth Center
recently included the following words
in a letter she sent as an update in
regards to her settling in and search
for employment in the area. It
encourages my heart to hear this woman
walking out God's truth and continuing
to pursue Him first and foremost and
trusting in His provision.
It's been quite a faith ride (or walk,
I should say) since my arrival (at the
MI Growth Center.) I recall how
overwhelmed (in a good way) I felt,
knowing how much God cares! Provisions
like shelter, the center itself; the
people, Frances and Dennis and kids;
the food from our trips to the Food
Bank, etc. Thank you for 'footing the
bill' as it were, to help provide for
our needs here at the growth center...
My walk is continuing to deepen
everyday in a dependence on Jehovah. It
makes me sad sometimes just how similar
I've been to the Israelites. Thank the
Lord He loves me where I am, but also
that He loves me too much to leave me
where I am. I thank God for this walk
of sanctification He has me on! It is
hard, but it is good. Praise God! I
really feel like I've "come home"--
like this is where He wants me for now.
To live is Christ!
I wish I could say that life in this
world was getting better--less drugs,
alcohol, sexual immorality and other
addictive behavior. Alas, it is not the
case. We operate at capacity and still
turn some away. The government could
not do what we do, even with their
unlimited funds (or rather, ours!). God
continues to provide the people and the
finances for His Mansion. Pray a hedge
about us that the Enemy would find no
way to sabotage.
Now, a word from Paul...
The day was picture perfect, still warm
and sunny for the evening hour as the
line of vans and cars carried
residents, staff and children off the
hill to the local Deering Reservoir. A
large crowd of family and friends also
made the short drive to join and
witness the public celebration of the
sixteen individuals who outwardly
identified with Jesus Christ as they
followed Him in Believers Baptism that
day. It was a blessing and joy to be
apart of this incredible life-changing
event for each of these young lives.
Praise God for the work that He is
doing and will continue to do in all of
us!
The baptism was a wonderful way to
start the week leading to the
graduation which was held on Saturday,
September 10. During the ceremony, each
graduate was given the opportunity to
share testimony of the transformative
power of God as they experienced His
healing hand on their life over the
past year. Let me share with you one
particular testimony as given by a 29
year old male graduate that left a mark
on my heart.
My reason for coming here is that my
life was out of control. I was at the
end of my rope, depressed, consumed and
a slave to addiction. Trying to fill a
void with anything I could get my hands
on. Only to realize that I needed
change, I needed something different, a
new life. I had to surrender myself and
give up my control, realizing I
couldn't do it on my own any longer.
While being here, I finally broke down
those walls of seclusion and insecurity
and let Christ into my life willing,
and gave up my control. I let him work
in my life. With in a few months, I
started to notice changes in my
thinking of myself and my life; that I
wasn't a failure, a lost cause, a
nobody, but that I was a child of God.
My relationship with God since being in
this program, has given me strength,
courage and a foundation to start my
life and to face my fears and my past
sufferings. He has been my guide when I
was lost in my pain. He was right
behind me in my struggles and never
turned His back on me although, at
times, I turned on Him... I couldn't
have done it on my own. I would still
be living in my old behaviors. He is
definitely at work in me and on this
hill. We just have to begin to let
Him work.
Thank you for standing with us. His
Mansion can again testify that every
bill is paid and we have no debt! He is
so good--you are so faithful!
Joyful in His service together,
Stan Farmer; Ambassador-at-Large
Paul Atkinson Sr; CEO
Debbie
Penner
How
Well Grounded Are You?
Cain was well grounded. He stayed in
one place, tilling the soil and tending
to his crops. He did what he could to
make the best of a bad situation
as he was living in a fallen and
cursed world outside of Eden.
Abel was not well grounded. He roamed
the hillsides with his sheep, always
aware of the imperfection of the world
around him, unable to settle down in
one place, longing for the redemption
that had been promised to his parents.
God accepted Abel's
offering, not Cain's.
Lot was well grounded. He chose the
greenest, lushest land for his flocks
and herds, and eventually settled
permanently in the lovely Sodom.
He was accepted by the natives to
the point that he was chosen to be
one of their rulers, and had a lovely
home in the city.
Abraham was not. He lived in a tent,
never staying in one place for long,
and ended up living out his life as a
"sojourner in the land." In fact, the
tent became one of the
symbols of his life.
God judged Lot's city, and poor Lot
lost everything. He ended up being a
homeless widower, living in caves on
the mountain in poverty and disgrace.
Abraham, on the other hand was honored
with an unconditional covenant, and
the privilege of talking directly
with the Creator.
The writer to the Hebrews explains the
difference in chapter 11. He tells us
that Abel's world view was based on
faith, and Abraham "looked for a city
which hath foundations, whose builder
and maker is God."
John tells us that we should avoid
being too well grounded. "Love not the
world, neither the things that are in
the world...And the world passeth away,
and the lust thereof: but he that doeth
the will of God abideth for ever. "
(1 John 2:15,17)
The world around us wants us to be well
grounded citizens of their country and
community. As long as we are involved
in trying to be happy here on earth,
they are pleased. If we become restless
and begin to focus on Christ's
second coming and our inheritance there
rather than on earthly things, they are
impatient. They begin telling us we
are so heavenly minded we are
no earthly good.
Of course we are here now, and must
live in the here and now, but at the
same time, we can choose to fill our minds
with schemes and plans to "get ahead"
in this world, or with the expectation
of our Redeemer-King who has promised
to come quickly. Our lives will
influence others to be either well
grounded earth dwellers, or temporary
residents, waiting our time to enter
into our inheritance in Jesus Christ.
I thought it was fascinating to realize
that Paul, who spent his life leading
others to abandon their quest for
personal happiness on earth, and place
their hope on a future city, was a
tentmaker. He made tents with his hands,
and tent dwellers with his teaching.
May we also abandon our attachment to
this fallen world, focus our hope on
the glorious future Jesus is preparing
for us, and lead others to do the same.
Debbie Penner
Question:
"What does the Bible say
about the end of the world?"
Answer:
The event usually referred to
by the phrase “end of the world” is
described in 2 Peter 3:10: “The heavens
will disappear with a roar; the
elements will be destroyed by fire, and
the earth and everything in it will be
laid bare.” This is the culmination of
the events referred to in the beginning
of that verse as “the day of the Lord,”
the time when God will intervene in
human history for the purpose of
judgment. At that time, all that God
has created, “the heavens and the
earth” (Genesis 1:1), He will destroy.
The timing of this event, according to
most Bible scholars, is at the end of
the 1000-year period called the
millennium. During these thousand
years, Christ will reign on earth as
King in Jerusalem, sitting on the
throne of David (Luke 1:32-33) and
ruling in peace but with a “rod of
iron” (Revelation 19:15). At the end of
the 1000 years, Satan will be released,
defeated again, and then cast into the
lake of fire (Revelation 20:7-10). At
this point, the end of the world
described in 2 Peter 3:10 occurs. The
Bible tells us several things about
this event.
First, it will be cataclysmic in scope.
The “heavens” refers to the physical
universe – the stars, planets, and
galaxies—which will be consumed by some
kind of tremendous explosion, possibly
a nuclear or atomic reaction that will
consume and obliterate all matter as we
know it. All the elements that make up
the universe will be melted in the
“fervent heat” (2 Peter 3:12). This
will also be a noisy event, described
in different Bible versions as a “roar”
(NIV), a “great noise” (KJV), a “loud
noise” (CEV), and a “thunderous crash”
(AMP). There will be no doubt as to
what is happening. Everyone will see
and hear it because we are also told
that “the earth and everything in it
will be laid bare.”
Then God will create a “new heaven and
a new earth” (Revelation 21:1), which
will include the “New Jerusalem” (v.
2), the capital city of heaven, a place
of perfect holiness, which will come
down from heaven and descend to the new
earth. This is the city where the
saints—those whose names were written
in the “Lamb’s book of life”
(Revelation 13:8)—will live forever.
Peter refers to it as “the home of
righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13).
Perhaps the most important part of
Peter’s description of that day is his
question in verses 11-12: “Since
everything will be destroyed in this
way, what kind of people ought you to
be? You ought to live holy and godly
lives as you look forward to the day of
God and speed its coming.” For
Christians, this means we should live
our lives in such a way that we reflect
our understanding of what is going to
happen. This life is passing away
quickly, and our focus should be on the
new heavens and earth to come. Our
“holy and godly” lives should be a
testimony to those who do not know the
Savior, and we should be telling others
about Him so they can escape the
terrible fate that awaits those who
reject Him. We wait in eager
anticipation for God’s “Son from
heaven, whom He raised from the dead,
even Jesus who delivers us from the
wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:10).
Resource:
GotQuestions.org
Linda
Davis
DAILY DEVOTIONAL
FAITH TO FAITH
Do Not Let Division
Stunt Your Growth
“And I, brethren, could not
speak unto
you as unto spiritual, but as unto
carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I
have fed you with milk, and not with
meat: for hitherto ye were not able to
bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
For ye are yet carnal; for whereas
there is among you envying,
strife, and divisions….”
(1 Corinthians 3:1-3)
Envying, strife and divisions had
reduced the early Corinthian Christians
back to the natural, or carnal, state
that they were in before they were
born again. It had so stunted their
spiritual growth that they could not
understand the things the Apostle
Paul wanted to teach them.
Satan has sent the same spirit of
division among us today. He knows that
a house divided against itself will
fall. He also knows if we all come
together in the unity of our Faith, we
will arrive at the full stature of
Christ Jesus (Eph. 4:13).
So he has assigned a spirit of division
to operate in our personal lives, our
church lives, our social lives and our
family lives. His goal is the same as
it was in Corinth… To bring envying,
strife, and division to stunt our
spiritual growth.
We do not have to yield to that spirit.
Instead Paul says, “[by] speaking the
Truth in Love, [we] may grow up into
him in all things, which is the head,
even Christ.”
Compare “speaking the Truth in Love”
to “envyings, strife, and divisions.” They
are diametrical opposites! You cannot
do both of them at the same time. As you speak the Truth in Love, you
grow up.
As you envy, fuss and separate from
one another, you go back to babyhood.
Refuse to let Satan stop your spiritual
growth by giving in to the spirit of division…speak the
Truth In Love and
“grow up into Him in all things!”
Scripture Study: James 4:1-11
Linda Evans
http://gloryway.org/
