Two weeks before Littleman’s birthday, I said goodbye to him—one of the most difficult moments of my life. On his special day, Hurricane Helene struck, devastating my home and deepening my grief. It has been a challenging journey of healing and rebuilding. However, I am grateful to share that we have begun to turn that painful chapter behind us. The loss, the destruction, and the hardships are gradually giving way to blessings and new beginnings. In my heart, I knew it was time to open my home and my heart once again, and to welcome a new furry friend. I prayed for a tiny teacup Chihuahua—a little bundle of love to bring joy and comfort back into my life. I am truly thankful to say that the Lord blessed me with Charlie, a sweet and gentle little guy. Many of you have asked how you can help or what Charlie needs. I’ve put together a small registry, and if you feel led, you can bless Charlie by choosing something from this list. Your kindness will help him feel loved and cared for. Thank you all for your love, prayers, and support. It means the world to me—and to Charlie. ~charlotte Please click on the link

continuation chapter two 2.1 Today, let us talk about the gritty, determined, thoroughly human work that is required to be free from sin. On the path to perfection, there are roles to play. God's grace is the wind—a magnificent, roaring, endless gale of generosity, a hurricane of holy help. But we, my friend, must raise the sail. And raising a sail is not done by sitting in the hull, thinking positive thoughts about wind, and declaring, "I am a sail-raiser in Jesus' name!" It involves pulling ropes, untying knots, climbing masts, and probably getting a splinter or two in places you'd rather not mention. It involves calluses, not cushions. The sailor who refuses to touch the ropes but insists he's "trusting the wind" will stay in the harbor forever, growing barnacles on his bottom, and eventually becoming a tourist attraction: "Come see the Man of Faith, who believed so hard the boat hasn't moved in forty years." ‎ ‎Let me paint you a simple picture, so absurd that its truth will be unavoidable. It's like a parable, but with more malaria. ‎ ‎Imagine a man struck down by a severe case of malaria. His body is a furnace; his joints ache as if he's been tenderized with a mallet wielded by a very enthusiastic chef. He prays to God for healing. "Lord, with all my faith, I believe You will heal me!" he cries from his sweat-drenched bed, voice cracking with the kind of sincerity that makes angels pause and take notes. Then, the doctor arrives—a miracle in itself, a human being trained by human knowledge, arriving on time—and places the anti-malarial tablets on the bedside table. Little white pills of possibility. And the man refuses them. He waves a feverish, trembling hand and says, "No, no, take those abominations away. If I take the medicine, I'm not trusting God completely. That would be putting my faith in pharmaceuticals, not in the Almighty. My faith alone is enough. I'm just going to rest in the finished work of the cinchona tree. I'm going to 'stand on the Word'... from a horizontal position... while hallucinating from the fever." And he rolls over, shivering, smiling the smile of the profoundly deluded, the smile of a man who has confused stubbornness with sanctification. ‎ ‎Now, tell me, what will become of that man? We all know the tragic punchline. His faith will be sincere. His prayers will be genuine. His theological position on divine healing will be impeccably orthodox, with all the right Greek words footnoted. And his funeral will be well-attended, with people standing around the casket whispering, "He's in a better place now," which is true, but he could have been in a better place here, too, namely alive and swallowing tablets. God, in His extravagant wisdom, provided the healing agent within the bark of that tree, hidden away for centuries like a love letter waiting to be opened by a scientist with a microscope. Grace grew the tree in some distant jungle. Grace guided the chemist who isolated the compound. Grace mixed the ingredients into a stable pill. Grace delivered the tablet to a pharmacy near you, probably via a truck driver named Grace, who was listening to Amazing Grace on the radio. But the man has a critical, indispensable role: he must rise from his bed—however feebly, however dramatically—pour a glass of water, lift the tablet to his lips, and swallow. Without that tiny, trembling act of human cooperation, the prayer, however beautiful, however poetic, however theologically sound and beautifully alliterated, ends in a coffin. Healing requires a partnership, a duet, not a solo performance with God as the backing track and man as the passive audience member waving a lighter. ‎ ‎The struggle with sin operates on this very same divine principle. We pray, with great passion, with the kind of fervor that makes our prayer partners slightly uncomfortable, "Deliver me from this anger! Free me from this lust! Pry this greed from my cold, clutching fingers! Break the chains, Lord, break every fetter!" And then, having prayed, having exhausted ourselves with holy vocabulary, we lie back on the spiritual mattress and wait for the lightning bolt. We fold our hands over our chests like a corpse in training. But the prayer is the diagnosis, not the prescription. It's the X-ray, not the surgery. We must then pick up the "anti-malarial tablets" for the soul. The prayer opened the pharmacy; now you have to swallow the medicine. But we'd rather have the prayer than the pill, because the prayer feels spiritual and dramatic, while the pill just feels like hard work and you have to remember to take it three times a day with meals. ‎ ‎Now, what on earth are those tablets? Let me show you through another picture, because I'm in a parabolic mood and the paint is still wet. ‎ ‎You can own a library that groans under the weight of books on hydrodynamics. You can fill entire shelves with volumes on the physics of floating, the history of the backstroke, the biographies of Olympic champions. You can memorize the chemical composition of chlorine and write a doctoral thesis titled "The Ontological Significance of Buoyancy: A Theological and Biomechanical Analysis of Not Sinking." Your thesis can be peer-reviewed by the top swimming theologians of our time. You can attend lectures given by the world's greatest swimmers, sitting in the front row, nodding along to their PowerPoint presentations on breathing technique and the proper angle of hand entry. You can even acquire a certificate of swimming theory, beautifully framed in gold leaf, stating that you have believed in the principles of buoyancy with your whole heart and have successfully completed 120 credit hours of thinking about water. You can wear a T-shirt that says "I'm a Swimmer" with a little fish symbol. But the moment a mischievous friend—or an act of God, or a slippery pool deck—throws you into the deep end, that theoretical knowledge becomes spectacularly, hilariously useless. The books won't inflate and save you. The diploma is not a flotation device. The framed certificate will not turn into a life preserver and gently cradle you to safety. There is one thing, and one thing alone, that bridges the chasm between theory and survival: you must get in the water. You must flail, swallow a horrifying amount of chlorinated liquid, come up spluttering and embarrassed with your dignity floating somewhere near the diving board, and practice the strokes yourself. Again and again and again. The knowledge of swimming has never mastered a single stroke for a single human being. It has never pulled anyone to the side of the pool. It just sits there in the books, looking profound and smelling faintly of mildew, while the drowning man sinks to the bottom, his head full of elegant theories about the physics of arm rotation.

KENNETH COPELAND PAID FOR 800,000 TENT ⛺🎪😲 - Reinhard Bonnke On Saturday, February 18, 1984, we prepared for the dedication service for the world’s largest tent. As I waited with Anni and my father in a nearby trailer a knock came at my door. My friend Ray McCauley stood there with Kenneth and Gloria Copeland from Ft. Worth, Texas. I asked them to come in. They had been drawn to the reports of our work and had come to see it for themselves. “I want to support CfaN,” Kenneth said. “I preach to the saved, you preach to the unsaved. We should be partners. ”I thanked him for that. But honestly, I had no idea how incredibly powerful his words would prove to be over the decades to come. Later the news arrived from Cape Town. On Saturday, May 5, the tent erection was complete. That afternoon a storm of wind and rain descended. A few rips appeared in the fabric. They had been quickly repaired. As evening fell the wind increased. Gerhard Ganske, who was in charge of the tent’s anchor system, circled the tent checking the security of the cement reinforced anchors. Everything held securely. Milton Kasselman, the chief electrician, went inside the tent. It held the wind at bay. Overhead the twelve masts swayed slightly, as they should. He checked the mounted flood lamps and the speaker towers. All was well. Tent master, Kobus de Lange, and his assistant, Horst Kosanke, checked the miles of cables that counterbalanced all the forces of wind and gravity. They were doing their job. He ordered the crew back to their quarters to sleep and wait out the storm. Suddenly, at 4 a.m., they were awakened by the sound of ripping fabric. As they rushed outside, winds were ripping the tent to shreds. It was not a hurricane. It was not even a wind strong enough to cause normal alarm. The damage they were seeing seemed supernatural, as if evil demonic forces in the wind were violently attacking the structure. They watched helplessly as pieces came loose and flew across the surrounding city of Cape Town. By 9:30 a.m. only a few strands of fabric remained. All of the steel and cable structure remained unhurt. It looked like a huge skeleton with no skin or meat remaining on the bones. Some of the crew were reduced to uncontrolled weeping. Five years of focused labor was destroyed in five hours. The atmosphere became like being at a funeral. That Sunday morning churches across Cape Town mourned the loss. Their hopes had been raised so high only to be dashed to pieces by the demonic wind. Shreds of the world’s largest tent became collectors items for the residents of Cape Town. They were found scattered for miles downwind of the tent site. Curiosity seekers came to the sports field to see the destruction. Some laughed at the calamity. They stood in the high-rise balconies and on bridges and other vantage points from which to view it. Christians gathered on the grounds, weeping, falling to their knees beneath the steel structure, praying. News media made the story front page all that day and the next. I told my crew chief that God had given me a great peace about this event. He was to encourage the crew and to clean up the site and wait for my return. I returned to my office I found telephone calls, telegrams, cards, and letters from around the world waiting for me. The news of the disaster had gone as far as the news of the big tent. Most of the response was overwhelmingly encouraging. But a large minority of naysayers had their day. From the beginning I had dealt with the normal array of critics. Many people criticized the size of the tent. They said it wasn’t practical. It was too risky. The project ate money like a gambling machine. It was not good stewardship. The entire endeavor was ego driven. With this disaster, those people had much more to say. “This is God’s judgment on you.” “You’re out of the will of God.” “You’ve moved out from under the umbrella of divine protection.” “There is sin in your camp.” The one that hit the lowest came from a dear Pentecostal sister back in Germany. This lady had supported our work faithfully and substantially over the years. She wrote to tell me that she had seen pictures of the tent dedication in Soweto. The pictures showed that Anni had cut her hair. This sin, she said, had led to this disaster. She pledged that she would no longer send money to CfaN. She would only pray for our repentance. I must confess, that fiery dart of the Enemy got through my armor for a few days. Even some of my co-workers lost heart. They felt that we’d been overcome by the Enemy. This was one of our darkest days. A rumor circulated that Muslims from Valhalla had marched around our tent site and had called down a curse on it. No one could offer me proof, and I gave no credence to this report. I find that when people believe an urban legend like this, it is because they desperately want to believe it. They have lost sight of their God and Savior and His unlimited power and have looked at the wind and the waves. Like Peter, who started out so well in his walk on water, he began to sink. Some of our people sank right here. But here is the greater story of the Cape Town disaster. It was not a disaster at all! It was our greatest triumph! First, God held the weather at bay for a full three weeks. Local weathercasters described it as an “Indian summer.” Furthermore, the destruction of our canopy had made us a household word in Cape Town. The media had trumpeted our story to everyone. Incredible stories of believers taking pieces of our canopy and laying it on sick people and seeing them healed were told. Believers and sinners came by the droves to our meetings. I caught a flight to America. On the long trip I had a new surge of excitement in my soul. I reflected again on Kenneth Copeland’s prophecy that I would see a million souls won in a day. A million? It still seemed unthinkable. But if we were to see a million decisions in one crowd, the entire crowd would have to exceed that number considerably. Not everyone responded in a meeting. To accomplish it, many things about the way we ran a campaign would have to change. I began to feel sure that one of those changes involved moving CfaN from South Africa. The vision of the blood-washed Africa was coming closer to reality. Unfortunately, with so many powerful thoughts running through my head, I was too excited to sleep on the intercontinental flight. I had no sooner landed at the Dallas-Ft. Worth Airport than I was whisked away to a pastors’ conference hosted by Kenneth Copeland, already in progress. They seated me on the front row, and Kenneth greeted me. The TV cameras turned my way, and I was on the spot. This was not good. As he preached I was so hammered by jet lag that I pinched myself black and blue to keep my eyes open. It was sheer torment. After the meeting Kenneth and Gloria invited me to join them at a nice restaurant for dinner. I was too far gone to say no. Somehow I managed to keep moving and not fall prostrate. At dinner Kenneth told me he had heard about the tent. He asked me to tell him what happened. I told him how the fabric had failed in the wind. We had discovered that it had a design flaw. An insurance settlement was tied up in court. It would be years before we saw the verdict. In the meantime, Peter van den Berg had found a new fabric through a company in England that would hold in a hurricane. “How much will it cost?” “$800,000.” “The Lord has told me to give you what you need. I am giving you $800,000. Go buy a new top for the tent.” I was too stunned and too jet lagged to reply at first. “When God tells me to give, I get excited. He’s telling me to plant a seed in good soil with CfaN. My faith puts the seed in the ground where God directs. The harvest belongs to the Lord. And let me tell you, His harvest will sweep my little financial troubles away like so much chaff on the wind. Hallelujah! Praise God.” It did my heart good to hear this man of faith. “I believe that too,” I said. When I finally closed my eyes that night my happiness and exhaustion were complete and total. I felt like a body surfer picked up by a tsunami. As I drifted into fitful sleep, I heard my own voice speaking to Anni when we were in Singapore, “I am not worried about the tent. That’s what worries me. I should be worried about it, but I’m not. I feel nothing but peace.” The schedule for completing our new tent was set, thanks to the generous check from Kenneth Copeland. It allowed us to plan beyond 1985. The new canopy would be delivered and tested in time to erect both tents side by side in Harare. The big tent for the main meetings; the smaller yellow tent for counseling and follow-up. The Harare Sheraton and Conference Center would house our Fire Conference for evangelists with an auditorium seating 4,500. - Reinhard Bonnke (Living A Life Of Fire)

#DAILY LIGHT Why Most ‘Strong Christians’ Collapse Under Pressure ​The Crisis of the Modern Church: We were taught INFORMATION, not FORMATION. ​Grace and peace, Remnant. I am speaking to you today with a heavy, prophetic burden. We are living in an hour where the pressure on the Body of Christ is intensifying. Yet, we are witnessing a tragic epidemic: believers who look invincible in the sanctuary are crumbling in the sanctuary of their private lives. ​Men and women who can quote chapters of the Bible, lead worship with the voice of angels, and preach fire from the pulpit are suddenly collapsing under the weight of financial stress, marital conflict, temptation, and spiritual warfare. ​Why? Because the modern church has perfected the art of distributing information, but we have abandoned the agonizing, glorious process of formation. ​The Danger of a "Head-Heavy" Gospel ​Information makes you sound deep; formation makes you grounded. Information puffs up the intellect; formation crucifies the flesh. When you only have information, you have a theological concept of God. But when you undergo formation, you possess a tested, undeniable revelation of the resurrected Christ. ​"A believer full of information without formation is like a house built with expensive paint but no foundation. When the hurricane hits, the paint cannot save the structure." ​When pressure comes, it does not test what you know. Pressure tests what you have become. ​ The Biblical Expose: Root vs. Surface ​The Scriptures are clear about the deadly difference between hearing the Word and being formed by it. ​The Illusion of the Rocky Soil (Mark 4:16-17): Jesus warned us about the believer who receives the Word with gladness (information), but has no root in themselves. "And when affliction or persecution arises for the Word's sake, immediately they are offended." They collapsed because the Word never broke through the rock of their unyielded will. ​The Agony of the Apostle (Galatians 4:19): Paul cried out, "My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you." Paul did not say, "until you memorize my epistles." He agonized until the very nature, character, and obedience of Jesus Christ were structurally forged into their spirits. ​The Parable of the Two Builders (Matthew 7:24-27): Both builders heard the same information. The difference was the execution. The wise builder dug deep—a painful, unseen, dirt-under-the-fingernails process of formation—and hit the Rock. The foolish builder just took the information and built on the sand of convenience. ​What is True Discipleship Formation? ​Formation is not attending a six-week new believers' class. Formation is stepping onto the Potter’s wheel and allowing the hands of the Holy Spirit to crush your pride, mold your character, and fire you in the kiln of affliction. ​It requires breaking: You cannot be formed into the image of Christ until your fleshly appetites and worldly defense mechanisms are shattered. ​It demands isolation: Information is gathered in crowds, but formation happens in the wilderness. It is just you and God, wrestling until your nature is changed. ​It necessitates the Cross: The modern gospel wants the crown without the cross. True apostolic formation demands that you take up your cross daily and die to yourself. ​ A Call to Soul-Surrendering Repentance ​Child of God, are you collapsing today? Are you buckling under the weight of an unseen storm? I am not here to condemn you; I am here to prophesy life back into your spiritual spine. ​Stop settling for religious downloads. Stop trying to fight spiritual battles with mere intellect and stolen revelations. It is time to surrender your soul entirely to the Holy Ghost. Allow Him to take the information you have gathered over the years and burn it into your inward parts until it becomes your very nature. ​Yield your mind. Yield your secret habits. Yield your ambition. Let the crushing bring forth the oil. ​ CALL TO ACTION: Step into the Crucible ​The hour of superficial Christianity is over. If you are ready to transition from a consumer of information to a disciple undergoing formation, take these steps right now: ​Share this broadcast: There is a believer in your network who is silently collapsing and needs this prophetic lifeline. Hit share to sound the alarm. ​Comment "I SURRENDER": Make a public declaration below. Let this comment section become an altar of rededication to the process of true discipleship. ​Enter the Secret Place: Do not just close this app and move on. Spend 15 minutes in absolute silence today. Ask the Holy Spirit: "Lord, where am I relying on information instead of allowing You to form my character?" ​Join the Discipleship Movement: Follow this page and turn on notifications. We are diving deeper into apostolic teachings every week to build a remnant that cannot be broken by the storms of this age. ​The pressure is not coming to destroy you; it is coming to expose your foundation so God can rebuild you on the Solid Rock. Surrender to the formation! #THE SON OF LIGHT

Good morning to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you. Good Morning. Good Morning. I do apologize for not posting yesterday. We had a late-night Thursday night, an early morning Friday, and then lots of driving. So much so that when we got home, I literally went to the bathroom, then my chair, and did not move. I sank into my recliner, all stretched out. It felt so comfortable. I stayed there almost until bedtime, at which time I do not remember anything. This morning’s storm sends my thoughts to the possibility of the thoughts for the disciples the day after they laid Him in the tomb. Let's look at this as if you were there. You just spent three years with the most feared man on the planet, but also the most loving and compassionate. He was feared because of his love and compassion. A teacher who made you get outside of the world view of righteousness and into the godly view of righteousness. An educator of what the scripture truly means. A fisherman who never fished but knew where the fish were. A man, just like you, but so much NOT like you. A man who showed you pieces of yourself that you did not know existed. A man who foretold his own death and resurrection. A man who did not fear the religious leaders or the Romans but tried to invite them to the Kingdom. A man who saw through the traps and reflected the truth that even they could not deny. A man that you wanted to follow forever … a man you left your family for … a man that showed love to everyone…even the one who was to betray him. In all notable displays, the best friend that we all desire…the family…but oh so much more. This man was just nailed to a cross for loving too much. Educating too much. Bringing Light to a darkened world. This man who loved is not dead. He is gone. Your thoughts … scattered at best, but more likely a tornado/hurricane windstorm mixed with a typhoon of emotions, doubt, confusion, and mostly fear. Where do I go? What do I do? How am I going to go on without Him? What is going to happen to me? What if the Romans find me? What about the religious leaders? I cannot go home, those who don’t believe will turn me in. What am I supposed to do now? I turned my life upside down, and now my leader is dead. I am fairly certain that is a close proximity of what was going on in their heads. Then Mary…his mother. My son has been murdered for loving too much. My son, who is God, allowed himself to be murdered for the sake of all these people, but he was still my son. My heart aches. I was supposed to protect him. He was my son. Think that might be a fair assessment. As one who has lost a child, those thoughts are mild. Watching the Spring wind outside with sprinkles of rain, I envision this to be the thought of all the disciples in the Upper Room and Mary. Replaying each element of the last few days. From songs of Hosanna to Crucify Him to watching him die before your eyes. Where did it all go wrong … or was this right? Then, the “make it make sense” thoughts. However, with all that confusion, all that fear, that lostness, you do not lose your faith that something good has to come of this. Something bigger. Something that you just cannot see yet. You have faith that, through the wind and storm, the flowers will bloom. That the birds will sing. That it will all make sense…somehow. As you are processing it all, Mary busts in the door and shouts the impossible … HE IS ALIVE. The flood of confusion and relief, and more confusion about what you saw and what she is saying. Then He appears, and it is true. I know that I would weep like a baby. This is Easter Weekend. Take a true moment and place yourself in field with the disciples and Mary. Embrace the reality of what one Man did for you. Put yourself in the place of a disciple and adopt their perspective. This weekend is so much more … This weekend is the reason that we believe. This weekend is why we can survive the storms of the world. This weekend is the true reason we follow. Because death cannot hold us … because He saved us. There is nothing to fear when you believe. Be blessed. (As I finish this post, the winds have stopped. I think He likes what I wrote.) **The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. – Psalm 9:10-11

THE HURRICANE IS ON ITS WAY When it gets dark enough, you can see the stars. - CHARLES BEARD

Daily devotion for March 13th Why The Church Exists As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Ephesians 4:1 This whole page is a condensed summary of the reason the church exists and statement of what its function should be. What does Paul say the church should do in the face of the desperate demands of human need? His answer is, Live a life worthy of the calling you have received. What does he mean? He means, Obey your orders! Take your direction from the Head of the church. Follow the divine strategy, not the obvious shallow counsel of people. The church is not expected to devise its own strategy or to set its own goal. The church is not an independent organization existing by means of its own strength. We can never understand this body that exists in human society unless we view it as more than an organization. Think of the figures the apostle uses for the church in this letter: The church is an army under the command of a King, and an army that will not obey its leader is useless as a fighting force. The church is a body under the control of the Head, and what a tragedy it is when the human body refuses to respond to the direction of the head. The church is a temple for the exclusive habitation and use of a Person who dwells within, who has the right to do with that habitation as He wills. So this is the word of the apostle to us: Live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Follow the goal that has been set before you by your Leader. This is a revolutionary age. The hurricane winds of change are blowing everywhere in our world. The race seethes with unrest and lawless rebellion. What are Christians to do in this hour? Should we surrender the greatest revolutionary message the world has ever heard, which can come to it from no other source, and content ourselves with doing what any worldling can do? Shall we become nothing more than another political action group or succumb to the fallacy that change, any kind of change, represents progress? God forbid! What the apostle desires is that we heed our calling; that we renew our commitment to the Lord, who is behind all things, to become individually responsible to tell this radical, revolutionary, life—transforming good news throughout society; that we should invade commercial and industrial life, education and learning, the arts and family life, morals and government with this tremendous, unequaled message. Father, help me to see that the only impact I can have in this world is by being faithful to You and to the message that has been given to me. May your church be made up of people who, above all, obey Your orders.

MORNING AND EVENING Charles H. Spurgeon Morning. "The wrath to come." Matthew 3:7 It is pleasant to pass over a country after a storm has spent itself; to smell the freshness of the herbs after the rain has passed away, and to note the drops while they glisten like purest diamonds in the sunlight. That is the position of a Christian. He is going through a land where the storm has spent itself upon his Saviour's head, and if there be a few drops of sorrow falling, they distil from clouds of mercy, and Jesus cheers him by the assurance that they are not for his destruction. But how terrible is it to witness the approach of a tempest: to note the forewarnings of the storm; to mark the birds of heaven as they droop their wings; to see the cattle as they lay their heads low in terror; to discern the face of the sky as it groweth black, and look to the sun which shineth not, and the heavens which are angry and frowning! How terrible to await the dread advance of a hurricane--such as occurs, sometimes, in the tropics--to wait in terrible apprehension till the wind shall rush forth in fury, tearing up trees from their roots, forcing rocks from their pedestals, and hurling down all the dwelling-places of man! And yet, sinner, this is your present position. No hot drops have as yet fallen, but a shower of fire is coming. No terrible winds howl around you, but God's tempest is gathering its dread artillery. As yet the water-floods are dammed up by mercy, but the flood-gates shall soon be opened: the thunderbolts of God are yet in his storehouse, but lo! the tempest hastens, and how awful shall that moment be when God, robed in vengeance, shall march forth in fury! Where, where, where, O sinner, wilt thou hide thy head, or whither wilt thou flee? O that the hand of mercy may now lead you to Christ! He is freely set before you in the gospel: his riven side is the rock of shelter. Thou knowest thy need of him; believe in him, cast thyself upon him, and then the fury shall be overpast forever. Evening. "But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa." Jonah 1:3 Instead of going to Nineveh to preach the Word, as God bade him, Jonah disliked the work, and went down to Joppa to escape from it. There are occasions when God's servants shrink from duty. But what is the consequence? What did Jonah lose by his conduct? He lost the presence and comfortable enjoyment of God's love. When we serve our Lord Jesus as believers should do, our God is with us; and though we have the whole world against us, if we have God with us, what does it matter? But the moment we start back, and seek our own inventions, we are at sea without a pilot. Then may we bitterly lament and groan out, "O my God, where hast thou gone? How could I have been so foolish as to shun thy service, and in this way to lose all the bright shinings of thy face? This is a price too high. Let me return to my allegiance, that I may rejoice in thy presence." In the next place, Jonah lost all peace of mind. Sin soon destroys a believer's comfort. It is the poisonous upas tree, from whose leaves distil deadly drops which destroy the life of joy and peace. Jonah lost everything upon which he might have drawn for comfort in any other case. He could not plead the promise of divine protection, for he was not in God's ways; he could not say, "Lord, I meet with these difficulties in the discharge of my duty, therefore help me through them." He was reaping his own deeds; he was filled with his own ways. Christian, do not play the Jonah, unless you wish to have all the waves and the billows rolling over your head. You will find in the long run that it is far harder to shun the work and will of God than to at once yield yourself to it. Jonah lost his time, for he had to go to Nineveh after all. It is hard to contend with God; let us yield ourselves at once.

BIBLE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS # 122 Section 12- Christian Growth & Grace. CHAPTER 122, Trials and Their Object. 1. What does the apostle Peter say concerning the trials through which every believer must pass? "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." 1 Peter 4:12,13. 2. How important is the trial of our faith? "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 1:7. NOTES.- "When David was fleeing through the wilderness, pursued by his own son, he was being prepared to become the sweet singer of Israel. The pit and the dungeon were the best schools at which Joseph ever graduated. The hurricane that upset the tent and killed Job's children prepared the man of Uz to write the magnificent poem that has astonished the ages. There is no way to get the wheat out of the straw but to thresh it out. There is no way to purify the gold but to burn it."- Talmage's "One Thousand Gems," page 83. Nothing "happens" to the Christian. Everything that enters his life is sent or permitted to come by an all-wise and all-loving Heavenly Father, and is designed for the perfection of character, and the fitting up and the enlargement of capacity for service. The rocks and rough places on the mountainside are the things we climb on. Even failures, If taken rightly, may become stepping- stones to higher ground. 3. What reason did Paul give for glorying in tribulations? "We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." Rom. 5:3-5. 3. What, according to the prophecy of Daniel, was to befall the people of God down through the ages? "And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days." Dan. 11:33. 4. Why was this to be? "And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end." Verse 35. 5. Looking forward to the conflicts through which His followers must pass, what cheering message did Christ send them through the revelator? "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; . . . be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. . . . He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death." Rev. 2:10,11. 6. What description does Paul give of the sufferings endured by some of God's people in former ages? "Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: and others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth." Heb. 11:35-38. 7. How many does Paul say will suffer persecution? "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." 2 Tim. 3:12. 8. Does God willingly afflict the children of men? "For the Lord will not cast off forever: but though He cause grief, yet will He have compassion according to the multitude of His mercies. For He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men." Lam. 3:31-33. 9. Why, then, does God permit the chastening rod to fall? "For they [parents] verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness." Heb. 12:10. 10. Referring to Peter's coming sore trial, for what did Christ say He had prayed? "Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not." Luke 22:31,32. 11. What cheering promise is made to those who endure the trials and temptations of this life? "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him." James 1:12. NOTE.- Says a Christian writer: "Our sorrows do not spring out of the ground. God 'doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.' When He permits trials and afflictions, it is for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness.' If received in faith, the trial that seems so bitter and hard to bear will prove a blessing. The cruel blow that blights the joys of earth will be the means of turning our eyes to heaven. How many there are who would never have known Jesus had not sorrow led them to see comfort in Him! The trials of life are God's workmen, to remove the impurities and roughness from our character. Their hewing, squaring, and chiseling, and their burnishing and polishing, is a painful process. It is hard to be pressed down to the grinding-wheel. But the stone is brought forth prepared to fill its place in the heavenly temple." THERE'S never a night but is followed by day, And the darkest to dawn must give place: There's never a sorrow that crosses our way But is sent with a message of grace. It comes to the peasant, it comes to the king, It comes in our pleasures and pain; It comes from the Father of mercies, to bring To His fold His own stray ones again. O soul! is thy burden too heavy to bear? Does the load seem too weighty for one? There's a Helper at hand all thy sorrows to share, ' Tis thy Father's own well-beloved Son. Then cast every burden on Jesus thy Lord, And thy troubles will quickly depart; Make every sweet promise in His precious Word An entrance to His loving heart. -REV. JOHN WILLIAMS. I would like to thank God for using the Bible Reading for the Home Circle to bless millions of souls. To the author and original producer, (though in truth and reality it's God's)

```DAILY Ⓜ️ANNA - (A DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE FOR ADULTS) MONDAY 16TH FEBRUARY, 2026``` *A CONSUMING FIRE* 📖📓🎚️🫵🏽🙋🏽‍♂️🙋🏽‍♀️🔥⚖️🧣⚠️‼️🛑🧎🏽‍♂️🧎🏽‍♀️🙏🏽 📜📜```TEXT:LAMENTATIONS 2:1-5```📜📜 🔑📖```KEY VERSE:``` _*"He hath cut off in his fierce anger all the horn of Israel: he hath drawn back his right hand from before the enemy, and he burned against Jacob like a flaming fire, which devoureth round about" (LAMENTATIONS 2:3).*_ *From January 7 to 31, 2025, a series of 14 destructive wildfires affected the Los Angeles metropolitan area and San Diego County in California. According to a _Wikipedia_ report, the fires were exacerbated by drought conditions, low humidity, a buildup of vegetation from the previous winter, and hurricane-force _Santa Ana_ winds, which reached 100 miles per hour in some places. As at January 31, 2025, the wildfires had killed at least 29 people, forced more than 200,000 to evacuate, and destroyed more than 18,000 homes and structures, some of them belonging to Hollywood celebrities. The wildfires burned a total of 57,000 acres of land.* *The wrath of God is poured down, like wildfire, in today's passage, on Israel, God's beloved nation. This confirms that sinners will not go unpunished because the Holy God cannot deny Himself to indulge any sinful child or creature of His. His word cannot fail - "the soul that sinneth, it shall die." In this passage, we see how He overthrew the physical structures of Israel and waged war against a people He loved. He completely forgot the past privileges of "the daughter of Zion," "the beauty of Israel", and "His footstool," because of their backsliding.* *Israel had been God's special people from the days of Abraham, who pleased God by faith. But He never withheld punishment whenever they erred. God is a loving Father, but He never indulges His children in sin. A thin line, it is said, separates life from death, love from bitterness, and friendship from enmity. God is loving and caring, but He deals with us according to our current, not the historical relationship with Him. He is no respecter of persons and does not condone sin. He is longsuffering while waiting for sinners to repent, and He quickly forgives them whenever they turn to Him for mercy and pardon. Yet, He is unsparing in judgment when they abuse His longsuffering.* *A lesson from the plight of Israel is that when God turns against His children, it will be like an attack from a mortal enemy. This confirms that there is no permanent, unconditional security with God. Believers must work out their salvation with humility, faith, and godly reverence by consciously living right daily and by the grace freely given by God. We must avoid complacency, relying only on our past testimonies or relationship with God. Anyone who thinks they are standing in Christ regardless of their spiritual state will likely fall short and even miss heaven. Sinners must repent of their sins, and backsliders must return to their first love to escape God's judgment.* ✍🏽```THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:``` _*Those who know only one aspect of God misrepresent or undermine Him.*_ 📜📜```THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:``` *JOSHUA 19-21*📜📜 A Consuming Fire https://dailymanna.app// *RECOMMENDED GOSPEL HYMNS AND SONGS - GHS 205: HAVE YOU COUNTED THE COST?; GHS 207: THERE'S A GREAT DAY COMING; AND GHS 208: THE GREAT JUDGMENT MORNING* *TXD @THEXDEVOTIONALS on Twitter* *#DailyManna16thFebruary2026* *#GCK* *#WorshipNuggets* *#BibleNuggets* *#LeadershipNuggets* *#RevivalNuggets* *#CrusadeNuggets* https://www.youtube.com/@THEXDEVOTIONALS