"And when I think of how great my sins were, how dear were the precious drops that cleansed me from them, and how gracious was the method by which pardon was sealed home to me, I am in a maze of wondering, worshiping affection. I bow before the throne that absolves me, I clasp the cross that delivers me, and all my days I give to serve the Incarnate God, through whom I am this night a pardoned soul."

The Sweetness of Forgiveness, by Alistair Begg

There are many ways to help our Chinese brothers and sisters in Christ.  There is a very real need for bibles in China and Voice of the Martyrs could use your help.  If you have a few extra dollars each month and the time to send bibles to China from your own home, there is information available for you here:

Voice of the Martyrs Bibles Unbound Program

China (MNN)

"You'd think that 30,000 Bibles would quench the thirst for God's Word in China.

""It just barely scratches the need," says Barry Werner with Bibles for China. "There are 35,000 people coming to Christ each day; about 50% of those [are] in the remote, rural areas where we go.

""30,000 Bibles basically was 2 days' worth of converts in rural China."

"Leading a team of four, Werner traveled recently to remote areas of China, armed with a simple task: to verify that 30,000 Bibles, purchased in China with donated funds, reached the hands of rural Chinese believers.

""Verification we could do with a stone face," says Werner. "But when you get in amongst the people and hand a Bible to a person that has never had one, that's where the emotional part is a little bit overwhelming at times."

"This was par for the course, but something else made the October trip a little different than the others.

""Normally we go in and we don't even see a government official, unless there's some problem with a permit or some sort of visa problem," explains Werner. But with national leadership changing on November 15, he says a government official was assigned to accompany their team to every church they visited.

""That really put a different spin on our whole trip.... We had a government official with us at every meal and at every church we went to."

"Werner and his team planned to speak for 5 minutes at each congregation they visited. He says the presence of government officials made them second-guess the words they would use, but in the end, they decided to speak exactly what God had laid upon their hearts.""

Finish Reading "Chinese Believers Hunger for God's Word" at Mission Network News

3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
John 10:3-4

Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD where the ark of God was, 4 that the LORD called Samuel; and he said, "Here I am." 5 Then he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call, lie down again." So he went and lay down. 6 The LORD called yet again, "Samuel!" So Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he answered, "I did not call, my son, lie down again." 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, nor had the word of the LORD yet been revealed to him. 8 So the LORD called Samuel again for the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli discerned that the LORD was calling the boy. 9 And Eli said to Samuel, "Go lie down, and it shall be if He calls you, that you shall say, 'Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 Then the LORD came and stood and called as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for Your servant is listening."   
1 Samuel 3:3-10

19 And He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."
Matthew 4:19

1 Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; 4 and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" 5 And he said, "Who are You, Lord ?" And He said, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, 6 but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what  you must do." 7 The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.  
Acts 9:1-9

"The manner and circumstances of the call are radically diverse, but its personal nature is the same... Jesus Christ knows you intimately. He calls you by name. Listen for Him today! When you hear Him—respond to Him!"

Read Call by Name, by Steve Arterburn

It was chilly in Manhattan, but warm inside the Starbucks shop on 51st Street and Broadway, just a skip up from Times Square.  Early November weather in New York City holds only the slightest hint of the bitter chill of late December and January, but it's enough to send the masses crowding indoors to vie for available space and warmth.  For a musician, it's the most lucrative Starbucks location in the world, I'm told, and consequently, the tips can be substantial if you play your tunes right.

Apparently, we were striking all the right chords that night, because our basket was almost overflowing. It was a fun, low-pressure gig. I was playing keyboard and singing backup for my friend who also added rhythm with an arsenal of percussion instruments. We mostly did pop songs from the '40s to the '90s with a few original tunes thrown in. During our emotional rendition of the classic, "If You Don't Know Me by Now," I noticed a lady sitting in one of the lounge chairs across from me. She was swaying to the beat and singing along.

After the tune was over, she approached me.  "I apologize for singing along on that song. Did it bother you?" she asked.

"No," I replied.  "We love it when the audience joins in.  Would you like to sing up front on the next selection?"  To my delight, she accepted my invitation.  "You choose," I said. "What are you in the mood to sing?"

"Well. ... Do you know any hymns?"

Hymns?  This woman didn't know who she was dealing with.   I cut my teeth on hymns.  Before I was even born, I was going to church.

I gave our guest singer a knowing look, "Name one."

"Oh, I don't know. There are so many good ones.  You pick one."

"Okay," I replied, "How about 'His Eye is on the Sparrow'?"

My new friend was silent, her eyes averted. Then she fixed her eyes on mine again and said, "Yeah. Let's do that one."  She slowly nodded her head, put down her purse, straightened her jacket and faced the center of the shop.

With my two-bar setup, she began to sing, "Why should I be discouraged? Why should the shadows come?"

The audience of coffee drinkers was transfixed.  Even the gurgling noises of the cappuccino machine ceased as the employees stopped what they were doing to listen.  The song rose to its conclusion.

"I sing because I'm happy; I sing because I'm free. For His eye is on the sparrow And I know He watches me."

When the last note was sung, the applause crescendoed to a deafening roar that would have rivaled a sold-out crowd at Carnegie Hall.  Embarrassed, the lady tried to shout over the din, "Oh, y'all go back to your coffee!  I didn't come in here to do a concert!  I just came in here to get somethin' to drink, just like you!" But the ovation continued.. I embraced my new friend, "You, my dear, have made my whole year!  That was beautiful!"

"Well, it's funny that you picked that particular hymn," she said. "Why is that?" I asked. "Well," she hesitated again, "that was my daughter's favorite song." "Really!" I exclaimed. "Yes," she said, and then grabbed my hands.  By this time, the applause had subsided and it was business as usual.  "She was 16.  She died of a brain tumor last week."

I said the first thing that found its way through my stunned silence, "Are you going to be okay?" She smiled through tear-filled eyes and squeezed my hands.  "I'm gonna be okay.  I've just got to keep trusting the Lord and singing his songs, and everything's gonna be just fine."  She picked up her bag, gave me her card, and then she was gone.

Was it just a coincidence that we happened to be singing in that particular coffee shop on that particular November night?  Coincidence that this wonderful lady just happened to walk into that particular shop?  Coincidence that of all the hymns to choose from, I just happened to pick the very hymn that was the favorite of her daughter, who had died just the week before?  I refuse to believe it. God has been arranging encounters in human history since the beginning of time, and it's no stretch for me to imagine that he could reach into a coffee shop in midtown Manhattan and turn an ordinary gig into a revival.  It was a great reminder that if we keep trusting him and singing his songs, everything's gonna be okay.

The next time you feel like GOD can't use YOU, remember, Noah was a drunk, Abraham was too old, Isaac was a daydreamer, Jacob was a liar, Leah was ugly, Joseph was abused, Moses had a stuttering problem, Gideon was afraid, Samson had long hair and was a womanizer, Rahab was a prostitute, Jeremiah and Timothy were too young, David had an affair and was a murderer, Elijah was suicidal, Isaiah preached naked, Jonah ran from God, Peter denied Christ, The Disciples fell asleep while praying, And Lazarus was dead!

No more excuses now!!  God can use you to your full potential.  Besides you aren't the message, you are just the messenger.  And God promised to give you the words.

(author unknown)

2 Chronicles 30:
27 Then the Levitical priests arose and blessed the people;
And their voice was heard
And their prayer came to His holy dwelling place,
To heaven.

"Prayer is the never-failing response of the Christian in any case, in every plight. When you cannot use your sword, you may take up the weapon of prayer. Your powder may be damp, your bowstring may be relaxed, but the weapon of prayer need never be out of order. Satan laughs at the javelin, but he trembles at prayer. Swords and spears need to be sharpened, but prayer never rusts; and when we think it most blunt, it cuts the best. Prayer is an open door that no one can shut. Devils may surround you on all sides, but the way upward is always open, and as long as that road is unobstructed, you will not fall into the enemy's hand."

Finish Reading Alistair Begg's, Weapon of Prayer