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 DEVOTIONAL
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Romans 8:1-2Romans 8:1-2
As Christians there are lots of precious truths that mean so
much to us. Often I dwell on the fact that salvation is such
an overwhelming gift. However, one of the constant struggles
I had, particularly early in my Christian walk, was how do I
live this new found faith in Christ?
It is comforting to know that this very issue is dealt with
in the New Testament. In Romans chapter 7Romans chapter 7 Paul talks about
the impact of the law on our conscience. The law reveals to
us that we are sinners. Romans 3, verse 20Romans 3, verse 20 says “Therefore no one
will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law,
rather through the law we become conscious of sin.”
So we discover, like Paul did, that the law is good in that
it reveals us as sinners, but it does not have the power to set
us free from the power of sin. Then in
Romans 7, verse 18Romans 7, verse 18 Paul declares every new
Christians’ dilemma; “For I know that
nothing good lives in me, that is in my sinful nature. For I have
the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.”
Often God will allow failure in our Christian walk so that
we realise that we cannot live the Christian life. We need to
see what we are in ourselves, so that we will gladly abandon
our flesh life, to a life of complete dependence upon God.
Romans 7, verses 24 and 25Romans 7, verses 24 and 25 declares Paul’s understanding
of this principle; “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue
me from this body of death? Thanks be to God, through Jesus
Christ our Lord!”
Then in Romans 8, verses 1 & 2Romans 8, verses 1 & 2 the impact of this revelation
is explained to us. On the basis of the finished work of
Calvary there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ
Jesus.
The word ‘condemnation’ has two meanings that underline
the immediate effect of placing our faith in Christ. Firstly
it has the meaning of a person who has been accused of an
offence and is standing before a judge awaiting his decision.
The judge lifts his gavel and declares him not guilty. Why?
Because the blood of Jesus Christ has paid the penalty for our
sin in full. So we are justified. Romans 5, verse 1Romans 5, verse 1, “Therefore,
since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The blood of Jesus Christ
has made us as though we had not sinned.
Secondly the word ‘condemnation’ has the meaning of a
couple who have a house mortgage. The day comes when
they make their last payment and so the house is unencumbered
- debt free - no more to be paid. That is exactly what
happened at Calvary. The debt for our sin has been paid in
full by the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus
Christ.
The cross of Christ has not only dealt with the penalty of
sin, but also the power of sin. Romans 8, verse 2Romans 8, verse 2, ”Because
through Christ Jesus the law of the spirit of life set me free from
the law of sin and death...”
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| Impact Africa team member handing out newspapers and explaining the gospel |
The law could not deliver you and me from the power of
sin, but the cross of Christ has. Notice how Paul says that
“through Christ Jesus the law of the spirit of life set me
free...”
It is a reality, at least in theory, but only becomes a reality as
we trust completely in the risen Christ.
Again and again I have met Christians who have been mistakenly
trying to overcome sin in their own strength, only to
become totally frustrated and discouraged. Why? Because the
law of gravity has been replaced by the law of aerodynamics.
At Calvary the law of sin and death was replaced by the law
of the Spirit of life. Faith is what makes this a reality so that
we can live consistent godly lives in Christ Jesus.
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Address: PO Box 978, Cloverdale WA 6985,
Phone (08) 9453 3311 or Fax (08) 9453 3006
Email: info@challengenews.org
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Challenge Literature Fellowship Bank Account direct deposit details
BSB: 066162 / Account: 00900455
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Send your testimony to
Challenge — Your
conversion to Jesus Christ is a miracle, and is a
wonderful means of witnessing to a lost world — Ring
or write to Challenge for a testimony outline sheet.
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POINTS TO PONDER
 PRAYER AND PRAISE POINTS
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In Australia the distribution of the Challenge newspaper
averages 50,000 per month but our great goal is to see it
increase to 75,000 per month. Please remember in prayer
the recent trip that Andrew Trezona took to Victoria and
New South Wales and the work being done in Victoria
with our rep there Don Kennedy.
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Please pray for the Prison Chaplains Conference that
Andrew attended and we trust the Lord for the opportunity
of getting Challenge into prisons right around this nation.
Our prison chaplain in South Africa said on one occasion
that the prison edition of the paper had literally changed
the culture of his prison. That is our desire for Australia
also.
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Please pray for all the contacts Andrew has made in New
South Wales at the Armadale Diocese Conference where
there were some 60+ ministers in attendance and that
represented over 50 churches. Our great desire is to expand
the work of Challenge into the country areas of New South
Wales, Victoria and Queensland as we do not have a huge
presence in these areas.
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Please pray for our United States edition where we are
generating a new edition for their summer season. Our
representative there, Doug Cornelius, has been struggling
with his health and would value your prayer as he endeavours
to continue being our rep. The response to this summer
edition is way down on what we had last year, so please pray
that God would really rekindle the interest in what we are
doing. Please also pray for our other representative, Bryon
Smith, who is based in Alabama and for his promotion
and development work there in the states of Alabama,
Tennessee etc.
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Please pray for our paper in India and our director there,
Sheldon Samuel, who has been very busy in promoting the
first edition of the paper in India into a number of the main
cities in central, west and east India. The response to the
paper has been phenomenal and the interest overwhelming
to say the least. Please pray for the finances to double
our print run from 50,000 to 100,000 and also to have
the people to do the translation work for a Hindi/Tamil
edition of the paper. Please pray for the official registration
of the newspaper in India.
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Please pray for our representative in Latin America,
Will Herndon, who is very busy at the moment with his
responsibilities with
Word of Life and also
as he endeavours to
promote and develop
the work of Challenge
in Latin America. We
have negotiated an
arrangement with Word
of Life which will allow
us to go into all of the
countries in South and
Central America.
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In partnership with CLC (Christian Literature Crusade).
We are working in Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Vanuatu.
Please pray for the re-establishment of our work in New
Zealand as we have now commenced printing our paper
again under the banner of Challenge Weekly. We will be
printing six editions per year with Challenge Weekly and
we are asking the Lord to bless the growth of the paper to
20,000 per month.
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Will and Ale Herndon |
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Please pray for our work in
South and Central Africa
where we are working with
Multi Ministries in South
Africa. Please remember
Harold Peasley, the founding
director of Multi Ministries
as he recovers from triple
by-pass surgery. Please pray
for the appointment of a
new director for the work of
Challenge of South Africa.
We have got a gentleman in
mind and would value pray as we look to raise the necessary
finances to support him and get him on the road promoting
and developing the work in South and Central Africa.
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Continue to pray for the work in Malawi where we work
with Jonathan and Ruth Newell from Christian Missions in
Many Lands. Pray for a reasonable quote for the printing
of the paper in Malawi and for effective distribution.
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We praise the Lord for the way that He has blessed the
distribution of the paper globally and also for the many
commitments to Jesus Christ that are coming in. Please
pray for the new believers, for their faith and that there will
be people willing and able to disciple them.
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Harold Peasley |
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My Response
Post to: Challenge Literature Fellowship, PO Box 978, Cloverdale WA 6985; or Fax to: (08) 9453 3006
Name: __________________________________________________________________________________
Address:___________________________________________________________ Post Code: ______
Email: _________________________________________________ Phone: ________________
With God’s help I would like to be a partner in supporting the ministry at Challenge in the
following way(s):
__ Prayer: Please send me updated prayer information.
__ Financial: Please receive my: __ Monthly __ Quarterly __ Yearly __ One time contribution of:
__ $50 __ $75 __ $100 __ $200 __ Other (Please specify): $ _________
Credit Card: __ VisaCard __ MasterCard
Credit Card #: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Expiry Date: __/__
Name on card: _______________________________________
Signature: ____________________________________
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