A ministry follower made this cool slide for me. Love it when folks do this with my quotes. I don't have the time.

The Holy Spirit is our guarantee. He is the down~payment of our full inheritance in Christ, which is being kept by God in trust for us unto the day of redemption, that wonderful day when Christ comes in the clouds of glory to take us to be with Himself in heaven. Today, we have the first~fruits of the Spirit, which are as yet incomplete and imperfect. But on that glorious day, Jesus will consummate His pledge to us and we shall be without spot and wrinkle, having a body like unto His glorious body. In that day, we shall be fully redeemed, body, soul, and spirit.

Carli • Saved by Grace

Sherlock Holmes --- “It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.”

Although the unregenerate man can gain much value from reading the book of Proverbs and applying its wisdom in their lives, the underlying principle that should govern our acquisition of knowledge and understanding, and which should impact our entire life, is in reverence of the Lord in the beauty of His holiness, for doing so will not only influence the lives we live today in a positive way, but will enable us to reap glorious rewards in the eternal ages to come.

Carli • Saved by Grace

"While we attempt not to be wise ABOVE what is written, we should attempt, and that most studiously, to be wise UP TO that which is written." Dr. Chalmers.

The choice of God's blessing or cursings is simply an invitation to believe, or a warning against unbelief. It is a gracious invitation to the world, to consider their ways. It is a godly summons to the lost, to come to HIM, and trust Him for salvation, for it is not God's will that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and faith in Christ. Isaiah wrote in chapter 55, "So will My Word be, which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty; it will accomplish what I desire, and succeed in the matter for which I sent it", and this should be a HUGE wake~up call for Christians to mend their ways and for sinners to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, for there is NO OTHER NAME given among men whereby we must be saved. REMEMBER ~ God has placed His Word above His holy name and ALL that is written in Scripture WILL be fulfilled.

Carli • Saved by Grace

If you can hate error without hating the errorist,
If you can show mercy without winking at sin,
If you can admire men, but not too much,
If you can balance independence and submission,
If you can be free while staying eternally focused,
You'll be a true disciple my friend.

Each believer is a glorious trophy that has been rescued from the clutches of sin and death and brought into the family of God. Each of us are called to stand firm in the faith so that we can be used by God to tell others of the glorious gospel of Christ, both in word and in deed.
We are called to encourage those that are struggling, to pray for those that do not know Him, and to sow eternal seeds of hope, joy, and rejoicing in the hearts of all we meet so that together we will one day rejoice as we stand and worship our great King of kings and loving Lord of glory.

Carli • Saved by Grace

Rev 3:21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

Food for thought. You can't use general arguments to prove a particular point.
— Arguments on the fact of the resurrection don't prove a pretribulation rapture.
— Arguments that there is no marriage in heaven don't prove that there are no males and females in heaven.
— Arguments about harvest season and summer season don't prove New Wine Pentecost.

Just received a phone call that my son Ezra, his wife, and their four kids were on a boat on the Amazon that caught fire, exploded, and sank. They escaped with only their lives and the clothes on their backs. Not everyone on the boat made it. They are now without passports and paperwork. Praise for deliverance. Prayers for provision.

Riverboat update. Ezra and family lost phones, tablets, wallets, clothes, and vital documents. They were halfway to Benjamin Constant from Manaus (five-day trip) when an explosion occurred on the boat. They are now on a military boat taking them back to Manaus. They expect it will take two months or more to replace their documentation, passports, etc. If interested in donation information, please connect with me at leebrainard@soothkeep.info.

This miracle of salvation by grace through faith in Christ, is freely available to ALL, just as it was when Peter stood up on that first day of Pentecost and taught this life~changing truth. The miracle of salvation is a free gift to ALL who believe. Salvation costs us nothing. But NEVER forget what it cost God to give His dearly beloved Son, to hang on the Cross as the sacrifice for sin, and NEVER forget what it cost the Lord Jesus to go to the Cross on behalf of you and me.

Carli • Saved by Grace

Riverboat deliverance update.
We are still only getting snippets of information. We had heard that they were on a military boat taking Ezra, Joanna, and the kids to Manaus, but the military boat dropped the not seriously wounded off in the town at Uarini, AM, Brazil and continued on their journey with those who had significant medical needs. The townspeople gave them shelter, clothes, and food. Here is their temporary shelter in Uarini.

We are expecting that Joanna will be able to call her mom some time today and give her the full storie. Most details are still lacking.

A common expression today in some prophecy-loving circles runs down the path of "The Holy Spirit continues to send new revelation today." If taken literally, this is heresy. The only revelation today is the Bible. The Bible is the only "thus saith the Lord." Men do receive illumination and providential direction in a thousand amazing ways, but all who have discernment know the difference between revelation and illumination. The former is equal to the word of God that we have. It is truly the word of God. The latter is to be tested by the word of God.

Hopefully, when folks say things like "the Holy Spirit still sends revelation," they are just operating with theological sloppiness, and they only mean further illumination as men mix absolute confidence in the historical-grammatical hermeneutic with the leading of the Spirit into all truth—-"thy word is truth."

I have observed that the more committed men are to using the term "revelation" to describe the teaching they supposedly learn from the Holy Spirit, the more frustrated they get when men encourage them to be more consistent with the historical-grammatical hermeneutic. They cast shade on the historical-grammatical hermeneutic with the claim that they are spiritual men taught by the Holy Spirit, while evangelicals are hindered because they trust a dead hermeneutic and the dead letter. This, too, is a heretical approach to the word of God. The word of God is spirit and truth. The word of God is powerful and living. The word of God is God's perfect revelation to man designed to fully equip the saints for holy living and right understanding. The Holy Spirit doesn't take men on a path independent from the word of God. He takes them deep into the word of God. He strengthens their trust in the word of God and the literal interpretation of the same.

Riverboat update sent by Joanna's mom. A fuller update will come out later.

"I just got off the phone with Joanna. It was a COMPLETE miracle! They and passengers jumped from the burning boat and survived. They are WELL right now. The gospel has been going out. I am going to transcribe what Joey told me and it will be a bit jumbled but it is just the work of the Lord that they are alive. Thanks so much for your prayers.
Everyone has a story Joanna said, but people are singling them out because they had the largest family and the youngest baby. Joanna said she was preaching the gospel on the shore and didn’t know where Eric was or Ezra."

RIVERBOAT UPDATE —- Part 1
(from Joanna's mom who talked to Joanna today)

Brainards’ boat rescue

I am just trying to write everything Joanna shared ... Typing this as if I am telling you what Joanna said to me, this is the order she told me the details. She will use this later and revise/correct, Lord willing. Some repetition of details and things that are ambiguous, but all the Brainards were rescued.

Last we heard there were 3 fatalities and 9 missing. Joanna thinks less than 150 people on board.

To God be the glory. - Debbie (Joanna’s mom).

=======================================

Henrietta should not be alive.

The rescue was from burning boat, to water, to private canoes of passers-by, to land, to canoes, to military ship, to 2 hour speed boat to village of Uarini, to car, to school gymnasium.

(Joanna repeated “we should not be alive” many times throughout telling the details, which she shared like she was giving directions to someone’s house. Not that she was unemotional, but with much evidence of God’s grace in her life)

They were on the edge of the boat waiting. It was daylight. Fire started in the back of the boat. They were on the top deck. They went down to the main deck, people lowered the children down, Joanna almost fell (would have broken her leg, less able in the water). The boat was heading towards the shore as it burned, probably deliberately to make rescue easier, but then started moving away. That was when Ezra said for them to jump (because boat was moving away from shore).

Ezra wore lifejacket and had Andrew (life jacket) and Henrietta. Joanna had Philip, her lifejacket was small and not strapped on all the way.

Before they jumped, a girl with a lifejacket offered to take Erik with her. Joanna gave Erik to the girl and to the Lord.

Henrietta (who loves to go in the water with her own swim floatie when they would go for fun) got separated, and had no life jacket. People later said they would see her and push her up out of the water, several people did, and she was later pulled into a canoe and seems to have had no water inhalation, praise God. I (Debbie) could hear her talking and crying and Joanna put her on so I sang a favorite funny song to her, (hard for me to do for not crying). God is so good.

There had been an event in a nearby village, near to where the boat caught fire, so there were local people in canoes going to or from that event. They were first responders.

Joanna lost her glasses during the whole ordeal, and she has very poor vision without them. Joanna with her (child) kept above water, another lady with a baby was grabbing on to Joanna. So they must have made it to a canoe, which I am sure was hard to do with everything.

From the water, Ezra brought (kids) to (a canoe) and continued out in the water to help bring more people. He said as he was swimming around, not knowing where the rest of the family was, he recalled getting a text from Roger (from our church, also a missionary) that morning, saying he was praying for their safety on the boat. That was a great comfort to him.

Joanna was on the shore without Ezra or Erik, She figured Erik was too little to be scared, if he didn’t make it. She saw the desperation of people who were getting out of the water, many making vows, and she realized she need to help them the only way she could, so she began sharing the gospel with them, using the amazing fact that any of them survived to point them to God’s mercy to them. She also sang. She said her mouth was sore from all the Portuguese.

Eventually, the lady who took Erik made it to shore. It had been a miracle, she had to keep ensuring Erik’s face was above water.

The military boat arrived and picked up Ezra, and (I think) relayed to him that his wife and kids were all safe.

RIVERBOAT UPDATE —- Part 2
(from Joanna's mom who talked to Joanna today)

People think the fire started in the motor or the kitchen. (They have not seen the kitchen lady, but Joanna said there are two places where the passengers are staying.) The boat had tons of fireworks on board. The boat had no children’s life jackets, the wooden life boats were so difficult to access, not sure if they were able to use any of them.

Henrietta had some burns, but many others had much worse burns than her. She was covered in oil, and said she was really dirty, not something she enjoys.

The family was reunited (didn’t get details of all that) and taken to a military boat for medical attention. That was when Joanna called Jess in Benjamin. Joanna had her apple watch and batt was low, but she could get some contacts off of it. She wanted folks in Brazil to hear they survived, because it would be big news in Brazil and folks knew they were on that boat.

After they were on the military boat, they took smaller speed boats for 2 hour trip to a nearby village. By now it was dark, and it was very scary for the passengers. They were given juice and crackers. All very hungry.

When they landed at the village, cars were waiting to take them to a school gymnasium. People lined the streets clapping as they drove by. The people and store ownders have been so generous with any physical need. All new or used clothes for everyone. They have been able to keep their own family together since then. Everyone has been so happy to help the passengers.

People lost babies and parents. Joanna kept wondering if she was dreaming.

Joanna said that before they left on the boat, Sarah (her sister) had sent her a song by Celtic Thunder, which ends:

Thank you, Lord, you have brought us
Safe to shore
Be our strength and protection
Ever more

[...]
Joanna said everyone has their story of rescue, but people have been singling them out because they are the largest family and have the youngest baby and all survived. Last night, a woman who lost a child came by and was just staring at Andrew, and Joanna got to hug her and talk with her and pray with her, and tell her that her child was safe in heaven, but she needed salvation, etc.

[...]

Ezra had his wallet on him, and Joanna has her Brazilian ID number memorized. Also, Ezra has photos of all their papers on icloud, when they can access that again. Authorities are interviewing everyone because all need documents replaced.

Joanna wrote down contacts from her apple watch.

Locals have brought toys and they asked for crayons and paper, and they have that. Henrietta made a lego boat “I made a boat on fire”. The kids all saw the burned up boat and understand about that.

Joanna told Andrew “Today we walked through the valley of the shadow of death”. Andrew understood and agreed!

Joanna said it is not a big town but everyone has been so generous.

Joanna said they think the crew jumped off, and passengers were handing out life jackets (I am thinking that the crew might have had to, if they were nearest the fire.

Passengers were all covered in oil when they got out of the water.

She said they had no game plan, had no idea what they would do, she said it was as dramatic as you could imagine.

Joanna had oil and clay in her hair. Someone came to wash it, they washed it three times. She thought the person was joking about being a hairdresser, but they said “I really am a hairdresser”. That is why her hair was in a towel in the photo.

People were saying Ezra was a hero, he had Philip and Andrew and put them on a boat and kept looking, but he wanted to save Joanna and Erik and Henrietta but couldn’t! Henrietta (is safe, no water inhaled it seems) was said to have been floating around solo, and people would push her up out of the water, nobody able to just take her, until she was pulled into a boat! She should not be alive.

Some of these details might be corrected later. But they are all safe.

They expect to be on a ship going back to Manaus, but don’t know when that will be.