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Adultery of the Mind, Marriage Message 35

2011-02-09T13:12:00.000-08:00

By Steve and Cindy Wright

Last week Cindy and I shared some thoughts on the topic of Marital Intimate Issues. Afterward, some men wrote to say they really liked the “sex is a type of worship” part. But as we said last week, “there is a right kind of worship and a wrong kind of worship.” This week I’d like to talk to men a little more in depth on the two questions I posed and asked you to pray about:

1) Do I look pure on the outside to everyone else — but in reality have I merely settled on a middle ground somewhere between paganism and obedience to God’s standard?

2) Do I get any sexual gratification from anyone or anything other than my wife?

If you do, then you aren’t keeping yourself and your marriage bed “undefiled” as the Bible tells us to do. I don’t know one true Christ follower who doesn’t WANT to be a man of sexual integrity. Yet at the same time I believe most Christian men struggle greatly in this area of their lives, myself included.

My aim in this message is not to throw stones but to share a few pointers that have helped me and many men I know as well.

First, I had to personally come to realize that I cannot mix God’s standard for sexual integrity with my own — because mine will always fall short of God’s. It isn’t a matter of “what I can and can’t get away with” in what I allow my eyes and mind to focus on, but rather staying away from everything that even hints at being wrong.

Why even go there? What’s the point of “playing so close to the edge?” Is that kind of behavior something that would please God? Is it a place where God would want to go with you? Where there is too much confidence in your own strength as well as reckless regard for the consequences, a fall is very likely.

Obtaining even a hint of sexual gratification from a woman by writing to her, talking to her, viewing her in real life or in pictures, on the computer or any other form where you would be embarrassed if Jesus were with you, is a form of adultery (see Ephesians 5:3-5) —and yes, if you are a child of God, He IS with you.

“Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute (or a woman that you are viewing as if she were one)? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prost–itute is one with her in body? For it is said, ‘The two will become one flesh’”(1 Corinthians 6:15-16).

The Bible tells us to flee from immorality (as the Bible says that Joseph did when tempted by Potifar’s wife). We’re told to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” And anything or anyone that we allow for even a brief time to sexually entertain us, apart from our wife, that we don’t flee from, entangles us into sinning. And make no mistake about it, this type of sin is addicting. Experts say that it is “the fastest growing addiction in the world, and is the addiction of choice among Christians.”

How tragic! It’s one of the reasons so many outside of the church point to us as a bunch of hypocrites. And it has to be angering and breaking the heart of God. As God’s children, we’re God’s Holy Temple, so whatever dirt we bring into our lives, we’re throwing at God as well.

“Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:18-20).

So don’t try to normalize any sexual behavior that dishonors God and your wife —justifying it as “harmless” or “only natural” or saying that it “isn’t a big deal” — because it is a big deal. You give the enemy of our faith a foothold every time you entertain your sexual appetite apart from enjoying your wife alone in your sexuality.

I personally made the decision a number of years ago to flee from feeding this type of behavior. It’s a continual battle, but it’s worth it. For me, that means turning away from TV, media ads, and any images that are the least bit suggestive.

It means that I “starve” my eyes to such an extent that whenever a woman or an image of a woman begins to tempt me to think impure thoughts, I instantly remove my eyes and my mind away from it as many times as it takes until it is gone. It’s a matter of starving that which I don’t want to grow. I only want to feed that which is beneficial to the health of my marriage and my spiritual life.

If I look like a fool to others, I don’t care. I’m not viewed as a fool to those most important to me — my God and my wife. I came to realize that holiness and purity are achieved by a series of choices that I make every day.

For me, the choices that help me are (1) “To set no vile thing before my eyes” (Psalm 101:3) and (2) “To put to death sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires” (Colossians 3:5-6).

Men, I pray you will join me in making the choice to live according to God’s standards for purity.

Become accountable with another man whom you can trust to hold your feet to the fire over this serious matter. Search for the help God can bring your way for a “way of escape” when you are faced with temptation. Please take advantage of that which we offer on this web site. We have many web site links and recommended resources that could greatly help you win this battle. And above all else, pray for purity as David did in Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Women: I (Cindy) want to add something to help you as well. I urge you to follow the advice of Laura Hall, who wrote the book, An Affair of the Mind… One Woman’s Courageous Battle to Salvage Her Family from the Devastation of Pornography. In it she said,

“Don’t condemn yourself. A husband will work hard at convincing his wife and others that the addiction [to pornography] is her fault. He does this to lessen his own guilt, but don’t subscribe to such thinking. Beating yourself up is nonproductive and pointless. It also invites self-pity and therefore sin.”

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

As authors Linda Dillow and Lorraine Pintus says in their book, “Intimate Issues”:

“God doesn’t want us to condemn ourselves. Neither does He want us to deceive ourselves into thinking we’re perfect. We should always be open to correction and change, but God’s way of achieving transformation is through LOVING instruction, not brutal condemnation.

“How are you doing with the battle in your mind? Are you refusing to ‘compare’ and ‘condemn?’ Are you thinking right? If so, you’re free to begin ‘doing.’ The first item on the ‘to do list’ is to increase your understanding and its dangers.”

Husbands and wives: We pray you will flee from sexual temptation and sin, do what you can to sexually enjoy each other only, refrain from even the “appearance of evil” and educate yourselves on these matters. Do it for your sake and also to someday help to educate your children before their minds become exposed to things that can draw them into such addictions that can ruin their lives and marriages.

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat.” R. Eastman
“Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn.” Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!
Put God first, be happy at last!

~ Two Choices ~

2011-02-07T13:03:00.000-08:00

By Keith

READ THIS LET IT REALLY SINK IN...THEN CHOOSE HOW YOU START YOUR DAY TOMORROW...

Michael is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"

He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Michael was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Michael and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"

Michael replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, 'Mike, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.' I choose to be in a good mood.

"Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.

"Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life."

"Yeah, right, it isn't that easy," I protested.

"Yes, it is," Michael said. Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. "The bottom line is: It's your choice how you live life."

I reflected on what Michael said. Soon thereafter, I left the tower industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that Michael was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Michael was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back.

I saw Michael about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?"

I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was the well being of my soon-to-be- born daughter," Michael replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live."

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.

Michael continued, "The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'He's a dead man. 'I knew I needed to take action."

"What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Michael. "She asked if I was allergic to anything.

'Yes,' I replied.

The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity.' Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead'."

Michael lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat.” R. Eastman
“Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn.” Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!
Put God first, be happy at last!

Worth

2011-01-27T15:15:00.000-08:00

By Unknown Author

One day a woman's husband died, and on that clear, cold morning, in the warmth of their bedroom, the wife was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't anymore. No more hugs, no more special moments to celebrate together, no more phone calls just to chat, no more "just one minute." Sometimes, what we care about the most gets all used up and goes away, never to return before we can say good-bye, or say "I love you."

So while we have it, it's best we love it, care for it, fix it when it's broken and heal it when it's sick. This is true for marriage .... and old cars ... and children with bad report cards, and dogs with bad hips, and aging parents and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it.

Some things we keep -- like a best friend who moved away or a classmate we grew up with. There are just some things that make us happy, no matter what.

Life is important, like people we know who are special. And so, we keep them close!

I received this from someone who thought I was a 'keeper'! Then I sent it to the people I think of in the same way. Now it's your turn to send this to all those people who are "keepers" in your life, including the person who sent it if you feel that way. Suppose one morning you never wake up, do all your friends know you love them?

I was thinking... I could die today, tomorrow or next week, and I wondered if I had any wounds needing to be healed, friendships that needed rekindling or three words needing to be said Let every one of your friends know you love them. Even if you think they don't love you back, you would be amazed at what those three little words and a smile can do.

And just in case GOD calls me home. I LOVE YA!!!

Live today to the fullest because tomorrow is not promised.

God determines who walks into your life...it's up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go.

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat.” R. Eastman
“Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn.” Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!
Put God first, be happy at last!

If You Live It, They Will Ask

2010-08-28T12:02:00.000-07:00

By Gerald Whetstone

There was a popular movie several years ago that revolved around a man who heard a voice that told him to build a baseball diamond in his cornfield. A statement from that movie is as well-known as the movie; "If you build it, they will come." A pastor friend of mine has his own version of this sentence with regard to getting Christians to come to an event; "If you feed them, they will come."

As you read through 1 Peter and come upon chapter three verse fifteen, it would seem that Peter had the same idea in mind. This verse tells us that if we have set Christ apart in our hearts as Lord, our lives are then lived in such a way that will get people curious. You could say that this verse conveys, "If you live Christ like, they will ask."

The verse actually reads, "But in your hearts, set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." This charge was given to a people who were facing brutal persecution because of their life in Christ. They would never be able to endure faithfully unless Christ was Lord. Their hearts had to be wholly His.

As they set apart Christ as Lord, they had hope. Jesus was the reason for their hope. Indeed, He WAS their reason and their hope! That faith and hope could not go unnoticed. In their suffering, the fruit of the Spirit would be evidenced rather than bitterness and hatred. Their lives were so radically different from others that people asked them about it. Their responsibility was to be ready to give the answer to the question when asked. Their answer was simple - Jesus.

The radical contrast between a Christian's life and those in the world is no different whether under persecution or freedom. That is one reason why Peter elsewhere refers to Christians as "aliens and strangers." Christians cannot hide their life in Christ any more than a city on a hill can be hidden in the night. Jesus told us that we are "salt and light" in the world. Neither of these can be concealed.

There isn't such a thing as a secret disciple. It's not that we wear name tags or badges. It isn't the bumper stickers on our cars, or posters on our walls. It is our life – our actions, conversation, habits, work, lifestyle... It may not be visible immediately to everyone, but in the day-to-day routine, it will show. And what shows will generate a curiosity in others. The Holy Spirit intensifies the curiosity prompting them to ask us about the hope we have. We need to be ready to give the answer when they ask.

There is a great amount of discussion these days among church leaders about how the church can be more effective in reaching the unsaved. And so there should be. Going into the world to make disciples is the church's divinely-given mission and must be kept a central part of our worship. Many methods and programs, both to reach out and to motivate and mobilize people, are being suggested. But, amidst all the discussion let us not forget, that the most effective way to reach the lost is for God's people to live Christ like - "in their hearts setting apart Christ as Lord."

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat.” R. Eastman
“Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn.” Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!
Put God first, be happy at last!

Guarding Your Heart On-Line, Marriage Message 87

2010-08-27T10:59:00.000-07:00

By Steve and Cindy Wright

We’ve heard it said so often, “I never, ever thought it would happen to me.” But then it did. That statement can be applied to so many scenarios but especially to those who fall into the temptation of having an affair with another person.

It’s not very often that men and women are out looking to destroy their marriages by “falling in love” with someone other than their spouse especially in “Christian” marriages. Their intentions are often innocent and then they find themselves involved with that which grabs their heart unexpectedly. It “just happens” or so we think. But we’re told in the Bible to “Be on the alert; if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1Corinthians 10:12)

That’s why we want to communicate it in every way possible to everyone we know to GUARD YOUR HEART! Giving in to temptation comes to the best of us. It’s not uncommon to be seized by it. (See 1 Corinthians 10:13.) Put into place those fences or hedges that can protect you from falling into temptation BEFORE you come upon it so you’re prepared and aren’t blind sided by that which you never expected to happen to you.

With that in mind we want to share with you an abbreviated version of a newspaper article that gives a clear warning about the dangers the Internet is now bringing into our homes. As wonderful as the Internet can be in giving us the ability to obtain helpful information and build healthier relationships, there are also dangers that can come with those opportunities.

I hope you’ll read the following article and discuss it with each other. It’s entitled: “On-Line Affairs” written by Jennifer Saranow of “The Wall Street Journal Online.” It reads:

It’s not just singles who are connecting online. Unhappily married people are, too. As Joe Nussbaum’s marriage began falling apart, the networking administrator from Louisville, Ky., says he retreated to the comfort of his home computer. An avid fan of the adventure game Everquest, he played three to four hours a night with a group of online gaming pals.

A year ago he began talking with a new female friend also married and an Everquest regular. Over the course of several months, chats within the game progressed to instant messages and then to phone calls. Though Mr. Nussbaum says he never intended it, and wasn’t looking to meet anyone, he fell in love. “It’s just the way you hit it off with some people,” he said. “The same thing could have happened if we were face to face.” Last October, he told his wife and asked out of their 10-year marriage and then went to meet the new woman for the 1st time in person.

The Internet has changed the way people date by making it easier to find potential mates with similar interests and backgrounds. But it has also changed the way married people strike up affairs. No need to slyly slide off the wedding ring: A computer and an Internet connection make it easy to discretely find new romance, and to keep any straying secret. E-mailing a love interest whether met online or in the real world means no need for hushed phone conversations or suspicious long-distance bills. As a result, the affair often comes as a complete shock.

“I would have staked my life on the fact that he was faithful,” says Missi Nussbaum, Joe’s wife. She said she begged him to spend less time on the computer. She knew he was online constantly, but thought at the time, “How bad can it be when he’s right there in the living room?”

Mark Gruber, a divorce lawyer practicing in Newton, N.J., says the number of people meeting other people online and actually running off with them” has increased immeasurably.” He estimates about 20% of his 200 divorce cases last year involved the Internet in some way, whether it be just e-mailing to arrange a rendezvous or having steamy chats with an online lover. He has seen clients go as far as Germany and Australia to be with a lover met online.

Two-thirds of divorce lawyers in a fall survey said the Internet played a significant role in their cases last year, up from essentially zero 5 years ago. The top Internet-related reasons for divorce: meeting a new love interest online; obsessive interest in pornography sites; and excessive time on the computer. In most cases, the affairs were sparked in chat rooms.

This may be just the tip of the iceberg. About half of all visitors to online dating sites are already married, according to market-research. Many may be curious or looking for a quick laugh, in the same way people read personal ads in the back of newspapers. Others may be using the site to try to set up friends. Some, however, are looking for love.

“People who put ‘discrete’ in their profiles are almost always married or involved with other people,” says Andrea Baker, a sociologist at Ohio University, who researches relationships that start on the Internet. Dr. Baker is conducting a study of couples who met online.

Putting an ad on an online dating site is what Dr. Baker calls the “see-what-happens version of cheating.” Compared with a chat room where people have to talk, those who post profiles are “less sure about whether they want to even do it or not and just want to see what may come their way,” Dr. Baker says. Dating sites officially discourage married people from coming online, though there are few ways to actually stop someone. Yahoo Inc.’s rules state: “Don’t post an ad unless you’re single, widowed, divorced, or separated.”

“No one has figured out how to prevent a small percent of married people from removing their wedding rings in order to masquerade as single and available, whether at a bus stop, a nightclub or on the Internet,” says Trish McDermott, a vice president at Match.com. “Sadly, we probably never will.”

Meanwhile, a cottage industry has sprung up to help suspicious spouses. SpectorSoft Corp. (www.spectorsoft.com), Vero Beach, Fla., says it sells about 5,000 units of surveillance software a month, compared with 2,500 monthly last year, and about 40% of sales come from suspicious spouses. Doug Fowler, SpectorSoft’s president, says the software was originally intended to help monitor child and employee behavior online.

Then, soon after launching 3½ years ago, the company tried selling its software on eBay Inc.’s auction site with the tagline: “Husband cheating online? Catch him with this.” Within two months, sales tripled to 300 units.

Kimberly Young, a psychologist and professor at St. Bonaventure University in New York, says the Internet offers anonymity, convenience and escape. A “flaw or idiosyncrasy with someone you love is magnified when you have an online lover who says and does all the right things,” Dr. Young says.

An online affair is also a lot easier than sneaking out. “You can meet anyone in the world without leaving a bedroom,” says David Greenfield, a clinical professor at the University of Connecticut and founder and chief executive of the Center for Internet Studies (www.virtual-addiction.com), a West Hartford, Conn., business that offers cyber-addiction education and prevention services. Were it not for the Internet, he says, some people “might have stayed married indefinitely.”

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat.” R. Eastman
“Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn.” Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!
Put God first, be happy at last!

“HOMESICK FOR HEAVEN!”

2010-08-26T10:54:00.000-07:00

By Pastor Cecil

Job 19:25-27 “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”

Have you ever experienced separation from your home and family? Having spent a year’s tour of duty separated from my family, I know the pain of separation for an extended period. Special days such as birthdays or holidays were the hardest.

There were many wonderful experiences during that year, but I always knew that I was there temporarily and it was not home. I was homesick for my family and home. I longed to return to my wife and three precious children.

When I Pastored a church in Oregon I went to a hospital in Bend, Oregon, to visit a member of our church who was a returned missionary. The reports that we had received indicated that she was in very serious condition. I intended to read a few passages of Scripture to her in order to cheer her up.

When I entered her hospital room, it was like an entryway into heaven. This precious saint was so excited about being with her Lord in a few short days that she could hardly contain herself. In the time I spent at her bedside she showered me with praise and hope. I had gone to lift her spirits, but I walked out of that hospital with such a feeling of joy
that I almost wished it was me standing on the doorstep of eternity.

I want to encourage all of us to take time and think about being ushered into the presence of our loved ones who have gone on before us and hearing them tell about our new home that will last eternally. I am homesick for heaven!

Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat.” R. Eastman
“Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn.” Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!
Put God first, be happy at last!

Grace is not FAIR!!??

2010-08-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

By JAO

Ephesians 2:8-10 “God saved you by His Grace when you believed. (Period)” “And you can’t take credit for this; it is a GIFT from God. Salvation is NOT a Reward for the Good things we have DONE, so none of us can boast about it.

For we are God’s masterpiece. “He has created us ANEW in Christ Jesus, so we can DO the good things HE planned for us long ago.” There is NOTHING … yes NOTHING you can DO!!

Grace is not based on works.

1. We can not do anything to be Good.
2. We can not do anything to cover our Bad.
3. We can not do anything to get rid of our Shame.
4. We can not do anything to achieve Salvation.
5. We can not do anything to earn Righteousness.
6. We can not do anything to Redeem our lives from PAST Sin.
7. We can not do anything to make it into Heaven & to stay out of Hell.

We can not do anything … but we can RECEIVE a FREE Gift from God when HE offers it to us- amen!! (John 1:12 … yet to all who RECEIVED Him. “He has created us A NEW in Christ Jesus, so we can DO the good things HE planned for us long ago.”

NOTE – if we DO something for God … HE planned it. ;-) God made you a ……... Human BEING … NOT a Human DOING … do we get it?? Knowing God, BEING in a relationship with God, allows us to DO things for God … the good things come from just BEING in Him- amen.

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat.” R. Eastman
“Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn.” Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!
Put God first, be happy at last!

Old Eddie

2010-05-23T08:22:00.000-07:00

By Tom Henderson

It happened every Friday evening, almost without fail, when the sun resembled a giant orange and was starting to dip into the blue ocean.

Old Ed came strolling along the beach to his favorite pier. Clutched in his bony hand was a bucket of shrimp.

Ed walked out to the end of the pier, where it seemed he almost had the world to himself. The glow of the sun was a golden bronze now. Everybody was gone, except for a few joggers on the beach. Standing out on the end of the pier, Ed was alone with his thoughts....and his bucket of shrimp.

Before long, however, he was no longer alone. Up in the sky a thousand white dots came screeching and squawking, winging their way toward that lanky frame standing there on the end of the pier. Before long, dozens of seagulls had enveloped him, their wings fluttering and flapping wildly. Ed stood there tossing shrimp to the hungry birds. As he did, if you listened closely, you can hear him say with a smile, "Thank you. Thank you."

In a few short minutes the bucket was empty. But Ed didn't leave. He stood there lost in thought, as though transported to another time and place. Invariably, one of the gulls landed on his sea-bleached, weather-beaten hat - an old military hat he'd been wearing for years.

When he finally turned around and began to walk back toward the beach, a few of the birds hopped along the pier with him until he got to the stairs, and then they, too, flew away. And old Ed quietly made his way down to the end of the beach and on home.

If you were sitting there on the pier with your fishing line in the water, Ed might have seemed like "a funny old duck," as my dad used to say. Or, "a guy that's a sandwich shy of a picnic," as my kids might say. To onlookers, he was just another old codger, lost in his own weird world, feeding the seagulls with a bucket full of shrimp.

To the onlooker, rituals can look either very strange or very empty. They can seem altogether unimportant ....maybe even a lot of nonsense. Old folks often do strange things, at least in the eyes of Boomers and Busters. Most of them would probably write Old Ed off, down there in Florida. That's too bad. They'd do well to know him better.

His full name: Eddie Rickenbacker. Eddie was the American Ace of Aces in WW I and started Eastern Airlines back in the 30's. He was a famous hero working as a civilian back in World War II. On one of his flying missions across the Pacific, he and his seven-member crew went down. Miraculously, all of the men survived, crawled out of their plane, and climbed into a life raft.

Captain Rickenbacker and his crew floated for days on the rough waters of the Pacific. They fought the sun. They fought sharks. Most of all, they fought hunger. By the eighth day their rations ran out. No food. No water. They were hundreds of miles from land and no one knew where they were. They needed a miracle. That afternoon they had a simple devotional service and prayed for a miracle. They tried to nap. Eddie leaned back and pulled his military cap over his nose. Time dragged. All he could hear was the slap of the waves against the raft. Suddenly, Eddie felt something land on the top of his cap. It was a seagull! Old Ed would later describe how he sat perfectly still, planning his next move. With a flash of his hand and a squawk from the gull, he managed to grab it and wring its neck. He tore the feathers off, and he and his starving crew made a meal - a very slight meal for eight men - of it. Then they used the intestines for bait. With it, they caught fish, which gave them food and more bait, and the cycle continued. With that simple survival technique, they were able to endure the rigors of the sea until they were found and rescued after 24 days at sea. Eddie said all aboard were converted to Christianity while on the raft.

Eddie Rickenbacker lived many years beyond that ordeal, (he died 23-Jul-1973) but he never forgot the sacrifice of that first lifesaving seagull. And he never stopped saying, "Thank you." That's why almost every Friday night he would walk to the end of the pier with a bucket full of shrimp and a heart full of gratitude.

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R. Eastman
Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn. Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
tell the problem how Great the Lord is!
Put God first, be happy at last!

Marital Issues, Marriage Message 34

2010-05-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

By Steve and Cindy Wright

The Christian church is being lulled into sin, just as the world is. And this is causing problems in homes, churches, communities, and our world at large. Plus... it has to be breaking God's heart! He wants better from His children! We are to be a light, poking holes in the darkness -- not helping the darkness to spread further! How we pray all of us within the church will wake up!

Do you realize that sex is a type of worship? (See the quote on our web site www.marriagemissions.com for further explanation.) Lets face it, the enemy of our faith is all for disrupting and eliminating any type of worship possible that delights God's heart. "There is a right worship and a wrong worship. Wrong worship brought death to Aaron's sons when they offered the wrong fire and incense before God. To look at this literally, you can say that sex outside of marriage brings about death to our spirits, as well as to our sense of well-being or esteem" (Michelle McKinney Hammond).

But what about how you express yourself within your marriage? That's our concern. And we would like to address these concerns, from different angles -- with Cindy addressing wives and Steve addressing husbands.

CINDY: The concern that God has laid upon my heart is the misconceptions that women have allowed themselves to embrace in this area of marriage. I've been there and have done that myself, so I'm the last one to throw stones. However, praise God, I woke up. Sadly, when I speak on this topic at women's groups, I find many women are fooled just as I was. Authors of the book "Intimate Issues", Linda Dillow and Lorraine Pintus said that in their travels, they've found that "between 90 - 95 per cent of women don't have God's perspective" on this area of their marital relationship. I have to agree. The enemy of our faith has done a good job of snookering us!

We seem to go to two extremes. It's difficult to explain with the e-mail filters we have to get beyond, but basically, one is that we should be less expressive (especially as we see the world taking this publicly to a wrong extreme) and the other is that our husbands should shut themselves down to require less of us for many reasons. Both of these extremes are problematic.

The first extreme is dismissed by the example of the Shulammite woman in the book of Song of Songs. She was more than expressive, and yet God included it in the Bible. Why? It must be that He condoned her actions. Love like this, when it is expressed within marriage between husband and wife, is "good." It delights God's heart because it unites us as "one." However, when we take that expression outside of marriage and involve other people,that is when it isn't condoned by God and shouldn't be something we allow ourselves to participate in or entertain.

The other extreme should be viewed in the way that God created us -- as man and woman. We aren't created the same physically (which is obvious), but also in our mental and emotional tendencies. We aren't just packaged differently on the outside, so what makes us think we're the same on the way approach life intellectually and emotionally? We've got an entire section on our web site titled "Gender Differences" which addresses this issue that I encourage you to visit, because I think you could learn a lot (as we did).

We are different in what sex means to us. "The male drive is generated by physical needs, accompanied by emotional needs; a woman's drive stems from emotional needs along with physical needs" (Jack Mayall). "Visual [excitement over nakedness] is not as strong for women, but the emotional longings and cravings of our heart and soul for love, intimacy, affection and attention is just as difficult for us to deal with as the visual is for men" (Shannon Ethridge). That is why it is cruel for a man to continually deny his wife affection and it is cruel for a woman to continually deny her husband physically. Both are very important needs that shouldn't be overlooked, just because one or the other sees things differently.

If you're having trouble in this area of your marriage, please, please, please get help! No matter what has been in your past, or is surrounding you in the present...seek to be whole and healthy to the glory of God (even if your husband isn't).

STEVE: There is so much that needs to be said from a man's standpoint, but this week I just want to give us men two quick thoughts to meditate on and then I will elaborate on them more next week. These come from what I believe to be the most powerful book (other than the Bible) addressing a man's heart and mind when it comes to sexual issues, "Every Man's Battle" by Steve Arterburn and Fred Stoeker. I highly recommend you get this book if you can. It's subtitle says a lot too: "Winning the War on Sexual Temptation One Victory at a Time."

I'm going to ask you (and me) two questions. I want us to pray and ask God to reveal to us (men) what truth He wants us to come to terms with relating to them.

1) Do I look pure on the outside to everyone else --but in reality have I merely settled on a middle ground somewhere between paganism and obedience to God's standard?

2) Do I get any sexual gratification from anyone or anything other than my wife?

Please don't minimize the importance of how you answer these questions. As hard as it may be to come face-to-face with the truth, ask God's Holy Spirit to break through any defensive mechanisms you may have put up so that you can come to the place of beginning to "choose to be strong and courageous and to walk in purity."

We pray you will put and keep God at the center of your marriage -- especially in this area because the enemy of our faith is looking for a way to tempt you to stray away from being close to each other. Please make it your mission to shame the devil, not each other, and not God.

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R. Eastman
Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn. Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!
Put God first, be happy at last!

"The Best Teacher Ever"

2010-05-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

Author Unknown

There's a story from many years ago of a primary school teacher. Her name was Mrs. Thompson and as she stood in front of her fifth grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said she loved them all the same. But that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.

Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed he didn't play well with the other children, his clothes were messy and he constantly needed a bath. Teddy could be quite unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold Xs and then putting a big "F" at the top of his papers. At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last.

However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise. Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners. He is a joy to be around."

His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle."

His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."

Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and sometimes sleeps in class."

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful paper and tied with pretty ribbons, except for Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper he got from a grocery bag.

Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one quarter full of perfume.

But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my mom used to."

After the children left, she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. Instead she began to teach children.

Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class, and despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her "teacher's pets."

A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time, he explained that after he got his Bachelor degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now, his name was a little longer. The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.

The story doesn't end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he'd met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the place at the wedding that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course Mrs. Thompson did.

And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. And she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together. They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, "Thank you, Mrs. Thompson, for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me I could make a difference."

Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, "Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you."

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R. Eastman
Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn. Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!
Put God first, be happy at last!

God Has a Plan

2010-04-28T10:27:00.000-07:00

By Johnnie Ann Burgess Gaskill

2 Cor 12:9 "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

Nick Vujicic was born without arms or legs, yet he travels around the world, enjoys fishing, plays golf, and even surfs. “I love living life,” he says. “And I’m happy.”

But he hasn’t always felt that way. When he was around eight years old, the teasing he endured from classmates caused him to feel broken, bitter, hopeless… so much so that he wanted to end his life, since he felt there was no point in living any longer.

But by age 13, his attitude had changed. His mother had made sure he met other disabled people, some with greater handicaps than his, which helped him realize he wasn’t the only one coping with challenges.

At first, Nick didn’t understand Jeremiah 29:11, which says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” But he began to realize he didn’t have to understand it for it to be true. “Just because you don’t see the plans God has for you,” Nick says, “doesn’t mean He doesn’t have any.” So, he gave up his anger and bitterness and began giving thanks for the blessings he did have.

Nick, now an adult, testifies to audiences around the world: “God has given me grace, strength, and comfort through my disability. You can have peace and joy in your life, even in circumstances that don’t make sense or turn your world upside down.”

His testimony has helped an estimated 140,000 people come to faith in Christ. Although some evangelists tell folks that believing in God will cause all their problems to disappear, Nick says, “God is more interested in changing your heart than your circumstances.”

Although Nick continues to ask God to give him arms and legs, he’s content, even happy, without them. “God has given me such a big, big ministry. It’s such a beautiful thing to witness people’s hearts being changed and transformed because of the testimony I bring of God’s glory, grace, and perfection.”

He has learned the same lesson the Apostle Paul learned centuries ago. Paul had something wrong, too, although Paul never said specifically what it was. He only referred to his problem as a “thorn in the flesh,” which implies discomfort of some sort.

Like Nick, Paul prayed for God to remove his problem, but God chose not to. Three times Paul begged the Lord to take the “thorn” away. But each time, God said to Paul, “My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Like Nick, Paul trusted God to work in his life, despite his problems. And God gave each of them a far-reaching ministry, one that permits others to see the power of God working inside a human body that can boast of little strength of its own.

Their lives, like those of many others, verify the truth of Jeremiah 29:11. God DOES have a purpose for you and me. He DOES have a plan to bring about good through our lives. It matters not whether we are crippled or able-bodied, poverty-stricken or rich, uneducated or a Rhodes scholar…God can use us according to the plans He’s had for us since before He formed us in the womb. (See Jeremiah 1:5.)

Announcements: Answers2Prayer has a web page offering 68 Online Bibles available in different languages. Please visit us at: http://www.answers2prayer.org/bibles.html

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R. Eastman
Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn. Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!
Put God first, be happy at last!

Myths/Truths of Married Love (Part 1), Marriage Message 85

2010-04-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

By Michael McManus

“While our cultural values continue to elevate marriage, our behavior drifts away from it. We’re a nation obsessed with marriage. The problem is that we may not know how to make marriage work” (Alex Kotlowitz). For the next few weeks we’d like to focus on some problems in our thinking that can hinder us in making our marriages “work.” We’d like to discuss some of the myths of married love - hopefully dispelling their falsehood. To do this we’d like to share parts of a newspaper article entitled, “Myths and True Meaning of Married Love” written by Michael McManus. McManus is the Founder and President of Marriage Savers (www.marriagesavers.org).

We’re going to share 8 myths over the course of the next few weeks. At the end of each of McManus’ points you’ll see bullet points with comments, scriptures, and discussion questions that we’ve added hoping you’ll spend quality “Intentional Time” with your spouse going over them.

MYTH #1: THE PURPOSE OF MARRIAGE IS OUR PERSONAL HAPPINESS. However, if so, when there are inevitable disappointments, and crosses to bear, the conclusion must be, “Either marriage is not fulfilling its promise, or something is wrong with me.”

Dr. Glenn Knecht, of Fourth Presbyterian Church in Bethesda, says, “The true goal of marriage is not happiness but oneness. Jesus taught, ‘So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no man separate.’ Happiness is a by product. However, seeking oneness is costly. It involves sacrifice of the ego, so human pride is crushed until it has no life of its own anymore.”

• Comment on Dr. Knecht’s statement on the true goal of marriage.

• Do you agree that “oneness” in marriage is costly? Explain.

• Does this “oneness” mean you can’t have individuality within your marriage?

MYTH #2: THE GOAL OF MARRIED LIFE IS TO GET MY MATE TO SUBMIT TO MY WAY OF THINKING.

Men have memorized, “Wives, submit to your husbands.” But the preceding verse is “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” That is followed with three verses on the role of the wife, and nine verses on how men are to love their wives as Christ loved the church.

Marriage is an exercise in learning to submit even when we don’t feel like it. Knecht adds, “If your marriage is a tug of war, drop your end of the rope, so your spouse can win. Submission is the most demanding, most difficult and most important assignment in the school called marriage. It is a giving up of rights.”

• Read Ephesians 5 together and discuss what the Bible says about submission.

• Take turns commenting on what McManus and Knecht say about submission in marriage.

• How can you drop your “end of the rope” and yet not enable your spouse to continue behavior that you may find offensive?

• Speaker and author, Cynthia Heald once said, “Submission is ducking low enough so God can deal with your husband.” Wives—comment on that statement. Do you ever find yourself standing so firm on a point that you’re overshadowing what God wants to do with your husband?

• Husbands: comment on the following statement by Jan Schrader, “So many men want a Godly wife but they do very little to make it happen.” Is this true in your marriage? What more can you do to help your wife to be Godly?

• Read together Philippians 2:1-11and Romans 12:3 and discuss how this is relevant to marriage.

• The New Life Application Bible gives this commentary on Philippians 2:5-11. “Often people excuse selfishness, pride, or evil by claiming their rights. They think, ‘I can cheat on this test; after all, I deserve to pass this class,’ or ‘I can spend all this money on myself —I worked hard for it,’ or ‘I can get an abortion; I have a right to control my own body.’ But as believers, we should have a different attitude, one that enables us to lay aside our rights in order to serve others. If we say we follow Christ, we must also say we want to live as He lived. We should develop His attitude of humility as we serve, even when we’re not likely to get recognition for our efforts. Are you selfishly clinging to your rights, or are you willing to serve?” Comment on this statement as it applies to marriage.

MYTH #3: LOVE IS WHAT HOLDS A MARRIAGE TOGETHER.

True, we don’t enter marriage without love. But once that step is taken, it is the vows that hold it together, “for better for worse, in sickness and in health…” Love may actually wax and wane and there are times it is absent altogether. The vows said on the wedding day are sacred promises, said by billions of people. All marriage is spent learning the meaning of those vows.

Former Education Secretary Bill Bennett was invited to a colleague’s wedding. They did not exchange the traditional vows, but pledged to stay together “as long as love shall last.” He sent them paper plates as his wedding gift!

• Comment on the danger of promising to stay together “as long as love shall last.”

• What does this philosophy teach children about what marriage is all about — particularly a “Christian” marriage?

• How does this philosophy stack up against what the Bible depicts about marriage?

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R. Eastman
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

The Lost

2010-04-21T16:08:00.000-07:00

By Jill Carattini

I ran away once as a kid. I was mad about something ten year-olds get mad about--mad enough that I had to step up my normal fit or else risk being interpreted as only typically mad.The most untypical thing I could think to do was to pack a backpack of snacks and books and run away. So I ran to the backyard, climbed into my tree fort, and sat fuming in the snow.

After an hour or so, I decided it was time to go home. I was sure my mom was worried, troubled at the thought of me being lost and alone. I was also out of snacks, freezing, and beginning to see that my brilliant plan was riddled with inconveniences. So I made the long trek back to the house, expecting a reunion of apologies and hot cocoa. After all, to them, I was lost and now found, and this seemed a necessary occasion to celebrate. I converged, however, on a much less climactic scene. Nobody had even noticed I was missing. And when no one is looking for you, it loans a hopeless dimension to being lost.

In the Gospel of Luke, Zacchaeus enters a big scene only to be largely ignored. He was trying to join the crowd that had gathered to see Jesus as he passed through Jericho. Zacchaeus was a small man, but he was also the chief tax collector, and so he was chiefly despised. The walls of men and women who blocked his view were excluding more than a man of diminutive size; they were shutting out a man of depravity, wealth, and corruption. So Zacchaeus climbed a tree.

The rest of the story is well known. Zacchaeus was sitting inconspicuously in a tree when Jesus walked by, looked up, and called him down. At Christ’s invitation, the morally bankrupt, socially shunned tax collector came down from the tree and his life took a dramatic turn. At the conclusion of their time together, Jesus proclaimed, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10). Zacchaeus had been found.

A friend of mine taught me that the Greek word for “lost” in this passage is best understood, not as doomed or damned as we often interpret, but “not in the right place.” The effect is that the finality of “lostness” is somewhat assuaged. You see, someone is looking for the misplaced coin or the sheep that has gone astray. Someone is looking in a way he wouldn’t if he thought it was gone forever. That is to say, what is lost and in the wrong place is being sought by the one who knows the right place. Likewise, what is lost is missed. And as I discovered as a ten year-old, it is this quality that makes all the difference. It is this quality that makes the journey of Lent and repentance one that is always worth taking.

Prior to meeting Jesus, like those of us displaced by our sins, banished by the judgment of others, or lost in anger or fear, Zacchaeus was simply in the wrong place. But he was not beyond the saving reach of God. He was lost, but there was someone looking. Jesus came to Jericho and to Jerusalem neither confirming customary exclusions, nor endorsing social and spiritual hierarchies. In fact, immediately following his encounter with Zacchaeus, a man lost in wealth and corruption, Jesus came beside a man lost in blindness and poverty. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. Thus, despite his way of life up to this point, Zacchaeus was not to be cut off from the people of God. “For this man, too, is a son of Abraham,” said Jesus. And his words seemed to be spoken as much to the crowd who shunned the sinner as to the sinner himself.

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R. Eastman
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

Valentine Tips For Men - Marriage Message #83

2010-02-12T00:00:00.000-08:00

By Steve and Cindy Wright

Men, if you’re anything like me (Steve), it’s right about now that you’re hoping and wishing that someone would come along and throw you a “life preserver” (in manner of speaking). What I’m talking about is giving you some help in getting the perfect gift for your wife this Valentines Day.

It doesn’t take long for most of us to run out of creative ideas of ways to show our wives we’re really thinking about the gift we’re going to give them. That’s why I thought I’d get this message out a few days earlier than usual and share an article I got from Smart Marriages that was written by Dr. Sheldon Walker. This (edited version) appeared in the Globe and Mail on February 8.

Dr. Walker suggests getting in front of your computer and creating a coupon book you can print off and staple together. These coupons are designed to be cashed in on demand from your wife.

You’ve heard “it’s the thought that counts.” Dr. Walker gives the following list of suggestions for the types of coupons that count that can help ensure a great Valentine’s Day. Coupons might be titled:

This Coupon Entitles the Bearer to:

• One half-hour of active listening about any topic the bearer chooses, with a full guarantee that no advice will be offered.

• One half-hour discussion of the state of your union.

• One half-hour of massage of any body part the bearer chooses.

• One lingering non-sexual hug.

• One bath with pre-lit candles surrounding the tub.

• One evening out alone with no home responsibilities.

• One video rental evening with a romantic movie featured.

• One half-hour talk where the bearer can give you feedback (gently, not with
criticism, otherwise the coupon is invalid).

• One evening out with the bearer having total control over the choice and natureof the activity.

• One gourmet meal prepared or ordered in by you.

• One instance when you will answer the question, “What are you thinking about right now?”

• One instance where you will openly answer the question, “What are you feeling right now?” Answers may only consist of emotions (such as sadness, joy, anger, fear, depression, angst).

• One stroll or walk, holding hands or arm-in-arm.

• One trip in the car where you will slow down when asked.

• One evening at home with music and slow dancing.

I think you get the gist of what this booklet should consist of. If you’re asking why do this, you’ll have to trust me when I tell you that it’s in your own best interest.

If you stop and think about how much time and energy you devote to nurturing the quality of your primary relationship, you’ll likely notice that career, children, general maintenance and other responsibilities often take precedence. Evidence is mounting that shows a quality connection with a significant other may improve cardiac health.

Simple reminders to your partner that you love her or that she appeals to you,given regularly, tend to draw your partner closer to you and lessen conflict.You’re probably aware how much conflict at home can raise blood pressure, interfere with concentration and kill sexual relations.

Many couples say that positive comments back and forth are rare, they complain of feeling taken for granted and as a result feel stressed.

Conflicts could be avoided if a reservoir of goodwill is established and fed.

When people know they are cared about, valued and listened to, they can withstand the many ups and downs associated with living. If you put time and effort into your love connection, the dividends are endless.

Should there be a similar coupon book by women? Of course—I’m focusing on men first because I’d like you to be a hero at Valentine’s, and because, generally speaking, women are more sensitive to the emotional climate in a relationship.

Romantic acts and attitudes should be part of the behavioral repertoire of both genders, but men could work harder in this area. When there’s a solid connection between couples, the quality of life increases. Great times, great sex, lots of laughs combined with a sense of closeness and belonging are a tonic for healthy living.

Sheldon Walker is an Alberta Chartered and British Columbia Registered Psychologist. He’s a Clinical member and Approved Supervisor of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

We hope this gives a “jump start” to a great Valentines Day this year. If you have any other suggestions, please pass them on to us to share at another time. Our love and prayers are with you as together we work to make our marriages the best they can be to the glory of God!

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R. Eastman
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

If You Never.....

2009-11-08T12:00:00.000-08:00

By Unknown Author

If you never felt pain,
Then how would you know that I'm a Healer?

If you never went through difficulty,
How would you know that I'm a Deliverer?

If you never had a trial,
How could you call yourself an overcomer?

If you never felt sadness,
How would you know that I'm a Comforter?

If you never made a mistake,
How would you know that I'm forgiving?

If you never were in trouble,
How would you know that I will come to your rescue?

If you never were broken,
Then how would you know that I can make you whole?

If you never had a problem,
How would you know that I can solve them?

If you never had any suffering,
Then how would you know what I went through?

If you never went through the fire,
Then how would you become pure?

If I gave you all things,
How would you appreciate them?

If I never corrected you,
How would you know that I love you?

If you had all power,
Then how would you learn to depend on me?

If your life was perfect,
Then what would you need Me for?

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat." R. Eastman
"Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn." Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!
Put God first, be happy at last!

HAVE YOU SHARPENED YOUR AXE?

2009-11-05T12:00:00.000-08:00

By Unknown Author

A young man approached the foreman of a logging crew and asked for a job.

"That depends," replied the foreman. "Let's see you fell this tree." The young man stepped forward and skillfully felled a great tree. Impressed, the foreman exclaimed, "You can start Monday."

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday rolled by. Thursday afternoon the foreman approached the young man and said, "You can pick up your paycheck on the way out today."

Startled, the young man replied, "I thought you paid on Friday."

"Normally we do," said the foreman. "But we're letting you go today because you've fallen behind. Our daily felling charts show that you've dropped from first place on Monday to last place today."

"But I'm a hard worker," the young man objected. "I arrive first, leave last and even have worked through my coffee breaks!"

The foreman, sensing the young man's integrity, thought for a minute and then asked, "Have you been sharpening your axe?"

The young man replied, "No sir, I've been working too hard to take time for that!"

Our lives are like that. We sometimes get so busy that we don't take time to "sharpen the axe."

In today's world, it seems that everyone is busier than ever but less happy than ever. Why is that? Could it be that we have forgotten how to stay sharp?

There's nothing wrong with activity and hard work. But God doesn't want us to get so busy that we neglect the truly important things in life, like taking time to pray, to read and study scripture or to listen to "the still small voice of God."

We all need time to relax, to think and meditate, to learn and grow. If we don't take time to sharpen the axe, we will become dull and lose our effectiveness.

Take time today to sharpen your axe!

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat." R. Eastman
"Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn." Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!
Put God first, be happy at last!

Three Strong Messages From The Lord.

2009-11-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

By Pastor Joh W. Matutis

1) So says the Lord, look away from yourself.
Do not always complain about yourself so.
I have forgiven you all your sins and misdeeds.
I have had mercy on you.
I understand you.
Rejoice because you are alive.
Rejoice in all that I have given you.
Enjoy the moments.
Wait for my intervention, for my action for my hour (my time)
I am your true help and your provider.
Do not cling to human beings.
Cling much more to me instead.
Listen to me.

2) Thus says the Lord “do not be sad about your past, about your
failures. Your enemy paints you a grim picture.
Look at your life in my light, from the point of view of my
word, from my enlightenment and revelations.
Look unto me and not to your needs.
Your needs will not save you.
Your fears will not help you.
Your questions will not answer you.
Clothe your cares in thanksgiving.
Give your life a new coating, new colors, new enhancements .
My Spirit will help you straighten out your life, and set you
on your feet again.
Keep a cool head in all of this, and stay very sober.
Do not allow yourself to be manipulated.
Do not tell everyone everything you know.
Keep secrets to yourself”.

3) Thus says the Lord, “I want to multiply you.
I want to multiply your faith, your strength, your patience,
your love.
I want to make your more glorious than ever.
The enemy wants to hurt you, make you fall, and ruin you.
You allow him too much room in your lives.
Do not listen to him.
Do not give him any room, no foothold in your lives.
Resist him steadfastly by my word.
Tell him what I say and think about him.
Remind him of his end. Tell him where he belongs.
My words are your really effective weapon.
Your victories are determined above – in the unseen world –
before my throne.
Be sure of your salvation. Be convinced of me and my will.”

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat." R. Eastman
"Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn." Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!
Put God first, be happy at last!

Focus on Marriage, Marriage Message 33

2009-09-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

By Cindy and Steve Wright

This past weekend we attended an EXCELLENT satellite simulcast marriage conference called "Focus on Marriage" sponsored by the ministry of Focus on the Family. We enjoyed and learned through every moment of it. Tens of thousands of couples attended this conference throughout the United States. We hope they'll make DVD's available for this seminar (which we would let you know about if they do so you can benefit as well) and will hold another conference next year (with an even larger audience).

In this Marriage Message, we would like to share some quotes from Gary Thomas, who is one of our favorite authors on the subject of marriage. He spoke on "Seeing Your Marriage Through the Eyes of God." He has written the books "Sacred Marriage", "Devotions for a Sacred Marriage" and "Sacred Influence" as well as other books on other subjects. But here are some things he said at the conference that I TRIED to write down as fast as I could -- hoping I am quoting him correctly. We hope they minister to your marriage as they have ours:

-- "We have to quit going to church for our marriages and to Caesar for our divorces."

-- "Marriage places a spotlight on my sins much more than I experienced when I was single" (because as he pointed out, your lifestyle isn't bumped into, to the same extent, when you're living on your own so you become more aware of your sinful ways). "We have the amazing ability to be blinded to our own sin."

-- "If your goal in life is to serve Jesus, stay single because marriage is going to take an immense amount of time and energy, but if your goal in life is to be like Jesus, get married because marriage will reveal your weaknesses, and it will challenge you to grow." (That doesn't mean that you can't be like Jesus if you're single, but in marriage you better see the sacrificial servant attitude Christ took on as our Bridegroom.) "A married person is to take on the nature of a servant" (as Christ modeled for us as He died to self for the sake of His bride).

-- "What if God didn't design marriage to make us happy, what if God designed marriage to make us holy? What if God's purpose for marriage goes beyond our fun? What if God wants to use my marriage to reveal my weaknesses, to teach me sides of God I could not see before, to teach me how to love. Marriage reveals my spiritual weaknesses. It gives me the opportunity to master patience, forgiveness, faithfulness, goodness, and other virtues God is trying to build in us. In fact, that might be God's most important purpose for your marriage -- to help you to grow up."

-- "What is behind the problems in marriage? We see the answer in James 3:2: 'We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.'"

-- Gary was telling of a woman that said that her marriage was difficult. He said to her, "You don't have to tell me that you're in a difficult marriage. That's redundant. Marriage IS difficult. That's a given!" (He pointed out James 3:2 and then told of the warning the Apostle Paul gave in 1 Corinthians 7:28, "Those who marry will face many troubles in this life; I want to spare you this.")

-- "In finding help for your marriage, it's not so much the 'How to' that is needed, but the 'Heart to' do what is right and what is needed. If you know the 'How to', but you don't have the 'Heart to' do what is needed, the 'How to' won't matter... You won't do it. ... One of the ways to renew the 'Heart to' improve your marriage is to rediscover the purpose of marriage."

-- "Aren't we asking more of marriage than God expects it to give? It's foolish to allow romantic attraction to mainly determine WHO we marry and WHEN we are to divorce. Scientific studies show bio-chemically, that the highs of romantic feelings aren't continually sustainable" (so we could easily make grave mistakes and sin if we allow ourselves to be guided by our emotional romantic feelings of attachment).

-- "The Bible tells us that we all stumble and fall and sin. Before you marry you need to know how the person you are marrying stumbles. You want to know what you're agreeing to live with and what you have to work with. Marriage isn't about being young and romantic together, it's about growing old together" (and doing what is right according to God's ways).

-- "When you married for trivial reasons, you'll divorce for trivial reasons. A reason to stay married is to seek the heart to become a better spouse -- to become a God-centered spouse, not a spouse-centered spouse."

-- "To be a God-centered spouse, I am called to love my spouse out of my love for God." (Gary refers to Matthew 6:33, which says, "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.") "The question to ask yourself is: How do I bring God's Kingdom into my house? ... Seek first God's righteousness in your attitude and actions within your marriage and God will surprise you in other ways from behind."

-- (Gary referred to 2 Corinthians 7:1 which says, "Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.") "We are called to purify ourselves, to put the spotlight on ourselves, not to aim to purify our spouse. Marriage gives me opportunity to apply these principles every day and to purify myself."

-- "If you want to get on my good side, be good to one of my kids. If you want to be on my bad side, be mean to one of my kids. I'm a Dad and I love my kids and want others to treat them kindly. ...God is your heavenly Father; your spouse is one of God's kids. If you want to please God, be good to his kid -- your spouse. …Some husbands wouldn't know an emotion if it bit him on the nose and he bled. But you please God's heart when you love him anyway. He is God's son, just as a wife is God's daughter. Love God's son (or daughter) despite how they stumble. Marriage brings out the ways we stumble. Can you love your spouse out of reverence for God?"

-- "How can I face God someday and say to Him, 'I'm sorry, your daughter (or son) isn't good enough for me?' Marriage will challenge you."

-- "Marriage brings out a lot of bad attitudes in each of us. Biblical God-centered love in action is what makes a marriage a success. ...God teaches us what love is, not based on human expectations, but on God-centered love."

We pray what Gary Thomas had to say has spoken to your heart in some way that you will aim center your love on God and love your spouse "as unto the Lord." You will help your marriage, but even more so, you will please the heart of your Heavenly Father.

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R." Eastman
Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn. Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!
Put God first, be happy at last!

Gods 26 Guards

2009-09-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

By JN Hither

Here's a message that will bring you chills. Have you ever felt the urge to pray for someone and then just put it on a list and said, "I'll pray for them later?" Or has anyone ever called you and said, "I need you to pray for me, I have this need?"

Read the following story that was sent to me and may it change the way that you may think about prayer and also the way you pray. You will be blessed by this.

A missionary on furlough told this true story while visiting his home church in Michigan.

"While serving at a small field hospital in Africa, every two weeks I travelled by bicycle through the jungle to a nearby city for supplies. This was a journey of two days and required camping overnight at the halfway point.

On one of these journeys, I arrived in the city where I planned to collect money from a bank, purchase medicine, and supplies, and then begin my two-day journey back to the field hospital.

Upon arrival in the city, I observed two men fighting, one of whom had been seriously injured. I treated him for his injuries and at the same time talked to him about the Lord.

I then travelled two days, camping overnight, and arrived home without incident...

Two weeks later I repeated my journey.

Upon arriving in the city, I was approached by the young man I had treated. He told me that he had known I carried money and medicines. He said, 'Some friends and I followed you into the jungle, knowing you would camp overnight. We planned to kill you and take your money and drugs.

But just as we were about to move into your camp, we saw that you were surrounded by 26 armed guards.

At this, I laughed and said that I was certainly all alone in that jungle campsite.

The young man pressed the point, however, and said, 'No, sir, I was not the only person to see the guards, my friends also saw them, and we all counted them. It was because of those guards that we were afraid and left you alone.'

At this point in the sermon, one of the men in the congregation jumped to his feet and interrupted the missionary and asked if he could tell him the exact day this happened.

The missionary told the congregation the date, and the man who interrupted told him this story:

"On the night of your incident in Africa, it was morning here and I was preparing to go play golf. I was about to putt when I felt the urge to pray for you. In fact, the urging of the Lord was so strong, I called men in this church to meet with me here in the sanctuary to pray for you. Would all of those men who met with me on that day stand up?"

The men who had met together to pray that day stood up. The missionary wasn't concerned with who they were, he was too busy counting how many men he saw.

There were 26!

This story is an incredible example of how the Spirit of the Lord moves in mysterious ways. If you ever hear such prodding, go along with it.

Nothing is ever hurt by prayer except the gates of hell.

If we all take it to heart, we can turn this world toward God once again. As the above true story clearly illustrates, "with God all things are possible".

More importantly, how God hears and answers the prayers of the faithful.

After you read this, please pass it on and give God thanks for the beautiful gift of your faith, for the powerful gift of prayer, and for the many miracles He works in your own daily life... and then pass it on. Who says God does not work in mysterious ways.

I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for you today.
To guide you and protect you as you go along your way.
His love is always with you,
His promises are true, and when we give Him our cares you know He will see us through.
So when the road you're travelling on seems difficult at best,
Just remember I'm here praying, and God will do the rest.

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R." Eastman
Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn. Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!
Put God first, be happy at last!

I’m no Grasshopper!

2009-09-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

By Keith Overturf

I suggest that everyone make a poster of this and post it in a place where you will see it daily. It's a great reminder of the promises of God during difficult times and also a good reminder of our responsibilities during those times.

Numbers 13:33 - And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

Romans 8:28 - And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Matthew 6:25-33 - Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Romans 12:19 - Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Matthew 5:43-45 – You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy,” But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R." Eastman
"Salvation: Nothing to earn, much to learn." Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others.
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!
Put God first, be happy at last!

Foolishness or Wisdom, Weakness or Power?

2009-09-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

By Ravi Zacharias

There is a striking verse in the New Testament, in which the apostle Paul refers to the Cross of Jesus Christ as foolishness to the Greek and a stumbling block to the Jew. One can readily understand why he would say that. After all, to the Greek mind, sophistication, philosophy, and learning were exalted pursuits. How could one crucified possibly spell knowledge?

To the Jewish mind, on the other hand, there was a cry and a longing to be free. In their history, they had been attacked by numerous powers and often humiliated by occupying forces. Whether it was the Assyrians or the Babylonians or the Romans, Jerusalem had been repeatedly plundered and its people left homeless. What would the Hebrew have wanted more than someone who could take up their cause and altogether repel the enemy? How could a Messiah who was crucified possibly be of any help?

To the Greek, the Cross was foolishness. To the Jew, it was a stumbling block. What is it about the Cross of Christ that so roundly defies everything that power relishes? Crucifixion was humiliating. It was so humiliating that the Romans who specialized in the art of torture assured their own citizenry that a Roman could never be crucified. But not only was it humiliating, it was excruciating. In fact, the very word “excruciating” comes from two Latin words: ex cruciatus, or “out of the cross.” Crucifixion was the defining word for pain.

Does that not give us pause in this season before us? Think of it: humiliation and agony. This was the path Jesus chose with which to reach out for you and for me. You see, this thing we call sin, but which we so tragically minimize, breaks the grandeur for which we were created. It brings indignity to our essence and pain to our existence. It separates us from God.

On the way to the Cross two thousand years ago, Jesus took the ultimate indignity and the ultimate pain to bring us back to the dignity of a relationship with God and the healing of our souls. Will you remember that this was done for you and receive his gift?

You will then discover that it is sin that is foolishness. Our greatest weakness is not an enemy from without but one from within. It is our own weak wills that cause us to stumble. But Jesus Christ frees us from the foolishness of sin and the weakness of our selves.

This is the very reason the apostle Paul went on to say that he preached Jesus Christ as one crucified, which was the power of God and the wisdom of God. Come to the Cross in these days given for our contemplation and find out his power and his wisdom.

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat." R. Eastman
"Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn." Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others.
"Put God first, find happiness at last."
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is;
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

Can You See in the Dark?

2009-08-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

By Richard Mansel

"Alone in the dark," is one of the most frightening situations that we can face. We abhor the darkness that gathers around us like a cloak. Harmless objects assume a malevolent face when obscured in darkness. Our vision in the dark is untrustworthy because of these distortions and inherent distrust. Hence, we cannot trust our eyes in the absence of light.

If we find ourselves in the woods at night, we will run with all of our might towards a distant light. Darkness terrifies most of us and we resist it with all that we have.

What is fascinating is that we often do the exact opposite with spiritual darkness. We run away from physical darkness while running to spiritual darkness (Proverbs 1:16; Romans 3:10).

Scripture is very clear that light and darkness are excellent ways to understand sin and righteousness. "God is light and in Him is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5, NKJV). Jesus calls himself the "light of the world" (John 8:12) that is constantly misunder- stood by those in the darkness (John 1:4-5; 1 Thessalonians 5:5).

Yet, most still embrace the darkness, the abode of Satan, where God has no place.

The righteous walk in the brightness of a sunny day while, "The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know what makes them stumble" (Proverbs 4:18-19).

The light entered the world but mankind “loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil" (John 3:19). The words "were" and "evil" denote continual action. /1 He continues, "For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (John 3:20). The word "evil" in 3:19 is a different word than the one in 3:20. The latter word refers to "worthlessness."/2

The behavior of those in darkness has no redeeming qualities, in the eyes of God. They cannot see the good around them because of the darkness in their eyes. A roach doesn't know the benefits of cleanliness because it is unnatural to them. Likewise, a person immersed in darkness has so much goodness in the world that they cannot see.

Spiritual darkness obscures hope, peace, unity, faith, love and truth. We become blind to all that is great without the light of the Lord. Evil becomes our default position, leaving the world immeasurably bleak and hopeless.

We must let the Lord's light bathe our lives in grace and mercy and open our hearts to endless possibilities for joy or we will never see the beauty of God!

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R. Eastman
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

Role Models

2009-08-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

By Michele Quick, SMCC/CSAC, Pastoral Counselor

"Just because I dunk a basketball doesn’t mean I should raise your kids." Charles Barkley

Where, after all, is Charles Barkley when the report card comes home? Our children naturally draw inspiration from sports figures, movie stars, and other celebrities, but it is we to whom they look for daily guidance, love, and support. We are their primary role models. Let’s make sure our encouragement is never in short supply, and that our commitment to their physical and emotional welfare never lags. No NBA star, movie star or other celebrity will be our stand-in at that parent-teacher conference; only we can put forth the values and ideals from which our child can draw strength and prosper.

And who is our role model. Our Father which art in heaven! God’s appearance is unknown to us but not his character. His character, likeness, and nature are known to us and it is our obligation to be evidence of his characteristic, likeness and integrity. As our children’s role model, we are to train our children to possess the qualities of our Father. It is our job to nurture our children’s soul in order for them to attain these characteristics. As parents, we must have knowledge of scripture in order to impart that knowledge to our children. We must know the foundation of what we believe and why we believe it. When we give our children instruction, we should also use scripture to back it up. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) We must be diligent in teaching our children. (Deut 6:6). We must teach by example. (2 Timothy 2:2)

Scripture tells us if we do not teach scripture to our children we all will perish (Hosea 4:6). The benefit of teaching the word is that you and your family will be blessed with a peace of mind. (Deuteronomy 6:9 and Proverbs 29:17). The recent headlines of the Chris Brown and Rhianna incident has so many people speaking about how disappointed they are because they thought Chris Brown was a good role model. I don’t know Chris Brown or Rhianna like I know my Father. Therefore, although my son is a fan of Chris Brown, knowing our Father is the top priority so that we can be better prepared to handle life’s events. Also important is providing our children with opportunities to put into action what they are learning from scripture. This will pave the way for subconscious Christ-like behavior. If training of the scripture is not done and children are not given the opportunities to put what they have learned into action, all the things that they are being taught will go in one ear and out the other. (James 1:23-24)

Declaration: On this day, I will take five minutes to think about what kind of role model I am for my child, and if it needs improvement, I pledge to do that.

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat." R. Eastman
Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn. Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

Marriage as a Mission, Marriage Message 32

2009-08-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

By Cindy and Steve Wright

Have you ever thought of your marriage being a mission field in itself? Sure, we all know of mission fields where people go, either on a short term or the long term, to various places throughout the world to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others. Steve and I, and maybe you, have been on mission's trips to different locations to tell others of Christ. But what about the ministry and the mission of living Christ within our homes... within our marriages?

A missionary is to live for Christ so purposefully that those who don't know Him are eventually drawn to Him through the working of the Holy Spirit. The life of a missionary isn't supposed to detract from the message of Jesus Christ, but to help uncover and reveal His message everywhere they are called to minister.

When you think about it, can't that also be applied to our homes? Aren't we called to live for Christ so intentionally that those who are with us will see Christ? And wouldn't that also include how we live with our spouses -- communicating the Gospel with and without words? We're told in 1 Corinthians 10:31, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

We ask you: Is how you're living with your husband or wife distorting his or her view of the love of Christ? Does she or he see the glory of God revealed in the way you treat him or her? How do you help to bring God's Kingdom into your house?

"Does your family see the difference Christ makes when you face a need? What difference does the presence of Jesus Christ make in your life? God wants to reveal Himself to those around you by working mightily through you. He wants your family to see Christ in your each day. God wants to express His love through your life. There's a great difference between 'living the Christian life' and allowing Christ to live His life through you." (Blackaby)

From the way we see it, God has entrusted each of us who are married, with a mission field that is right in our own homes as we live in covenant together... as "a cord of three strands" (See Ecclesiastes 4:12). In truth however, that takes sacrifice on our part. There's no doubt about it. It isn't easy to live in loving sacrifice to God and to each other.

We're told in the Bible as it pertains to marriage that "those who marry will face many troubles in this life" (1 Corinthians 7:28). It's inevitable that the mission field within our home will not be an easy one. That's the way of the cross -- it requires sacrifice. We should never forget that, or we'll miss the message of Christ and miss communicating the message of Christ to each other and those around us.

As author Larry Crabb said in his book, "The Marriage Builder", "Husbands and wives are to regard marriage as an opportunity to minister in a unique and special way to another human being, to be used of God to bring their spouses into a more satisfying appreciation of their worth as persons who are secure and significant in Jesus Christ."

Are you doing that? Are you cooperating with God, as His colleague, in living out the love of Christ in the way you interact with your spouse? Are you allowing your hands, your feet, and your voice to be His? Are you conveying the heart of Christ in the mission of showing God's love and the Good News message to your spouse? Are you giving him/her reasons to thank God for your marrying you?

Keep in mind that Christ said, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me" (See Matthew 25:44-45). And that of course, includes your spouse, because marriage is a living example for all to see of Christ's love for the church. What you do and do not do for your spouse, you do and do not do for Christ in the mission of your marriage.

A great definition of marriage comes from author Gary Thomas: "Marriage is a man and a woman in partnership on a life-long journey TOWARDS God." What a mission God has given you in your marriage! Are you helping your spouse in the way you treat him or her, to journey TOWARDS God in his or her spiritual growth, or away from God?

Are you living your mission within your marriage? What about today... have you shown the love of God to your spouse today? Today can be a new beginning if you have lived otherwise yesterday.

We encourage you to pray for your spouse and to pray for yourself that He will show you how to reveal His love THROUGH you to him or her today and everyday for the rest of your lives together FROM THIS DAY FORWARD.

We pray with all our hearts that none of us, who are married, will take this mission lightly and that at the end of our days here on earth, the Lord will greet us with the words, "Well done good and faithful servant!"

Have a blessed week!

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R." Eastman
Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn. Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

Hugs for a Stranger

2009-08-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

From Sermon Illustrator edited by Rob Chaffart

Our deeds and words, both good and bad constantly ripple out affecting others in ways we may never see. Although one Canadian woman had the opportunity to see exactly what her actions caused.

At a bus stop in Toronto, Paula observed a woman who appeared distraught and was soon crying. Not accustomed to walking up to strangers and injecting herself into their affairs, Paula was caught off balance by her own thoughts. "That woman needs a hug!",

"Something in me just pushed at me", says Paula, "and so I walked up to her and said, you look like you need a hug."

Gratefully, the stranger accepted the offer.

The two ladies ended up sitting together and through the conversation Paula asked what was happening in the stranger's life that was tearing at her so.

The woman spoke of the rough times she was experiencing, mentioning her heartache regarding her children. Her son was not only on drugs but was molesting his younger sister.

Paula comforted and offered advice. One of the things she said was, "I take a paper and place a line down the centre. I put on one side all the things that are troubling me and on the other I place all the things I am grateful for. Often I find there are things I can soon move over to the positive side."

When the two ladies parted, Paula thought she would never see the stranger again. But life moves in strange ways. Paula was out with a friend and happened to spot the stranger in a crowd. She rushed over to say hello and when she did she was astounded by what she discovered.

The stranger was overjoyed to see Paula and was soon explaining her joy. "That day when you saw me I had intended on going home and killing my son, my daughter and myself. Your hug changed my perspective Paula. I felt hope. I went home and I reported my son to the authorities. He was taken away where he could get help. I just want you to know that because you hugged me, I didn't kill myself, my son or my daughter. With that first single move of getting help for my son, my life began turning around. Today my son is better and is soon to be married. Thank you so very much Paula!"

With that, two sets of eyes filled with moisture and another hug was called for!

As told to Ellie Braun-Haley ellie@evrcanada.com

"When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed
to discover they are not it." --Bernard Bailey

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat." R. Eastman
"Salvation: Nothing to earn, much to learn." Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others.
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

Manageable Mandates

2009-08-17T12:00:00.000-07:00

By Ron Hutchcraft

A friend of mine has served on his local school board for many years. And the more demands that have been placed on schools in recent years, the more complicated the work of school boards and school officials has become. The other day one of those frustrations surfaced in our conversation. My friend said, "You know, our state keeps passing on mandates to us for things our school system has to do, but lots of times they give us the mandate without any money. They decide what we have to do, and we have to figure out how to pay for it."

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Manageable Mandates."

Mandates without resources - that's got to be frustrating. Thankfully, God never gives a mandate without providing the resources to carry it out! That's important for you to know right now, especially if you sense that He's leading you to do something where you have no clue where the resources are going to come from.

Over and over our many years of serving Him, we've made 1 Thessalonians 5:24 our bottom line, and we have never been disappointed. It's our word for today from the Word of God. It simply makes this promise: "The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it." To put it simply, God will never abandon you in the middle of something that He's told you to do.

Right now your Lord may be leading you toward some uncharted territory. You're being asked to shoulder a responsibility, a burden, or a challenge that you're not sure you can handle. Good. That sounds like one of those exciting times when it will be just a little bit of you and a whole lot of God. Your promise is that if He is calling you to do something, He will actually do it through you. Your job is to stay pure and show up!

God's plan will not take you where His grace will not keep you. Maybe you can't see where the money would possibly come from to carry out what God is mandating, but God's Word teaches us that what God orders, God pays for! Or as one missionary pioneer said, "If it's God's will, it's God's bill!"

Or you may just feel personally inadequate for what God is leading you to do. Good. That gets you out of the way and it insures that God will get all the glory. The great Apostle Paul put it this way: "Not that we are competent in ourselves... but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent" (2 Corinthians 3:5). God is glorified when people who don't have what it takes are the ones He uses. We're talking like a divine takeover of you, filling you with His strength, His ideas, His words, His wisdom, His love.

He will provide the emotional resources you need, the human resources, and the financial resources. Remember, God's promise is "my God will meet all your needs, according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19). Not according to your measly resources, but according to His unlimited resources!

So really, isn't that all you need to know as you're facing a challenge that's bigger than you are, or maybe you're even considering giving up on a calling that God has given to you. What you need to know is that your Lord will never abandon you in the middle of what He's told you to do. What God mandates, God provides for!

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat." R. Eastman
"Salvation: Nothing to earn much to Learn." Adrian Rogers
Do your best; bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

OLDER THAN DIRT?

2009-08-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

By Alan Smith

Today's humorous story actually comes in the form of a quiz. How many of these do you remember?

1. Bazooka chewing gum
2. Little wax Coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water inside
3. Television broadcasts ending at night and not coming on until late morning
4. Soda pop machines that dispensed bottles
5. Hamburger joints with table side jukeboxes
6. Home milk delivery in glass bottles with cardboard stoppers
7. Telephone "party lines"
8. Newsreels shown before the movie
9. Butch wax
10. Telephone numbers with a word prefix (Olive-6933)
11. Peashooters
12. The Howdy Doody Show
13. 45 RPM records (and record players)
14. S&H Green Stamps
15. Television test patterns
16. Metal ice trays with levers
17. Mimeograph paper
18. Blue flashbulbs
19. The Amos and Andy show (radio or TV!)
20. Roller skate keys
21. Cork popguns
22. Drive-in theaters
23. Studebakers (they were automobiles)
24. Wash tub wringers
25. The television day beginning and ending with The Star Spangled Banner

If you remembered 0-7, you're still young (ish)
If you remembered 8-14, you're getting older
If you remembered 15-20, don't tell your age
If you remembered 21-25, you're older than dirt!

I remember the first time I started feeling really old. My wife and I were playing a game with some college students and Johnny Carson's name came up. One of the students asked, "Who's that?" Suddenly, I realized that I was a member of "another generation"!

The things on the list above are things I don't expect my children to be familiar with. They're too young. They weren't around back then. In fact, I wasn't even around for some of those things!

There once was a conversation between Jesus and the Jewish leaders in John 8. Jesus made a reference to Abraham, and the Jews were amazed. They said, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?" (John 8:57). He was too young to know such things -- over a thousand years too young.

But, though they could not understand it, Jesus had indeed seen Abraham. "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." (John 8:58).

What the Jews failed to realize (and what we must acknowledge) is that Jesus was not just a man. He was God and had been in existence for all eternity. In fact, he is the only person who ever lived who you could honestly say was "older than dirt"! All praise be to the God who took on flesh and blood for our sakes!

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat." R. Eastman
"Salvation: Nothing to earn, much to learn." Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others.
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

THE BUS DRIVER

2009-08-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

By Keith Overturf

Several years ago, a preacher from out-of-state accepted a call to a church in Houston, Texas.

Some weeks after he arrived, he had an occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area.

When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change.

As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, 'You'd better give the quarter back.'

It would be wrong to keep it.' Then he thought, 'Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter.

Who would worry about this little amount?

Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a gift from God and keep quiet.'

When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, 'Here, you gave me too much change.'

The driver, with a smile, replied, 'Aren't you the new preacher in town? I have been thinking a lot lately about going somewhere to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I'll see you at church on Sunday.'

When the preacher stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, 'Oh God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter.'

Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read.

This is a really scary example of how much people watch us as Christians and will put us to the test!

Always be on guard -- and remember -- You carry the name of Christ on your Shoulders when you call yourself 'Christian.'

Watch your thoughts; they become words

Watch your words; they become actions.

Watch your actions; they become habits.

Watch your habits; they become character.

Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

I'm glad a friend forwarded to me as a reminder. God bless you; I hope you are having a wonderful day!

The Will of God will never take you to where the Grace of God will not PROTECT you...

Stay FAITHFUL and Be GRATEFUL.

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R. Eastman
"Salvation: Nothing to earn, much to learn." Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others.
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

Grasshoppers

2009-08-08T12:00:00.000-07:00

By Dennis Rainey

Responding to Troubled Times

Last week my mind flashed back 40 years to the first time I walked into the office of Dr. Bill Bright, who founded Campus Crusade for Christ. As I looked on his desk and walls, I was fascinated to see what he valued. Of course, there were pictures of his wife and family, awards he’d received, and mementos from around the world. But on his desk there was an engraved brass plate with the most unusual phrase I’ve ever seen in an executive office:

“I’m No Grasshopper.”

I asked what it meant. Bill chuckled and started telling me the Old Testament story about the Israelites returning to their homeland after centuries of slavery in Egypt. Their leader, Moses, sent a dozen spies into the land of Canaan. This land was inhabited by others but God said He would give it to the Israelites.

Ten of the twelve came back reporting that it was impossible for the Israelites to conquer the land. “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us,” they said. “We became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight” (Numbers 13:31, 33).

Only two of the spies, Caleb and Joshua, said the land could be taken. Joshua said there would be nothing to fear because his trust was in the Lord. But the people would not listen. As a result, the Israelites did not attempt to conquer the land God said He was giving them, and they spent 40 years wandering around in the wilderness because of unbelief.

After recounting this story, Bill turned to me and said, “Dennis, when I arrive in heaven, I don’t want my life here on earth to have been characterized by viewing myself as a grasshopper. My God is so big, I want to expect and believe Him for great things.”

This financial crisis leaves us with the same choice. Will we respond to bad news like grasshoppers, or will we respond with trust in our God, who is in control of our fate today just as He was in the days of Moses and Joshua?

Timeless Truths

We need to remember that God is still in control, even in times of uncertainty and chaos. Romans 8:28 is still in force: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” So is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, which tells us, “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

I am also reminded of what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal,” He said. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-20).

And then Jesus goes on to say (in Matthew 6:25-33): For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?... But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

These are the timeless truths we need to focus on - the words we should read together as husband and wife, and the words we should be reading to our children. They tell us that God will provide for our needs. His provision may come in different forms than we expect, but His promise to meet our needs has not expired in the 21st century.

Jesus’ words also remind us that there is more to life than meeting our daily material needs. When we seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness, we operate according to His priorities—we’re concerned about building our family relationships, and connecting the hearts of our children to God’s heart, and impacting future generations by proclaiming Christ. That’s what life is really about.

What is God up to?

In recent days I’ve been saying to our staff here in Little Rock and to friends of this ministry that America as a nation can survive a financial crisis, even a Depression. It’s already done that. But you know what America cannot survive? It cannot survive the spiritual demise and the destruction of its most basic unit, the family.

It’s time to return to the basics, embracing what we believe and those who matter most— our spouses and family.

It’s time for men to take their wives hands and pray together and for one another. Not just today, but every day.

It’s time for parents to rally their families together around the dinner table and read how Jesus said we are to respond to fear and then take one another’s hands and pray. Every day.

It’s time for families to huddle up, tell each other we love one another and hug one another. Every day.

It’s time to be a man or woman of faith and not a grasshopper.

For years many of us have said that it may take a financial crisis like the Depression to get our nation’s spiritual attention. Well, my friend, what if we are on our way right now? What is God up to right now in your life? What’s He up to in your marriage And in your family?

Don’t be a family of spiritual grasshoppers.

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat." R. Eastman
"Salvation: Nothing to earn, much to learn." Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others.
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

Don't Go There

2009-08-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

By James MacDonald

For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God? - the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights. He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great. You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip. - Psalm 18:31-36

The goodness of God is stamped all over Scripture. Psalm 27:13 says, "I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living" (NASB). I love David's honesty. Here was the only man called "a man after [God's] own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14), anointed by Samuel to be king of Israel, a giant-slayer, but no stranger to suffering, saying, "I would have lost it; I would have melted down if I had not believed..."

Despair is a place that you don't want anyone to go. People who go there often don't come back. Despair is an utterly dark place. You're deep down, down, down, in a damp, dark cave. No light. No air. No hope. Nobody wants to go to despair.

The dictionary defines despair as "destitute of positive expectations." If you're in despair, you can't see anything good in your future.

You have no idea how life could improve.

You have no words to pray.

You can't return to a better time because there isn't one. The place is gone.

You can't remove the circumstances because the opportunity is gone.

You can't retrieve any level of relationship because the person is gone.

You can't do it over because the time has passed.

If you focus on the dark and the deep and the damp, you're going into despair.

Warning!

Picture a blinking, neon warning light here. If you find yourself dwelling on some painful or difficult thing that happened to you in the past to the point that it's the only thing you can think about—please, stop! You're headed straight for despair. Second Corinthians 10:5 says that we are to "take every thought captive to obey Christ." You can choose where you allow your thoughts to go. David did.

David knew the damp, dark desperation of the land of despair. The enemy called out to him, Come over here, David. Go to the bottom. Give it up. David said, "I heard a voice tempting me to go to despair." He felt its breath hot on his neck, chasing his hope away. The enemy wants nothing more than to destroy the faithful follower of Christ. You'll hear that voice too. Learn to recognize it and turn around.

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat." R. Eastman
"Salvation: Nothing to earn, much to learn." Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others.
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

Money Problems in Marriage, Marriage Message 31

2009-08-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

By Cindy and Steve Wright

Are you having money problems in your marriage? According to financial expert Ron Blue and his wife Judy, "There's no such thing as a money problem in marriage." They insist that "what looks like money trouble in a marriage is almost always symptomatic of something else: a distorted view of money, a lack of understanding about the true purpose for marriage, or a basic inability to integrate the two and communicate effectively with your spouse about finances."

We want to emphasize the term "almost always" as we discuss this subject though, because we realize that when one spouse (or both marriage partners) loses a job and/or another tragic financial setback comes into play like unexpected medical bills, etc., having enough money to pay the bills BECOMES a problem. Even so, the bigger problem can be the approach that is taken within the marriage to work through the challenges they are facing.

Do you turn on each other and accuse and fight against each other, or do you take a deep breath, pray and then find ways to unite to fight the problems -- not each other? Statistics show that "half of all marriages end in divorce -- with the majority of these citing 'money problems' as the number one factor in the breakup." That's pretty scary.

We read an article a number of years ago (sent to us by Smartmarriages.com) titled "Money Control" by J. Taylor that brought this subject to our attention. He wrote: "A dear friend just told me that he and his wife were going to be filing for divorce after 20 years of marriage. What was the reason for their breakup? He says it's because his wife has spent her way through his inheritance into more than $100,000 in debt. She says he never told her they were in financial trouble; she thought they had plenty of money to pay for everything.

"...The way I see it, they've got two things to talk about (in the counseling sessions they agreed to have in order to save their marriage). No matter which one of them is at fault over their financial mess (probably both of them are) -- they need to come up with a plan to dig out of it. Whether they get divorced or not, their lifestyle will change. It will become simpler... Once the financial stress is lifted a little, maybe they will be able to focus more on their relationship instead of their financial problems.

"That fits in with the 2nd challenge for them -- they need to talk and listen to each other. I'm certain that he told her many times that she needed to watch their budget for the month or something to that effect. He said it often enough to his co-workers. And, I know there were mornings he came to work [angry] because they had been arguing about money. His wife needs to listen to him and he needs to listen to her. They each need to set aside their hurt egos and feelings. Their marriage is worth saving -- 20 years is a long time. And, they have a teenage son.

"When I look into their futures as single people, I don't see much good from a financial viewpoint. She'll have custody of their teenager. She won't be able to get a good paying job without more education or training, and he will have to support 2 households for 10 or more years. Their retirement savings will be split and neither will have enough to live comfortably. It's enough to support one household -- not two. They're both in their 50's. He will have to defer retirement if his health permits. She will have to work too. So money is an excuse... not the real problem.

"I hope they give counseling a chance to help them salvage their marriage. It takes time, opening up to each other, and hard work. I hope they expend as much effort and time on fixing their relationship as they did on avoiding their problems."

In this time of financial uncertainty throughout the world, it's especially important for us to look more seriously at the ways we can wisely spend the money God entrusts to our care.

A few years back, Steve had his salary greatly reduced. We were deeply concerned as to how we would be able to make it financially, as well as still help finance Marriage Missions, and dedicate as much time it takes to run the ministry (in light of taking on another job). We made the decision to attack the problem and not each other to prayerfully figure out what needed to be done. Eventually, as we prayed about it, got advice from others who could help us figure out what to do, we've been able to do what needed to be done without damaging our relationship. God has been faithful to meet our every need, including the needs of Marriage Missions.

We realize that some of you have even more serious financial problems than we faced and are facing. We encourage you to face each other, talking and LISTENING to each of your concerns and perspectives to combat the problems -- instead of fighting against each other. Pray, research, and work together to make things work for your marriage financially. We have a lot of articles, resource recommendations and great web site links provided on our web site at www.marriagemissions.com that can help you.

If you have a spouse that is willing to partner with you in dealing with your finances... that is great! And if they are willing to PRAY, listen to God and other godly counselors on this, and work together... that is even better. Working together on this will be the most helpful. God's word tells us "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work... Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken" (Ecclesiastes 4:9 and Ecclesiastes 4:12). Of course, the third strand is God. Don't underestimate how much stronger you are with God helping you!!!

And even if your spouse is uncooperative, you can still pray and do things as God guides you. He will make sure your needs are taken care of, even if you have a spiritually disobedient spouse fighting against you.

"The point is not how much or how little you have; it's how you perceive and handle the resources God gives you" (Ron Blue). It's our prayer that you will work together as a team to handle whatever comes your way with prayer and care -- giving the Lord first place in your lives. Our love is with you as together we work to make our marriages the best they can be with the Lord's guidance.

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat." R. Eastman
Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn. Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

Hidden Treasures

2009-08-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

By Rox-Anne Maistry

And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness—secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name" (Isaiah 45:3, NLT).

Did you know there are treasures hidden on the inside of you? There are gifts, talents, and abilities inside of you that you don’t even know about. Oftentimes, it's during seasons of difficulty or darkness that those hidden treasures are revealed to us. When we go through times of adversity, strength arises, new abilities arise, new talents. We are "reinvented" so
to speak.

I think about when a powerful man of God’s father went on to be with the Lord. It was a dark hour for him, but out of that difficulty the Lord revealed hidden treasures on the inside of him that he didn't even know about. Look at David in the Bible. Before Goliath, he was known as a shepherd boy. But after he conquered Goliath, after he went through that adversity, he was known as a mighty warrior, and eventually, a mighty king.

If you are going through a difficulty today, if you lost your job or a loved one, remember, God still has a purpose for you. He'll take what the enemy meant for evil, and He’ll turn it around for your good. Keep standing, keep believing, keep hoping because He's ready to reveal those hidden treasures on the inside of you!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I come before You with an open and humble heart. Let Your Word sink deep into my Spirit. I trust You and look for the hidden treasures You have deposited on the inside of me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Kind Regards and God Bless,

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R." Eastman
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

“Treat Me As I Treat My Neighbor.”

2009-07-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

By Max Lucado

Are you aware that this is what you are saying to your Father? Give me what I give them. Grant me the same peace I grant others. Let me enjoy the same tolerance I offer. God will treat you the way you treat others.

In any given Christian community there are two groups: those who are contagious in their joy and those who are cranky in their faith. They’ve accepted Christ and are seeking him, but their balloon has no helium. One is grateful, the other is grumpy. Both are saved. Both are heaven bound. But one sees the rainbow and the other sees the rain.

Could this principle explain the difference? Could it be that they are experiencing the same joy they have given their offenders? One says, “I forgive you,” and feels forgiven. The other says, “I’m ticked off,” and lives ticked off at the world.

It’s as if God sends you to the market to purchase your neighbor’s groceries saying, “Whatever you get your neighbor, get also for yourself. For whatever you give him is what you receive.”

Let’s take this a step further. Suppose your neighbor’s trash blows into your yard. You mention the mess to him, and he says he’ll get to it sometime next week. You inform him that you’ve got company coming and couldn’t he get out of that chair and do some work? He tells you not to be so picky, that the garbage fertilizes your garden. You’re just about to walk across the lawn to have a talk when God reminds you, “Time to go to the market and buy your neighbor’s groceries.” So you grumble and mumble your way to the store, and then it hits you, “I’ll get even with the old bum.” You go straight to the skim milk. Then you make a beeline to the anchovies and sardines. You march right past the double-chocolate ice cream and head toward the okra and rice. You make a final stop in the day-old bread section and pick up a crusty loaf with green spots on the edge.

Chuckling, you drive back to the house and drop the sack in the lap of your lazy, good- for-nothing neighbor. “Have a good dinner.” And you walk away.

All your brilliant scheming left you hungry, so you go to your refrigerator to fix a sandwich, but guess what you find. Your pantry is full of what you gave your enemy. All you have to eat is exactly what you just bought. We get what we give.

Some of you have been eating sardines for a long time. Your diet ain’t gonna change until you change. You look around at other Christians. They aren’t as sour as you are. They’re enjoying the delicacies of God, and you’re stuck with okra and anchovies on moldy bread. You’ve always wondered why they look so happy and you feel so cranky. Maybe now you know. Could it be God is giving you exactly what you’re giving someone else?

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat." R. Eastman
"Salvation: Nothing to earn much to learn." Adrian Rogers
Do your best; bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

WAITING ON GOD

2009-07-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

By Russ Lawson

Waiting on God is where a lot of us are in our lives right now. We wait for healing (emotionally and physically). We wait for our relationship to improve, we wait for a job, we wait for some indication of what God would like us to be doing with our lives or where he would like us to be in this world. We wait for help, we wait to help others, we wait for our life to change in such a way as to find fulfillment, joy or happiness. But the bottom line is that we wait.

The question which perhaps we need to consider is "How do we wait on God?" I've dealt with this idea in the past, but here are some new suggestions from God's word. You may remember reading the passage from Psalm 27:14 which says, "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." (KJV) There are some interesting points which you might not have thought of before in reading this passage.

In this passage, David tells us how to wait. He said, "Wait on the Lord, be of good courage". The Hebrew word for courage here has this definition: "to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm," (Strong's Dictionary of the New Testament).

This "courage" then carries the idea of waiting with commitment. It is having made up our minds to dig in our heels and stand fast in our belief in God and his power over the universe, no matter what. There will be no circumstances, no difficulty which is going to change the way we believe in our all powerful God.

If we understand this concept, then perhaps we need to ask ourselves, "What am I willing to put up with", "what am I willing to suffer", "for how long am I willing to wait for my answer or my deliverance" and most important, "What if I never receive my answer or deliverance in this life?"

Think about the message found in Hebrews 11. You most likely are familiar with verses 1-3 which read: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible." (NIV)

Then in Hebrews 11:4-11 we see a list of people who waited on God. People like Able, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Sarah. But notice especially verse 13 which says; "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth." (NIV)

You see, these folks discovered the key to waiting with commitment! They never received that for which they were waiting, but they realized that the earth was not really their home. They realized who was really in control.

Last night my wife and I had dinner with some old and dear friends who drove from Indiana to visit with us. Our discussion at one point turned to the condition of our world and the difficulties so many of us were going through. I commented to them, "Isn't it great that we don't have to stay here forever, that we have something better to look forward to?"

How about you, to what are you looking forward to in your future, what are you truly waiting for? For me an old hymn sums it up when it says, "My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus blood and righteousness".

For what are you waiting? My prayer is that you may find the courage, commitment and the faith in you heart to wait upon the Lord.

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat." R. Eastman
"Salvation: Nothing to earn, much to learn." Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others.
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

Twenty Dollars

2009-07-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

By Keith Overturf

Sometimes we just need to be reminded! A well-known speaker started off his seminar by: holding up a $20.00 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?"

Hands started going up.

He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this. He proceeded to crumple up the $20 dollar bill. He then asked, "Who still wants it?"

Still the hands were up in the air.

Well, he replied, "What if I do this?" and he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty.

"Now, who still wants it?"

Still the hands went into the air.

My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson.

No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless.

But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value.

Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who LOVE you. The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE and WHOSE WE ARE.

You are special - Don't EVER forget it."

Count your blessings, not your problems. "And remember: amateurs built the ark ..professionals built the Titanic.

If God brings you to it - He will bring you through it.

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R. Eastman
"Salvation: Nothing to earn much to Learn." Adrian Rogers
Do your best; bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

A Tip and a Few Laughs, Marriage Message 30

2009-07-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

By Cindy and Steve Wright

This will be a little bit different for a Marriage Message, but we think you'll enjoy it and will find it in some way or another.

First, we will give you a Marriage Tip from the ministry of Mark Gungor, www.laughyourway.com, who has a great marriage ministry. Check out his web site if you can. He's got some great stuff there. Here is his "Better Marriage Tip" for husbands:

"Gentlemen, let me have your attention! I am about to give you the single most sought after pearl of wisdom that men have craved since God made a woman out of Adam's ribs. I'm going to tell you what a woman really wants. This is particularly significant because most women don't even know what they want. They know they want something, but most have no idea exactly what that something is. They sense an inner longing, an inner need. They may not know how to articulate it, but they feel it desperately. What a woman wants -- what she is longing for in her deepest heart of hearts is simply this: she wants to be chosen. For a woman, the whole of life is like a junior high-school dance where she stands alone thinking to herself 'I want to dance.' But what she really means is 'I want somebody to choose me."

So our question to you men is: "Do you show your wife in big and small ways... in spoken as well as unspoken ways by how you treat her, that you choose her and that you love her?" And the same goes for you wives. It isn't just wives that want to feel chosen. Husbands want to know that despite the way they do this or they don't do that, despite their faults and all you have that is tugging at you (including children), you choose them.

Because of Valentines Day, this is especially relevant. Look for ways to show your spouse that you choose him or her above all others. Even if you don't think he or she deserves it because of negative things that are happening in your marriage, show your love "as unto the Lord." Be God's colleague in loving your spouse on Valentine's Day and beyond. It might surprise you that as you do this, some marriage problems might just disappear!

And now for a laugh! There's no argument that men and women communicate differently and often hear things differently. Here's a great example of that concept that we found at www.jokesclean.com. It's titled "To Be Six Again."

"You really have to give this guy an A+ for effort. ...George was a thoughtful husband. He wanted to give his wife something special for her birthday which was coming up soon. As he sat on the edge of the bed, he watched his wife turning back and forth looking at herself in the mirror. 'Reta,' he said, 'What would you like for your birthday?' His wife continued to look at herself and said, 'I'd like to be six again.'

"George knew just what to do. On the big day, he got up early and made his wife a bowl of Fruit Loops (a sugared cereal). Then he took her to an amusement park where they rode all the rides. Five hours later, Reta's stomach felt upside down and her head was reeling. Never-the-less, George took her to McDonald's and bought her a (children's) Happy meal with extra fries and a chocolate shake. Next, it was a movie and popcorn, soda and her favorite candy.

"As Reta wobbled into the house that evening and flopped on the bed, George asked her, 'Well, Dear, what was it like to be six again?' Reta looked up at him. Her expression changed. She said, 'I meant my dress size!'"

Here's another joke... hoping it will get you in a better mood for Valentines Day. But I'll put in a disclaimer first. The examples below are generalized. We realize there are exceptions to what is cited. We get that. But don't get hung up on specifics that are different than in your marriage. Even if you laugh because it hurts, hopefully the Bible verse will apply, "Laughter is as good medicine." The following also comes from Jokesclean.com:

Differences Between Men and Women

Names: If Mary, Susan, Claire and Barbara go out for lunch, they will call each other Mary, Susan, Clair and Barbara. ... If John, Brad, Tony and Daniel go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Bruno, Scrappy, Peanut-Head and Godzilla.

Bathrooms: Yes, communication between men and women can be difficult. That's because words have different meanings for men and for women. Our Womanese dictionary will help men better understand what women mean and save a lot of heart ache.

A man has five items in his bathroom: a toothbrush, razor, shaving cream, a bar of soap, and a towel from [a favorite hotel]. ... The average number of items in a woman's bathroom is 328. The average man would not be able to identify most of them.

Arguments: Women always have the last word in an argument. Anything a man adds after that is the beginning of a new argument.

Cats: Women love cats. Men say they love cats, but when women are not looking, men will kick cats.

Future: A woman worries about the future -- until she gets a husband. ... A man never worries about the future -- until he gets a wife.

Success: A successful man is one who makes more money than can be spent by his wife. ... Asuccessful woman is one who can find that man.

Marriage: A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't. ... a man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, and she does.

Dressing Up: A woman will dress up when she goes shopping, empties the garbage, answers the phone, waters the plants, gets the mail and reads a book. ... A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.

Natural: Men wake up looking as good as when they went to bed. ... Women will somehow
deteriorate during the night.

Children: A woman knows all about her children. She knows about their best friends, romances, secret hopes and dreams, favorite foods, fears and dental appointments. ... A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

Thought for the Day: Married men should forget their mistakes. There is no need for two people to remember the same thing.

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R. Eastman
Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn. Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

Tangled Hair

2009-07-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

By Beth Moore

Knoxville Airport - waiting to board the plane: I had the Bible on my lap and was very intent upon what I was doing. I'd had a marvelous morning with the Lord. I say that because I want to tell you it is a scary thing to have the Spirit of God really working in you. You could end up doing some things you never would have done otherwise. Life in the Spirit can be dangerous for a thousand reasons not the least of which is your ego.

I tried to keep from staring but he was such a strange sight. Humped over in a wheel-chair, he was skin and bones, dressed in clothes that obviously fit when he was at least twenty pounds heavier. His knees protruded from his trousers, and his shoulders looked like the coat hanger was still in his shirt. His hands looked like tangled masses of veins and bones. The strangest part of him was his hair and nails. Stringy grey hair hung well over his shoulders and down part of his back. His fingernails were long. Clean, but strangely out of place on an old man.

I looked down at my Bible as fast as I could, discomfort burning my face. As I tried to imagine what his story might have been, I found myself wondering if I'd just had a Howard Hughes sighting. Then, I remembered reading somewhere that he was dead. So this man in the airport... an impersonator maybe? Was a camera on us somewhere?

There I sat trying to concentrate on the Word to keep from being concerned about a thin slice of humanity seated on a wheelchair only a few seats from me. All the while my heart was growing more and more overwhelmed with a feeling for him. Let's admit it. Curiosity is a heap more comfortable than true concern, and suddenly I was awash with aching emotion for this bizarre-looking old man. I had walked with God long enough to see the handwriting on the wall. I've learned that when I begin to feel what God feels, something so contrary to my natural feelings, something dramatic is bound to happen. And it may be embarrassing.

I immediately began to resist because I could feel God working on my spirit and I started arguing with God in my mind. "Oh no, God please no." I looked up at the ceiling as if I could stare straight through it into heaven and said, "Don't make me witness to this man. Not right here and now. Please. 'I'll do anything. Put me on the same plane, but don't make me get up here and witness to this man in front of this gawking audience. Please, Lord!"...

There I sat in the blue vinyl chair begging His Highness, "Please don't make me witness to this man. Not now. I'll do it on the plane." Then I heard it..."I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to brush his hair."

The words were so clear, my heart leapt into my throat, and my thoughts spun like a top. Do I witness to the man or brush his hair? No brainer. I looked straight back up at the ceiling and said, "God, as I live and breathe, I want you to know I am ready to witness to this man. I'm on this Lord. I'm you're girl! You've never seen a woman witness to a man faster in your life. What difference does it make if his hair is a mess if he is not redeemed? I am on him. I am going to witness to this man."

Again as clearly as I've ever heard an audible word, God seemed to write this statement across the wall of my mind. "That is not what I said, Beth. I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to go brush his hair." I looked up at God and quipped, "I don't have a hairbrush. It's in my suitcase on the plane, How am I suppose to brush his hair without a hairbrush?"

God was so insistent that I almost involuntarily began to walk toward him as these thoughts came to me from God's word: "I will thoroughly finish you unto all good works." (2 Tim 3:7) I stumbled over to the wheelchair thinking I could use one myself. Even as I retell this story my pulse quickens and I feel those same butterflies. I knelt down in front of the man, and asked as demurely as possible, "Sir, may I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?"

He looked back at me and said, "What did you say?" "May I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?" To which he responded in volume ten, "Little lady, if you expect me to hear you, you're going to have to talk louder than that. At this point, I took a deep breath and blurted out, "SIR, MAY I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF BRUSHING YOUR HAIR?"

At which point every eye in the place darted right at me. I was the only thing in the room looking more peculiar than old Mr. Long locks. Face crimson and forehead breaking out in a sweat, I watched him look up at me with absolute shock on his face, and say, "If you really want to."

Are you kidding? Of course I didn't want to. But God didn't seem interested in my personal preference right about then. He pressed on my heart until I could utter the words, "Yes, sir, I would be pleased. But I have one little problem. I don't have a hairbrush."

"I have one in my bag," he responded. I went around to the back of that wheelchair, and I got on my hands and knees and unzipped the stranger's old carry-on hardly believing what I was doing. I stood up and started brushing the old man's hair. It was perfectly clean, but it was tangled and matted. I don't do many things well, but I must admit I've had notable experience untangling knotted hair mothering two little girls. Like I'd done with either Amanda or Melissa in such a condition, I began brushing at the very bottom of the strands, remembering to take my time not to pull.

A miraculous thing happened to me as I started brushing that old man's hair. Everyone else in the room disappeared. There was no one alive for those moments except that old man and me. I brushed and I brushed and I brushed until every tangle was out of that hair. I know this sounds so strange but I've never felt that kind of love for another soul in my entire life. I believe with all my heart, I - for that few minutes - felt a portion of the very love of God. That He had overtaken my heart for a little while like someone renting a room and making Himself at home for a short
while. The emotions were so strong and so pure that I knew they had to be God's.

His hair was finally as soft and smooth as an infant's. I slipped the brush back in the bag, went around the chair to face him. I got back down on my knees, put my hands on his knees, and said, "Sir, do you know my Jesus?"

He said, "Yes, I do." Well, that figures.

He explained, "I've known Him since I married my bride." "She wouldn't marry me until I got to know the Savior." He said, "You see, the problem is, I haven't seen my bride in months. I've had open-heart surgery, and she's been too ill to come see me. I was sitting here thinking to myself. What a mess I must be for my bride."

Only God knows how often He allows us to be part of a divine moment when we're completely unaware of the significance. This, on the other hand, was one of those rare encounters when I knew God had intervened in details only He could have known. It was a God moment, and I'll never forget it. Our time came to board, and we were not on the same plane. I was deeply ashamed of how I'd acted earlier and would have been so proud to have accompanied him on that aircraft.

I still had a few minutes, and as I gathered my things to board, the airline hostess returned from the corridor, tears streaming down her cheeks. She said, "That old man's sitting on the plane, sobbing. Why did you do that? What made you do that?"

I said, "Do you know Jesus? He can be the bossiest thing!" And we got to share. I learned something about God that day. He knows if you're exhausted because you're hungry, you're serving in the wrong place or it is time to move on but you feel too responsible to budge. He knows if you're hurting or feeling rejected. He knows if you're sick or drowning under a wave of temptation. Or He knows if you just need your hair brushed. He sees you as an individual. Tell Him your need!

I got on my own flight, sobs choking my throat, wondering how many opportunities just like that one had I missed along the way... all because I didn't want people to think I was strange. God didn't send me to that old man. He sent that old man to me.

www.lifewaystores.com/lwstore/product.asp?isbn=0805430938

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R. Eastman
"Salvation: Nothing to earn much to Learn." Adrian Rogers
Do your best; bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

The Sandcastle Syndrome

2009-05-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

By Ron Hutchcraft

This is going to come as a surprise to my friends who know how technically challenged I am when it comes to building things, but over the years, my sons and I have built several houses together. Now don't expect to see a pickup truck that says "Hutchcraft and Sons" on the side, and don't look for us in the Yellow Pages. Actually, our houses haven't fared too well. It wasn't because we didn't work hard on them - we really did. And it wasn't because they didn't look good; actually they were pretty good. And it wasn't because they weren't big; we did some pretty good sized ones. But every house we built literally collapsed within hours of the time we finished building them. It might have had something to do with the material we built our houses from - sand on a beach next to the ocean.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Sandcastle
Syndrome."

Jesus is involved in an incredible building project, and what He's building will never collapse. It will never be washed away by any tide or any storm. And He's inviting you to join Him in building it. Of course, you'll have to go out of the sandcastle business first.

Jesus describes His building project in our word for today from the Word of God in Matthew 16:18. Jesus says, "I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Some powerful words. There's no doubt about what Jesus is building. He's building His church. Are you? Well, what are you building?

We're all working on some structure. For you, it's wherever your dreams are focused, what you put a lot of your money into, what you put most of your time into. It's asubject of a lot of your daily conversation. Maybe you're building a reputation for yourself, financial security for yourself, a romantic relationship, a business, your income, or a comfortable retirement. You may even be building a religious empire for yourself in Christian work. Problem: it's all sandcastles. Just ask my boys. A sandcastle is something you put a lot into that just cannot last.

Jesus is inviting us to focus what we have on something that will last forever - building His church. Even our Christian work could be building our own kingdom...which won't last. You see, that church is not about an actual physical building. It's about reaching the lost people He died for; adding them to His family. It's about building up the lives of believers. Are those the causes that are getting the best that you have? Someone has wisely said, "In order to pray, 'Thy Kingdom come', you first have to pray, 'My kingdom go.'"

Maybe it's time to stand back and take a candid look at your motives, at your great obsession, and at your top priorities. Is it getting lost and dying people to Jesus? Or has Jesus' building program taken a back seat to something you're building, something out of sand, something that a strong tide or a big storm can wash away?

Jesus said "the gates of hell" itself would not prevail against what He is building.Look, you've got 70-or-so years on this planet. Don't waste those years on building something that isn't going to last. Jesus is building His Church. What are you building?

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R. Eastman
"Salvation: Nothing to earn, much to Learn." Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

IT’S WHO YOU KNOW

2009-04-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

“…they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.” Hebrews 8:11

Yesterday my daughter was enjoying a sunny afternoon, with her two little ones, at the playground. She bumped into an old school chum who had never seen her boys. The friend was taken with both - Ryan, the animated and talkative 2 year old, with sandy blond hair and steel blue eyes, and Tommy, who at 4 months was his usual smiley self. She suggested that Adrienne take them to a place nearby where they’re looking for kids to do a diaper commercial.

When the three of them arrived, the room filled with children and parents. Adrienne checked with the receptionist, and mentioned her referral. They were brought in immediately, ahead of all those who’d been waiting. As she was relaying all this on the phone to me, she exclaimed, It really is who you know!

True. At one time I was in a business that required meeting new people continually. One word that was on everyone’s lips was networking. If you knew one person, you could use that name to finagle meeting someone else.

Sooner or later we will end up at the famous Pearly Gates. Once there, no networking will be necessary. No appointments, no waiting. We will be asked, in essence, Who do you know? And when the answer is Jesus, we will be ushered right in.

Definitely it is Who you know!

Sally I. Kennedy, To subscribe visit: www.sallyikennedy.com

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R. Eastman
"Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn." Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

When You Speak, God Hears

2009-04-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

By Max Lucado

Those who pray keep alive the watch fires of faith. For the most part we don’t even know their names. Such is the case of someone who prayed on a day long ago. His name is not important. He is important not because of who he was, but because of what he did.

He went to Jesus on behalf of a friend. His friend was sick, and Jesus could help, and someone needed to go to Jesus, so someone went. Others cared for the sick man in other ways. Some brought food; others provided treatment; still others comforted the family. Each role was crucial. Each person was helpful, but no one was more vital than the one who went to Jesus.

John writes: “So Mary and Martha sent someone to tell Jesus, ‘Lord, the one you love is sick’” (John 11:3, emphasis mine).

Someone carried the request. Someone walked the trail. Someone went to Jesus on behalf of Lazarus. And because someone went, Jesus responded.

In the economy of heaven, the prayers of saints are a valued commodity. John the apostle would agree. He wrote the story of Lazarus and was careful to show the sequence: The healing began when the request was made.

The phrase the friend of Lazarus used is worth noting. When he told Jesus of the illness, he said, “The one you love is sick.” The power of the prayer, in other words, does not depend on the one who makes the prayer but on the one who hears the prayer.

We can and must repeat the phrase in manifold ways. “The one you love is tired, sad, hungry, lonely, fearful, depressed.” The words of the prayer vary, but the response never changes. The Savior hears the prayer. He silences heaven so he won’t miss a word. The Master heard the request. Jesus stopped whatever he was doing and took note of the man’s words. This anonymous courier was heard by God.

John’s message is critical. You can talk to God because God listens. Your voice matters in heaven. He takes you very seriously. When you enter his presence, the attendants turn to you to hear your voice. No need to fear that you will be ignored. Even if you stammer or stumble, even if what you have to say impresses no one, it impresses God—and he listens.

Intently. Carefully. The prayers are honored as precious jewels. Purified and empowered, the words rise in a delightful fragrance to our Lord. “The smoke from the incense went up from the angel’s hand to God” (Rev. 8:4). Incredible. Your words do not stop until they reach the very throne of God.

One call and heaven’s fleet appears. Your prayer on earth activates God’s power in heaven.

You are the someone of God’s kingdom. Your prayers move God to change the world. You may not understand the mystery of prayer. You don’t need to. But this much is clear: Actions in heaven begin when someone prays on earth. What an amazing thought!

When you speak, Jesus hears. And when Jesus hears, the world is changed. All because someone prayed.

From: For These Tough Times:
Reaching Toward Heaven for Hope and Healing
© (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006) Max Lucado

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R. Eastman
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

High Price of Emotional Infidelity, Marriage Message 84

2009-04-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

By Steve and Cindy Wright

“Flirting is fun and usually begins in innocence. It’s a hard habit to break, even after marriage. Yet it causes jealousy. Worse, it puts us into situations we never intended to fall into, and it creates misunderstandings that can lead to infidelity” (Jerry Jenkins).

We’d like to address an important issue in this week’s message — the issue of emotional infidelity and flirting with someone other than your spouse. There’s no way we can adequately give it the attention it needs in the space of one marriage message but we’d like to at least scratch the surface and share with you some things to think about that you may have never thought of before.

This subject was sparked by a program we viewed on the Dr Phil program on December 5, 2002 entitled: “You’re Not the Person I Married.” We’d like to share some of the dialogue from that program because we found it to be insightful. In it, Dr Phil was talking with couples who married before really knowing one another—who after the wedding discovered some things about their spouse that they didn’t think they could live with.

The last couple (Joe and Karmen) that he met with was battling with the issue of his flirtations with other women and the emotional affairs he later developed with several of them. To Joe, it was all innocent —just fun, because as he said, “there was no sex involved.” But Karmen didn’t view it that way; she felt hurt and betrayed.

They set up that segment of the program showing a tape of both Joe and Karmen explaining their “sides” on the issue. Karmen said,

“I was in love with Joe, and he swore that he’d be faithful to me when we got married. Joe’s been involved with several women over the years, and he says they’re just emotional affairs, but they bother me just the same. I’m suspicious of everything that Joe says to me, and I’m constantly checking up on him.”

To that Joe responds,

“I never thought I would really be able to give up the attention I want from other women. The flirtations with women I have, they’re just romantic. There’s no sex involved.” And “when I tell the truth” (to Karmen when questioned by her) she”gets hurt, so I sometimes have to lie to save her feelings. To be honest, I never thought we’d be married as long as we are now. I think the kids right now have a lot to do with us still being together.”

They then, show a segment where Karmen’s sitting with her son who was crying telling his mom “it’s all my fault” for the problems they’re having. After the video, Dr Phil asks, “Joe, you just saw the toll this has taken on your son. So how much fun is that flirting now?” to which Joe replied, “It’s not fun at all.”

Karmen said,

“He didn’t know that was going to be on there, but I wanted him to see how bad he’s hurting our son without him even realizing it. My son came to me and said, ‘It’s my fault Dad’s unhappy with life because Dad told me he wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for us and he’s unhappy being here.’ I said,‘Joel, he was trying to let you know how much he loves you; that even though he’s not happy with himself, he’s here for you, that he loves you.’But, of course, my son didn’t take it that way.”

Dr Phil addressing Joe, said,

“You say, ‘I got married, knowing I wouldn’t want to give up the affection of other women. I’m having emotional affairs, but nothing physical.’ You know, just color me cynical, but I don’t believe that. I’m not saying you are or you aren’t —I have no evidence. I can’t prove one way or the other—all I know is what you say, and just one guy to another, I don’t believe that for a split second. But—that’s your position. And then you go say this to your children? Do you feel any responsibility to the health and welfare of this family as it relates to your choices?”

Joe replied, “I never knew my choices would really affect the family the way they have. I have, in the past, thought sometimes, it’s better we should just split up, however.” Dr Phil said, “Well, that’s one option, that’s true, to just say, ‘You know, I’ll just go—and y’all make your own way.’ Joe then admitted, “You know, I like what I have. You know, I love Karmen; I love the kids. I don’t want to give that up either.”

When Dr Phil asked Karmen if she felt betrayed by these emotional affairs,she said, “They hurt just the same as if he was out having a physical affair.” Dr. McGraw said, “Well, you are betrayed” and then turned to Joe and asked him if it truly was a betrayal to which Joe affirmed that they were.

Phil then said to him, “Because let me tell you, anytime you turn away from instead of towards your partner to meet emotional needs, physical needs, needs that are appropriate to a committed, intimate relationship, that’s a betrayal.So you have these needs, and you’re turning away from your wife to meet those needs. What do you expect her to do about that?”

Joe replied, “Well, I know I lost her trust. And I know it will be hard to regain it. But all I can do is say I’m sorry. The feeling I was looking for was that new relationship feeling. We’ve been married 14 years, and, you know,I miss that feeling.

Dr Phil then said, “So you thought, ‘I’ll just go get it somewhere else. And I’ll let my children pick up the tab for that immaturity, I’ll let my wife pick up the tab for that immaturity, and I’ll let our family go down in flames,so I can get a rush every 30 days?’”

Joe said, “See, I never really looked at it that way. I didn’t think it affected them a lot of times, I guess really it was, ‘What they don’t know don’t hurt’.”

Dr Phil then replied, “You said, ‘When I got married, I knew I wasn’t going to give up my want for these other women. I didn’t think we would stay married very long.’ So I guess you just thought you’d just bring some kids in the world and then just kind of leave them in your wake as you went to the next conquest.‘What they don’t know doesn’t hurt them.’ Are you rethinking that as you sit here now?”

Joe said, “Oh, definitely, yes.” Dr Phil then said, “That’s a good thing because this is about wake-up calls. I’m not trying to beat you up. I’m trying to wake you up and get you to realize what you’re doing here.”

Joe acknowledged that he now saw his behavior in a different light and that he had been wrong but he wasn’t able to make a firm promise to stop for fear that if he failed he’d hurt his wife again with another “broken promise.” He did say he “wanted to” stop flirting and seeing other women.

At that point, Dr Phil said,

“Listen, I understand. Isn’t it all fun when you’re falling in love and everything is new and fresh and all that? That’s all fun just like riding a roller-coaster is great fun for some people. But the truth is, as we mature, we realize that love doesn’t get old; it just transforms.

You know, at first, you’re up all night talking and you’re doing all of this stuff and everybody gets all excited and everything. And I always hear them say, ‘Oh, we’re like soul mates. She knows me so well, she can finish my sentences.’ Then two years later, it’s, like, ‘Hey quit interrupting.’ OK? You know we get that evolution, but we label it as negative when really it’s just a change.”

“I don’t stay up all night talking to my wife because I want to go to sleep. But you know what? It may not be exactly the same; it’s better, but different. If you mature enough to allow that to happen, what you find out is—in exchange for some of the exhilaration in the unknown, you have comfort, you have security —you have a soft place to fall. And when you put effort and energy into it, you can create that exhilaration at the right time along the way.

But in the meantime, you mature into nurturing what’s there, learning to label that the same way you label the others. There’s a big difference between falling in love and being in love.”

We appreciated how Dr Phil tried to bring a wake up call to Karmen and Joe and to all married couples who feel flirtations aren’t harmful. If you’d like to read the whole transcript or order a video copy of the show go to www.drphil.com. We hope what we had to share was helpful because as Dr Frank Minirth said, “The problem with infidelity within marriage is greater than most Christians realize.”

What may seem to be innocent flirting by one person with someone other than their spouse can lead to all sorts of problems and by it, many innocent people can get hurt.

Something Jerry Jenkins said in his book, "Loving Your Marriage Enough to Protect It"(which we highly recommend) may shed some additional light onto this subject. He said,

“Because I enjoy having fun and being funny, and because my mind tends to find humor in words and unusual combinations of ideas, I could easily flirt with anyone I thought was receptive. Much flirting is funny. If someone says something flirtatious with me,my first impulse is to expand on it, play with it, see how quick and funny I can be.But I resist that. It isn’t fair. It’s mental and emotional unfaithfulness. I would be exercising a portion of my brain and soul reserved for my exclusive lover —my spouse.”

Something else Jenkins says that may be helpful on this subject is, “If you want to flirt, flirt with your wife. She may not look, feel, or sound the way she did when you first flirted with her years ago, but she still wants you to flirt with her. Try it.Wink at her across the room. Blow her a kiss no one else sees. Play footsie with her under the table. Give her a squeeze, a pinch, a tickle no one else notices.”

Then he asks the husbands, “Wouldn’t you like to be flirted with by someone who lovesyou, someone who can tease you about what she might do with you later and then deliver?”Try it—you may like it! We have—and it may just help you to keep the romance alive—justas it has for us in our almost 31 year old marriage.

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R. Eastman
Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn. Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

Home Invasions

2009-04-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

By Richard Mansel

"Home invasion is the crime of entering a private and occupied dwelling, with the intent of committing a crime, often while threatening the resident of the dwelling."

This terrifying crime is escalating in many areas as criminals become more brazen.

A person is at home, a place of safety and refuge. Suddenly, someone forces their way in and threatens or assaults them and steals their belongings.

The innocent person must deal with the horrifying consequences of the attack. They may have physical injuries and material loss, but most of all, emotional scars that last for the remainder of their lives. Truly, they will never be the same.

We do what we have to do to protect ourselves from these attacks. We purchase large dogs, security systems, guns or even move to safer areas. The wealthy often live in fortresses so they can find a measure of peace.

We demand that politicians and police battle the criminal element. However, their sheer numbers overwhelm the police. Law enforcement officials have their funds cut and yet must stop the exploding crime rates. The vicious circle never ends.

The painful subject of home invasion, however, brings an illustration to mind. While we make extensive changes in order to secure our homes and apartments, what are we doing to protect against the invasion of our spiritual and moral homes? Do we even give it any thought?

When we are the victim of a physical home invasion, we want the perpetrators arrested and punished for their crimes. Our carnal side may wish them terrible physical harm.

However, in a spiritual home invasion, we often invite the thieves into our homes. We allow them free access to our children to steal their innocence. They dine at our tables and join in our conversations. We give them control of our entertainment, allow them to go on dates with our children and walk with our young people at school.

Physical home invasions result in property damage, theft, rape, physical assault as well as the inevitable psychological and emotional wounds. Yet, the spiritual home invasions we invite into our homes do all of this and more.

Physical invasions give our children insecurities, nightmares and distrust of the world. Spiritual home invasions bring our kids diseases, sexual and physical, addictions, assaults and an endless list of maladies. Most importantly, they most often bring lost souls. And we are in part complicit in their spiritual demise.

The only security system that will fight against spiritual home invasions is the presence of God. We must stand strong against Satan with the spiritual armor given to us by God (Ephesians 6:10-18).

Will we arm our families today to protect against these invasions of our homes? Souls depend on it!

Read this article online, write your reaction, and read others' comments as well.
Visit: http://www.forthright.net/living_the_faith/home_invasions.html

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R. Eastman
Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn. Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

GOD'S TIMING

2009-04-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

At one time or another, most of us have questions about God's timing. It seems that we wait and wait, and sometimes wait some more and wonder what God has in mind for our lives, if anything at all.

We ask questions like, "When will I find a job?" or "When will my children return to the Lord?" or "Why doesn't my spouse believe like I do?" or "Doesn't God have someone out there for me to marry and if he does, why is he taking so long to bring us together?" Maybe you are just asking, "How can God allow this situation (whatever it may be) to go on?"

We wait and ask questions and wonder when, if ever, God will give an answer. You probably already know that God's timing is almost never out timing, however notice what David had to say about it in Psalms 27:14. David wrote, "Wait for the Lord, be strong, and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord!" How does this verse apply to you situation and how long you have been waiting for an answer? Think about David's background.

In the book of 1st. Samuel we see that King Saul was rejected as king over Israel because of his disobedience to God. In chapter 16 Samuel is told to go to Bethlehem, to the home of Jesse and there he will anoint one of Jesse's sons as the new king over Israel. David though "just a youth" is anointed king, but it was more than 20 years before he sat on the throne. For 20 years that promise hung over David's head as he waited for it to be fulfilled. For 20 years it stood between him and relationships with King Saul. For most of that 20 years Saul hunted for David, trying to kill him. For part of that 20 years David actually had to flee the country and live in another country for safety, even though he was anointed King over Israel by God's prophet, at God's command.

So when David wrote, "Wait for the Lord, be strong, and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord!" he knew what it was to wait for the Lord to answer and act in his life. I like the way one modern paraphrase puts this verse, "Stay with GOD! Take heart. Don't quit. I'll say it again: Stay with God!" (MSG)

So, how long have you been waiting, 20 years? Has the king (or president) of your country had his army out hunting you, trying to kill you? Probably not, if you are like most of us, your problems and your questions are more in the nature of what is happening to you in some physical way dealing with family, jobs, houses and health. David councils, "Wait for the Lord". Or "Stay with the Lord, Don't quit". That's my council also.

Notice one final scripture from the Apostle Paul, "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us, they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners." (Romans 5:3-6, NLT)

Russ Lawson, Messages From The Heart, (http://mfth.net)

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R. Eastman
"Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn." Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others.
"Put God first, find happiness at last."
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is;
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

One Wins - Both Lose, Marriage Message 29

2009-04-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

Years ago, I used to think it was important to "win" every argument that occurred between my husband and me. I was sure that he needed to see my point of view -- that he was wrong and I was right -- that I had the answer to the RIGHT way (or the "Wright" way) things should be handled around our home and in our relationship.

Sadly, in my arguments with Steve, it would appear that I lived by the motto of "take no prisoners." In situations where we disagreed, I worked hard to persuade him to see the "errors of his ways" and make changes to my way of thinking. How self-centered, self-serving, and foolish! It's embarrassing to even confess this to you because of the pride and arrogance involved.

In more recent years, the Lord has revealed to both of us the importance of compromise and changing the attitude of "my way is the right way." Now, I'm not talking about situations where a spouse is in some way being deceptive. In those types of conflicts,there can be no compromise. But in other types of disagreements, if one person "wins" an argument where the other partner feels they significantly "lost" in some way, BOTH lose! And the marriage relationship loses as well. Ours did for a long time until we approached matters differently.

"In any kind of significant relationship, you can't win unless the other person also wins. So in your own best interest, you have to make sure that he or she wins. For that same reason, the other person has to make sure that you win in some way. The only alternative is that you both lose.

"When you choose to enter into a significant relationship with another person, you're also choosing to become a member of a team. All relationships involve choice. You can choose whether that team is going to succeed or fail. You decide whether it brings you pain or delight. It's your choice. Members of a team win together, or they lose together." (From: "Teamwork" -- Devotional for March 13, 2005, from the Smalley Relationship Center)

I now realize that when I would be so head-strong to "win" an argument, we became competitors instead of partners in our marriage. I acknowledge that there are certain times when it's important for a partner to change his or her behavior in some way, for example if a spouse is spending too much time away from home, or he/she is thoughtlessly spending money
- forgetting that BOTH spouses are effected by such behavior. But even in cases like these, there is usually some compromise that can be made (except in a situation where deception is involved).

If you feel your spouse is spending too much time at work or with his or her friends,it may be time for a compromise. (We have an article on our web site at http://www.marriagemissions.com/ in the "Assorted Marriage Problems" section titled "Friend-ships and How They Influence a Marriage" that could help you with this.) If your spouse's spending habits are causing problems, then you may need to discuss ways to release at least a little money so each partner has some amount they can freely spend. (We have articles and web site links provided in the "Marriage and Finances" section our web site that might help with this as well.) In each situation, it's a matter of looking for "win/win solutions" to your problems.

We're told in the Bible to "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own personal interests, but also to the interests of others" (Philippians 2:3-4). Finding a mutually agreeable solution to your disagreements does just that. It's a way of resolving conflicts so BOTH partners "win" and feel listened to, understood and validated.

Dr Gary Smalley, from the video series "Secrets to Lasting Love" explains: "The goal for finding a workable and mutually satisfying solution is to discover one that those involved feel good about. We call this a win/win solution. The main rule for finding a win/win solution isn't to finalize anything until BOTH individuals in the argument have been heard, understood and feel valued by each other."

One way this can be done is when:

* One spouse states in a respectful manner without being interrupted, what they feel in about
a certain situation.

*Afterwards the other spouse repeats what they think that spouse said -- re-clarifying until the other spouse is sure they've been understood.

*They then switch places so the other spouse speaks without interruption about their feelings over the situation.

*The other spouse then repeats what they thought they heard, re-clarifying until the other spouse is sure they've been understood.

Dr Smalley then explains, "After sharing and having your feelings and needs understood,many times, the solution is obvious. However, sometimes it's not apparent to everyone.When two people get into an argument, usually they have their own solution to the problem.

"But a win/win solution is when both individuals brainstorm several additional solutions by letting them go like balloons up in the air. At first, you don't evaluate the possible solutions. After all ideas are 'up in the air' then both individuals evaluate and determine if there's a solution that they both like. They leave their original impasse, and find another answer that they both agree is the best solution to their problem. Thus, they reach a win/win resolution."

I know this could seem like a simplistic way of solving problems and a bit awkward. But believe us when we tell you that it works. And eventually it isn't awkward at all. It becomes a very natural way to resolve problems between you. And it's freeing as well, because there is less of a chance of being misunderstood and feeling unheard. Plus, you reach solutions that both of you decide you can live with. And doesn't that make it worth it? It's a "marrying" of ideas!

What we've given you above is just thumb nail sketch of how to resolve conflict so BOTH win and as a result, so does your marriage. If you want more information on this method you can go to www.smalleyonline.com and put "Win win Solution" in their search engine. Plus, we have more ideas for helping you to resolve conflict on our web site in the "Communication Tools" section.

We hope you will take advantage of all that Marriage Missions makes available for your use. Our prayer is that God will use this ministry to help your marriage become the best it can be to the glory of God!

Blessings in Him, Cindy and Steve Wright

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R. Eastman
"Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn." Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others.
"Put God first, find happiness at last."
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is;
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

The Geese

2009-04-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

There was once a man who didn't believe in God, and he didn't hesitate to let others know how he felt about religion and religious holidays.

His wife, however, did believe, and she raised their children to also have faith in God and Jesus, despite his disparaging comments.

One snowy Eve, his wife was taking their children to service in the farm community in which they lived.

They were to talk about Jesus' birth. She asked him to come, but he refused. "That story is nonsense!" he said. "Why would God lower Himself to come to Earth as a man? That's ridiculous!"

So she and the children left, and he stayed home.

A while later, the winds grew stronger and the snow turned into a blizzard. As the man looked out the window, all he saw was a blinding snowstorm. He sat down to relax before the fire for the evening. Then he heard a loud thump.

Something had hit the window. He looked out, but couldn't see more than a few feet.

When the snow let up a little, he ventured outside to see what could have been beating on his window.

In the field near his house he saw a flock of wild geese. Apparently they had been flying south for the winter when they got caught in the snowstorm and couldn't go on. They were lost and stranded on his farm, with no food or shelter. They just flapped their wings and flew around the field in low circles, blindly and aimlessly. A couple of them had flown into his window, it seemed.

The man felt sorry for the geese and wanted to help them. The barn would be a great place for them to stay, he thought. It's warm and safe; surely they could spend the night and wait out the storm. So he walked over to the barn and opened the doors wide,then watched and waited, hoping they would notice the open barn and go inside. But the geese just fluttered around aimlessly and didn't seem to notice the barn or realize what it could mean for them.

The man tried to get their attention, but that just seemed to scare them, and they moved further away. He went into the house and came with some bread, broke it up, and made a bread crumb trail leading to the barn. They still didn't catch on.

Now he was getting frustrated. He got behind them and tried to shoo them toward the barn, but they only got more scared and scattered in every direction except toward the barn. Nothing he did could get them to go into the barn where they would be and safe.

"Why don't they follow me?!" he exclaimed. "Can't they see this is the only place where they can survive the storm?"

He thought for a moment and realized that they just wouldn't follow a human "If only I were a goose, then I could save them," he said out loud.

Then he had an idea. He went into barn, got one of his own geese, and carried it in his arms as he circled around behind the flock of wild geese.

He then released it. His goose flew through the flock and straight into the barn --and one-by-one, the other geese followed it to safety.

He stood silently for a moment as the words he had spoken a few minutes earlier replayed in his mind: "If only I were a goose, then I could save them!" Then he thought about what he had said to his wife earlier. "Why would God want to be like us? That's ridiculous!"

Suddenly it all made sense. That is what God had done. We were like the geese--blind, lost, perishing. God had His Son become like us so He could show us the way and save us.

As the winds and blinding snow died down, his soul became quiet and pondered this wonderful thought. Suddenly he understood why Christ had come.

Years of doubt and disbelief vanished with the passing storm. He fell to his knees in the snow, and prayed his first prayer:

"Thank You, God, for coming in human form to get me out of the storm!"

With thanks to Barbara Nell

For the Christian, Prayer is not an option, but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat." R. Eastman
Do your best; bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is;
Tell the problem how great the Lord is!

THE ROAD TO SUCCESS

2009-04-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

The road to success is not straight.
There is a curve called Failure,
A loop called Confusion,
Speed bumps called Friends,
Red lights called Enemies,
Caution lights called Family,
And you will have flats called Jobs.
But, if you have a spare called Determination,
An engine called Perseverance,
Insurance called Faith,
And a driver called JESUS.
You will make it to a place called Success.

A REASON A SEASON OR A LIFETIME

2009-04-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you know exactly what to do.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed outwardly or inwardly. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrong doing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up or out and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and it is now time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON, it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; those things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person/people (anyway); and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

5 THINGS GOD DOES NOT KNOW.......

2009-04-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

I found this very interesting and just wanted to share it with everyone. Be Blessed.

By Dr. Forest Pollock

Think about this....
God knows everything about everything.
That means you can never tell God a secret or surprise Him.
He knows it all!
In fact, God knows everything about YOU.
He knows when you went to bed last night,
how many hairs are on your head, and even the number of heartbeats you have left. But it may surprise you to learn that there are

5 THINGS GOD DOES NOT KNOW.......

1. God Does Not Know... How to Love You More Than He Already Does.

True love is always sacrificial. If you want to know whether somebody really loves you, find out what he or she is willing to sacrifice for you.

What was God willing to sacrifice? He was willing to give up the most precious thing He possessed....His own Son, Jesus Christ.

...God demonstrated his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Rom. 5:8

So there's nothing you can do that will make God love you any more (or any less). But there's a second thing God does not know...

2. God Does Not Know... How to Ignore Sin.

God loves you unconditionally. But God cannot ignore your sin and pretend it isn't there. You see, God is perfect, and sin is disobedience to God. Therefore, God cannot compromise with it. The Bible says...

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 6:23

Each time you've disobeyed God's commandments, a sin debt has accrued. It is a debt you cannot pay yourself. And the Bible says the payment you owe for they that sin is death.But God wants you to live with Him forever. That's why He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross. Jesus never sinned, so He did not owe the wages of sin. Therefore, He could pay your debt on the cross and die i your place.

That means that if you will accept Jesus' payment for sin, you can have eternal life in heaven! And that lead us to a third thing God does not know...

3. God Does Not Know... How to Turn Away a Repentant Sinner

Maybe you think, "God couldn't love me. I'm not good enough." But God isn't in the business of saving good people...just people who are truly repentant. You see, God promised that...If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Rom 10:9

God has given His word that if you will come to Him with a repentant heart, he will save you so you can spend eternity with Him in heaven.

There is no person so good that he need not be saved, but there is no person so bad that he cannot be saved.

Now there's a fourth thing God does not know...

4.God Does Not Know... Another Way to be Saved

You may be a moral person with wholesome values. You may be a good citizen who abides by the Golden Rule. But those things, while good, won't save you. Only Jesus can. God's Word plainly states that...

Salvation is found in no one else. For there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12

Jesus said, "I am the way the truth and the life. No comes to the Father except through me. " In other words,, you can't depend on your own goodness to get to heaven. Your only hope is to call on Jesus in prayer and ask Him to save you.

And if you do, God promises that...

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Rom 10:13

Isn't that exciting....think about it!

But there's one last thing God does not know...

5. God Does Not Know... A Better Time to be Saved than Right Now

You have no guarantee of living beyond this moment.

That's why God's Word say:

Now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation. 2 Cor. 6:2

Your eternity is worth thinking about.

Why not bow your head this very minute and pray:

Dear God,

I confess that I am a sinner, and I know that you cannot ignore my sin. So today I repent and call on Jesus Christ to save me. I believe Jesus died for me on the cross and arose again on the third day. And I want to follow Him for the rest of my life and into eternity. Thank you for saving me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

A Real Head Turner One Atheist Who Gets It

2009-03-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

By Keith Overturf

I’ve frequently said that our greatest witness as Christians is when we’re caring for the poor, visiting the prisoners, tending the sick. When we take these things seriously, others can’t help but see the power of the Gospel.

Recently, the faithful witness of some Christians in Malawi turned the head of a British journalist and atheist who traveled to Africa before Christmas. Writing in The Times of London online, Matthew Parris said that these Christians not only proved to him that Africa needs God, but also have challenged his atheistic convictions.

After visiting a charity that provides water pumps to rural communities,Parris noticed that many of the organization’s African leaders were strong Christians who gently demonstrated their faith in quiet conversation and action. They reminded him of the Christians he knew when he was a young boy living in Africa with his family.

These Christians, he recalls, were a “different” kind of people whose faith seemed to give them what he describes as a “liveliness, a curiosity, an engagement with the world, [and] a directness in their dealings with others.”

If this isn’t a winsome demonstration of faith, I don’t know what is!

The Christian missionaries Parris met when he returned to Africa in his twenties had a similar impact on him. Wherever missionaries lived, he wrote, “something changed in the faces of the people we passed and spoke to.” They had broken through what he calls “crushing tribal groupthink.” They see themselves as individuals who stand in direct relationship to God—not as subservient subordinates who must kowtow to tyrants like Robert Mugabe.

Parris is sure that Christian faith has something to do with this. And of course he’s right! He says he has, “become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone won't do it. Education and training alone will not do.”

“In Africa,” he writes, “Christianity changes people's hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. And the rebirth is real. The change is good.”

Parris says that what he’s observed among Christians in Africa “confounds [his] ideological beliefs” and has “embarrassed [his] growing belief that there is no God.”

He had this to say about the Christians he met who were providing water pumps: “Their work was secular, but surely affected by what they were. What they were was, in turn, influenced by a conception of man's place in the Universe that Christianity had taught.”

Here is an atheist who gets it: Worldview matters! How you see the world,what you believe about where we come from and where we are going, will affect how you live.

When you understand that every human being is made in God’s image, and that God Himself died on a cross for sinners, people will see you ministering to prisoners. They will see you feeding the hungry and clothing the naked.

Or, like Matthew Parris, they may even witness you bringing water pumps
to rural villages in Africa. They will see Christ before their eyes.

For the Christian, Prayer is not an option, but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat." R. Eastman
Do your best; bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is;
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

Political discrimination verses Christ's disciples

2009-03-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

By Extreme Life Ministries Inc.®

“A Christian nurse from Weston-super-Mare has been suspended from her work for offering to pray for an elderly patient. Caroline Petrie, a community nurse and devout Christian, is facing dismissal for an alleged breach of her code of conduct on equality and diversity.

Mrs Petrie, who is a married mother of two, has been accused by her employers of failing to demonstrate a ‘personal and professional commitment to equality and diversity’ because of her offer of prayer.

She was suspended, without pay, on 17th December 2008 and will find out the outcome of her disciplinary meeting this week. She says she has been left shocked and upset by the action taken against her.”

Daily Telegraph: Nurse suspended for offering to pray for elderly patient's recovery

This story is making headlines throughout the world; praise God! This disciple is making a stand for Christ, which is worthy of great note.

What I discerned about the situation is highlighted in blue. The issue is not about one Christian compassionately giving herself to a patient in need; it is about her doing it in the name of Jesus.

It would appear that the authorities would have all gods included in the prayer or, at worst, no prayer at all. As far as they are concerned Jesus is to be recognized as merely a god among gods!

The truth is; we are going to see more and more of this type of discrimination across the world.

True disciples of Christ cannot comply with such political correctness. They gave their lives to Jesus Christ who alone is the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to God but by Him, John 14:6. True disciples of Christ cannot but pray in the name of Jesus for they know no other way to God. They recognize no other truth. They recognize no other life by which they are saved from sin.

PS: Is this the latest push for a universal religion in this song entitled “Born-Again American”. I would like to read your comments on this. (Take special note of all the religions represented among the singers): http://www.bornagainamerican.org/

Blessings, Bob Chapman MA

Comment on this article at my blog: http://extremeliving.wordpress.com/

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R. Eastman
Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn. Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

Power Failures

2009-03-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

By Ron Hutchcraft

It was a super-hot day one summer. My wife and I were on vacation, and all was well until the electrical power went out at our cabin. No lights, no air conditioner, no TV, you know. We decided to go to a nearby restaurant for dinner. Just as we pulled up, they put the closed sign in the window. It's a good thing I'm secure. The owner said the power was out there, too, and they decided to close because they really couldn't cook. It turned out that lots of places were closed. The locals told us that the power company had recently replaced the old lines with a much newer line that was supposed to be fail safe as far as blackouts. Right. The demands were great that day, and the power was simply inadequate to meet them.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Power Failures."

That's an experience that a lot of us are all too familiar with in our personal lives. The demands are huge: so much to do, a marriage to nurture, kids to raise, pressure at work, decisions, deadlines, conflicts. And sometimes it seems like we have a personal power failure; we just don't have the emotional or physical or spiritual voltage to handle all those demands.

There's a step you can take to help avoid power failures. It's described in our word for today from the Word of God in John 5:17. Nobody had more demands on Him than Jesus did when He was here. Yes, He was the Son of God, but He was also fully man so He could be a model for us. He had a very clear way of deciding what work He would take on.

He said, "My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I, too, am working. The Son can do nothing by Himself; He can only do what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the son and shows Him all He does." To put it simply, Jesus said, "I find out what God is doing, and I join Him in His work."

Here's one reason we experience personal brownouts or blackouts. We're doing some things that God never ask us to do. Or we're doing God's work in our own resources - trying to figure it out or work it out by ourselves. And that's when the demands become greater than our power to meet them, because it's our power; because we've taken on some demands that were never God's idea. Result: we end up worn out, frustrated, depleted, negative, out-of-sorts. Like Martha, we're miserable even though we're serving the Lord.

I've been challenged anew by these verses to begin each new day with these words: "My Savior is always at His work to this very day." That motivates me to ask, "Lord, what are You working on in my wife's life today? My kids life? The life of my staff? What are you working on as far as our ministry; our work is concerned? Please show me what You're doing, and I'll do whatever You ask me to join you in." I know that I have often in response to legitimate needs, taken on work that wasn't really what He had in mind for me. And I didn't have the power for the demands.

On the other hand, if God is asking you to do something, He'll give you everything you need to get it done. In the words of Hebrews 13:21, He will "equip you with everything good for doing His will." With God's demands comes God's power to meet them. When it's God's job you're doing, you will never have a power failure!

To find out how you can begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, please visit: http://www.hutchcraft.com/Yours-For-Life/Presentation/Alpha or call 1-888-966-7325.

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R. Eastman
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

What Does It Cost to Have a Godly Family?

2009-03-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

By Dr. James MacDonald

“For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?” Luke 14:28

Look at that family—they’ve got it together. Do you ever think that? “That couple has great chemistry. If we had their chemistry, we would have the marriage they have.” Or “Look at their environment —or parents —or grandparents —or background. That must be what makes a successful family.”

But all that is just perception—not reality. Those families have problems, too.

At the center of a God-honoring family is commitment—a total, unswerving, unalterable lifetime commitment to do life together under God. Commitment is a powerful tool for family transformation.

Do you want that for your family? Then consider these four aspects to lasting, godly commitment that you need to make:

#1. Commitment is a powerful tool for family transformation when you have total commitment to Christ.

It all begins with your commitment to Christ. Anything less than a 100% radical commitment to Christ is no commitment at all. To Christ first, above everything. Above my wife. Above my children. Above everything.

In their honest moments, most people know the struggle to not love other people— their families, for example—more than they love God. But Jesus said in Matthew
10:37, “He who loves father and mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”

#2 Commitment is a powerful tool for family transformation when the cost is calculated.

Jesus said in Luke 14:27, “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” The cross is symbolic of all the hardship related to following Christ.

To be Christ’s disciple demands careful analysis. It means you have to count the cost of that commitment ahead of time. “Can I finish the course? Can I follow Christ to the end? Can I be a faithful husband for my whole life? Can I be the wife God has called me to be? Can I be the parent? Because if I can’t be, I have no business making the commitment.” But to be standing beside your spouse ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty years later and to be able to say, “I still do” is powerful! And that power will flow down to your children and to your grandchildren.

#3 Commitment is a powerful tool for family transformation when the course is finished.

Jesus Christ is looking for finishers in a world of quitters.

How many of you have made a commitment to Jesus Christ and your extended family equipped, “Set the clock. It’s just a phase she is going through. He will come to his senses.” And now here you are five years later, ten years later. Did you make a real commitment? 1 John 2:19 says, “They went out from us because they were not of us. If they had of been of us, they would have remained with us.” It is enduring to the end that shows the legitimacy of a profession of faith.

The world is filled with starters. Up like a rocket and down like a rock. The power of commitment is what lets you finish the course.

#4 Commitment is a powerful tool for family transformation when the price is paid.

You need to know now that there is a price that you will have to pay to have a God-honoring, successful family. So here’s the thing, if you’re not willing to pay the price, don’t even commit. Families that only stay together until hardship comes or conflict arises never experience the power of commitment.

It’s somewhat easy to talk about commitment in a vacuum. But I’ll tell you, living the Christian life is hardest at home. Some of you are going to face something this year as a family that will call for a massive price to be paid! Get ready. When you want to pull back—that’s the time to press in and push forward and draw down upon the Lord’s strength to live a life of absolute total commitment to your family.

The families that you respect, have found it! And you can, too. But it takes your commitment.

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat." R. Eastman
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

In The Face Of Your Oppressor, Remember Your Creator!

2009-03-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

"Our inordinate fear of man is a tacit forgetfulness of God. When we disquiet ourselves with the fear of man, we forget that there is a God above him, and that the greatest of men have no power but what is given them from above..." - Matthew Henry

"God, the Creator and Redeemer, presides over all. He is unchanged. He ever lives; and though the universe should pass away, it will be only at His bidding, and under His direction." - Barnes'

Notes

"There is no higher proof of omnipotence than the work of creation; and hence, God often appeals to that work to prove that he is the true God, in opposition to idols." - Barnes'

Notes

Hebrews 1:10-12 says of the Lord Jesus - "And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thine hands: They shall perish, but Thou remainest: and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt Thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail."

Here we see the superior excellence of the Lord Jesus elaborated on. This passage of Scriptures depicts His eternity... omnipotence... dignity and excellency...and right to govern the world.

The present form, frame, or fashion of the world will pass away and be destroyed. Heaven and earth will wear out. All created things will grow old. Yet Jesus will remain - without any change or alteration whatsoever. Unlike creation, He will continue forever the same.

It is so important that we as Christians get a glimpse of Jesus as the Great Creator & Eternal God. When arguing that He is indeed God, the writer of Hebrews did not fail to mention the fact that he is the Creator of the universe.

Genesis 1:1 starts it off for us - "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth." This is Elohim - signifying the Strong and the Mighty One. What did He do? He "created" - made something new... gave being to something new...made something out of nothing.

John 1:1-3 says - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made." Here we are introduced to the Logos - the manifestation or expression of God called the "Word." He was "with God" - meaning that He is distinct yet closely connected in intimate and close union with God for He "was God" in essence and substance. He is the eternal deity from whence the universe derived its being. "Without Him was not anything made that was made."

Revelation 3:14 refers to Him as "the beginning of the creation of God." He is the head and governor of all creatures...the King of creation...and the efficient cause of every creature.

It is He Who "laid the foundations of the earth" (Job 38:4).

Isaiah 48:13 says of Him - "Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand hath spanned the heavens..."

Isaiah 51:13 adds - "...that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth..."

Isaiah 51:16 once again confirms that He is the One Who "plants the heavens; and lays the foundations of the earth..."

In Jeremiah 32:17, the Prophet broke out into praise of Him with these words - "Ah Lord GOD! behold, Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by Thy great power and stretched out arm..."

The Prophet in Zechariah 12:1 identified Him as such - "...saith the LORD, Which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth..."

In Psalm 8, David added this in His praise of Him - "When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained."

What these Scriptures all confirm is the fact that Jesus Christ is the One and only true God and indeed the God of power and might. Resultantly, we can trust in Him at all times.

He is the Creator Who has all power and is abundantly able to deliver. Because His hand "laid the foundations of the earth" and "stretched out the heavens", He is said to have a far reach. The "heavens" are "the work of His fingers." He is the Being of all power, life, motion, and perfection.

Why is it so important that we as the Church emphasize these Scriptures or attributes of the Lord Jesus?

Because it proves that He is well able to defend His people and deliver them from their foes.

In Isaiah 51:11-12, we find this word from the LORD - "I, even I, am He that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; and forgettest the LORD thy maker, That hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? And where is the fury of the oppressor?"

Every day...hour...and moment the people of God were fearing and trembling before their oppressors. They found themselves always in a panic. Their focus was on the fact that there was an oppressor - Babylon - and that it was furious and had specific designs against them. They actually trembled before an image in their minds of an enemy who they felt was ready to crush them in the dust or cut their throat. Their problem was that they were focusing on the wrong thing. They totally forgot the Lord God Who was on their side - the God Who was the Creator of heaven and earth and had all power at His disposal.

Today is no different. We, too, have to face the "fury of the oppressor" every day...hour...and moment. He also presents himself as "ready to destroy" and, unfortunately, many of God's people are buying into his lies.

However, God has a question for His church today - In the light of the Lord Jesus Christ - the One Who "stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth." That question is - "Where is the fury of the oppressor?" (Isaiah 51:13)What is there to dread when you have the Creator of the universe on your side?

Romans 8:31 says - "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?"

Psalm 118:6 says - "The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?"

Why are you fearing every day...hour...and moment because of some "oppressor" who is harassing you?

"Remember now thy Creator..." (Ecclesiastes 12:1).

Read again the opening quotes -

"Our inordinate fear of man is a tacit forgetfulness of God. When we disquiet ourselves with the fear of man, we forget that there is a God above him, and that the greatest of men have no power but what is given them from above..."

"God, the Creator and Redeemer, presides over all. He is unchanged. He ever lives; and though the universe should pass away, it will be only at His bidding, and under His direction."

"There is no higher proof of omnipotence than the work of creation; and hence, God often appeals to that work to prove that he is the true God, in opposition to idols."

Your God is the true and living God. He has all power. He is eternal, and He will never change.

"And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thine hands: They shall perish, but Thou remainest: and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt Thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail" (Hebrews 1:10-12).

O Saint of God, you have nothing to fear! Jesus, the Creator of heaven and earth, is on your side!

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R. Eastman
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

We all know or knew someone like this!

2009-03-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, 'Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd..'

I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.

As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him,knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him..

He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses,and I saw a tear in his eye.

As I handed him his glasses, I said, 'Those guys are jerks.' They really should get lives.

He looked at me and said, 'Hey thanks!' There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude. I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.

As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private school before now.

I would have never hung out with a private school kid before. We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid.

I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends. He said yes.

We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.

Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again. I stopped him and said, 'Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday! He just laughed and handed me half the books.

Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends. When we were seniors we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke.

I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem. He was going to be a doctor and I was going for business on a football scholarship..

Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about being a nerd.

He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak

Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him. Boy, sometimes I was jealous! Today was one of those days.

I could see that he was nervous about his speech. So, I smacked him the back and said, 'Hey, big guy, you'll be great!' He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled.

"Thanks," he said.

As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began 'Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends... I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. I am going to tell you a story.'

I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend.

He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.

"Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable."

I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.

Not until that moment did I realize it's depth.

Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person's life. for better or for worse.

God puts us all in each others lives to impact one another in some way. Look for God in others.

'Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.'

There is no beginning or end. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift.

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R. Eastman
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

Movies and Staying Connected in Marriage, Marriage Message 28

2009-03-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

By Cindy and Steve Wright

"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight" (Philippians 1:19). And that is our hope for you -- that you'll continually explore new ways to increase your love connection with each other in your marriage in "knowledge and depth of insight" otherwise, you're in danger of drifting apart in your relationship.

"It's possible to be married to someone for 35 years and still not know them because you never take the time to explore the deepest recesses of their heart" (Dr David Jeremiah). Being married and living in the same house doesn't equal knowing each other deeply. You'd think it would, but life has a way of shoving us apart unless we make the intentional effort to stay connected.

Before marriage, we spent quality time with our spouse which helped us to fall in love with them in the first place. So why not keep doing what it takes to CONTINUE in your love with each other? If you don't continually do what it takes to connect with each other in meaningful ways, your relationship is in danger of becoming stagnant. And we don't mean just going somewhere together sometimes but never really talking WITH each other. Too often married couples fall into the bad habit of talking AT each other rather than WITH each other. And that's cause for trouble!

Recently, we've given you a variety of suggestions in the Marriage Messages for how to stay connected in marriage. We've given you the top ten reasons for "Dating Your Spouse", the "22 Minute Date Idea", the "10 Second Kiss Idea" (which you can find in Marriage Message #26), "Marriage Maintenance Measures" as well as other ideas. And you can find even more ideas at www.marriagemissions.com in the "Romantic Ideas" section. Plus, we have articles posted on the web site for those of you who are geographically away from your spouse.

But we'd like to give you another idea to help you connect, and that is by watching movies together and discussing different aspects of the movies. Make it a fun and informative time as well -- getting to know more about each other through this avenue of connecting. We've found a number of tools that could help you in this.

Recently, we mentioned that the movie "Fireproof" has a wonderful pro-marriage message. It's now out on DVD. There is also a book that goes along with the movie called "The Love Dare" that we believe can help your marriage. Plus, we have "Fireproof Discussion Pages" posted on our web site to use as a tool to help you connect. Even if you never see the movie (which we hope you can and will), the Discussion Pages has content that could help your marriage.

There is also a "Movie Discussion Guide" (from Smartmarriages.com) for the movie "The Story of Us" starring Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer. The guide provides excellent discussion questions designed to give couples deeper insights into their relationship. We must warn you though, that although the movie is very pro-marriage in its content, it has quite a bit of profanity in it. We found it difficult to get past the profanity, but we're glad we did because the message of the movie and the helpfulness of the discussion guide is truly something that could help couples. Again, you will benefit the most if you see the movie, but the Discussion Guide itself makes some great points.

We have a link to the discussion guide (that you can download for your use)posted on our web site in this Marriage Message. (If you don't have access to the internet to find and then download the guide, perhaps you can find a friend who can do it for you.)

And for those of you in the U.S. and Canada and other parts of the world that can view American Movies, you could find the following web sites helpful in guiding you so you know more about the contents of the movies you could watch to know if you want to view them on your date nights):

www.pluggedinonline.com -- Their mission as a Focus on the Family publication is to equip adults, parents, youth leaders, and ministers with essential tools that will enable them to understand, navigate and impact the culture in which they live.

www.christianitytoday.com/movies -- This award-winning website is devoted to film reviews, interviews and commentary, written from a biblical perspective. Their mission is to "inform and equip Christian moviegoers to make discerning choices about films through insightful reviews and interviews, educated opinion,and relevant news -- all from a biblical world-view."

www.movieguide.org -- This is a ministry dedicated to redeeming the values of the mass media according to biblical principles, by influencing entertainment industry executives and helping families make wise media choices.

www.crosswalk.com/movies -- while this web site is not primarily dedicated to movie reviews, they are a great resource on many levels (and this part of their web site deals with movies). They are a religious corporation dedicated to bring glory to God by building up the Church.

www.christiananswers.net/spotlight/home.html -- The primary goal of this web site is to provide accurate, biblical answers on a wide variety of questions asked by Christians and non-Christians. This part of their web site deals with movies and DVD's.

http://christianity.about.com/od/christianmovies/Christian_Movies_and_Christian_MovieReviews.htm -- This is a Christian movie resource page with Christian movie reviews, interviews with Christian actors, favorite Christian movies and top Christian movie picks and more.

These web sites can help you be selective in what you view. But always keep in mind what the Bible warns: "I will set before my eyes no vile thing" (Psalm 101:3). 1 Corinthians 6 tells us to "Flee from sexual immorality." Plus, Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:27-28). In other words... stay true to each other and abstain from viewing that which brings another person visually or physically into your relationship. Connect with your spouse and not with anyone else!

We hope you will find this helpful in drawing you closer together as husband and wife.

God Bless!

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R. Eastman
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

God’s Anvil

2009-03-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

“Is not My word like a fire?” says the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” Jeremiah 23:29

Recommended Reading Jeremiah 23:28-29

When we hear attacks on the Bible, it’s important to remember that they aren’t new. The faith of every generation of Christians has been criticized and challenged; and opposition to God’s Word is as old as Satan himself, who, in Genesis 3:1 asked,“Has God indeed said ..?”

Consider this. The Bible was written in sixty-six installments over a period of 1600 years in three languages on three continents. It has more than forty authors from all walks of life, writing under diverse conditions, and writing on hundreds of controversial topics. Yet it all fits together, seamlessly and without error or contradiction. When we hold the Bible in our hands, we aren’t holding an anthology or a bundle of scattered and miscellaneous thoughts. We’re holding one comprehensive, cohesive volume with a logical beginning and ending, telling us one story centered around one Person—Jesus Christ.

It’s as though a Master Author was behind it all, which there was.

When we hear someone attack the Bible, we shouldn’t be too alarmed. The Bible has a habit of outliving all its critics.

Hammer away ye hostile hands; your hammers break, God’s anvil stands. Charles Spurgeon

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R. Eastman
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

The Value of Integrity

2009-03-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

SOMETIMES IT'S HARD to sell people on the value of integrity...

From all outward appearances, it doesn't "pay" to be honest.

There were certainly times in the life of Joseph when he must have been tempted to say, "What good has it ever done to me to walk the straight path?" Here was a young man who remained committed to integrity no matter what the cost. Sold into slavery by his own brothers, he was eventually falsely accused and thrown into a dungeon before finally being vindicated by the Lord.

When Joseph ran from the crude seduction of Potiphar's wife, he wasn't just running from a woman. He was running from anything that would abort God's purposes in his life.

Do you remember what he told that adulteress (probably again and again)? "How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" (Gen. 39:9).

He chose God's way. He chose to see God's purposes fulfilled in his life rather than fulfilling a passing fleshly fancy. He feared losing God's blessing upon his life. That's why he didn't walk or stroll out of that woman's presence, he RAN.

THOUGHT: Integrity says, what I am in public, I am also in private. Integrity is what you do when you're alone, and no one's eye is upon you but the Lord's.(Ron Mehl)

"Discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you"(Proverbs 2:11).

Bible reading: Matthew 18:21-35; Exo. 19-20

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R. Eastman
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
Tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

Who I Am In Christ?

2009-03-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

I am accepted...

John 1:12 I am God's child.

John 15:15 As a disciple, I am a friend of Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:1 I have been justified.

1 Corinthians 6:17 I am united with the Lord, and I am one with Him in spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 I have been bought with a price and I belong to God.

1 Corinthians 12:27 I am a member of Christ's body.

Ephesians 1:3-8 I have been chosen by God and adopted as His child.

Colossians 1:13-14 I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins.

Colossians 2:9-10 I am complete in Christ.

Hebrews 4:14-16 I have direct access to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ.

I am secure...

Romans 8:1-2 I am free from condemnation.

Romans 8:28 I am assured that God works for my good in all circumstances.

Romans 8:31-39 I am free from any condemnation brought against me and I cannot be separated from the love of God.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 I have been established, anointed and sealed by God.

Colossians 3:1-4 I am hidden with Christ in God.

Philippians 1:6 I am confident that God will complete the good work He started in me.

Philippians 3:20 I am a citizen of heaven.

2 Timothy 1:7 I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind.

1 John 5:18 I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me.

I am significant...

John 15:5 I am a branch of Jesus Christ, the true vine, and a channel of His life.

John 15:16 I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit.

1 Corinthians 3:16 I am God's temple.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 I am a minister of reconciliation for God.

Ephesians 2:6 I am seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly realm.

Ephesians 2:10 I am God's workmanship.

Ephesians 3:12 I may approach God with freedom and confidence.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

"The more you reaffirm who you are in Christ, the more your behavior will begin to reflect your true identity!"
(From Victory Over the Darkness , by Dr. Neil Anderson)

The Word of God Says in Jesus Christ.....

2009-02-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

I am faithful (Ephesians 1:1)
I am God's child (John 1:12)
I have been justified (Romans 5:1)
I am Christ's friend (John 15:15)
I belong to God (1 Corinthians 6:20)
I am a member of Christ's Body (1 Corinthians 12:27)
I am assured all things work together for good (Romans 8:28)
I have been established, anointed and sealed by God (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)
I am confident that God will perfect the work He has begun in me (Philippians 1:6)
I am a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20)
I am hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3)
I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7)
I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me (1 John 5:18)
I am blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3)
I am chosen before the creation of the world (Ephesians 1:4, 11)
I am holy and blameless (Ephesians 1:4)
I am adopted as his child (Ephesians 1:5)
I am given God's glorious grace lavishly and without restriction (Ephesians 1:5,8)
I am in Him (Ephesians 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:30)
I have redemption (Ephesians 1:8)
I am forgiven (Ephesians 1:8; Colossians 1:14)
I have purpose (Ephesians 1:9 & 3:11)
I have hope (Ephesians 1:12)
I am included (Ephesians 1:13)
I am sealed with the promised Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13)
I am a saint (Ephesians 1:18)
I am salt and light of the earth (Matfthew 5:13-14)
I have been chosen and God desires me to bear fruit (John 15:1,5)
I am a personal witness of Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8)
I am God's coworker (2 Corinthians 6:1)
I am a minister of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:17-20)
I am alive with Christ (Ephesians 2:5)
I am raised up with Christ (Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 2:12)
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6)
I have been shown the incomparable riches of God's grace (Ephesians 2:7)
God has expressed His kindness to me (Ephesians 2:7)
I am God's workmanship (Ephesians 2:10)
I have been brought near to God through Christ's blood (Ephesians 2:13)
I have peace (Ephesians 2:14)
I have access to the Father (Ephesians 2:18)
I am a member of God's household (Ephesians 2:19)
I am secure (Ephesians 2:20)
I am a holy temple (Ephesians 2:21; 1 Corinthians 6:19)
I am a dwelling for the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:22)
I share in the promise of Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:6)
God's power works through me (Ephesians 3:7)
I can approach God with freedom and confidence (Ephesians 3:12)
I know there is a purpose for my sufferings (Ephesians 3:13)
I can grasp how wide, long, high and deep Christ's love is (Ephesians 3:18)
I am completed by God (Ephesians 3:19)
I can bring glory to God (Ephesians 3:21)
I have been called (Ephesians 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:9)
I can be humble, gentle, patient and lovingly tolerant of others (Ephesians 4:2)
I can mature spiritually (Ephesians 4:15)
I can be certain of God's truths and the lifestyle which He has called me to (Ephesians 4:17)
I can have a new attitude and a new lifestyle (Ephesians 4:21-32)
I can be kind and compassionate to others (Ephesians 4:32)
I can forgive others (Ephesians 4:32)
I am a light to others, and can exhibit goodness, righteousness and truth (Ephesians 5:8-9)
I can understand what God's will is (Ephesians 5:17)
I can give thanks for everything (Ephesians 5:20)
I don't have to always have my own agenda (Ephesians 5:21)
I can honor God through marriage (Ephesians 5:22-33)
I can parent my children with composure (Ephesians 6:4)
I can be strong (Ephesians 6:10)
I have God's power (Ephesians 6:10)
I can stand firm in the day of evil (Ephesians 6:13)
I am dead to sin (Romans 1:12)
I am not alone (Hebrews 13:5)
I am growing (Colossians 2:7)
I am His disciple (John 13:15)
I am prayed for by Jesus Christ (John 17:20-23)
I am united with other believers (John 17:20-23)
I am not in want (Philippians 4:19)
I possess the mind of Christ (I Corinthians 2:16)
I am promised eternal life (John 6:47)
I am promised a full life (John 10:10)
I am victorious (I John 5:4)
My heart and mind is protected with God's peace (Philippians 4:7)
I am chosen and dearly loved (Colossians 3:12)
I am blameless (I Corinthians 1:8)
I am set free (Romans 8:2; John 8:32)
I am crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20)
I am a light in the world (Matthew 5:14)
I am more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37)
I am the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21)
I am safe (I John 5:18)
I am part of God's kingdom (Revelation 1:6)
I am healed from sin (I Peter 2:24)
I am no longer condemned (Romans 8:1, 2)
I am not helpless (Philippians 4:13)
I am overcoming (I John 4:4)
I am persevering (Philippians 3:14)
I am protected (John 10:28)
I am born again (I Peter 1:23)
I am a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
I am delivered (Colossians 1:13)
I am redeemed from the curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13)
I am qualified to share in His inheritance (Colossians 1:12)
I am victorious (1 Corinthians 15:57)

Through Christ I am…….

2009-02-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

A child of God, Rom 8:16

Saved by grace through faith, Eph 2:8-9

Redeemed from the Hand of the Foe 1 Jn 5:11-12

Led by the Spirit of God, A New Creature, Gal 3:18

Redeemed from the Curse of the Law, Is 46:4

Kept in Safety wherever I go, Eph 6:10

Strong in the Lord and In His Mighty Power, II Cor 5:7

Living by Faith and Not by Sight, Col 1:13

Rescued from the Dominion of Darkness, Rom 5:17 or 3:1

Justified, A Heir of God & Co-heir with Christ, Rom 8:17

Blessed with Every Spiritual Blessing, Eph 1:3

An Over comer by the Blood of the Lamb & the Word of my Testimony, Eph 1:3

The Light of the World, An Imitator of God, MT 5:4

Healed by His wounds, 1 Peter 2:24

Being transformed by the Renewing of my mind, Gal 3:14

Heir to the Blessings of Abraham, Phil 4:13

Doing All things through Christ who gives me Strength, Rom 8:37

More than a Conqueror, Rom 8:37

I AM BLESSED BECAUSE.......

2009-02-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

I am born again…through the living and enduring word of God. (1 Peter 1:23)
I am a child of God. (John 1:12)
I am saved by grace through faith. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
I am loved by God and He gave his one and only Son for me. (John 3:16)
I am a new creation in Christ; the old has gone and the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
I have peace with God. (Romans 5:1)
The Holy Spirit lives in me. (1 Corinthians 3:16)
I have access to God's wisdom. (James 1:5)
I am helped by God. (Hebrews 4:16)
I am reconciled to God. (Romans 5:11)
I am not condemned by God. (Romans 8:1)
I am justified. (Romans 5:1)
I have Christ's righteousness. (Romans 5:19; 2 Corinthians 5:21)
I am Christ's ambassador. (2 Corinthians 5:20)
I am completely forgiven. (Colossians 1:14)
I am tenderly loved by God. (Jeremiah 31:3)
I am the sweet fragrance of Christ to God. (2 Corinthians 2:15)
I am a temple in which God dwells. (1 Corinthians 3:16)
I am blameless and beyond reproach. (Colossians 1:22)
I am the salt of the earth. (Matthew 5:13)
I am the light of the world. (Matthew 5:14)
I am a branch on Christ's vine. (John 15:1,5)
I am Christ's friend. (John 15:5)
I am chosen by Christ to bear fruit. (John 15:16)
I am a joint heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him. (Romans 8:17)
I am united to the Lord, one spirit with Him. (1 Corinthians 6:17)
I am a member of Christ's body. (1 Corinthians 12:27)
I am a saint. (Ephesians 1:1)
I am hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3)
I am chosen by God, holy and dearly loved. (Colossians 3:12)
I am a child of the light. (1 Thessalonians 5:5)
I am holy, and I share in God's heavenly calling. (Hebrews 3:1)
I am sanctified. (Hebrews 2:11)
I am one of God's living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house. (1 Peter 2:5)
I am a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession and created to sing His praises. (1 Peter 2:9-10)
I am firmly rooted and built up in Christ. (Colossians 2:7)
I am born of God, and the evil one cannot touch me. (1 John 5:18)
I have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16)
I may approach God with boldness, freedom, and confidence. (Ephesians 3:12)
I have been rescued from Satan's domain and transferred into the kingdom of Christ. (Colossians 1:13)
I have been made complete in Christ. (Colossians 2:10)
I have been given a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7)
I have been given great and precious promises by God. (2 Peter 1:4)
My needs are met by God. (Philippians 4:19)
I am a prince (princess) in God's kingdom. (John 1:12; 1 Timothy 6:15)
I have been bought with a price, and I belong to God. (1 Corinthians 6:19,20)
I have been adopted as God's child. (Ephesians 1:5)
I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 2:18)
I am assured that all things are working together for good. (Romans 8:28)
I am free from any condemning charges against me. (Romans 8:31f)
I cannot be separated from the love of God. (Romans 8:35f)
I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God. (2 Corinthians 1:21,22)
I am confident that the good work that God has begun in me will be perfected. (Philippians 1:6)
I am a citizen of heaven. (Philippians 3:20)
I am a personal witness of Christ's. (Acts 1:8)
I am God's coworker. (2 Corinthians 6:1, 1 Corinthians 3:9)
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm. (Ephesians 2:6)
I am God's workmanship. (Ephesians 2:10)
I can do all things through Christ, who gives me the strength I need. (Philippians 4:13)

GOD BLESS YOU

2009-02-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

Knock, Knock I knocked at heaven's door this morning.
God asked me...'My child, what can I do for you?'

And I said, 'Father, please protect and bless the person reading this message.'

God smiled and answered...'Request granted'.

Remember to 'Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.'

TRUST

2009-02-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

When God leads you to the edge of the cliff, trust Him fully and let go,
Only 1 of 2 things will happen,
Either he'll catch you when you fall,
Or he'll teach you how to fly!

The power of one sentence! God is going to shift things around for you today and let things work in your favor.

God closes doors no man can open &
God opens doors no man can close. . .

Have a blessed day and remember to be a blessing.

Lord I Want To Know You

2009-02-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

By Mary Eldridge

Lord I want to know you more, than just a figment of the mind,
I want to know you in a way, that I will let Your light shine.
I hear others talk about the intimacy they have with You.
I want to get to know You like they say they do.

You know the longing I have for You, way down inside of me,
I want that joy, that overflow, that makes me feel free.
I know I'm Your's and You are mine, for You forgave my sins,
I know You did that for me Lord, for I remember when.

You've been my Lord for many years, and I love You so much,
I yearn to get so near to You that I can feel Your touch.
I've had days and weeks to pass on by I didn't feel You near.
I learned a long time ago to trust You without fear.

Feelings can be deceiving - they will carry you up and down,
But faith is still believing even if you frown.
With faith we can do anything that we believe Him for,
So trust Him with your need and watch your faith soar.

He is a God of miracles, just look all around and see,
He made the world we're living in, even you and me.
When troubles come and times are hard, just cast them at His feet,
There is nothing too hard for Him that He can't possibly meet.

Don't pout and doubt, and leave God out, or get all riled up,
Remember that our Savior was willing to drink the bitter cup.
He did it all for you and me because He loved us so,
I want to please this Lord of mine, and to heaven I want to go.

Now let me just say this, in case you have never ever heard,
Jesus Christ died according to His own Word.
He paid a great price to redeem and save you from sin,
You have the best and easiest part, by letting the Savior come in.

REPOSESS YOUR TERRITORIES

2009-02-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

Prayer Confessions by Pastor Simeon Oladokun & Senior Pastor BGCMI.

I repossess the land that I have lost, in the name of the Lord.

I repossess all my material and spiritual inheritances in Jesus name. I declare that every judgment and court settlement will be in my favour in the name of the Lord.

I repossess supernatural financing to rebuild every broken place.

I repossess and inhabit every possession stolen from me.

I repossess my job, my health, my business, my marriage in Jesus name. I declare that throughout this year of restoration, I shall not plant vineyards for others to repossess. I shall not plant gardens for others to eat their fruit.

I repossess my allotted potion. I come against anything, or anyone that would move me from the place of my dwelling in Jesus name.

I repossess my financial breakthroughs. I retrieve my blessings from the camp of evil confiscators, in the name of Jesus.

I repossess my daily supplies. I believe in the Lord that anxiety and worry shall not dominate me.

I repossess my victory. I confess that I am delivered from the power of darkness. My battles belong to the Lord; he will fight all my battles throughout this year and I will triumph over my enemies in the name of the Lord.

I repossess my promotion. I declare that it will manifest powerfully in the name of Jesus.

I repossess my vision. I confess that abundance of new ideas and favours are mine in the name of Jesus. The grace of the Lord increases in my life. The Lord will cause his contentment to fall upon me.

I confess, I proclaim, I declare, I believe, therefore, have I spoken, RESTORATION, RESTORATION, RESTORATION in Jesus Name.

RECEIVE YOUR SPIRITUAL COMPASS

2009-02-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

Prayer Confessions by Pastor Simeon Oladokun & Senior Pastor BGCMI.

I receive the Angel of the Lord that has been appointed to go ahead of me this year, therefore, no accident minor or major shall come on my way.

I receive the Name of the Lord as my strong tower, I run into it and I am safe.

I receive the Word of the Lord as the lamp unto my feet. No darkness shall come my way throughout this year in the name of the Lord.

I receive the anointing of diligence upon me. Whatever I lay my hands on, I shall succeed in Jesus name.

I receive Faith in the Lord, mountains shall crumble before me this year.

I receive the Grace of the Lord, therefore, special favour will come to me from the East, from West, from the North and from the South in Jesus name.

I receive the Presence of the Almighty God with me at all times this year, therefore, Goliaths will fall before me.

I receive the spirit of discernment, therefore, the agent of confusion must loose its hold over my life in the name of Jesus.

I receive the spirit of willingness and obedience therefore, I shall eat the best of the Land.

I receive the Jericho-wall-destroying-power, therefore, every stone of hindrance, shall be rolled out of my way, in Jesus name.

I receive patience, therefore, I will not run ahead of God on every issue of my life, in the name of Jesus.

I receive wisdom from above, therefore, I will manage my affairs as the Lord wants me to.

RELEASE BLESSINGS INTO YOUR CHURCH

2009-02-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

Prayer Confessions by Pastor Simeon Oladokun & Senior Pastor BGCMI.

I release, the spirit of unity and oneness into my Church in the name of Jesus. May the blood of Jesus kill and destroy every cell of gossip, discord, envy, and apathy in Jesus name.

I release growth into my Church. May the fire of evangelism be burning in the heart of every member of my Church in the name of Jesus.

I release fresh anointing upon the ministry of my Church. May the Lord clothe my Pastor with a double portion of His anointing.

I release the spirit that desire for corporate prayer, fasting and studying of the Word of God into my Church in the name of the Lord.

I release perfect love of God that casts away fear into my Church.

I release the love of God that covers a multitude of sins into my Church. I call forth the spirit of forgiveness into the life of every member of my Church in the name of Jesus.

I release into my Church, the spirit that discerns the thoughts and intentions of every heart and put it right with God in Jesus name.

I release the spirit of humility, total dedication, and purity into the lives of all the Workers, Departmental Heads and members of the Leadership Team of my Church in the name of Jesus.

I release godly ideas, divine counsel and sound judgement into the life of my Pastor in the name of Jesus. May the Lord cover him and his entire household with the blood of Jesus.

I release favour, integrity, humility, and purity into the life of the assistant to my Pastor. May the Lord cover him and his entire household with the blood of Jesus.

I release signs and wonders to back up the messages from my Pastor in the name of Jesus.

I release into my Church, special open doors for the proclamation of the Word, in Jesus name.

REJECT SATANIC ASSOCIATION AND SUGGESTION

2009-02-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Prayer Confessions by Pastor Simeon Oladokun & Senior Pastor BGCMI.

I reject, any vision, image, suggestion or teaching that says I cannot be blessed.

I reject my former life of living in drunkenness, promiscuousness and all forms of godlessness. I confess that I am a new creation, the old things in my life have gone and the new have come. I am a redeemed of the Lord; washed by the blood of the Lamb, and saved by the grace of God.

I reject a life of strife and envy in the name of Jesus.

I reject the association of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. I dissociate myself from the camps of Jannes and Jambres. I pray that my God will expose to me anyone who is an evil company in the name of Jesus.

I reject any relationship that may drag me into ungodly habits in Jesus name.

I reject the sins of the mouth, sensual sins and multitude to commit evil in the name of Jesus. I reject malice and hypocrisy.

I reject the company that speak evil of the Ministers of God.

I reject the company that sow the bitter roots in the homes of others.

I reject the godless associations that sow the seed of discord in the Church of the Living God.

I reject the company of the fools. I choose to walk with the wise that I may grow wise in the name of Jesus.

I reject Satan’s suggestion that I will not achieve success. I confess that in this very year of restoration, I shall walk from minimum to maximum in the name of Jesus.

I reject Satan’ suggestion that it is good to go back from faith in the Lord into household idols, philosophies or beliefs. I reject generational curses in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

PROPHESY ON YOUR STEPS IN THE NEW YEAR

2009-01-29T00:00:00.000-08:00

Prayer Confessions by Pastor Simeon Oladokun & Senior Pastor BGCMI.

I prophesy, that this year will be a year of joy and not of heaviness and sorrow in the name of Jesus.

I prophesy that God’s protection and grace will abound to me in this New Year.

I prophesy that everything that stood against me in the previous year shall come down in Jesus name.

I prophesy that I have started and I will finish the year well in Jesus name.

I prophesy that the New Year will bring me rest and peace in the name of the Lord.

I prophesy that in this New Year the right hand of the Lord will strengthen me.

I prophesy that as I look back through the years I will see reasons to give God praise.

I prophesy that nothing shall move me away from the will of God.

I prophesy that I can hear the sound of a heavy rain in this New Year.

I prophesy that I will achieve every goal that I set in the name of Jesus.

I prophesy that in the New Year my steps will be ordered and not hindered in the name of Jesus.

I prophesy that my eyes shall be anointed to see the way of the wicked so I may avoid it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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PLEAD THE BLOOD OF JESUS

2009-01-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

Prayer Confessions by Pastor Simeon Oladokun & Senior Pastor BGCMI.

I plead, the blood of Jesus against Satan and declare that I am an over comer by the blood of the Lamb.

I plead the blood of Jesus against every fowler’s snare.

I plead the blood of Jesus against deadly pestilence.

I plead the blood of Jesus against the terror of night.

I plead the blood of Jesus against the arrow that flies by day.

I plead the blood of Jesus against the pestilence that stalks in the darkness.

I plead the blood of Jesus against the plague that destroys at midday.

I plead the blood of Jesus against the lions and cobras of this evil world.

I plead the blood of Jesus and confess by faith that the angel of death passes over my house.

I plead the blood of Jesus against every smiting disease and attack of the enemy.

I plead the blood of Jesus against any mental, spiritual and physical imprisonment in the name of Jesus.

I plead the blood of Jesus and declare that throughout this year I will stand under the blood and Satan cannot touch me.

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PROCLAIM THE GREATNESS OF THE WORD OF GOD OVER YOUR SITUATIONS

2009-01-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

Prayer Confessions by Pastor Simeon Oladokun & Senior Pastor BGCMI.

I proclaim, that my heart will not be a way side place for the word of God, in the name of Jesus.

I proclaim that my heart will not be a ground of thorns for the word of God, in the name of Jesus.

I proclaim that the handwriting of the enemies will turn against them, in the name of Jesus.

I proclaim that the secrets of strange people around me will be revealed, in the name of Jesus.

I proclaim that every satanic connection in the air, water and soil against my life, shall be broken in the name of Jesus.

I proclaim that I shall be led of the Lord and I will never take any steps without Him.

I proclaim that the Word of God will lead and guide my life at all times.

I proclaim that as I seek the face of God throughout this year I will always find clear direction in Jesus name.

I proclaim that the seed for the Word will fall on good soil in my heart in the name of Jesus.

I proclaim that every weed of distraction that hinders my growth would die in Jesus name.

I proclaim that my life will mirror the lifestyle of God’s kingdom in the name of Jesus.

I proclaim that as was spoken into the life of Rebecca, one day my children will possess the gates of their enemies in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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PRAY FOR PERFECT HEALTH

2009-01-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

Prayer Confessions by Pastor Simeon Oladokun & Senior Pastor BGCMI.

I pray that throughout this year I shall enjoy the favour of God’s covenant Name of Jehovah Rapha.

I pray, by the stripes of Jesus I have been healed. My body is strong in Jesus name.

I pray that the Lord will rescue me from evil people; he will preserve me from those who are violent.

I pray that no weapon that is fashioned against me shall prosper in Jesus name.

I pray that every agent of infirmity must loose its hold over my life in the name of Jesus.

I pray that the tongue raining incantations on me and on my family and on my church will dry up, in Jesus’ name.

I pray against any sickness or disease that the enemy may want to use to stop my destiny in Jesus name.

I pray against every genetic disease that has ruled my family for generations past in the name of Jesus.

I pray against every form of torment, whether physical or spiritual in Jesus name.

I pray that the anointing of God will flow from my life to bring healing, deliverance and hope to others in the name of Jesus.

I pray that throughout this year every member of my household will receive the healing of the Lord.

I pray against satanic suggestion of sickness related to my race, nationality or gender in the name of Jesus.

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DESTROY All NEGATIVE PRONOUNCEMENTS

2009-01-17T00:00:00.000-08:00

Prayer Confessions by Pastor Simeon Oladokun & Senior Pastor BGCMI.

I destroy all powers that expand problems, and pray they shall be paralysed in the name of Jesus.

I destroy, every power of demonic spell issued against my life, they shall be broken in the name of Jesus.

I destroy every yoke of Satan coming on my way in this year in Jesus name.

I destroy every evil pronouncement of the wicked people around me in the name of Jesus.

I destroy every ungodly covenant I might have been enticed to make in the name the Lord Jesus.

I destroy all the negative reports of Doegs around me in Jesus name.

I destroy all the powers of inmate spirits on my way in the name of Jesus.

I destroy the curses of Baalams around me in the name of Jesus Christ.

I destroy the power of agent of debt in my life in the name of Jesus.

I destroy the power of agent of spiritual rags in my life in the name of Jesus.

I destroy all the lies of the enemy that say I cannot make it in this year in Jesus name.

I destroy every trait of spiritual backwardness in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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DECLARE ABUNDANCE

2009-01-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

Prayer Confessions by Pastor Simeon Oladokun & Senior Pastor BGCMI.

I declare by faith that Jesus will supply all my needs, spiritually, financially, physically and emotionally throughout this year.

I declare that every aspect of my life will yield abundant fruit in Jesus name.

I declare that I shall be a blessing to the people of God and the work of God.

I declare that God will enrich my life with the abundance of His joy.

I declare that God will shower me with such an abundance of His favour that even the enemy will have to acknowledge it in Jesus name.

I declare that I shall be blessed with supernatural abundance that will bless generations to come in Jesus name.

I declare that the Lord will feed me with the best of foods; He will satisfy me with wild honey from the rock.

I declare that the blessing of Zion will flow my way throughout this year in Jesus name.

I declare that the covenant of God’s blessing will be made manifest in my life in the name of the Lord.

I declare that the power, glory and the kingdom of the living God will come upon every department of my life, in the name of Jesus.

I declare that I shall be victorious in every way financially buoyant in the name of the Lord.

I declare that through the unfailing love of God, I find refuge in the shadow of His wings, I shall feast on the abundance of His house; He will give me drink from His river of delights.

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DECREE GODS BLESSINGS ON YOUR CHILDREN

2009-01-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

Prayer Confessions by Pastor Simeon Oladokun & Senior Pastor BGCMI.

I decree the blessings of God over every plan and goal for my children in this year.

I decree there shall be Se-la-ham-mah-le-koth between my children and the children of disobedient in the name of Jesus.

I decree all my children shall be taught of the Lord.

I decree there shall be Se-la-ham-mah-le-koth between my children and the drug addicts.

I decree my children shall be like olive trees around my house. My children shall be special ones.

I decree my children shall be for signs and wonders. They shall walk in obedience.

I decree that every promise of the Lord concerning my children will not fall to the ground but each shall be literally fulfilled in Jesus name.

I decree that my children will have personal intimate relationship with God, and the fear of the Lord will be evident in their daily walk with God.

I decree in Jesus name that my children would not be a source of affliction but a testimony to God’s grace.

I decree longevity will rest upon my children in the name of the Lord.

I decree none of my children will bring shame to the name of the Lord .

I decree that no generational curse shall have any effect upon my children in Jesus name.

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CALL FORTH YOUR LOST AND STOLEN BREAKTHROUGHS

2009-01-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

Prayer Confessions by Pastor Simeon Oladokun & Senior Pastor BGCMI.

I call forth all my treasures that the enemy had stolen, I receive them in this very year of restoration.

I call forth the blessings of the Lord on all my projects in this year. There shall be no abandoned projects, time and life wasting projects on my way in this year in Jesus name.

I call forth an all-round prosperity, spirit, soul and body on my way in this year in the name of the Lord.

I call forth the anointing for creativity in my business and my ministry to fall on me powerfully in Jesus name.

I call forth my lost and stolen financial breakthrough in Jesus name.

I call forth my lost and stolen promotion in the name of the Lord.

I call forth an accelerating breakthrough on my way this year in Jesus name.

I call forth a noticeable prosperity around my home in Jesus name .

I call forth divine wisdom and understanding that bring about success in Jesus name.

I call forth shattered dreams shattered hope be revived and achievable for me in Jesus name.

I call forth the spirit of watchfulness and spiritual alertness in Jesus name.

I call forth the harvest that meet harvest in Jesus name.

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COMMAND THEM TO LEAVE YOUR MARRIAGE

2009-01-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

Prayer Confessions by Pastor Simeon Oladokun & Senior Pastor BGCMI.

I command, that all anti-testimony forces working against my marriage will scatter into irreparable pieces, in the name of Jesus.

I command all the squatters to leave my family in the name of Jesus.

I command that the affairs of my marriage be too hot for the spiritual highjakers to hold in Jesus name.

I command that all the attempt of the enemy to displace me from what belongs to me be failed in the name of the Lord.

I command that the fire of God be sent into the camp of those gathering to do harm to my marriage and my possessions.

I command all powers and principalities to take their hands off everything that belongs to me in Jesus name.

I command the collapse of every stronghold and tower of Babel before my marriage in this very year in the name of Jesus.

I command that every activity that does not promote the design of God for my marriage in this year to collapse in the name of the Lord.

I command that the ways of those who hate to see the glory of God in my marriage be darkened and slippery; may they be like chaff before the wind with the angel of the Lord driving them away before me throughout this year in the name of Jesus.

I command that all drinkers of blood and eaters of flesh hunting for my life stumble and fall, in the name of Jesus.

I command that mountains of impossibilities that are facing my marriage to fall in this year of restoration in the name of Jesus.

I command that all miracle – delaying powers be destroyed in the name of Jesus.

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CONFESS RESTORATION INTO YOUR LIFE

2009-01-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

Prayer Confessions by Pastor Simeon Oladokun & Senior Pastor BGCMI.

I confess, that all my brokenness shall be mended by the Lord in this very year in Jesus name.

I confess that the Spirit of Confusion shall not have power of over me and my household. The Lord will teach me and instruct me the way I should go; he will counsel me and watch over me.

I confess that Satan will not rule over me; Sin will not have power over me. I am free from the oppression of the power of darkness. The blood of Jesus has set me free.

I confess that my light shall shine brightly in the name of Jesus.

I confess that the lamp of the wicked around me shall be snuffed out in the name of Jesus.

I confess that I shall be restored spiritually, emotionally, physically, financially, matrimonially, socially, and mentally in Jesus name.

I confess that I will not fear the terror of night nor the arrow that flies by day throughout this year in the name of Jesus.

I confess that all who rage against me will surely be ashamed and disgraced.

I confess that all who oppose my restoration will be as nothing and perish.

I confess that though I search for my enemies, I will not find them.

I confess that the Lord will go before me throughout this year; he will level the mountains; he will break down gates of bronzes and cut through bars of iron. The Lord will give me treasures of darkness, riches that are store in secret places.

I confess that my life is like a tree planted by the riverside; it will yield its fruit in season, the leaf of my life will not wither and whatever I do in this year of restoration shall prosper in the name of Jesus.

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BIND ALL THE FORCES WARRING AGAINST YOUR HOME

2008-12-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

Prayer Confessions by Pastor Simeon Oladokun & Senior Pastor BGCMI

I bind every power of darkness that opposes my restoration in this year in the name of Jesus.

I bind all the evil hosts that may want to gather against my progress, this year in the name of Jesus.

I bind all anti – peace forces around my home in the name of the Lord.

I bind all anti – joy forces around my home in the name of Jesus.

I bind all anti – miracle forces around my home in the name of the Lord.

I bind all anti – success forces around my home in the name of the Lord Jesus.

I bind all anti – progress forces around my home in the name of the Lord.

I bind all anti – unity forces around my home and my church in Jesus name.

I bind all the spirits of rebellion around all my children in Jesus name.

I bind the spirit of laziness in any form in my life in the name of the Lord.

I bind the spirit of dryness, barrenness, and backwardness in my home in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I bind the spirit of snails on my way in this year of restoration in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

Jesus Loves You

2008-12-28T23:57:00.000-08:00

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BELIEVE HIM FOR FAVOUR

2008-12-27T00:00:00.000-08:00

Prayer Confessions by Pastor Simeon Oladokun & Senior Pastor BGCMI

I believe that in this year of restoration, my captives shall be restored in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

I believe that my mouth shall be filled with laughter.

I believe that my tongue shall sing songs of joy.

I believe that the Lord will do great and mighty things in my life in this very year of restoration in the name of Jesus.

I believe that the Lord will restore my fortunes like streams in the Negev.

I believe that all that I have sowed with tears; I shall reap with songs of Joy, in the name of Jesus.

I believe that all my years of fruitlessness shall be transformed into fruitfulness, plenty of harvests in the name of Jesus .

I believe that greater is He that dwells in me; the Lord will do greater things in my life in this Year in the name of the Lord.

I believe that throughout this year, I and my family will dwell in the secret place of the most High. We will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I believe that the Lord is my refuge and my fortress.

I believe that the Lord will save me from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.

I believe that the Lord will cover me with his feathers and that under his wings I will find refuge in the name of Jesus.

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BLESS HIM FOR HIS BENEFITS

2008-12-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

Prayer Confessions byPastor Simeon Oladokun & Senior Pastor BGCMI.

I bless the Lord for giving me the privilege to see this new year of restoration.

I bless the Name of the Lord for keeping me and my household safe throughout the last year.

I bless Him for giving me good health.

I bless Him for giving me victory.

I bless Him for healing me.

I bless Him for sheltering me.

I bless Him for forgiving me.

I bless Him for favouring me.

I bless Him for a happy home.

I bless Him for saving me.

I bless Him for a good job, for success in my studies, and for his hands on my business.

I bless Him for His mighty power.

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LET IT GO

2008-12-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

By T. D. Jakes Ministries

There are people who can walk away from you. And hear me when I tell you this! When people can walk away from you: let them walk.

I don't want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone. When people can walk away from you let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left.

The Bible said that, they came out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not for us. For had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us. [1 John 2:19]

People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, you can't make them stay.

Let them go.

And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person it just means that their part in the story is over. And you've got to know when people's part in your story is over so that you don't keep trying to raise the dead.

You've got to know when it's dead.

You've got to know when it's over. Let me tell you something. I've got the gift of good-bye. It's the tenth spiritual gift, I believe in good-bye. It's not that I'm hateful, it's that I'm faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have He'll give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat I don't need it. Stop begging people to stay.

Let them go!!

If you are holding on to something that doesn't belong to you and was never intended for your life, then you need to . . . . . . . .

LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to past hurts and pains . . . . . . . . .

LET IT GO!!!

If someone can't treat you right, love you back, and see your worth . . . . . . . .

LET IT GO!!!

If someone has angered you . . . . . . . .

LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge . . . . . . . .

LET IT GO!!!

If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction . . . . . . . .

LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents . . . . . .

LET IT GO!!!

If you have a bad attitude . . . . . . . .

LET IT GO!!!

If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better . . . . . . . .

LET IT GO!!!

If you're stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new level in Him . .

LET IT GO!!!

If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship . . . . . . . .

LET IT GO!!!

If you keep trying to help someone who won't even try to help themselves . . . . .

LET IT GO!!!

If you're feeling depressed and stressed . . . . . . . .

LET IT GO!!!

If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling yourself and God is saying "take your hands off of it," then you need to . . . . . . . .

LET IT GO!!!

Let the past be the past Forget the former things.

GOD is doing a new thing for 2008!!!

LET IT GO!!!

Get Right or Get Left. think about it, and then . . . . . . . .

LET IT GO!!! "

The Battle is the Lord's!"

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VICTORY IS YOURS

2008-12-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

By Sandi KML

It’s not by accident that you woke up this morning and are still alive today. Every moment, every hour, and every second of your life is all a part of God’s perfect plan for you. God has a divine purpose for your being here, and until that purpose is fulfilled you’ll find yourself constantly living a meaningless and empty life. You’ll find yourself living in perpetual spiritual, mental and emotional defeat. Beloved, the good news is Failure does not have to be our destiny, there is hope, if only we surrender our lives to God and allow him to take control. Just trust him to be in charge, and watch what he does for you.

Luke: 1:37: For with God nothing shall be impossible.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, surround me with your shield of Love,

Drive away all principalities and powers that are gathered to cloud my judgment,

Destroy the devils plans to bring destruction to my life,

Lord, lead me in the right path and show me what to do concerning every situation in my life,

Have compassion on me Heavenly Father for all my sins,

Help me to stay away from temptation,

I need you Lord to guide me and protect me each and every day,

I acknowledge that I cannot do it on my own Lord,

I welcome you to take control of every area of my life,

In Jesus Name I pray,

AMEN

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God Grant Me.....

2008-12-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

YOUR WILL BE DONE

2008-12-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

By Sandi KML

Sometimes we spend so much time worrying about all the things that seem to be goring wrong in our lives and in the process we forget to take the time to just thank God for the many things that are going right in or lives.

Just the fact that we were able to wake up in good health this morning is in it self a reason to celebrate and thank God. So many people would have loved to have lived to see this day but didn’t. So many people are lying helpless in the hospital and would give anything just to be able to take your place today. So remember to take the time out or your busy schedule to just thank God for the many blessing that he is constantly showering you with.

PRAYER

Lord free me from any kind of captivity in my life,

Destroy all the evil plans that anyone may have against me,

Today Lord I choose to submit to your will, and find protection in you,

Lord you are my shield, the only one that I can depend on and look up to,

Take away any selfish desires that I may have, and hear my humble cry,

I trust you Lord to give me joy in my heart,

I trust you Lord to help me live my life to your glory and according to your will,

In Jesus Mighty Name I pray.

Amen

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