The Bread

Matthew 28:16-20

2007-01-19T12:45:00.000-08:00

Matthew 28:16-20 The Great Commission
16Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[b] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Joel Warne, the author of the "How to Eat Your Bible" bible program has an incredible picture of what the life of a follower of Christ should look like. In his analogy, Scripture is likened to grass and we followers are likened to dairy cows. OK, maybe you don't like being called a cow but stick with this and think about it. Grass, cow fuel, is green, lush and very nutritious. Cows ingest the grass which nurtures their physical being allowing them to be healthy and grow. But that is not all that cows do. The result of this nutritious substance within the cows is milk, which in turn is a very important nutrient for people.

Just as cows consume grass, when we "consume" God's word, there is benefit to us. But it is not enough to just have His truth within us. We must follow the commands in the text above. Cows then give their milk to those around them, resulting in the spreading of the good news. But what happens when cows do not give milk? There is incredible pain and suffering. Cows need to give their milk. It is a most vital thing.

So it is with us. God designed us to share his truth. This message was not created to be hidden within our hearts and lives. So be a cow and go give in His name today!

Blessings

Mark

It Is Well With My Soul

2007-01-18T12:39:00.000-08:00

The beloved hymn "It Is Well With My Soul" was written in 1873 by Horatio Spafford after two tragic events in his life. In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire destroyed much of the vast wealth of Spafford. Shortly after, his four daughters were killed when their ship collided with another ship in the Atlantic. Spafford's wife, Anna, was the only surviving family member, sending Spafford a telegram stating "Saved Alone". The devastation in his life was horrendous. While traveling across the Atlantic sometime later, Spafford was moved by the power of the Holy Spirit to pen the text that we know as this great hymn. That inspiration came as they sailed near the site of the accident.

Philip Bliss put these wonderful words to music just three years after they were written. But the story of tragedy associated with this hymn continues as Bliss dies in a train accident shortly after completing the hymn.

Take a closer look at the text of the hymn below. You know it well and have sung it many times. It is all about the trials of life and something else. I remember a funeral for a co-worker which included this hymn. Afterwards, while speaking with other co-workers, someone mentioned that horrible song that spoke of the terrible things that happen in life. I thought maybe I had missed something but upon further investigation, she was speaking of "It Is Well with My Soul". Apparently she had missed all of the comfort that is delicately woven into the text. Woven in but missed by someone who did not share these beliefs.

What comfort can be found in these great words for those who are God's people! I pray that the text would be a blessing to you today.

It Is Well with My Soul. Text by Horatio Spafford. Music by Philip Bliss
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Refrain
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
Refrain
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
Refrain
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
Refrain
But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!
Blessèd hope, blessèd rest of my soul!
Refrain
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
Refrain

Blessings

Mark

Genesis 3:6

2007-01-17T12:34:00.000-08:00

Genesis 3:6 (English Standard Version) English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
6So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise,[a] she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

Footnotes:
Genesis 3:6 Or to give insight

Don’t you wish that sin was ugly and unattractive? If sin was unappealing, who would be interested? If sin looked like Brussels sprouts, we would stay away in droves! Why is it that so many things that appear to be attractive can be dangerous? Our eyes deceive us and our sinful nature desires what is not the best for us.

Remember TV advertising for cigarettes in the 60’s? Who did not want to be the Marlboro Man riding off into the sunset looking so cool with that cigarette balanced between his lips? Yet we knew that tobacco use was dangerous as cigarettes were called coffin nails. If you have an issue with eating, why does that extra slice of pizza look so good? Sex, within the boundaries established by God, is a good and wonderful thing. But when experienced outside of those guidelines, has devastating results.

We fall for those “get rich quick” schemes even though we all know that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true.

Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree (even though God had said not too) because the fruit was delightful to the eyes. But their eyes deceived them and they were persuaded by bad advice.

What about your eyes? Do you filter things through the Word of God to help block out those appealing things that separate us from Him? Of course, not all attractive things keep us from fellowship with God but we do need to strive to control our desires for those things that do.

Blessings

Mark

Colossians 3:15

2007-01-16T12:16:00.000-08:00

Colossians 3:15 (English Standard Version) English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.

15And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

What is this “peace of Christ” and how does one find it? I don’t know about you but I am amazed at the pace in which our lives move. My family has been trying to spend an evening with some friends but they have so many activities that it has taken us months to finally make it happen. Even though my life is fairly low key, I find it difficult to spend time just enjoying God’s creation.

Michael Card wrote a song called “In Stillness and Simplicity” which really addresses the benefits of slowing down.

In stillness and simplicity, in the silence of the heart I see. The mystery of eternity who lives inside of me. In stillness and simplicity, I hear the Spirit’s silent plea that You, oh Lord, are close to me, in stillness and simplicity.

You’re the Word who must be heard by those who listen quietly. Is the reason we’re not still to hear You speak because we don’t believe You will.

In stillness and simplicity, I lose myself in finding Thee. Oh Lord, You mean so much to me in stillness and simplicity. So, seek the One who dwells in you, the kingdom that’s within is true. That innermost reality, in stillness and simplicity.

It is raining today. I think I will grab a cup of coffee, go watch some rain fall and see what God has to say. Won't you join me?

Blessings

Mark

Luke 23:39-43

2007-01-15T12:12:00.000-08:00

Luke 23:39-43 (English Standard Version) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.

39One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him,[a] saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!" 40But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." 42And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." 43And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

Footnotes:
Luke 23:39 Or blasphemed him

I remember the first person that I ever fired. Joe was a reliable worker, punctual and friendly with everyone he met. We even managed to have some discussions around matters of faith in Christ. Needless to say, I was very disappointed when he did something that left me no option but to let him go. As we had that conversation, he apologized for what he had done and I forgave him for that break in trust. He headed back behind the counter and I had to stop him.

“Where are you going, Joe?” I asked. “Back to work.” he replied. “But you don’t work here anymore.” I stated.

How could that be, he wanted to know. I had just forgiven him so he should still have his job, was his reasoning. I explained to Joe that there was still a penalty for his actions. At that point, Joe began accusing me of being a false Christian because I had accepted his apology but still fired him.
I did not immediately remember the text from Luke where Christ forgives a thief of his offenses but yet does not remove the punishment of his actions. Christ could very well have called legions of angels to come down and rescue them all from death but as many things, there are consequences for our actions. In the case of the thief, death was the penalty for his sin. In Christ’s case, death was the penalty for OUR sin.

Does this seem unfair? There are many examples in scripture where God has a deep and meaningful relationship with people but yet there is a horrible price to be paid for their sinfulness. Numbers 20:10-13 details the sin of Moses and his punishment of not leading the people into the Promised Land. In 2 Samuel chapter 12, Nathan confronts David over his adultery with Bathsheba. In verses 13 and 14 we see God forgiving David. “The Lord has put away your sin” is the news from the prophet Nathan. But he continues with the consequence, “Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die.”

Our society today places great focus on public confessions. We think how great a person is because they have “fessed up”. Let him off the hook. The public embarrassment is enough and there should be no further penalty.

There is an interesting balance here. Without civil laws and rules (which God has ordained) there would be chaos in the world. There are many examples (especially in Exodus and Leviticus) where restitution is demanded to correct a wrong. Another way of thinking of this is that it is the consequence. As Christians, we are to forgive when someone has wronged us, but there are also penalties and restitutions that must be made. We should not expect to skate away without repercussion for our wrongs.

Blessings

Mark

II Timothy 2:22b

2007-01-12T12:26:00.000-08:00

II Timothy 2:22b “Pursue faith and love and peace, and enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.”

Philippians 4: 9 “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you.”

A man I used to work with told the story of his five-year-old son’s experience in a soccer league. When the other boys were running down the field, with the ball going all over the place, the man’s son just stood in the middle of the field, looking around. He waved at his parents and inspected the grass and gazed up at the sky and generally had a good time, but he had no interest in playing the game.

Sometimes it feels as though this is how I approach the Christian life. Life is pretty good. I have friends I love and a church home. At church, I hug the people I know, and I enjoy when we get to sing some of my favorite praise songs, and I speak up in our adult Sunday School class. But I wonder if perhaps I’m missing the point of the “game.”

“Keep putting into practice…” “Pursue…” These are active words, determined, but the way I live my life seems to be passive, being tossed by the waves. They’re good waves, for the most part, but waves nonetheless. I’ve lost some of that determined pursuit of God that I once had, and I need to get it back.

It’s not too late for New Year’s resolutions, or as a Christian friend said, “New Week’s resolutions.” She gives herself one week at a time to work out her faith, and I think I can handle that too. One week to pursue God. And then another…

How is your pursuit coming along? What else do you need to put into practice--or keep putting into practice? Take action this week, and may the God of peace be with you.

Brenda

I John 5:3

2007-01-11T12:23:00.000-08:00

I John 5:3 “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.”

This past Sunday, the sermon was on Christian growth, and this verse was included in the sermon notes. Our minister added that the only part of the Bible you truly believe is the part you obey.

A single friend of mine signed up one time for one of those online matching services. She said she is a Christian whose faith is very important to her, and she was looking for a man who is a Christian whose faith is very important to him.

They found several matches for her, and almost all of them had profiles that talked about Jesus and how important he is in the men’s lives. But their profiles ended by saying they’re looking for a woman “for intimacy.”

I suppose that for a lot of people, the Bible’s commands to save physical intimacy for marriage sounds downright burdensome, but the burdens that come from disobeying these commands are even greater: Disease, pregnancy, child support payments, broken hearts, and even the risk of a knock at the door twenty years later by someone who says, “I’m your child.”

We show our love for God when we obey the hard commands, not when we obey the easy ones. For me, the command not to lie is easy--I never lied well as a child, so I’m not even tempted to do it as an adult. The harder ones for me are parting with big chunks of cash (that would be tithing) and carving out time to spend with the Lord, when I don’t even have time to get to the grocery store most days. So these are the areas in my life that I need to examine continually.

What are the commands you struggle to obey? If the blessings of obeying the Lord in these areas aren’t enough to persuade you to obey, try looking at the burdens of disobedience. Better yet, work on cultivating your love relationship with Him so that your love will grow and obedience will follow.

Brenda

Matthew 2:3

2007-01-10T12:21:00.000-08:00

Matthew 2:3 “When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.”

I know Christmas is over, but this verse from the Christmas story has stayed with me. It reminds me of that old Down Home saying, “If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” Herod’s troubled nature affected everyone around him.

And I’ve been “troubled” lately too, working long hours at a job I don’t enjoy, and then not having enough time to do all the errands that are part of normal life.

I’m normally a cheerful person, but reading this verse over Christmas has made me wonder how much I’m letting my woes spread to the people around me. Do I complain too much at work? Does the way I talk about my job with co-workers encourage them to develop a bad attitude toward what we do? And at home, do I take enough time to be a blessing to my daughter and her friend who lives with us?

Where is my focus? When Herod heard the news about the newborn King, he let his fears get the better of him, while the Answer to his fears rested in a town not too far away. Am I, like Herod, focusing on my fears and the worries of life, when my Answer is waiting close by for me to come to Him?

How about you? What effect do your words and your troubles have on the people nearest to you? Are you letting you cares cloud your relationships, or are you casting your cares on the One who came to save?

Brenda

Romans 12:12

2007-01-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

Romans 12:12 “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

Ephesians 1:16 “I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.”

I heard a Christian man (I can’t remember who) quote a famous Christian woman (I can’t remember who) about prayer. She had said that, so much of the time, her prayers boiled down to this:

“Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. Help! Help! Help!”

It was humorous hearing this story, and yet it’s a good model of prayer, because so many of our prayers--the kind that please God--are like this. Even the Lord’s Prayer can be said in a spirit of thankfulness that our Father is holy and that it’s His will and not ours that’s in charge of how things are done on earth.

Sometimes when I’m tired and I start to pray, I’ll notice that I go straight to the “Help!” part of my prayers. No thanks to God. No adoration of who God is. No recognition of His will over mine. Just, “Help me to be… or to do….” But at those times, I’m missing out on something essential.

It’s during the “Thank You” part of prayer that we’re reminded of how much of what we have and treasure came from God. I have not stopped giving thanks for my children, for the way they’ve grown up, for the fact that they’ve grown up and are still part of my life. All of this is because of the goodness and mercy of a loving God. And so is everything else--the roof over my head and the job I have that keeps it there, a car that runs, my sweet little dog--all of it is from Him.

And when I’ve thanked Him and been reminded of who He is, then the requests for help seem to be less selfish and more in line with what I believe He wants for me and the people I pray for.
How faithful is your prayer life compared to what you’d like it to be? How much do you struggle with praying “the right way”? Maybe it would help just to pray the simple prayer: “Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. Help! Help! Help!”

May the Lord fill you with joy, patience, and faithfulness in prayer.

Brenda

Psalm 4:3 - 5

2007-01-08T12:57:00.000-08:00

Psalm 4:3 - 5
Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;
the LORD will hear when I call to him.
In your anger do not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.
Selah
Offer right sacrifices
and trust in the LORD.

People do annoying things in the break room at work. They take the last cup of coffee and don’t make a new pot. They take out a new plastic sleeve of Styrofoam cups, tear a small hole in the top of the plastic, take out a cup, and leave the rest of the cups sitting in the sleeve for the next person to wrestle with. They put things on top of the box of teabags, so the tea drinkers (that would be me) have to move the things to get their teabags. It’s annoying.

But one morning this past week, I felt a flash of genuine anger when I found a pile of blue fake-sugar packets sitting on the teabag box. I scooped up all the packets and was ready to fling them in the trash, just to get them out of my way, when I realized my anger was telling me that something was wrong. I took a breath, then got a cup from the stack of cups (still with the plastic sleeve pushed down around the bottom cups) and tucked the blue packets inside it while I tried to calm down.

I don’t know why I was angry. There was nothing in my life that was suddenly worse than it was the week before, but the anger was here anyway. It may just be that I’ve been tired, but even so, that anger is still about me: Other people put their stuff in my way. And that’s the wrong kind of anger.

God wants my anger to be fueled by righteousness, not by petty selfishness. He wants me to feel passion for the things He is passionate about. He wants my heart to break over things that break His heart. He wants me to be holy and set apart for Him and His use.

And He wants me to trust Him, to live in faith that even when life is challenging or annoying or painful, He has my best interest in mind. But this incident in the break room was a good reminder that my trust and my heart are not where the Lord wants them to be.

Where is your heart? What are the things that stir up your anger? Let us bring our wrong attitudes to the One who is Faithful and True.

Brenda

Your 2007 Spiritual Checkup

2007-01-05T12:07:00.000-08:00

“11These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so….” (Acts 17:11 NKJV)

The Gospel of Luke tells Jesus’ story from Luke’s unique perspective as a Gentile, a physician, and the first historian of the early church. Luke was concerned with accuracy.

As a medical doctor Luke knew the importance of being thorough. He used his skills in observation and analysis to thoroughly investigate the stories about Jesus. His diagnosis? The gospel of Jesus Christ is true! You can read the accounts of Jesus’ life with confidence that they are true and reliable. Because the gospel is founded on historical truth, our spiritual growth must involve careful, disciplined, and thorough investigation of the truth of God’s Word so that we can understand how God has acted in history…and in our own life. Christianity doesn’t say, “Close your eyes and believe,” but rather, “Open your eyes and you’ll believe!” Jesus didn’t blind people, He opened their eyes! Jesus has nothing to hide; He has everything to display! Look for yourself!

The Bible encourages you to investigate its claims thoroughly because your conclusion about Jesus is a life-and-death matter. Check out the evidence. This is an invitation for the biblically knowledgeable as well as the ignorant. This is an invitation for the spiritually healthy as well as the spiritually sick. This is an invitation for the saved soul as well as the searching soul. This is an invitation for the spiritually secure as well as the agnostic or skeptic.

Go on! Investigate! Challenge! Pursue! Jesus can handle it. In my college days I rebelled against the Christian faith seeing it as a crutch for the psychologically weak. I attacked with a vengeance. Jesus won. He always will. To this day, the great ancient historian Josephus is my anchor. Josephus is known for his thoroughness. He did not accept Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah. But his passion for historical accuracy drove him to in-depth research. The more he learned. The more he doubted…his own doubts. At the end of it all, Josephus acknowledges Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world! When you’re dealing with a doubter, don’t feel YOU have to defend the faith, challenge THEM to DISPROVE it! And, for our own spiritual growth, each day of 2007 let’s look into something about the faith that we are uncertain of, confused about, doubt. Keep looking, keep researching, keep digging…

until our eyes are opened to the subject. Our faith will be strengthened.

Blessings Always
in All Ways,

Steve
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The Stamp of Christ

2007-01-04T12:57:00.000-08:00

Mother Teresa said, “You love Jesus only as much as the person you love the least.”

For all that confuses us about Jesus Christ, there is one truth that he made completely clear. The Christian faith is about service and humility. It’s about helping those who can’t help themselves. It’s about loving others more than we love ourselves—even the most unlovable among us.

What is the sign of true followers? Is it the amount of knowledge that we have? Is it the money we give to missions? Is it the hours we’ve spent worshiping in church? Is it the Christian books we’ve read?

According to Jesus, the sign of the saved is their love for the least.

When the great Church father, Francis of Assisi, left his wealth behind to seek God, he stripped naked and walked out of the city. The first person he encountered on his journey was a leper on the side of the road. He first passed him, then turned back. He embraced the leper in his arms before continuing his journey. A few steps down the road he turned and saw that the leper was gone. Until his dying day, Francis of Assisi was convinced that the leper was Jesus. Even if he was wrong, he was right.

31 “When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. 34Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? 38And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? 39And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’ 40And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ 41Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels’.”
(Matt. 25:31-41)

Being a good humanitarian doesn’t give us the eternal fulfilling relationship we seek. However, Jesus makes clear, having a committed relationship with Jesus Christ inevitably results in sincerely caring for our fellow human being. Not caring for selected individuals, but caring for all we encounter. Throughout 2007, every person you see, whether you like them or not, whether you understand them or not, whether you agree with them or not, is Christ confronting you: how will you deal with Him?

Steve

Sing a New Song to the Lord in 2007

2007-01-03T12:53:00.000-08:00

“He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the Lord.”
Ps. 40:1-3

David is stating this as both a reflection of his past and as a future vision. He recently had many trials and frustrations, yet his focus in the Lord gave him strength, a positive attitude, and, a hope. It paid off. He discovered at the end of his current experiences that in the end, God truly does bring happiness and fulfillment…even when times are low…and he knew that people were
watching him.

He took a leap of faith, and it proved itself a reality. Based upon that reality, he is now looking to the days ahead. Experience has strengthened his faith and his reason to hope. He now knows that our commitment to the Lord will help us through our challenges and fears. He also knows that people will be watching, especially skeptics, and our faithfulness to God will also serve as a witness to others (don’t kid yourself, you ARE being watched! We’re being observed by people who wish to disprove our faith…we’re being observed by people who wish to have faith like ours but are unsure).

As we enter 2007, so long as we stay focused on Christ through everything that happens, we will find peace, we will find fulfillment, and we will reinforce one another’s faith.

Blessings Always in All Ways,

Steve
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The Journey into 2007

2007-01-02T12:42:00.000-08:00

“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. 2This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. 4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. 7And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” (Lk. 2:1-7)

When Joseph and Mary headed out of Nazareth to Bethlehem, they had to be scared. The journey was uncertain. It was filled with robbers and pitfalls. In fact, no one made this journey without either securing private bodyguards or at least traveling in a large group. This was no luxury travel experience. But at the end, the Lord of Lord, the King of Kings, the Messiah, was in their midst. Yet, even with Him as their center, life was no picnic.

You and I are looking forward into a new 365 days ahead. It’s guaranteed to have its pitfalls. Undoubtedly, there are threats awaiting us. But if we join Joseph and Mary in being willing to go forward, with Christ as our center, the journey will be worth it.

As you move forward into a new year, where is your focus? It’ll make the difference.

Blessings Always in All Ways,

Steve

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Christmas Blessings - My Savior

2006-12-29T12:29:00.000-08:00

Greetings Brothers and Sisters in the Lord. I'm sure you're counting them now? I'd like to thank God for my Savior.

Zephaniah 3:16-18 (NLT)
"On that day the announcement to Jerusalem will be, cheer up, Zion! Don’t be afraid! For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs. I will gather you who mourn for the appointed festivals; you will be disgraced no more."

Luke 2:10-11 (NLT)
"but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!"

2 Timothy 1:9-10 (NLT)
"For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News."

I've been a born again believer for about 18 years now. It hasn't been so long ago that I can't remember how life was prior to Jesus coming into my heart. Let's suffice it to say I was not a happy person. Oh sure, there were moments when I was happy. But I had no peace. I worried about everything. I struggled with alcohol and drug use. I was not a very nice person to be around; very self-center and self-serving. My marriage was not doing well, and, to tell you the truth, I wasn't too sure I cared. What a difference Christ has made in my life. He has given me so much more than I deserve. Are you struggling right now? Does it seem like everything in your life has gone wrong and you're not sure of your direction? Do you lack peace? It could be that you need Jesus to help you to turn your life around. You can do it today. Jesus is the gift that keeps on giving.

Have you accepted Jesus' gift of salvation? If you have, then your really need to praise God for sending Jesus to pay the price for your sins.

Blessings,

Bill

Christmas Blessings - My Job

2006-12-28T12:06:00.000-08:00

Greetings Brothers and Sisters in the Lord. Have you started counting your blessings yet? I'd like to thank God for my job.

Proverbs 21:5 (NLT) "Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty."

Ecclesiastes 5:11-12 (NLT) "The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers! People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night’s sleep."

2 Timothy 2:15-16 (NLT) "Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. Avoid worthless, foolish talk that only leads to more godless behavior."

Many of my peers tell me they wouldn't want my job. I provide 3rd level support for the Ops Management Reporting web site. In addition, I'm responsible for sending/supporting the FLWB reports for the company. I'm also the catch-all for many other types of support issues that come up and aren't part of my other teammates' job responsibilities. I'm a very busy person, and I have many days where I feel a bit overwhelmed by the amount of work I must complete. But I'll tell you what, this is one of the best jobs I've ever had (with the exception of being a stuntman -- it was fun, but it didn't pay enough). Anyway, my point is God has given me a means to support myself and my family's needs (and some of their wants as well).

Do you have the means to earn an income? Praise God for allowing me to work and feel good about what I do.

Blessings,

Bill

Christmas Blessings - My Church

2006-12-27T12:22:00.000-08:00

Greetings Brothers and Sisters in the Lord. Have you started counting your blessings? I'd like to thank God for my church.

Romans 12:4-6 (NLT) "Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you."

Ephesians 1:22-23 (NLT) "God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself."

Ephesians 3:6-7 (NLT) "And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus. By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News."

Colossians 3:14-16 (NLT) "Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts."

My church is not perfect. In fact I was told a long time ago that if I ever found the perfect church, I should never join it because I'd ruin it. While I could have taken this comment badly, I understood the joke. No church is perfect because it is made up of people, and people aren't perfect. As a church made up of humans, we are all subjected to our sinful nature. We stumble and bumble through life relying on God to do something amazing with our efforts, but sometimes we cause more problems than good. This may sound like a "train wreck" rather than a church, but the good news is we are united in our love for Jesus, and God's Word is preached with no apologies. We have an amazing Missions program -- supporting missionaries in Europe, Africa, South America, and the USA. We have many programs that minister to members of our immediate community. I think we really are a church that cares and we're doing what God has called us to do.

Are you part of a loving church family? Praise God for allowing me to part of the Body of Christ.

Blessings,

Bill

Christmas Blessings - My Family

2006-12-26T12:19:00.000-08:00

Greetings Brothers and Sisters in the Lord. Now that Christmas day has passed, it's easy to run down and think of all the things we had on "our wish list" but didn't receive. When I was younger, I always seemed to have a "let down" as I considered "the list". As I get older, I don't think about it as much because I have grown to realize how very blessed I am. So I'd like to share some of the things for which I am grateful. Perhaps these are things that weren't on your "list", but you're blessed to posses.

Job 29:18-19 (NLT) “I thought, ‘Surely I will die surrounded by my family after a long, good life. For I am like a tree whose roots reach the water, whose branches are refreshed with the dew.'"

Proverbs 8:31-32 (NLT) "And how happy I was with the world he created; how I rejoiced with the human family! And so, my children, listen to me, for all who follow my ways are joyful."

I realize my family's not perfect, but I love them very much. I have a 20 year old son and a 16 year old daughter. At times, I have trouble liking them, but I always love them. My wife and I are high school sweethearts. We've been together 29 years this New Year's Eve (the night I gave her my Ring). Recently my mother-in-law came to live with us…boy has this made things interesting. You know what, I'm blessed to have a wonderful family. My kids are kooks (the nuts don't fall too far from the tree--if you know what I mean). They have terrific (although at times very strange) senses of humor, and every adult who spends time with them tells me marvelous compliments about them. My wife is a saint (verified by the miracle that she has not killed our children during this teenage phase they're going through, and the fact that she's put up with me all these years). I know without a doubt that God brought us together for life. My mother-in-law's dementia provides many humorous interludes as she asks the same questions and makes the same comments within minutes of each other.

Are you blessed to have a loving family? Praise God for the many gifts He has given us.

Blessings,

Bill

Spiritual Cells

2006-12-21T12:36:00.000-08:00

It never ceases to amaze me that we - walking, talking, thinking human beings - began as 2 cells! Those 2 cells, filled with the DNA of their mother and father, became one (united); then divided; creating another cell, those 2 cells divided making 4 cells, which divided and made 8 cells, and so on, until 9 months later a child was born - a person - with characteristics of both parents. Wow!

Cell division and growth doesn’t end at birth, it continues rapidly, growing and developing a child through the stages of life. Some estimations suggest that we consist of roughly 50 trillion cells (a number I struggle to fathom). All through life, new cells are generated and old cells die off. This is called cell regeneration and it occurs at the estimated rate of 3 million cells a day. When new cells are created they are a replica of the original cells. This is one of the reasons it’s important to have “healthy” habits. As you might imagine, healthy cells generate healthy cells, and unhealthy cells generate unhealthy cells. What you do today affects you years from now when the unhealthy cells you may be creating develop more unhealthy cells. We often don’t recognize the benefit of healthy habits until years later.

The same is true of spiritual cells. They continue to grow, develop and regenerate. Spiritual cells generate spiritual cells. The more we feed and nourish them, the healthier they become and the healthier the cells they generate will be. That’s why staying in the Word is “good for you”.

Since we know that everyone is born with a deposit of the Holy Spirit, this is true for unbelievers as well. At sometime in their life, they may “hear” the Word of God and it unites with a (Holy Spirit) cell deposited at birth. That cell generates a new cell that is also full of the Spirit. If the unbeliever periodically gets “fed” the Word of God, those Spiritual cells multiply faster and the spiritual fetus grows. We should never think our efforts to spread the Good News are in vain. God will NOT turn His back on His Word, and we have no idea how “far along” their spiritual fetus is. Eventually the cells that are full of the Spirit will reach gestation, they will accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and they will be born (again).

Psalm 96:2 Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

1 Peter 1:23 For you have been born again. Your new life did not come from your earthly parents because the life they gave you will end in death. But this new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.

Blessed Father, Thank You for your deposit within me. Thank You for uniting with me to advance Your Kingdom. I pray that the Holy Spirit within me would continue to feed Your spiritual cells – in whomever they may be. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Barb

Pouting

2006-12-20T12:01:00.000-08:00

Along with Ryan’s newfound excitement for computer games, comes a newfound desire to play them…a lot. While I want him to have fun with them (and we do control what he has access to), I do not want this to be his total free-time experience. He has always been an avid reader and loves playing all sorts of games. I want to be careful to ensure he has a well-rounded experience. Generally we allow him no more than an hour a day of EITHER computer games, selected movies or PBS TV – that’s AFTER homework is done.

Lately he’s been asking for more computer time. When I remind him of the rule, he often tries another angle and asks his dad for permission. He’s also been attempting creative negotiation. His most recent stunner was an announcement that he would eat more fruit if he could have more computer time. He even mentioned that an apple should equal 30 minutes.

Well, sometimes the answer is just plain “no.” This often brings out the lower lip and results in pouting. The season being what it is, I’ve reminded him that “Santa Claus is coming to town” and that he says you should not pout. It’s really hard for him to make the transition away from pouting. I’ve seen him try to wipe tears away, and although he eventually forgets it for awhile, he often brings it back up again later and the cycle starts again. No matter what we say, it’s hard for him to comprehend how playing the computer for hours on end might not be the best thing for him. He thinks it would be great!

As I considered Ryan’s actions, I wondered if the Lord ever thought of us as “pouters”. When we want something and it doesn’t happen according to our schedule or in the manner we think appropriate, do we pout or sulk? Do we “try another angle” and see if we can get our way by some other effort? Do we actually try to negotiate with God? “I promise I’ll do (insert your promise) if you’ll only do (insert your desire) for me.” Do we define for God exactly how or when this desire should be granted? Is it hard for us to comprehend exactly why God does not see the great value in fulfilling this desire exactly as we have defined it? We think it would be great!

Let’s back away from our desires for a moment and consider God the Father. Do we think it is possible that His plans for us might be just a bit more thought out than ours? Is it possible that His vision of all things (including the future) could be an angle that we have not considered? Do you think the disciples could even begin to imagine the greatness and wonder of God’s plan when Jesus told them that He must die and it would be better for us if He did? Assuming we have a right relationship with God, once we bring to Him our desires, maybe pouting isn’t really going to help Him make a decision. I wonder if praising whatever He does might be a better choice! How about faith that “Father knows best”?

Proverbs 3:11-12 (Message) But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline; don’t sulk under his loving correction. It’s the child he loves that God corrects; a father’s delight is behind all this.

Matthew 7:9-11 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Luke 22:22 For I, the Son of Man, must die since it is part of God’s plan.

Holy Father, Thank You that your plan is perfect. I pray that we will always honor You with faith that You know best and live in honor to Your will for our lives. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

You better watch out,
You better not cry,
Better not pout, I'm telling you why,
Jesus Christ is coming to town.

He's making a list,
And checking it twice;
Gonna find out who's naughty and nice.
Jesus Christ is coming to town.

He sees you when you're sleeping,
He knows when you're awake,
He knows if you've been bad or good,
So be good for goodness sake!

You better watch out,
You better not cry,
Better not pout, I'm telling you why,
Jesus Christ is coming to town

Barb

Levels of Victory

2006-12-19T12:55:00.000-08:00

Recently my 6 year old son Ryan has become very excited about computer games. He relishes learning to maneuver the characters to jump obstacles and obtain prizes along the way to various levels of victory. There are times when I hear him playing and he’s talking to the computer, captivated by the excitement of the task before him. He grunts at failure and rejoices at success. He periodically complains if he can not get past a certain level, but he goes back and tries again. Sometimes he gets frustrated and just wants to quit, but calls for help: “Mom, I can’t make this jump, can you help me?” “Sure you can,” I say, “let me show you and then you practice.” Ultimately, after much practice, he makes the jump on his own. His skills are now showing the fruits of his practice and amazing me with things I would not otherwise have known.

This made me think about my own salvation, just a few short years ago. Newfound excitement would be an understatement! Oh how I relish learning. I am most certainly captivated by what’s in front of me, and yes, I grunt at failure and rejoice at success. Guess what else? I also talk to the opportunity and to the blessing. When I am stuck or frustrated, I ask for Help. I ask Him for direction and also consult some “wise counsel” friends of mine. Afterwards, I get to practice on my own. And you know what, some of my friends (even some of my ‘wise counsel’ friends) have commented that, through me, something was revealed to them that they did not know.

As I pondered this correlation, I thought about what’s next? Ryan will probably master these skills, grow up and lose interest in these games. Eventually something else would captivate him. Something that he was SO excited about would not be exciting anymore. I wondered if that would happen to me. Would I eventually be less passionate for the Lord? I’ve actually heard Christians say things to me like, “Oh I remember the excitement of when I was first saved. This is the best time for you!” For a while I didn’t want to think about those statements, but decided that was akin to “sticking my head in the sand.” Obviously there are Christians who aren’t as excited as they once were about Jesus anymore. What happened? And how do I avoid it happening to me?

With each computer game, Ryan practiced to success. He maneuvered through various levels of victory within one game and then moved on to another. Eventually he may leave computer games behind and find interest elsewhere. Wherever he moves he will have to treat his desire to succeed with an effort. His level of success will be dependant on his innate ability and his work ethic. And as he is successful, his work will become desire.

Similarly, I believe the depth of our walk with the Lord may also be a matter of faith and works. Both are needed for victory. If our heart continues to be excited about Jesus – if we are faithful to Him, then I think we need to continue to work ourselves into His presence. Faith and works then feed off of each other. As we feed our faith with His presence, we achieve victory - we discover our gifts - and our work becomes our desire. We are then able to move to the next level – where it starts all over again! Importantly, just as we need to have a business “work ethic” to attain business success, I think we need to have a spiritual “work ethic” to maintain spiritual success.

James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Colossians 1:23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand in it firmly. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News…

Ecclesiastes 4:12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Glorious Father, I pray that each of us would do whatever it takes to stand firmly in Your presence, that the Good News would continue to be the Joy of our heart, and that we would stay in your Word to nourish our spirit and enhance our desire. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Barb

Mary Had A Little Lamb

2006-12-18T12:44:00.000-08:00

One of the things that you may have noticed about me is that I absolutely love seeing God in everyday life. Recently I “heard” this nursery rhyme for the first time with a different set of ears. I was awed at what I knew about the words and the context for today’s world.

Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow.
Everywhere that Mary went, the lamb was sure to go.
It followed her to school one day, which was against the rules.
It made the children laugh and play, to see a lamb in school.
And so the teacher turned it out, but still it lingered near.
And waited patiently about, till Mary did appear.
"Why does the lamb love Mary so?" the eager children cry.
"Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know." the teacher did reply.

My initial reaction towards this nursery rhyme was focused towards the literal words and the relationship to God in school. The Supreme Court banned prayer in school in 1963. I believe that has not been beneficial for this country in general, and all youth in particular, but I do believe that God knew it would happen that way and God’s influencing hand is prophetically all over this nursery rhyme, written in 1830.

Here’s what it may say: A child named Mary had a relationship with a little lamb (the Lamb of God – who is pure and perfect). The Lamb (Holy Spirit) was with Mary wherever she went, including school. That, of course, was against the Constitutional Amendment, but the children were still excited to have Him there. Even though the Lamb (prayer) was removed from school, it stayed nearby (in her heart) and would not “go away”. He waited patiently for Mary. Other children wanted to know why the Lamb didn’t run away, but waited for Mary. The Lamb loves ALL children; but those who accept the Lamb as their Lord and Savior, those who love the Lamb, hold a special place in His eternal heart and are especially blessed by His love.

And as I thought further I realized that the prophetic message of this nursery rhyme loomed even larger. It also says: Jesus, born to Mary, was the pure and spotless Sacrifice of God for His people. He created believers everywhere He went, and they were overjoyed at His teachings and presence. The teachers of the law, however, rebuked Jesus and crucified Him (put Him out), but He (the Holy Spirit) would not go away. Time is in His hands and He is the Lord of patience. When we show up for relationship with Him, He is there; accepting us lovingly, no matter what. Unbelievers don’t understand this bond with our Lord. They don’t seem to comprehend how we can love Him as we do. It’s because He first loved us.

1 Peter 1:19 (NLT) He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.

Luke 2:10-11 (NKJV) Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

1 John4:19 We love Him because He first loved us.

Blessed Father, May we continue to see and feel Your Hand in our everyday life. May we honor Your presence in our everyday comings and goings. And may You know our love for You in Your everyday. We submit our everyday successes and agonies to Your Glory. Praise be to God! In Jesus Name, Amen.

Barb

Merry Christmas

2006-12-15T12:43:00.000-08:00

Max and I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. This time of year is about celebrating Christ’s birth and the life He has so freely given. For many this will be a time of celebration, spending time with family and friends, buying gifts, receiving gifts, parties, going to church, bright lights, Christmas trees and decorations. For some it will be the first Christmas without a husband, dad, grandpa, mother, wife, sister or friend. For other’s it will be spent alone, cold and hungry. For some it will mean going in debt.

Our prayer is that we reach out to our family in Christ and to the lost world this Christmas. We want to change in our family how we have been spending Christmas and make it all about Him and giving ourselves to those in need. Not just at Christmas time but every day. My prayer is that we seek God this year and ask Him to show us what is important to Him and allow Him to guide us.

There will be people in prison not receiving anything from anyone. There will be people in a nursing home without family and friends. There will be children who won’t have one gift to open. There will be families all over who need us to show the light of Christ to them. There will be families losing their homes and not having anywhere to go.

Dear Father, let us celebrate Christmas this year the way it was intended. Lord, we want You to shine through us to those in need. Lord lay upon our hearts those who need us and guide our steps, our words and our actions. Lord, we are so sorry for what we made Christmas and help us to be more like You. Help us to give the gift of You. Lord, we want to be obedient to the calling You have put in our lives. Please quiet our minds and hearts so that we can hear You with all that is going on right now to get ready for Christmas. Thank You Lord for coming to this world, suffering and dying on the cross so that we may have eternal life with You. We love you Lord. Amen.

Max and Tammy

Matthew 25:39 - 46

2006-12-14T12:38:00.000-08:00

Mathew 25:39 – 46
The Sheep and the Goats
31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' 40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' 41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' 44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' 45 "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these you did not do for me.' 46 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. John 12:12

I read the above passage and verse and realized how much I need to seek God on this very thing. How much of my life am I clinging to and how much of my life am I losing for Him and His Kingdom?

Literally – are we helping the sick, visiting the people in prison, clothing and feeding the poor and are we inviting strangers in? Are there places in our communities that we can give money, food, drinks and clothing too?

Spiritually – are we helping the sick become healthy? Maybe they have a sin in their life and need help from the body to stops sinning. Is there someone you know in bondage/prison and does not have anyone to help them carry the burden. Do we see someone struggling but yet walk on by w/out offering ourselves to them?

Are we one of those people who are in bondage, hungry and thirsty but yet keep it to ourselves because we do not feel the love of Christ in the body? What keeps us from reaching out to others? What keeps others from reaching out to us?

My prayer is that we search God and ask Him to put in us a desire to give up our lives for Him and His family. My prayer is that we make this Christmas about serving Him and others.

Max and Tammy

Romans 10:8 - 15

2006-12-13T12:32:00.000-08:00

NOTE today Tammy is having serious surgery. She was determined to remain faithful to her responsibility of providing the Breads this week, regardless. She's quite a woman and an exemplary Christian model for all of us. Please take a moment and lift Tammy, her husband, Max, and the medical team attending her in prayer. I know she and Max would appreciate our post-surger prayers as well….

Romans 10:8 But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,"[a] that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9That 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. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."[b] 12For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."[c] 14How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"[d]

John 3:16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[f] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for sending people into our lives to share who You are with us and what it means to accept Your calling on our lives. Thank You for giving us eternal life with You. Lord, give us the desire to learn more about who You are and how to live our lives for You. Search our hearts and take out any hardness that we may have and create in us a heart of love. Help us to spend more time with You in prayer. Keep us still and quiet so we can hear You and feel You. Help us to see You in all things. Help us to be a light for You each and every day. We want more of You Lord. We want a deeper relationship with You. Help us to be more like You. Guide us into the lives of others to share Your Word and Your love with the lost. Let us share the Gospel without adding anything to it. We ask all these things in Your Holy Name Jesus…amen.

Max and Tammy

I Peter 4:11

2006-12-12T12:29:00.000-08:00

I have had a good life. I have been blessed by family, friends, jobs, a wonderful God-fearing husband, an awesome dog…I could list the blessings for many weeks. I even had great health. I knew God loved me and He was so good to me. I had a comfortable life w/out much pain or heartache. Then May 5, 2005 came and I lost my baby and a very dear friend of mine. Then on August 5, 2005, I found out I had breast cancer. My comfortable life that I had was no longer comfortable. I questioned myself. I questioned God. I honestly thought God no longer loved me and was punishing me. I really did. I was sick with thinking I had done something that caused this to happen to me. I could have gone on thinking that but God wouldn’t let me. God put in me the desire to search Him and His Word and come to realize that His love for me will never change and that He was getting ready to use me to further His Kingdom.

I think one of the most important things is to search God in all things. Sometimes I search myself more than I search God. God has a purpose for everything that happens in our lives. Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose.

I also think until we come to realize that God is in control of all things, the good and the evil, we will be missing the point of what is going on in our lives. Let our Lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on the harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thout shalt be well. 1 Samuel 16:16

1 Peter 4:11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as the ability which God giveth: that God in ALL things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion over for ever and ever. Amen.

My prayer is that our lives become all about God and His Kingdom. I pray that when good and evil come into our lives that we will seek God and His purpose in all of it. My prayer is that we come to the understanding that we “do not” and “cannot” build a highway to the sky. I pray that when trouble comes into our lives that we know God has a reason for it and His love for us is unshakeable. My prayer is that we cling to Him and know He has us in the palm of His hand and will never let us go.

I thank God for revealing Himself to me through this trial and for using me to serve Him and others. What an honor to be used by God. How often do we say, I want to be used by God...I used to say that so flippantly. Do we really want to be used by God if it means losing the comforts of our lives? Do we live our lives and “fit” God into our lives or are we truly living and giving up our lives for Him?

No matter how high a level we feel we are in our relationship with God there is still an infinitely deeper place to go with Him. What does it take to go deeper? Are we willing?

Tammy

Ephesians 2:8 - 9

2006-12-11T12:42:00.000-08:00

Breads for me are sharing what God is laying on my heart to share. Sometimes it is something He has shown me in the past and sometimes it is what is going on right now. Today’s bread is about what He has been revealing to me the last few weeks. Maybe more and maybe I’m just now getting it.

Many times we think if we are sitting comfortably in our homes in front of a warm fire and everyone is “good” then we have been blessed. And yes, I thank God many times for being able to do just that. Many times we think as long as we have a job, a home, a family, etc, then we have been blessed by God. And yes, I thank God many times for having those things in my life. Many times we think if we have a full day of kids, sports, family gatherings, church dinners, church gatherings etc, then we have been blessed by God. And yes, I thank God many times for those things. I can think of many more blessings that we look at as “good” blessings given to us by God. And thank You Lord for all those things. But what happens to us when trouble comes into our lives? How do we perceive others when trouble comes into their lives? And when trouble comes how do we perceive God?

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9.

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; 1 Corinthians 6

71 It was good for me to be afflicted, so that I might learn your decrees. Psalm 119

5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. 7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139

2 "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. Job 42

If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:11

My prayer is that we seek God in all things. I pray that we seek His will for our lives and the lives of others. I pray that we look at life through God and His Word versus our understanding of things.

There are many times I thought something was a true blessing and it wasn’t, or was it?

Tammy

Greater Works

2006-12-08T12:19:00.000-08:00

John 14:12
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”
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Every time I pick up the book Entrepreneurial Faith, I literally cry. As long as I can remember, I’ve had a desire to do something GREAT for Jesus. I just couldn’t find anyone else who felt the same way—until now.

In the words of the authors, “The Spirit of God lives in you, the power of God flows through you, the promises of God are prepared for you, the voice of God guides you, the angels of God protect you, the armor of God equips you. Do you really think God does all that so we can live mediocre lives, doing mediocre things , with mediocre results? Of course you don’t. So be faithful to unleash the success that God has ordained for you before the foundation of the world.” (Entrepreneurial Faith, by Kirbyjon Caldwell and Walt Kallestad, p. 139)

Finding God’s vision means becoming “spiritual entrepreneurs”—people who SEE what God wants them to see, BELIEVE what they see, and then DO it.

We are all entrepreneurs at one time or another when we come up with a new, untried solution to a challenge or need. Spiritual entrepreneurs do the same thing under the power and leading of the Holy Spirit.

So, are you ready for that vision? Here’s how to find it:

1) ASK GOD what He wants to accomplish in your community and the world, and what role you can play in His plans. Read Matthew 25:31-46 and Isaiah 61:1-3. Then focus on what CAN be, not what IS.

2) Don’t scale down God’s vision to fit your abilities. Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call to Me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things which you do not know.” If it’s safe and manageable, it’s probably a “good idea,” not a “God idea.”

3) Be willing and ready to give up the life you know. FIVE TIMES the gospels record Jesus’ words that whoever desires to find or save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Jesus’ sake will find it.

Jesus said we would do “greater works” than He did. That’s because He only had three short years to minister. He didn’t have time to build medical clinics, shelters for the abused and homeless, low-income housing, or businesses that create jobs that pay a livable wage. He didn’t, but you do.

But you don’t have to do it alone. Jesus turned the world completely upside down with just 11 uneducated, uncouth, unknown followers. What could he do through you and a handful of Christian brothers and sisters? (Hey, count me in!)

Cathleen

Got Vision?

2006-12-07T12:16:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 19:18
Without a vision, the people perish.

What is a vision? Simply put, a vision is “A mental picture of your future state.” The only problem is, we want to create that vision ourselves, much like a business leader creates a vision to define what his company will accomplish.

According to the Hebrew Lexicon, the word “vision” in Proverbs 19:18 refers to a divine vision or dream, especially a prophetic vision from God respecting future events. It’s the same word used in I Chronicles 17. In verses 3-14, Nathan the prophet tells David the prophecy of what God is going to do for him and his descendants. The next verse says, “According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.”

So, the “missing ingredient” that can transform us into powerful servants of God is a prophetic vision of what God wants to accomplish through us.

Why do you need a vision? Even if the Lord doesn’t return for another hundred years, OUR time is running out. We need to get BUSY saving souls before it’s too late. The most effective way to do that is to love people the way Jesus did, by showing them we care about their problems as well as their souls.

When we stand face to face with Jesus, we will be rewarded and punished based on what we did for Him in this life. Remember the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-29? It says the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country who gives five talents to one servant, two to another servant, and one to a third servant. When he returns, he discovers that the first two servants had used his money to gain more money and he rewards them . But when the third servant admits he buried his master’s money in the ground, what he has is taken away and he is cast into “outer darkness” where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Not clear enough? In the very next verses (Matthew 25:31-46), Jesus tells what happens at the judgment seat:

Those who served God by feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, taking in the stranger, clothing the naked, and visiting those who were sick or in prison REALLY DID IT FOR JESUS, and they will inherit the kingdom prepared for them.

Those who did NOT help the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, and prisoners will be sent away into everlasting punishment, because they DIDN’T DO IT FOR JESUS.

That makes it pretty clear. The single most important thing we can do is to find and fulfill God’s vision for our lives.

Cathleen

You’re In the Army Now

2006-12-06T12:12:00.000-08:00

Ezekiel 37:9-11
Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”’ So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.
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It was October 18, 2005. I was sitting in a Tuesday night Bible study, not really interested in what the teacher was saying and wondering why I was there, when I heard the Lord’s voice saying, “RAISE UP MY ARMY.” It didn’t make any sense at the time, but I knew it was Him speaking, so I wrote it down and dated it. As I returned to that phrase over the following months, the Lord led me to Ezekiel 37:9-11, the vision of God breathing life into His people Israel, transforming them from lifeless bones into a powerful, united army. But what could that possibly have to do with me, I wondered.

Several months later, I was talking with Pastor Helen, head of the women’s ministry at my church. Pastor Helen had just found out that the company she had worked at for 28 years was going out of business. Although she would receive a year’s severance pay, she had no idea how to start a new career at the age of 62. “Pastor Helen,” I told her, “this is a great opportunity! This is your chance to find GOD’S vision for your life!”

She looked at me for a moment and then asked, “How would you like to speak to our women’s ministry? I have an opening in a couple of months.” I said yes, but I really didn’t know what I would speak about.

A couple of weeks before I was scheduled to speak, I decided to spend my lunch hour at a local Christian bookstore. Naturally, I went right to the “sale” table. That’s when I found “Entrepreneurial Faith”--the book that would change my life and hopefully the lives of the women at my church. Maybe it will change yours, too.

Do you remember the story of Gulliver’s Travels? Gulliver washes up on the shore of Lilliput. While asleep, he is tied to the ground by the 6-inch-tall inhabitants. When he awakens, he easily breaks free of their tiny ropes.

As I prepared my message for the women’s ministry, the Lord showed me a picture of the church as a “sleeping giant.” The average Christian is just like Gulliver. We’ve been lulled into a sleep-like trance. We’re tied down by the cares and pursuits of this world. We’re convinced that, once we’re saved, all we have to worry about is “damage control”—avoiding too many sins and too many trials, always striving for a low-stress, “successful” life. If that’s how you see your life, then it’s time to break free of the ropes and wake up to a far more exciting and more fulfilling reality. You’re in God’s Army now. Just like Ezekiel’s vision, God wants to raise YOU up from “dry bones” to a living, breathing, powerful, elite member of “an exceedingly great army.”

Cathleen

Good News

2006-12-05T12:07:00.000-08:00

Philippians 4:18-19
Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
--------------------

The day before I ministered to that young homeless couple, I checked my bank balance and realized I didn’t have enough money to cover the rent check that I had mailed two days earlier. Desperate, I called my 18-year-old daughter and asked if I could borrow $80 from her. As I drove the 20 minutes to her house, I cried all the way. “Lord,” I said, “You promised to supply all my needs. Why am I reduced to borrowing from my daughter?” I know what you’re thinking. You’re right—I completely failed in the faith department.

The good news is, that didn’t prevent God from blessing me anyway. When I got home that night, there was an unexpected check for $250 from my parents, another check for $135 in child support (which I thought I wasn't going to get anymore since my ex-husband lost his job) and $25 from a Christian sister "just because."

Isn’t that just like the Lord? Only He could know that I would need extra money to help that homeless couple the next day. But that wasn’t all He knew.

After I helped the homeless couple, I left the office to deposit the $80 back in my daughter’s bank account. The bad news is, got a flat tire on the way. The good news is, I was parked right across the street from a tire store and the owner himself came over and put my spare tire on for free.

The bad news is, after that my car wouldn't start, so I had to call the auto club to tow my car across the street to the tire store. The good news is, that gave me the chance to minister to the tow truck driver and another customer at the tire store.

The bad news is, it cost me $124 for one new tire plus a vacuum hose. The good news is, God had already supplied the money I needed for the extra expense.

When the Philippians sent gifts to help Paul, he promised that God would supply all their needs in return. When God opens a door of ministry to you, He will also supply money for that ministry, plus your other needs as well. That’s the REALLY good news!

Your in Christ,

Cathleen

What’s it Worth?

2006-12-04T12:02:00.000-08:00

Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

As I walked from my office to the bank one morning, I saw a girl crouched down on the sidewalk by the liquor store with her face hidden in her hands. She looked dirty, so I figured she was homeless. As I passed by her I thought, "I'll get an extra $20 from the bank and give it to her when I come back." But I heard the Lord very distinctly saying, "Turn around now--she won't be there when you come back."

Feeling kind of silly, I walked back to the liquor store, crouched down in front of her and asked, "Are you OK?" She lifted her head and began pouring out her heart with tears streaming down her face. She and her boyfriend (both 21) had been living in the park for several weeks. She hadn't had a period in a long time and she was gaining weight, so she was pretty sure she was pregnant. They had no family or friends to turn to. They both had misdemeanor charges against them and were thinking about running away to Florida to start over.

Then her boyfriend came out of the liquor store. After talking with both of them for a few more minutes, I took their hands and led them in a prayer to receive Christ and ask God for guidance. Then I spent the next hour as a substitute mom, helping them talk through all their issues. In the end, the Lord put it on my heart to give them my business card and $100 for bus passes and a marriage license.

I wish I could say I solved all of their problems, but I didn’t. All I did was put them in touch with Jesus, the only One who really could solve their problems.

Jesus commands us to give—not just our money, but also our time, our attention, and our love. He also promises we will receive back whatever we have given—money, time, attention, and love. Because I reached out to that young couple in Jeus’s name, I know that when one of MY children gets in trouble and I’m not there, God will send someone to help them.

What’s that worth? Priceless.

Love in Christ,

Cathleen

Psalm 119: 133

2006-12-01T12:58:00.000-08:00

Psalms 119:133
Direct my steps by Your word, And let no iniquity have dominion over me.

Psalms 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

In the 10 plus years I have lived for the Lord I have tried to let Him direct my steps. My daily prayer is for Him to lead me where He wants me to be. When I lost my job in April, I had a peace about it because I knew He would be faithful to supply my needs.

Philippines 4:19
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus

I started serving at a restaurant about 30 miles away in a suburb to Albuquerque. Serving has been a nice change of pace. I am up and moving, I get to interact with people and best of all, men get to control my salary. You see, in Luke 6:38, I have another promise from God.

Luke 6:38
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

It's been fun to be literal about that. When I get asked why my tips are consistently high I have a good opportunity to give God glory. However, for the long term, I don't have paid holidays, benefits, sick days or weekends so I have told my boss that I would need to get back to a desk job in January. I got a call a couple of days ago from an agency looking to fill a non-profit position and they were very pleased with my interview. What I pray and ask of you to pray for me is that I am sensitive to His leading for my life. More than I want riches, comfort or material goods I want to know that my life made a difference in His Kingdom. I like the non-profit sector because they are about helping those less fortunate. Pray that if this is God's will the door would open and if not it would shut tightly and the perfect one would open.

You see, I have the best promise of all:

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

I know God's promises are true and real and I will stand and watch the future and hope that He delivers. As the hectic month flies by, remember that God clothed Himself in flesh to take our sins. What a Mighty God we serve!

In His Service,
For His Glory,

Deborah

Baptism

2006-11-30T12:38:00.000-08:00

Why must we be baptized?
When we are baptized, we are buried in water into the death of Jesus Christ. This immersion in water remits or washes away our sins.

Acts 2:38
38 "Repent," Peter said to them, "and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus the Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 6:1-4
1 What should we say then? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may multiply? 2 Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in a new way of life.

1 Peter 3:20-21
20 God patiently waited in the days of Noah while an ark was being prepared; in it, a few--that is, eight people--were saved through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the pledge of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Galatians 3:26-29
26 for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

How are we to be baptized? Baptism must be full immersion. It is hard to be buried with just a sprinkling of dirt!

John 3:23
23 John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. And people were coming and being baptized,

Baptism is in the Name of Jesus Christ.

Acts 2:38
38 "Repent," Peter said to them, "and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus the Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 8:14-15
14 When the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had welcomed God's message, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 After they went down there, they prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For He had not yet come down on any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Acts 10:47-48
47 "Can anyone withhold water and prevent these from being baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay for a few days.

This is so important, that if you have not been baptized in Jesus’ Name it is necessary to be re-baptized.

Acts 19:1-7
1 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions and came to Ephesus. He found some disciples 2 and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" "No," they told him, "we haven't even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." 3 "Then with what baptism were you baptized?" he asked them. "With John's baptism," they replied. 4 Paul said, "John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people that they should believe in the One who would come after him, that is, in Jesus." 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak with other languages and to prophesy.

Other scriptures on baptism:
Paul being baptized: Acts 9:18
Paul & Silas baptizing their captors: Acts 16:25-34
Paul’s story of his conversion on the road to Damascus: Acts 22:3-21
The importance of being baptized in a name: 1 Cor. 1:10-15

In His Service,
For His Glory,

Deborah

Is Baptism Necessary?

2006-11-29T12:29:00.000-08:00

There are those who will tell you that baptism is not necessary. That it is merely an available sacrament or the means to become a member of a church. Let’s look at what the Bible says about baptism.

Jesus was baptized to fulfill righteousness.
Matthew 3:13-15
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to stop Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and yet You come to me?" 15 Jesus answered him, "Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him to be baptized.

Jesus’ words concerning baptism:
Mark 16:15-16
15 Then He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Who must be baptized?
Acts 8:12
12 But when they believed Philip, as he proclaimed the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. (Ed note this was in a time when women were considered property not people.)

Acts 8:36-38
36 As they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, "Look, there's water! What would keep me from being baptized?" 37 And Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart you may." And he replied, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." 38 Then he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. (Ed note: a eunuch was a slave)

Acts 16:14-15
14 A woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was spoken by Paul. 15 After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, "If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us.

Acts 18:7-8
7 So he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed the Lord, along with his whole household; and many of the Corinthians, when they heard, believed and were baptized.

So we see that baptism was considered necessary by the apostles for men, women, slaves and all adults who were ready to proclaim their faith in Jesus Christ. Tomorrow we will look at the method of baptism.

In His Service,
For His Glory,

Deborah

Psalm 100

2006-11-22T12:11:00.000-08:00

Psalm 100
His Steadfast Love Endures Forever A Psalm for giving thanks.

1Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
2Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
3Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;[a]
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4Enter his gates with thanksgiving,and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
5For the LORD is good;his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

Footnotes:

Psalm 100:3 Or and not we ourselves

This excellent call to worship fully expresses my thankfulness as we approach Thanksgiving Day tomorrow. I pray that you would have an enjoyable day in His presence and spend quality time with your family and friends. And by the way, a little stuffing and gravy never hurts.

Blessings today and every day.

Mark

Psalm 107:21-31

2006-11-21T12:53:00.000-08:00

Psalm 107:21-31 (English Standard Version)
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.

21Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of men! 22And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,and tell of his deeds in songs of joy! 23Some went down to the sea in ships,doing business on the great waters; 24they saw the deeds of the LORD,his wondrous works in the deep. 25For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,which lifted up the waves of the sea. 26They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths;their courage melted away in their evil plight; 27they reeled and staggered like drunken menand were at their wits' end.[a] 28Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,and he delivered them from their distress. 29He made the storm be still,and the waves of the sea were hushed. 30Then they were glad that the waters[b] were quiet,and he brought them to their desired haven. 31Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,for his wondrous works to the children of men!

Footnotes:

Psalm 107:27 Hebrew and all their wisdom was swallowed up
Psalm 107:30 Hebrew they

Thanksgiving brings what thoughts to your mind? Family, a big feast, football games, big parades, and the coming of Christmas (although the stores have been decorated prior to Halloween)? Oh, yes, Pilgrims come to mind. What was with those guys anyway?

The Pilgrims were mostly English citizens who wished to have freedom of worship. In 1559, Queen Elizabeth issued a law called the "Act of Uniformity" requiring citizens to attend worship at the Church of England with severe punishment for missing services. The Pilgrims could not bear this burden so they left England for Holland where freedom was to be found. Once there (and it was quite an adventure to even get across the English Channel) the Pilgrims struggled to earn a living and even more importantly, maintain their religious beliefs. The Dutch culture had a hugely negative impact on the children of the Pilgrims with many children abandoning their families to enjoy the temptations of the large, licentious cities. After twelve years of this, the plan was laid to sail for Virginia and the hope of a new world and life.

Not able to find enough shipping for all of them, the first group of 102 set sail in late 1620. Strong storms continually buffeted the Mayflower and at one point the main beam of the ship cracked. The ship's captain, Master Jones pronounced that they would all perish should the beam not be laminated back together. On board was a giant screw for a printing press that the Pilgrims had hoped to use. That screw was a perfect solution and so the journey continued.

The storms pushed the Mayflower far north of their intended target of Virginia placing them in the Cape Cod area of Massachusetts. The cape was populated by many different Indian tribes, all of whom were not exactly excited to see this ship appear off of their shore. You see, this is not the first encounter that Native Americans have had with Europe, and those encounters had not been the most pleasant.

The spot that the Pilgrims chose for landing was the land that belonged to the Pawtuxet tribe, which had been wiped out by a mysterious disease. Because of this, neighboring tribes did not venture onto this deadly land. Once ashore, the Pilgrims were able to scratch out a meager living for themselves until spring.

In the spring a young member of the Pawtuxet tribe by the name of Squanto shows up. "Greetings, English. I trust that you are faring well and that the Lord whom you serve has kept you through the past winter." What a shock! Squanto had been kidnapped and taken to England for nine years and now appears to assist the Pilgrims.

God's hand is in all of this. The giant screw to keep the ship together. The persecution and sinfulness of European nations that forced the faithful to flee to a new land. The kidnapping of Squanto (else he would have died with the rest of his kinsmen) and education and conversion to Christianity. The landing at the place of the Pawtuxet, the only unoccupied land on Cape Cod, lest the Pilgrims may have been wiped out by neighboring tribes. All of this so that God could establish a nation that became the United States, a country founded upon Christian principles, but that is the source of many other Breads.

We should be as thankful today as the Pilgrims were in 1621 as they worshiped God in the land to which He had sent them.

Blessings today and everyday.

Mark

Philippians 4:8

2006-11-20T12:48:00.000-08:00

Philippians 4:8 (English Standard Version)
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.

8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

In a recent sermon, I heard the following poem that really seemed to speak about our society today. See if you agree.

They lie on the table side by side
The Holy Bible and the TV Guide.
One is well worn and cherished with pride
Not the Bible, but the TV Guide.
One is used daily to help folks decide,
No not the Bible, but the TV Guide.
As the pages are turned, what shall they see,
Oh what does it matter, turn on the TV.
So they open the book in which they confide
No, not the Bible, but the TV Guide.
The Word of God is seldom read.
Maybe a verse before they fall into bed.
Exhausted and sleepy and tired as can be,
Not from reading the Bible, from watching TV.
So then back to the table side by side,
Lie the Holy Bible and the TV Guide.
No time for prayer, no time for the Word,
The plan of Salvation is seldom heard.
But forgiveness of sin, so full and free,
Is found in the Bible, not on TV.

What do you think? Is sure is easy to get away from God's Word. The distractions are numerous with TV only being one of the many ways we separate ourselves from God and his Truth. As Thanksgiving rushes upon on this week, please take the necessary time to be thankful for all that God has done for you through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Blessings today and everyday.

Mark

Matthew 14:13 - 14

2006-11-16T12:33:00.000-08:00

Matthew 14:13 - 14 “When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”

I’ve been trying to get ready for a trip to my denomination’s National Missionary Convention, but the time I need for preparing keeps getting eaten away. My job demands so much extra time, and then the little emergencies of life eat up more time.

Last night, instead of being able to finish up my last-minute reservations, my daughter’s friend who lives with us needed to talk about her relationships, and I listened, and then I noticed my dog panting and shaking uncontrollably, so I had to take her to the pet emergency hospital. We were there long enough that I was too tired when I got home to do anything but sleep.

Today I hoped to leave work early, so I could finish getting ready, but that didn’t happen. And as I walked out to my car, I had such a longing to get away alone and pray. Some time to be quiet, to listen for His voice and find out if I still remember the sound of it. It seems so long. When I realized how much I missed my time with Him, I had to fight back the tears.

On my drive home, I had the Christian music station on, and the Lord spoke to me through the songs they played. He had compassion on me, the way Jesus had compassion on the crowd. And after He restored my soul through the music, He helped me have compassion on the girls when I got home.

Is your life too busy for you to spend time with the Lord? Are you letting the demands of the people around you build resentment in your heart, or compassion? Come to the Lord--briefly if that’s all the time you have--and let Him heal and restore you. Then let Him help you be a blessing to the people in your life.

Brenda

Philippians 1:3 - 5

2006-11-15T12:30:00.000-08:00

Philippians 1:3 - 5 “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.”

I wrote a Bread several months ago about my decision to go to Poland. My church has been the sole support for a minister, Jerzy, in northeast Poland for over twenty years, and this past September his church celebrated their 60th anniversary. They asked us to send some people from our church to celebrate with them. So I went, with two other women, and spent a week there.

It was such a blessing, for us as well as them, to spend time together. Jerzy’s enthusiasm was boundless. He told us about the activities he was involved in and his passions, like astronomy and geology, or Teutonic knight battle reenactments, and how he uses them to reach people for Christ. He shows them the stars through the telescope on his roof and then tells them of the God who created the heavens and the earth. He dresses as a warrior, remembering that we do battle against the powers of darkness in the name of Christ here on earth.

We shared meals with church members eager to speak to us and be reminded again that, even though we live halfway around the world from each other, our hearts are joined together through our faith in Jesus.

They were strengthened and encouraged by our visit. And we were blessed beyond measure for having gone. On both sides, the joy overflowed.

I don’t often think of the missionaries we send or the foreign ministers we support, except when I receive emails from them. But I need to. Through my prayers and support, I share in a partnership with them as they share the gospel with a lost world. And through contact with them, I can minister to them. It seems like such a little thing, to send an email or a letter, but I know it means so much to them.

What encouragement can you offer to those who serve on foreign soil? How might you minister to the ministers? Take a few minutes today to make contact with just one. You may find a new friend and a partner in the gospel.

Brenda

John 13:34

2006-11-14T12:19:00.000-08:00

John 13:34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

A missionary my church supports in one of the former-Soviet Central Asia republics has been forced to leave that country because they’re not renewing foreign visas. Evangelism is not permitted there, so I’m concealing her name, that of her adopted daughter (U), and the little boy from the orphanage (T) that she helped reunite with his grandmother. We got this email from her on the eve of her departure:

In about 6 hours, we will fly out of the country. Simply said, I am not ready to go. Saturday we visited T and family. I called in advance and told them I did not have time to visit long and that they need not prepare a meal. Silly me. They gave us everything they had. We ate nonstop for 6 hours. U couldn’t even bend over to put on her shoes as we left.

T entertained us with his dancing and he refused to speak a word in English but his own language was perfectly understandable. His grandmother sat next to me and wept, as she talked about how she was losing a "sister". It took me a minute to realize she meant me, one because she’s a grandmother (and I don’t see myself as that old) and also because I wasn’t aware she perceived the relationship as such. It was such an honor to spend time with the family and I have great hope for them.

Sad news continues to hit us all here, as people go and others are soon to be deported. Keeping faith isn’t the hard part, it’s the loss that accompanies relationships. Friendships are different here; appreciation runs deep and is expressed often. In a country so oppressed in so many ways, the people show resilience and continue to give love despite not having much of anything else. Their gifts of hospitality and mercy are evident.

A song has been going through my mind for several weeks now, "They will know we are Christians by our love." I am horrible with music and can’t sing a note if my life depended on it, but the song soothingly plays in my head. In fact, it’s not the whole song, but just that one line. "They will know we are Christians by our love." I can’t even remember where I ever heard that song actually played, but that one line keeps playing over and over in my head. "They will know we are Christians by our love." I’ve started to process it as an admonishment and an encouragement; to examine myself, not just behaviorally, but inwardly. As Christians, we will fail, we will face painful trials, others will judge us for our shortcomings and our task is simply to love, whether or not it is painful, whether or not it puts us in uncomfortable territory, whether or not we are condemned by this world. Love will stand.

If I look at my life from my own critical eyes, I see so much wrong with it: wasted time, flawed relationships, and a multitude of transgressions. "They will know we are Christians by our love." At times, I even despise myself. "They will know we are Christians by our love." It’s amazing that someone like me could be placed in a place like this and that God could do wonderful things through such a dreadful being. "They will know we are Christians by our love."

Love will stand.

Let us live our lives in such a way that people will first see our love.

Brenda

Romans 16:20b

2006-11-13T12:27:00.000-08:00

Romans 16:20b “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”

II Corinthians 13:14 “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

Colossians 4:18 “I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.”

Ephesians 6:24 “Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.”

There’s a pattern here. Every single one of Paul’s epistles (plus Hebrews) closes with grace. All of them. No exceptions.

A psychologist once said that the things we say will often tell more about ourselves and the things we value than they do about who or what we’re talking about. This seems true for Paul. He valued grace.

Grace and mercy are frequently confused, but they’re not the same. Mercy is withholding punishment from someone who deserves it. But with mercy, though unpunished, the person remains condemned.

Grace is altogether different. Grace is a gift given to people who absolutely don’t deserve it. This was Paul, a man who consented to the murder by stoning of Stephen, a man who persecuted the people of God. He deserved condemnation and death. He got not just mercy, but the gift of salvation that removed forever the condemnation for his sins. He received the gift of being called to speak for God Himself, to see the fruits of is labors, to receive in abundance the love of God and His people. At times these gifts seemed almost more than Paul could believe, and the realization of them expressed itself as joy.

When I talk to Christians and look at their lives (my own included), those lives don’t look much like Paul’s. Joy is often missing. Too many of us seem to be living lives that received the mercy of God but not His grace. Too many of us still feel condemned for our sins. This sense of condemnation is wrong, because there is no condemnation in Christ.

Romans 3:21 - 24 “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by is grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

May the abundant grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be yours.

Brenda

Our Father…

2006-11-10T12:00:00.000-08:00

“There is one God and Father of us all who is above all, and through all, and in all.” Ephesians 4:6

“Every good and perfect gift is from the Father….” James 1:17

Strongest Dad in the World [From Sports Illustrated, By Rick Reilly]

I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay for their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots. But compared with Dick Hoyt, I stink! Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day. Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S on a bike. Makes taking your son bowling look a little lame, right? And what has Rick done for his father? Not much--except save his life.

This love story began in Winchester, Mass., 43 years ago, when Rick was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs. "He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life," Dick says doctors told him and his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. "Put him in an institution." But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was anything to help the boy communicate. ``No way,'' Dick says he was told. "There's nothing going on in his brain." "Tell him a joke," Dick countered. They did,. Rick laughed! Turns out a lot was going on in his brain. Rigged up with a computer that allowed him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? "Go Bruins!" And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the school organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, "Dad, I want to do that. " Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described "porker" who never ran more than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he tried. "Then it was me who was handicapped," Dick says. "I was sore for two weeks."

That day changed Rick's life. "Dad," he typed, "when we were running, it felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!" And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon. "No way," Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then they found a way to get into the race officially. In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the qualifying time for Boston the following year. Then somebody said, "Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?" How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick tried. Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii. It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you think?

Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? "No way," he says. Dick does it purely for "the awesome feeling" he gets seeing Rick with a cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together. This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best time'? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the time. "No question about it," Rick types. "My dad is the Father of the Century."

And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries was 95% clogged. "If you hadn't been in such great shape," one doctor told him, "you probably would've died 15 years ago." So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life. Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass., always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's Day. That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy. "The thing I'd most like," Rick
types, "is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once."

Our Father who is in heaven has a love for us which we can never repay.

“…in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth nor anything else, will be able to separate us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:39

Blessings Always in All Ways,
Steve
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Love Isn’t Easy

2006-11-08T12:44:00.000-08:00

“For the measure you give will be the measure you receive.” (Luke 6:37)

It isn’t always easy to feel love for our fellow human beings. Even minor annoying incidents can get in the way---such as getting cut off in traffic, stuck behind an older couple taking their time, delayed by a cashier in training, or hassled by a homeless person panhandling.

Instead of giving in to frustration, let’s try opening our hearts.

The person who cut you off in traffic might be a single mom rushing home from work trying to arrive ahead of her child en route from school and pressed to take the little one to an activity.

The disinterested cashier may be a college student struggling with exams and worried about losing her student loan.

The older meandering couple may be savoring their moments together knowing there aren’t many left.

The homeless panhandler may be a slave to addictions that we can only imagine, and trying desperately to break free from them.

When we’re beginning to feel annoyed, frustrated, angered…express love: “For the measure you give will be the measure you receive.”

(credit to my friend, Fr. Dan Cody, for inspiring these thoughts)

Blessings Always in All Ways,
Steve
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Demons

2006-11-07T12:20:00.000-08:00

“Amazed, the people asked, ’What is in this man’s words that even demons obey him?’ 37The story of what he had done spread like wildfire throughout the whole region’ .” Lk. 4:35 (TLB)

A week ago tonight our daughter called informing us she was on her way home from work. It was dusk, and we reminded her to be extra careful as she entered our housing development: tonight there would be ghosts, goblins and other such creatures wandering through the streets---it was Halloween. Regardless of our feelings about Halloween as a “holiday”, it puts directly in our face the concept of demons.

We live an unrealistic life if we think demons are a fictitious feature. There’s nothing the force opposing God (Satan) would like more than for us to think demons are unreal.

The Scriptures make clear the existence of “fallen angels”, called “demons” from Genesis (which speaks of the “Serpent”)---to Revelation (which speaks of the ultimate battle between Good and Evil). Created as good by God, Satan and other fallen angels, consciously chose evil over God. Because we have a God who wishes us to choose to love Him rather than be forced to love Him, He allows us to choose otherwise as well, of course.

In Jesus’ ministry, demons appear and are mentioned often: at the time of His desert fast, as demons Jesus’ exorcised in many instances, in many of Jesus’ teachings, and in Jesus’ commission to His apostles to dispel demons. Demons are real and live among us. We encounter
them everyday. They’re in all aspects of life. At Halloween some of us are disguised as demons…but everyday demons are disguised as our friends, our business partners, our coworkers.

The Scriptures have scores of references of the fallen angels…demons…who have consciously chosen to oppose God. Satan, and His demons, definitely tempt us…but God can always overcome Him (them) if we choose to let God to do so. We make that choice through prayer…meditation (focus on God’s Love for us)…reading of Scriptures…and…associating with God’s Body (the Church).

Do demons exist? Are you kidding!?

And every moment of every day we have the choice of allowing demons to rule our thinking, our feelings, and our living…or to allow God to.

“Amazed, the people asked, ’What is in this man’s words that even demons obey him?’ 37The story of what he had done spread like wildfire throughout the whole region.’"

Blessings Always in All Ways,

Steve
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Stand and Testify, Part 5

2006-11-03T12:16:00.000-08:00

I want to thank all of you who submitted testimonies. It has been wonderful to read the many ways God has blessed your lives. Unfortunately, I could only use 5 of them. If I didn't use yours, please do not be offended. I enjoyed them all. I'm going to finish the week with this wonderful example of how God's love affected the life of one of our co-workers. Today's writer is Charles.

"Thank you for the opportunity to tell others how God has, in the words of your email, “transformed my life”. I suppose the word “transforming” is more appropriate than “transformed”. I’m still listening and learning and being transformed. And sometimes I listen more than others. I had a wake up call a few years ago when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. There couldn’t be any more frightening words in the English language to hear than “You’ve got cancer.” I heard those words on February 8, 2002.

I had surgery in St. Louis on May 21, 2002. As they wheeled me down to the operating room, I closed my eyes and I prayed. I remember waking up afterwards, being back in my room and my wife, Kay, telling me that the doctor felt good about the surgery – although he would not know for sure until he got the pathology report, he felt like all the cancer was contained in the prostate and there was no lymph node involvement. I began singing at the top of my lungs – Jesus Loves Me – and asking my wife and a couple of the nurses to join in and sing with me. That had to have been a sight. But I guess I was so in touch with my spiritual side that it truly felt good. Then I crashed and burned. At 10:00 that night, the nurse came in and said we were going to walk to the door and back. I just about couldn’t make it – I’m the guy who had bicycled the French Alps the previous July – and I just about couldn’t make it from the bed to the door. It was at that point that my goal became one of being able to run and to ride my bicycle as soon as I could.

My surgery was on a Tuesday – I was released from the hospital on Friday – but the doctor told me to stay over in a local hotel on Friday night. We did – and I got Kay to buy the most expensive bottle of wine she could find at the local wine store – and we toasted to my good health and thanked God.

We got back to Dothan, Alabama on Saturday afternoon. I got out of bed on Sunday morning around 5:30 and went in the bathroom to shave. Kay came running in wanting to know what I was doing. I told her I was getting ready for church -- not going to let a little surgery on Tuesday keep me from going to church on Sunday. She tried to protest – thinking that my body just probably wasn’t up to doing that. And she was right.

But I said we’re going anyway – we’ll go to the 7:30 a.m. service -- get the children up. This was not about me trying to be macho and show my strength. This was – to me – about showing those around me where my strength came from – and my way of expressing my thanks to God for a successful outcome.

And so there I went – catheter and bag hidden from sight by some baggy sweat pants. I didn’t have a lot of spring in my step as we all walked up to the altar to receive communion – but I wouldn’t have had it and other way. There we were – this is what got me through to the other side of this journey – my God and my Family.

Well the bag came off, the pathology report came back great and I set about walking and walking and walking. I went from walking to fast walking to a slow run to a jog. I started out only able to jog about a ¼ of a mile and kept adding the distance. In October, 2002 – just barely 5 months after surgery, my son and I ran in the Army Ten Miler in Washington, D.C. – for our 6th time. And while I was getting back into running, I was salivating to get back on my bike. I started out slow and kept adding miles and miles. And on the Friday before Thanksgiving, 2002, I flew from Dothan and our son, Charles III, flew from Washington, D.C., where he was going to school, and we competed the next day in the 108 mile Tour de Tucson in Tucson, Arizona – our third time to do this. As I came across the finish line, I shouted THANK YOU JESUS – and proclaimed myself totally recovered from surgery.

Now, here’s the amazing part. I had not been to a doctor in over 10 years – and when I went to the doctor it was for something totally unrelated to the prostate. I told the doctor that since it took over 10 years to get me there, then he should run every test on me that he could bill to Blue Cross under our insurance program. As a result my cancer was discovered. I believe with all my heart and soul that my cancer was cured by the healing hand of God – working directly and through the hands of some great doctors. I am searching to find what God wants me to do with the balance of my life, because I truly believe He has given me a second chance. And I believe that part of what I am being called to do is to witness to what a great God we serve – how HIS healing hand worked directly in my life – and to let others know how screening and the earlier detection of cancer can save your life. I have shared my story with groups from 2 to 2,000 and just one on one to anyone that will listen.

I truly believe this is part of what God wants me to be doing with the rest of my life. Look at this example of how HE worked through me. I have a great friend that had heard about my surgery and called to check up on me. During the course of the conversation, I gave him my spiel about getting checked. Several weeks later he called me to tell me he was going to the doctor for a complete physical – his first in over 5 years – just because I had told him to.

A few weeks later my friend called and in his normal joking way asked me who was that doctor I went to in St. Louis. You see, he had just received the results from a prostate biopsy and he had cancer. Coincidence? Or God’s hand working through me. My friend had surgery and is doing fine.

With cancer, the obvious question is: How do you get through it? For me it was all about God working in my life – all about HIM giving me the “peace that passeth all understanding; all about HIM picking me up and carrying me at times; it was all about my children praying for their Daddy and letting me know how much they love me; it was all about my Business Partner and my Life Partner (one and the same) looking after me – showing her love to me – holding me close and holding the business together as well; and it was all about attitude – no more bad days – just good days and great days. For some folks Cancer is the end of life – for me, it was the beginning of a whole new one. Thanks be to God.

The name of our company that holds our some of our franchises begins with BBG. We name it that in recognition of all the many ways that our lives have been Blessed By God – BBG – Blessed By God. We named our other company with GGG. GGG stand for Give God the Glory. Being cured of my cancer is yet another one of the ways that my life has been blessed by God. Being able to tell others about it is another of those Blessings. And for that I Give God the Glory.

“…Be strong and of good courage; be not frightened, neither be dismayed; for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)"

Thank you Father for your many blessings. AMEN!!

Blessings all,
Bill

Stand and Testify, Part 4

2006-11-02T12:04:00.000-08:00

Today's writer is Stefany. Here's another blessing:

"My husband and I had only been married 3 months when our world got turned completely upside down. It was February 8th 2004, and we were headed home to San Antonio after visiting my in-laws in Corpus Christi. It was 3:00pm and a perfectly clear day when I noticed some strange things on the highway… There was a white SUV pulled over on the right shoulder, and there were 2 pedestrians walking northbound on the left shoulder. For the life of me I couldn’t figure out why there would be people walking next to such a busy highway. As I was trying to determine which lane was safer to be in, I suddenly noticed there was a white Toyota truck stopped in front of me, in the left lane of Hwy 37. At 70 miles an hour, I had to react quickly. I swerved to avoid hitting the truck, and our Explorer rolled 4 times.

I was in and out of consciousness. I remember seeing my legs hanging out the driver’s side window and that I couldn’t turn my head to look at my husband nor would he respond to me when I spoke to him. There was a lady named Tiffany, a trained EMT, who stood outside my window talking to me. (I believe she was an angel sent by God to protect us.) She called my parents and let them know there had been an accident. My parents live in Dallas so it would take them a minimum of 8 hours to get to us. Tiffany stayed with us until we were taken to the hospital in Corpus and later came to visit us in the hospital.

I didn’t get to see my husband that night because he wasn’t stable enough. I finally got to see him the next morning in ICU. In addition to external injuries, he had also suffered a trauma-induced stroke, which caused severe right-sided weakness. I, on the other hand, was extremely fortunate and only had a broken collarbone and sprained ankle.

What a way to start out a marriage, right? Not what either of us expected. But I can honestly say that I now see this traumatic event as a blessing. We would not be where we are now (physically, spiritually, and emotionally) had we not gone through this trial.

Before the accident, I believe my faith was “luke-warm” or “on the fence”. Despite my efforts, I never could fully give my life to Christ. Now, however, I know that God is my strength and my savior. I thirst to learn more of the word of God and I seek every opportunity to share God’s love with those around me and to share my story. God used this experience to pull me closer to Him and to show me that I am not the one in control. (What a relief!)

As a result of the accident, Shawn and I have been through many challenges including a month-long hospital stay, intense physical therapy, numerous medical bills, career changes, moving to Dallas, and many many others. God has carried me through each and every part, and I know He will continue to lift me up as His daughter. I feel very blessed to have such a powerful story to share with others, and I pray that God will use it to speak to you as it may apply to your life."

Blessings,
Bill

Stand and Testify, Part 3

2006-11-01T12:53:00.000-08:00

Today's writer is Kelle . Enjoy the blessing:

Isaiah 25:1 (NLT)
O Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)
"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."

"My son was in the Army and fresh out of boot camp. When the war in Iraq broke out he was in the first wave of soldiers to be deployed. I was not so worried about what would happen because I knew it was God’s will, what I was concerned about was the fact that he himself had not been Saved. During his time in Iraq communication with my son was limited so when his father (my ex-husband) became ill with cancer, I had to contact the Red Cross for him to be brought home for 10 days. During that time, I requested that my son attend Church with myself and my youngest son (who was saved by this time). He hesitantly said yes only after I told him I spoke with the Pastor and requested the “snakes and potions” be omitted from this service. During invitation I received the greatest gift when my oldest son went to the alter and my youngest son ministered to him. My son was saved and I knew even though he had to return to Iraq, no matter what happened he would forever walk with our Gracious and Merciful Lord."

This one means a lot to me as I have a brother who has completed 3 tours in Iraq and is not saved. Praise the Lord Kelle can enjoy the peace that comes from knowing her son is saved.

Blessings,
Bill

Stand and Testify, Part 2

2006-10-31T12:38:00.000-08:00

I'm glad you were blessed by yesterday's testimony. Yesterday's writer chose to remain anonymous, but today's writer is our own Bread Baker, Mark. Enjoy the blessing:

Matthew 6:19 (ESV)
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, "

The day after Thanksgiving is usually a time of family celebration and, in our American culture, a day of shopping. Not so for my family in 1998. We were in between houses and most of our worldly possessions were in a storage facility. Early that morning a three alarm fire destroyed the warehouse including our belongings and those of some fifty other families.

We were so blessed by this event. What? Does that shock you? It should, just as it did us. Immediately we knew we were under His protection. Firstly, no one was injured in the blaze. Secondly, the fire was not at a house forcing people to flee for their lives. Finally, we had insurance, well not enough to cover the entire loss but we had enough for what God intended.

Immediately He used this event to bring glory to His name. God even introduced humor into the scenario. Our tax records were about the only thing that survived the flames and water. As we sorted through what was left, media outlets interviewed various victims. We were able to share our faith in God during this difficult time with words that made their way into newspapers and onto people’s TV sets.

Did we understand why this had happened? Not immediately. As the years have gone by, the reasons have become clear. This was an opportunity for the community of faith to share with us. I still have the toy car that a six year old boy thought that I might want to play with. There were boxes of toys sent to my nine year old daughter. This was an opportunity for glory to be directed to God. This was an opportunity for God to get my attention and to focus on Him.

Victims. That is what we were called. Blessed is what we really were. I have an entirely different perspective on things now. Possessions are not so important, people and relationships are. With God’s help, my attention is on his kingdom, not mine.

This experience is not unique. You have had and will have instances like this in your life. You must decide if you will listen to what He has to say to you and be obedient to his calling for your life."

Thank you Father for situations that, while they may seem tragic at first, help us to focus on the things that truly matter. We praise you for your love and mercy.

Blessings,
Bill

Stand And Testify, Part 1

2006-10-30T12:27:00.000-08:00

Greetings Brothers and Sisters in the Lord. After a wonderful Revival week at my church, I'm so blessed to be sharing stories of personal spiritual revival with you this week. Thank you to all of you who took the time to reply to my request for a personal testimony. Let me tell you the truth…nobody puts broken lives back together better than Jesus! You will be blessed by the stories I'm going to share with you this week. I apologize that some of them are a little long, but I'm sure you'll be blessed to hear how God is still in the healing business. This story, figuratively speaking, is right out of the Prodigal Son verses in Luke:

Luke 15:31 (NKJ)
“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’”

"I started a Christian Heavy Metal band in 1986. We wore eye liner and toted songs such as “Fighting The Beast” and “Blood of the Lamb”. There was simply nobody else doing it that hard and wild back then. We paid a huge price for the style as every club and organization laughed at us and the youth groups and churches boycotted us saying we were “satanic”. One youth group actually held a prayer vigil praying that we would fail.

I met my girlfriend who eventually became my wife at the time. I gave in to the pressure of everyone misunderstanding our group and decided God did not have a calling to me in ministry and decided I was just a rock n roll guy, keeping my Christian beliefs internal. I vowed to always keep the original band name since it came from God, and nobody needed to know that part. I switched the band to secular heavy metal music and we enjoyed some quick fame. Through the years however, I lost my faith, I lost my wife, and while I avoided drug use, I became a fan of drinking alcohol. Life was a struggle with a few highs, a lot of lows, and I felt as though I was just always down on my luck.

A year and a half ago I met my ex “life partner”, an LA blonde from the world of Hollywood who appeared to be everything I ever wanted. As drugs took her down a dark path, and I continued drinking, everything started caving in. As we walked down my street together after a weekend of drinking, a man (later finding out he is part of one of the churches founding families) came out of his house wearing a “Fender” guitar shirt. He started testifying to us about God and telling us about Celebration Covenant. When we got home we joked about it saying that “Jesus freaks like that, Christian nuts, just make you want to drink more” as we guzzled down more alcohol.

The drugs and drinking of my life partner and my drinking took control and with it came lies and deceit about her party habits. We were shattered, and I was broken from her lies and hidden drug use as it got worse. Then one night, when it became too much for me to handle, I fell to my knees and said “God, I won’t go through this. I won’t lose her! I am sorry! I need you! I can’t do this alone anymore”. I got in my car and headed to Celebration Covenant that Sunday night to find it void of an evening service.

I remember saying “I knew it; God doesn’t want me in church”. I said “God… I’m going to pass several churches along the way to the bar and either call me into one of them or I’m going to the bar”. So I drove past a bunch of churches, one after the other and didn’t get a calling into any of them. I went to the bar instead, ironically, the same bar where there were the group of people who supported my ex-life partner’s drug problem hang out. I sat down and ordered my first of what was planned to be many drinks and began talking to the girl next to me.

It was then that I got the shocking message… God had brought me there that night, to the same place that was destroying us, to meet someone who would help save me… the girl at the bar was actually with Celebration Covenant that night and picking up pizza for their once a month Sunday night home group studies. I explained to her what had happened, why I ended up at that bar, how I had searched for God that night and basically given up, and she demanded that I go with her to the group that night. I left with her, hurt, broken, and very confused… to her home group, which was the beginning of my rebirth back into the arms of Christ, and left my tab still open at the bar.

God showed himself to me that night and from that point on, I was back with The Lord. I began going to Celebration Covenant, almost every service, began tithing, and got plugged into servant leadership immediately, asking about the “stage crew” at my first service (which lead to me joining The FEW Manovation, parking crew, and media team). From that point forward I quit drinking and haven’t touched it since. My ex life partner went back out, doing more drugs and eventually stumbled into church on a Wednesday night. She asked as she walked into the foyer with two bags, hung over from a drug bender “Can I come in your church” telling me that she put the drugs down because nothing was worth loosing me.

I thought we were back together and things would be perfect! It was then that I realized that I couldn’t any longer, Christian or not, be a part of a rock band which supported the exact things that had almost destroyed the only relationship with a woman that had made sense to me. I immediately decided to recommit my band back to God and I prayed that my band mates would be okay with it. I found that my band mates had been praying for the same thing, so the decision was an easy one.

The rest wasn’t easy, in fact, the battle had just begun. My ex-life partner found her fellowship in a local Alcoholics Anonymous group who assisted her in slowly and very painfully ending our relationship as she met fellow AA people to be intimate with instead of me, eventually ending all of our communications, and ultimately leaving our church as she became “one” in the body of AA. I even started reducing my church and group participation to attend AA meetings as an alcoholic, in hope that I would win her back. The loss of her in my life was heartbreaking, and thankfully the “Crazy Christian” who testified down the street from us and his family have since become like my own in helping me to give my ex and the relationship back to God through the heartache and the faith wounds.

I didn’t get to hear my original dream of my ex and my birthday love greetings to each other this September (both September birthdays), but on my birthday, September 17th, I got to hear something even better. That was the cheers of my family as our pastor read my name as a one of the new members of Celebration Covenant church. And similar to the Abraham and Isaac story, while I paid the sacrifice of giving my ex-life partner and that relationship back to God, He has blessed me by bringing my brother, his wife, their daughter, and my parents back into the arms of Christ and into Celebration Covenant as a family (all planning to become members). This is the first time since we’ve been kids that we are going to church again.

Onward I go, with Xceleration, Favor, and Breakthrough, into a new world with Christ in my life, and for once…in my whole, entire life. As I grow as a warrior through Him, I know he will someday bring someone special into my world… someone who I will call my wife in Christ’s name, not a life-partner in mans name, and I will rejoice and lead that relationship. The band will be releasing our first Christian demo CD since 1987 within the next few months with 6 newly written songs in Christ’s name. Big things are happening and I know this is just the beginning. It all started with my surrender to God, and my deliverance to Celebration Covenant Church."

Thank you Jesus that you love us so much that you'll take us back when we venture off on our own. We praise you for this soul that was lost, but now is found!

Blessings,
Bill

On Daddy’s Feet

2006-10-27T12:50:00.000-07:00

Visualize with me a three-year-old little girl standing on the tops of her daddy’s feet, with her tiny heels nestled into the folds of his ankles. Holding her by the hands, Daddy takes a step with his right foot, then with his left, then his right, then his left, as they glide about the room. As he walks, his little princess walks. Where he moves, she moves. The effort of this daddy-daughter duet is all Daddy’s. The little one is literally being carried along on her daddy’s feet. All she has to do is remain surrendered to the experience. She’s thrilled at the fun of it all and squeals in enjoyment as he moves her about. She gleefully asks that he go a certain way, and he complies, to her delight. And be sure, her daddy is getting as much pleasure in the experience as his little one. But then, for her own good, he moves in a direction different than she requests, and we hear her tiny voice call out, “Go this way, Daddy. No, not that way, this way. Daddy, where are we going?”

You and I have a heavenly Daddy who wants to walk us, like that little girl, into our destinies as we stand atop His feet. He longs to walk us into and through all our life experiences; so that where He walks, we walk, and where He moves, we move. There will be occasions when He will walk us on the path we envision, as we rejoice with great delight. There will be other times, however, that for our own good, He will not respond to our bidding, “Go this way, Daddy. No, not that way, this way. Daddy, where are we going?” We must, nevertheless, yield to what He has for that moment, trusting that His way is perfect. As we remain surrendered to the experience, we will inevitably find ourselves again thrilled at the fun of it all and squealing in enjoyment.

Psalm 18:29-36 (Amplified)
29For by You I can run through a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. 30As for God, His way is perfect! The word of the Lord is tested and tried; He is a shield to all those who take refuge and put their trust in Him. 31For who is God except the Lord? Or who is the Rock save our God, 32The God who girds me with strength and makes my way perfect? 33He makes my feet like hinds' feet [able to stand firmly or make progress on the dangerous heights of testing and trouble]; He sets me securely upon my high places. 34He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 35You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your right hand has held me up; Your gentleness and condescension have made me great. 36You have given plenty of room for my steps under me, that my feet would not slip.

Abba Father, may we ever abide on, and trust in, Your lovely feet. For in that place of trust, we become like Jesus, doing only what we see our Father doing and speaking only what we hear our Father saying. In Christ’s name. Amen

Barb

Colors of Covenant

2006-10-26T12:03:00.000-07:00

Think about the last time you saw a rainbow. Not with every rain, but once in a while when the sun shines during rain, we are privy to the blessedness of the rainbow. With every viewing, I have found myself attracted to the beauty and awe of the colors that arc overhead – colors that seem to start from and end in some elusive place. I think about the proverbial “Pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.” I consider Judy Garland’s song, “Somewhere Over The Rainbow.” When encountering a rainbow, I always sense joy and hope.

The phenomenon of the rainbow is produced from sunlight and water droplets in the clouds. The colorlessness of the sun’s visible light, which we call “white,” is actually the presence of all colors. And as sunlight passes through prisms of precipitation in the air, the colors bow forth. God created the rainbow as a gift to Noah and all living creatures signifying His covenant that He would never again flood the earth. Whenever it would rain and the sun shown, the bowing reminder of God’s promise would color the sky.

In Scripture, Jesus is called the Sun of Righteousness (Mal. 4:2) and the Bright and Morning Star (Rev. 22:16). He is the source of all light and all color. When the light of our Savior passes through the prisms of His promises, then the colors of His covenant rainbow forth. With the natural rainbow, we see the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Similarly, in the Spirit, we behold the colors love, joy, peace, provision, prosperity, comfort, healing, life, victory, and many more.

Sometimes in our lives, we have “rainy” days or seasons – times when things just aren’t going as we might have hoped or planned. Sometimes the rains fall so heavily that it feels like God is absent, or colorless. But if we look to the heavens, like Noah, we will be comforted by the bowing reminder of our Lord’s faithfulness to His promises. As we behold His colors of covenant, His perfect love will cast out all fear. His joy will flood our hearts. The peace that surpasses understanding will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Everything we need, we will have. We can know without a doubt that the blessings of our Father God will find us and overtake us – whether we need healing, victory in a battle, renewed faith, or refreshing in our souls. No matter what has clouded our skies and brought the rain, the rainbow reminds us that the “pot of gold” is His promise. And we can rest assured that all the wonder that lies somewhere over the rainbow is available to us in our here and now.

Genesis 9:8-17
8Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying: 9“And as for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you and with your descendants after you, 10and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ark, every beast of the earth. 11Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. 14It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; 15and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

Revelation 4:3
And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.

Dear Lord, Thank You that You faithfully remind Yourself of Your everlasting covenant with us. Help us, Lord, to continually draw our light from You and trust that You will always come to our rescue. We also pray that Your light pass through us as we follow You, that we may brighten each other’s lives with Your colors of covenant. In the saving name of Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.

Barb

You give them something to eat

2006-10-25T12:55:00.000-07:00

When Jesus tells you to do something, you can rest assured that you are both able to accomplish it and you will do so miraculously as you obey Him. Recall the encounter where Jesus orchestrated the feeding of the five thousand men (plus women and children) with only five barley loaves and two small fish. When the disciples told Jesus to send the crowd away to go get food for themselves, Jesus told the disciples to give them something to eat. The disciples’ very natural and expected response was “How, Lord? We don’t have what it takes.” Jesus replied, “Just follow My lead.” Then Jesus took the loaves of bread and fish, looked up to heaven, blessed and broke them, and gave to the disciples. The disciples then gave to the multitudes. Question: In whose hands did the loaves and fish multiply? Did the multiplication began in Jesus’ hands and continue in the disciples’ hands? Or did the multiplication happen only in the disciples’ hands as they gave in faith? Perhaps the multiplication began in Jesus’ hands as He divided the loaves and fish among the twelve disciples; and the faith of the disciples was fueled by witnessing that initial multiplication. Then the disciples followed Christ’s lead. Everyone got fed. Everyone got filled. And afterwards, twelve baskets full of leftovers were collected. Isn’t that so like our Lord?

Christ’s message has not changed. There are hungry multitudes among us whom we are instructed to feed. The food we give, however, is not natural, it is the Bread of Life. Maybe you question, like the disciples, “How, Lord? I don’t have what it takes.” Hear His reply, “Just follow My lead.” When lifted high upon the cross, Jesus looked up to heaven, blessed and broke, and gave Himself for us. He gave His body as bread and His blood as drink so that everyone who hungers and thirsts shall be filled. Jesus initiated the multiplication of Himself in us; and we must now multiply the Jesus in us as we give Him in faith to others. We take up our cross daily and follow Him. Like our Example, we are food for the hungry and water for the thirsty as we minister His Word. We are clothes for the naked as we minister His love. We are a healing balm for the wounded as we minister His comfort. We are direction for the lost, as we point the way to Jesus. We are lovers for the unloved. We are His hands and feet in this earth.

Will you give them something to eat? It doesn’t matter how little you think you have, you can rest assured that you are both able to accomplish it and you will do so miraculously as you obey the Lord.

John 14:12-14 (NKJ)
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

2 Peter 1:3 (NLT)
By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

Thank You Lord that Your plan for us is even greater that we can imagine. Thank You Father that You desire for us to walk in Your footsteps, just like most earthly fathers desire of their children. And thank You that You’ve equipped us with Your Spirit to do just that! Give us the strength to stand in the knowledge that You have already given us everything we need to follow Your lead. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Barb

Hide and Seek

2006-10-24T12:25:00.000-07:00

My sons (Casey and Ryan) love to play hide-and-seek. So when they “coerce” guests into an “in-house” version of the game, I am not surprised. What often confounds these unknowing participants is that Casey plays this game a bit differently. On a recent evening, my best friend, Yerusha, was nominated. She would count with one of the boys while the other one hid. Then the two finders would seek the hidden one. Whenever it was Casey’s turn to hide, he would without fail give his location away. After counting and warning, “Ready or not, here we come,” the finders would say, “Okay, now where is Casey.” From his hiding place, Casey would call out, in delighted anticipation, “Here I am.” Every time! For Casey, the fun of hide-and-seek is in being found. In fact, when the finders didn’t call out to him first, he called out to them, “Okay, come find me.” When he is found, he laughs excitedly and celebrates; and his joy fills the room.

When first learning to play hide-and-seek, we attempted to tell Casey that he needed to play it according to the rules -- giving away his hiding place was not how he was supposed to do it. We have come to appreciate, however, that Casey will not remain silent and “contain” his hiding place. It doesn’t matter that his method for playing hide-and-seek is not what’s expected or typical. What matters is his joy.

Casey’s behavior demonstrated to Yerusha and me something very sweet about our Lord’s nature. God absolutely relishes being “found” by us. To unbelieving hearts, God is hidden from their perception. Yet He calls out to them from His hiding place, “Come find me.” He yearns to be found. Scripture tells us that God wants all humanity to be saved and come to full knowledge of truth (1 Timothy 2:4). For those of us who have already surrendered our hearts to Jesus, He equally longs to be found by us, over and over. He himself says, “Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you…” (Jeremiah 29:12-14).

So as we turn to look for the Lord (“Here we come”), He will without fail reveal himself to us (“Here I am”). And when He is found by us, He laughs excitedly and celebrates. How fortunate for us that God doesn’t play by the rules of this world! There are times when God would be well within right to remain silent and contain His hiding place from us. But because of His unfailing love for us, He does not act according to what is expected or typical in our human experiences. Whether we call to Him or not, He faithfully calls to our hearts. For to the King of kings and Lord of lords, what matters most is the joy of wooing our hearts to His hiding place. What grace!
1 Corinthians 2:7 (Amplified) But rather what we are setting forth is a wisdom of God once hidden [from the human understanding] and now revealed to us by God--[that wisdom] which God devised and decreed before the ages for our glorification [to lift us into the glory of His presence].

Colossians 1:26 (NKJV)
This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to his own holy people.

Colossians 2:2-3 (Amplified)
2 [For my concern is] that their hearts may be braced (comforted, cheered, and encouraged) as they are knit together in love, that they may come to have all the abounding wealth and blessings of assured conviction of understanding, and that they may become progressively more intimately acquainted with and may know more definitely and accurately and thoroughly that mystic secret of God, [which is] Christ (the Anointed One).

3 In Him all the treasures of [divine] wisdom (comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God) and [all the riches of spiritual] knowledge and enlightenment are stored up and lie hidden.

Our Father in heaven, thank You that You ache to reveal Yourself to us, that we may find You and share Your joy. Thank You that in Your mercy, You lift us into the glory of Your presence. Father, in the moments when we fail to call to You, help us hear and respond to Your delightful bidding. May our hearts never cease to seek You. In Christ’s name, amen.

Barb, with Yerusha

Luke 8:14

2006-10-20T12:15:00.000-07:00

Luke 8:14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.

After reading this verse I thought how often does God speak to me and I am overwhelmed with joy but then soon realize I am being choked by life’s worries. How many times are we in the middle of something before we cling to God and His Word? How often do we meditate on His Word to continually keep us? Our lives get busy fast.

As many of you know from the breads, I was diagnosed with breast cancer in August of 2005. Just when I think I am to get on with my life, I was told I was positive for the gene mutation. For me that means many things. The first thing that had to be done was a hysterectomy. I had the operation on October 4th and was told I couldn’t do anything for six weeks. Well, I was up and doing fine the next day. So, you can imagine now that more than a week has passed, sitting here doing nothing has been hard. Then I said to my husband, I have no peace sitting here at home doing nothing. He said, you need to speak to God about that. He was right. God has quieted my world and yet the time I have spent with Him as been so little. He has so much peace to give me. He has so much love to shower me with but yet, I got choked by life’s worries. So, the rest of my time resting, will be resting in His Word and in His presence. I need to be thankful for being able to have this time alone with Him and allow Him to shower me over and over with His Blood and His Word and His Peace and His purpose. I need my Dad to hold me. I need to curl up in His arms and rest. I have a lot ahead of me and I need my Father. I need my Father to guide me. I need to be quiet and let Him tell me what He needs to tell me.

When in your life has God given you “quiet” time? When He does, what are you doing? Watching t.v.? Reading a good mystery novel?? Tinkering around the house? What is taking up your quiet time? My prayer is that we realize when God has given us our quiet time and use it to be with Him. Turn off the t.v. and the computer and whatever else we do in our “free” time and give it to God.

With much Love,
Tammy and Max

Hebrews 9:11 - 14, 24, 28

2006-10-19T12:10:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. 13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Hebrews 10:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. 36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

How many of us try to build a highway to the sky? Or how many of us try to change the highway that Christ built for us? Christ is the only way to eternal life with God. So, let me ask, how busy are we trying to work our way to heaven?

Matthew 7:15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. 21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

I am sure the people seeing these signs and wonders thought this was of God. I am certain the people doing these signs and wonders were even more sure it was from God.

The only way to know any of these things is to seek Him. Seek Christ. Ask Him to guide you each and every day. Ask Him to show you Himself and His Works and His purpose and ask Him to reveal to You your purpose in Him. Read and meditate on His Word. Start today by making your number one purpose, Your relationship with Chirst, the forefront of your life.

My prayer is that before we speak, before we go, that we seek Christ and ask Him to guide us each and every second. My prayer is that we put our relationship with Christ first before anything else. Lord, help us to seek You in every aspect of our lives.

Tammy and Max

James 1:2 - 4

2006-10-18T12:26:00.000-07:00

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Dear Father God, we come before Your Heavenly Throne to give You thanks. We know that all we are going through is Your will for us in Christ Jesus. Thank You Lord for giving up Your life so that we may have life. Help us to find joy in our trials and to rest in knowing that Your purpose is far greater than anything else Lord. Please draw us close to You and reveal Your purpose for our lives as we seek Your face. It is in Jesus’ name that we ask these things. Amen.

The Word is my Comfort. When I need comfort, peace and rest, I know I can go to His Word and curl up in His presence and know that I am safe no matter what is going on around me. His love is far greater than I can imagine. His love is the same today as it was yesterday. There isn’t anything I can do to make Him love me anymore than He already does.

During our trials let us remember Who it is that put us there. Let us seek Him and His purpose and find rest in knowing He is in control. When you enter a trial, know that it is God’s hand in Your life and ask Him to reveal to You His purpose. If you are put in a circumstance with someone else, ask God, why am I in this person’s life? How Lord, do You want me to touch this person? Ask why Lord, am I here in this trial or circumstance. Seek Him. Nothing we do is random. No one we meet is random. Who are we touching for the Kingdom of God? Who is God using us for? When I take “I” out of it and replace it with God, it makes all the difference. I can’t find anything else more rewarding than doing His work.

There are times we will get overwhelmed and not even realize it. I know a couple of weeks ago, I did exactly that. I was completely overwhelmed with things going on in my life and I thought I cannot handle one more thing…and in a dream God gave me Hebrews 4:

1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. 3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

He gave me all of Hebrews 4 but I gave you just a few Scriptures out of it. I encourage you all to read the full chapter. For we, which have believed do enter into rest. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
What an awesome God we serve. Lord, thank You so much for Your love, mercy, grace and the list is endless. Help us enter into Your rest. Thank You for Your Word and for all You are doing in our lives. May we consider it all pure joy. Amen.

Mercy Me – The Promise I love you and I will never leave you nor forsake you. I love you. And I will never leave you. You are My child. You are My child. When you’re down, when your heart is broken, when no one seems to care, please know that I love You. You are My child. You are my child. I want to wrap My arms around you. I want to wrap My arms around you and say everything, everything will be alright, ‘cause you are My child…you are My child….let Me wipe those tears from your eyes…let Me wipe those tears from your eyes…come to Me. Come to Jesus, come to Me.

Max and Tammy

Exodus 3:6 - 8

2006-10-17T12:06:00.000-07:00

6 Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. 7 The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey— Exodus 3

but when we cried out to the LORD, he heard our cry and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. "Now we are here at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory. Numbers 20:16

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. Psalm 34:7

My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Psalm 84:2

It will be a sign and witness to the LORD Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the LORD because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and he will rescue them. Isaiah 19:20

I sometimes think we confuse crying out to the Lord as a lack of faith and trust in Him. It is the total opposite. As I sat here thinking about how these two things can be confused, I went to His Word. As you can see from above and throughout many more Scriptures we are to CRY out to Him. Crying and carrying the burden of others is not a lack of faith but an answer to obedience to His Word. Galatians 6:2 Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. I am concerned that because we have such great faith and are told we need to have thankfulness in all things, that we forget our world needs us to cry out to the Lord and the children of God need to carry the burdens of others.

On one hand my mom is doing well. The chemo has taken care of the cancer in her body but we are still dealing with a tumor that is creating a lot of problems within her. My dad calls me daily to tell me how mom is doing. She cannot complete a full sentence. She falls down all the time. She thinks she can do things like getting dressed on her own but when she tried the other day she fell into a full size mirror and it fell off the wall. Thank God it missed her head and just barely scraped her back. Her glasses were broke but other than that, she is she was not hurt. When she eats her cereal is all over the floor and when she attempts to get coffee she puts the pot on the counter instead of where it should go. The other night dad called and said her leg was swollen. I told him to call her doctor right away. They thought it could be blood clot and had to rush her to the hospital. She got so upset she had a couple of very bad seizures. I called my brother who lives in the same town and he met them there. When I talk to her on the phone many times she does not make sense but many times she does. I know 100% God is in control of her situation. I know 100% that God’s will is being done. But I pray to the Lord that, that doesn’t stop me from helping them carry their burdens and that it doesn’t stop my heart from breaking and crying out to the only One who can save her. What a sin it would be for me not pray for her daily and cry out to the Lord. I pray that my total trust in knowing He is in control doesn’t make me forget what He has called me to do…cry out to Him, help carry their burdens and praying without ceasing.

My prayer is that we cry out to the Lord for those who are suffering, for those who do not know the Lord, for this world, for the children who are being abused right now, for the poor, for the lonely, for the sick, and the list goes on. My prayer is that we will cry out to the Lord and ask Him to have the Spirit lead us in prayer to know how to pray for others. I pray that we ask the Lord to show us where we are to go and carry the burdens of others. My prayer is that He will make us more like Him.

Tammy and Max

Ecclesiastes 5:2

2006-10-16T12:41:00.000-07:00

Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. Ecclesiastes 5:2

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, James 1:19

Have we given our speech to God? How often are we hurt and discouraged by the words of others? How often do we hurt and discourage with our own words?

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. Daniel 10:12

My eyes are awake through the night watches,That I may meditate on Your word. Psalm 119:148

7 And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath 8 Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job. 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job. 10 And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.

I encourage each of us to pray and seek the Lord before we speak. Let’s each day give our words and thoughts to God. Once we begin to do this I am certain it will be a life long journey. God will work this out in us if we humble ourselves before Him and ask Him to begin this change within us. Words can either lift up or tear down. Words can either be the Words of God or words from our own hearts. Which one are we speaking?

My prayer is that we look closely at what we are saying to one another and what we are saying to our awesome Father. I pray that we allow God to change how we speak to one another and to Him. That He put in us a desire to speak only when he tells us to. That we lift up and not tear down. That we love with our Words.

Tammy and Max

He Feels Your Pain

2006-10-13T12:44:00.000-07:00

John 13:34-35
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

James 2:5-17
If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
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Do you remember when President Bill Clinton would say, “I feel your pain”? Long after he left the presidency I still remembered him saying that, and it really aggravated me. I’d think, “Oh, sure you do. You know what it feels like to be in an abusive marriage, to see your kids beaten, to go through divorce and bankruptcy. You know how it feels to lose your home, your job, and your children. You know what it’s like to run out of food and toilet paper and hope. Sure you do.”

Contrast that with Dr. Bob Pierce, who founded World Vision on the words, “Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God.”

I recently talked to a homeless woman in her 60’s outside a grocery store. She was painfully thin, her leathery, wrinkled face surrounded by a wild tangle of long white hair. I asked her if she had a place to stay and she said yes. I asked if she needed any food, but she had several items in her cart and said she didn’t need anything. Then I asked if I could pray for her. Between drags on her cigarette she replied, “No thanks, I’ve already received all my blessings for the day.” All I could say was, “I just want you to know Jesus loves you, and that He wants a better life for you.”

As I walked away, a wave of sadness hit me. I cried all the way home as memories of my own homeless experience flooded over me. I wanted so badly to help her because I really DID feel her pain. And I felt Jesus’ pain, how He longed to help her, but she would have nothing to do with Him.

To be honest, for the first 20 years of my Christian life I was an “I feel your pain, have a nice day” kind of Christian. I can’t do that anymore. When I see someone in need—especially a homeless person—I do whatever I can to help them, even if it’s just praying with them or giving them a bottle of water. Over the past few months, I’ve had the blessing and privilege of bringing three homeless women to stay in my home until they could find a shelter. I never would’ve considered doing that in the past.

Do you know why Jesus became a man, and why He suffered more pain and humiliation than any other man, even to the point of death? Because he felt OUR pain, and His love compelled Him to do something about it.

Whose pain do you feel? Ask the Lord to break your heart with the things that break His heart. Then go out and touch a life in His name.

Blessings on you,

Cathleen

Hebrews 5:5, 7-9

2006-10-12T12:39:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 5:5, 7-9
So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest… who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.

1 Corinthians 11:24
and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
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Did you ever wonder why Jesus had such a difficult life--much harder than any of us? Why would that be part of God's plan?

A wonderful Christian sister recently sent me the book, “The Smith Wigglesworth Standard.” Wigglesworth was born in 1859 and passed away in 1947. During those 87 years, he raised at least 14 people from the dead, healed thousands, and led thousands more to the Lord. At one point, someone asked Smith the secret of his success and power. He replied:

“I am sorry you asked me that question, but I will answer it. I am a brokenhearted man. My wife, who meant everything to me, died eleven years ago. After the funeral, I went back and lay on her grave. I wanted to die there, but God spoke to me and told me to rise up and come away. I told Him if He would give me a double portion of the Spirit—my wife’s and my own—I would go and preach the gospel. God was gracious to me and answered my request. But I sail the high seas alone. I am a lonely man, and many a time all I can do is to weep and weep."

Almost two years after his wife Polly’s death, their youngest son George died. Wigglesworth said,

It seems to me as if I had had a thousand road engines come over my life to break me up like a potter’s vessel. There is no other way into the deep things of God but a broken spirit.” (from “The Wigglesworth Standard,” by Peter J. Madden, 1993.)

Did you catch that? A broken spirit is the ONLY WAY into the deep things of God. Through His brokenness, Jesus was perfected, He learned obedience, and He became the author of eternal salvation.

Through his brokenness, Wigglesworth received a powerful anointing to evangelize, heal, and raise the dead. Have you been broken? If so, then you’re ready to be filled. Ask the Lord for every spiritual gift and every ounce of anointing power available to you.

Your fellow servant in Christ,

Cathleen

1 Samuel 17:46 - 50

2006-10-10T12:56:00.000-07:00

1 Samuel 17
46 “This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
47 Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.”
48 So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
49 Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.
50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him.
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We all know the story of David and Goliath. But do you know that you can use the same principles David used to be victorious in any circumstance? Here’s how:

1) Admit that you can’t win the battle in your flesh. If you ask God to fight the battle for you, and acknowledge publicly that He will give you the victory, He will—not just for YOUR sake, but for his own reputation’s sake. I’ve seen Him do it for me many times. But if I ever start thinking I can handle it on my own, God removes His hand from the situation and I fall on my face.

2) Instead of running FROM your problems, run TOWARD them in the power of the Holy Spirit. Take a step of faith confirming that you really do believe God will give you the victory. This is a hard one for me—I am an expert at procrastinating when faced with a difficult or unpleasant situation. But David was so confident he was doing God’s will that he RAN toward his enemy. If I avoid my problem, it will be that much longer before God can make it better.

3) David killed Goliath with just ONE stone. All you need to defeat your enemy or your circumstance is ONE promise from God’s word. (I can’t tell you what promise will give you the victory, but I can email you 86 promises to choose from.) Find your promise and speak it out over and over until it gets into your spirit and gives birth to faith (Romans 10:17, So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God).

4) Don’t look at how big your “giant” is—look at how big your God is. Then, start thanking Him for the victory, even before you see it (2 Corinthians 5:7, For we walk by faith, not by sight.) And when the victory comes, be sure you give God the glory. If you take the credit for yourself, you can expect everything to fall apart very quickly.

Cathleen

John 4:23

2006-10-09T12:53:00.000-07:00

John 4:23 - But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.

I was riding in a Christian brother’s car this morning when the song “Majesty” came on and I started to sing along: “Majesty, worship His majesty….”

That’s as far as I got before my friend stopped me. “NO, no, wait!” he said. “Do you hear yourself? You’re singing it like a mere human!”

I looked at him funny because I had no idea what he was talking about. Then he explained, “I was driving through the desert last night when this song came on. All of a sudden, the Holy Spirit came over me and I saw the throne room. I saw God in all His glory, surrounded by His angels, and they were bowing before Him singing, ‘Majesty… Worship His majesty… ”

The awe and reverence in my friend’s voice pierced my heart. How often have I sung worship songs with no more thought or reverence than a secular song?

“Sing it like you’re in the throne room,” he told me. And from now on, I will.

Cathleen

Philippians 2:12-13

2006-10-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

Philippians 2:12-13
12b work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

2 Corinthians 10:12
12 For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

For over a year our pastor has been pleading with us to come up higher. Every evangelist that has come through has told us that our church is destined for great revival and great impact in our area. We have seen modest growth, but not the explosion we feel God wants to pour out.

Why? I feel like one of the answers is submission. We compare ourselves among ourselves. Instead of aspiring to what God wants from us, we look to our neighbor. Does he "get away" with a behavior that may be less than Godly? Well, then it should be OK for me too. Instead of seeing how closely we can walk with God, we see how close we can get to the world and still be "Godly".

I challenge each of us to ask God what He would have us do to get closer to Him. Then take that answer to heart. If He tells you to pray 3 times a day when your spouse is only praying once, pray 3 times a day. If he tells you that you spend too much time watching football, don't worry about the fact that you can list 3 men who spend more time than you do. If He wants your wardrobe to be more conservative than those around you don't judge them by your standards. Ask God to help you with your salvation, not your spouses, your classmates or coworkers. While it is our duty to lead as many people to God as we can, ultimately, the only relationship that will matter is the one you have.

In His service for His glory,

Deborah

1 Corinthians 3:16-17

2006-10-05T12:43:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 3:16-17
16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

Romans 12:1
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

In the gluttonous, feel good, "me first" society of 21st century America, this concept is one of the hardest for us to accept. Most of us have been raised in society that tells us we "deserve" good things. That good times are accompanied by alcohol, tobacco and drugs. That "comfort food" is necessary in our life. That excess is a sign of our prosperity.

We certainly have bought the lie from the pit. In 2004, the average debt level representing credit card and car loan debt, but excluding mortgages, was approximately $18,700 per US household. In 2005, 30% of Americans were obese and well over 1/2 were overweight. I can only assume the numbers have increased. We bombard our senses with trash from every imaginable source. The Internet, television, radio, magazines and billboards show us that excess is fun and being conservative is fuddy duddy.

Even in the face of the bill: the epidemic of diabetes, the car title loan companies springing up like mushrooms in our community, the studies that show us the damage that alcohol and tobacco does, we stubbornly cling to our right to destroy ourselves. We say that denying ourselves is legalistic and that Christ came to free us from the Law. However, the only time you see Christ display anger and violence in the scriptures is when He sees the temple being profaned by the money changers. Christ does want our temples pure and holy. Pray about what He would take from your life to purify your temple.

In His service for His glory,

Deborah

Genesis 26:15 & 18

2006-10-04T12:36:00.000-07:00

As I was going back through old Breads, I found my problem!

Genesis 26:15 & 18
15 For all the wells which his father's servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth. 18 And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.

My pastor preached a message not too long ago based partly on these scriptures. He talked about how, sometimes, your well gets stopped up and filled with dirt. Whether its dirt put there by the enemy or dirt put there by our own struggles in the flesh, sometimes we have to dig again the well of water. There are some warning signs that your well is being filled with dirt:

· You have noticed a decline in your prayer life.
· You have noticed a decline in your Bible reading.
· You find yourself becoming critical of the pastor or the congregation.
· You find yourself resenting the time/expense being spent on your congregation.
· You find yourself easily offended by your pastor or the congregation.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. I'm sure you can come up with more. So once we realize that our well of joy and peace and strength is being stopped up by all this negative dirt, what do we do?

James 4: 8
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

Romans 12:2
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Ephesians 4:22-23
22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

By doing a quick search on cleanse and renew, it pretty quickly comes right back to holiness. Unless you are willing to live a holy, separated, righteous life, your mind is not going to be renewed. If you stray away from that holy separated life (usually by going back and digging up something that old man had held dear) that dirt will start to fill your well again. So draw nigh to God, present yourself once again as a living sacrifice and put that old man down again! Don't you wish it was just that easy? It is vital though. Whatever is keeping your well of peace and joy from flowing must be dug out. Whatever pride, unresolved anger, bitterness or conflict is robbing you of your worship must be dug out. Whatever hidden sin is standing between communion with you and God must be dug out. Pray, fast and ask God for help in clearing away the anger, hurt, pride, sin, etc., that has found its way into your well. Don't be surprised though, when you start digging up wells, water will flow.

I first wrote this in 03, I believe. As I read it again, I said "That's it!" It's those weeds of the bad habit creeping in. The cares of this world that start to overcome us again. The tapes in our mind that start playing ever so softly at first and with growing volume as we don't erase them. In other words, life happening. So once again....I drag myself to the alter, confess my slipshod ways, ask for forgiveness and healing and start anew. That is the awesome thing about God though, I can do that as often as I need to and He is always willing to meet me at my point of need. Do you need your shovel again?

In His service for His glory,

Deborah

2 Chronicles 7:14

2006-10-03T12:05:00.000-07:00

For the past several months, I have found it very difficult to come up with anything for my Breads. I was in such a quandary that I thought I would look over some of my past Breads to see if I could reuse one. I had to laugh at the sameness of the themes over the years. Here are some:

Pray!
2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

I Thessalonians 5:17 pray without ceasing,

There are 82 Old Testament verses and 57 New Testament with the word pray. There are 106 verses in both with the word prayer. Prayer is the only way you can maintain a relationship with Jesus Christ. Prayer is how you tap into the power of the Spirit, how you stay focused, centered, grounded and able to show Christ's love to the world. When your walk with God gets shaky, it is generally because you have stopped praying at some point.

Read your Bible!
Acts 17:11The people here were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, since they welcomed the message with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

Psalms 119:11-11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You!

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

When you know what the Bible says for yourself, it can teach you, cleanse you, heal you, provide comfort, hope, strength and salvation. Without knowing the Word for yourself, you have no way of knowing if what your church teaches is truth or not. The Bible is Jesus Christ in a book. The more intimately you know that book, the more insight you have into the character of God.

Be ye separate!
1 Corinthians 6:17-18 Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord; do not touch any unclean thing, and I will welcome you. 18 I will be a Father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to Me, says the Lord Almighty.

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

James 44: Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

As the end approaches, satan makes it more obvious all the time that he is in control of this world. As the prince and power of the air, he floods the airways with filth in media of all forms. We as the church need to be a shining beacon of hope and purity in a hopeless, sinful world. I've seen a church sign that says "Come as you are but don't stay that way." If the world cannot tell the difference that Christ makes in your life, why would they want to serve Him?

He is coming soon!
Mark 13:28 "Learn this parable from the fig tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 In the same way, when you see these things happening, know that He is near--at the door!

As I remind myself again of the basics; prayer, fasting, reading my Bible, living a holy life and reaching for lost souls, the drumbeat of His soon coming punctuates my every thought. We who are privileged to be the end-time generation and see the latter rain are also charged with the tremendous responsibility of making sure we have done all we can to prepare the world around us. I heard an evangelist say one time that his hearts desire was to be praying for someone to receive the Holy Ghost when the rapture occurs. If we could ever see the world the way Christ sees it, we would put aside all our reasons for not witnessing and reach for everyone we could with the same intensity as if we were pulling them from a burning building. We are you know.

In His service for His glory,

Deborah

1 Corinthians 13:4 - 7

2006-10-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Matthew 19:4 "Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' 5 and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. 6 So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

Anyone who has been married more than a few days knows that marriage is not always an easy and pleasant state to live in. There are times when you are just tired of being patient and kind. Times when your trust is broken and hopes are dashed. Times when it becomes almost impossible to not keep track of wrongs done to you. But we have to realize that marriage here on earth is a type of our marriage up in heaven. It is those who live with us day by day that build our patience, teach us about unconditional love and see all our faults as we see theirs. In the daily, conscious commitment to that relationship, we learn how to also stay in a committed relationship with Jesus Christ.

It shocked me recently to see an AOL poll that asked if Brittany Spears should "commit to making it work with the father of her kids," Kevin Federline. AOL generally has a conservative base and I feel this question was worded in a conservative "pro family" way. Nonetheless, 63% of the respondents said no! I was saddened anew at how callous we are. The god of this world, who only wants to destroy, has succeeded well in destroying family values. Even though we now have years of research about the effects of divorce on children and future relationships, we still put no value on marriage as a nation.

Marriage is not easy. Indeed, living in a day to day relationship with any person, regardless of age, sex, or marital status has it's challenges. It is by facing these head on that we grow, mature and develop the skills necessary to rule and reign with Him one day. Are you willing to learn? I ask that you would pray for the marriages and attitudes about marriage in this country. One prayer at a time, we can make a difference.

In His service for His glory,

Deborah

The River

2006-09-29T12:22:00.000-07:00

Ezekiel 47:12 (English Standard Version)
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.

12And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing."

Rivers have always been important in our world. Most major cities are built along rivers or bodies of water to enable transportation and to provide drinking water. The river that Ezekiel mentions in the above prophecy is similar but yet very different. This river flows from the Temple of God and its waters are very special. This river will flow into the Dead Sea and the sea will have life including many different kinds of fish. Today, the Dead Sea has no exit. The water enters and becomes "dead". Evaporation and absorption are the only exits for the water and so it has become unsuitable for life.

But this new river will be different. Look at verse twelve and its description of life along the river bank. The tree leaves do not wither and they bear fresh fruit every month because of the water flowing from God.

So what, you may ask. What does this have to do with me? Everything, my friend. When we "plant" ourselves along God's riverbank, our roots absorb His goodness and we can become more Christ-like. Our faith grows and our lives bear fruit constantly, not just occasionally. Spend time with God in prayer, reading, study, song, and fellowship and your faith will grow. Don't let your faith become stagnant. Instead be like the trees along the river flowing from the sanctuary.

To His Glory

Mark

Courage and Faith

2006-09-28T12:21:00.000-07:00

Ruth 1:16-18 (English Standard Version)
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.

16But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you." 18And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.

Ruth, the great grandmother of King David, takes a great chance above. You are familiar with the story. Naomi, Ruth's mother in law, losses her husband and two sons while living with the Moabites. She goes to return to Israel and Ruth, who has every right to stay with her own people, decides that her place is with Naomi. What a huge risk she takes, leaving her own nation and customs to go to a land where she will know no one and will have little protection.

We all take risks especially when we are younger. I remember being a pre-teen and gathering together with 20 or so friends to spend the day shooting BB guns at each other in a dangerous version of capture the flag. Please don't show this to your pre-teen sons as it was only by God's protective hand that no one was seriously hurt. We all still have our eyes although there are some permanent scars.

Am I still a risk taker? I confess that I am. As you have read this week, I have traveled to unusual places around the world. But I take even greater chances here at home. I share my faith with those around me. Come on. Admit it. Many of us would rather be shot by a BB gun than have to share your faith with a non believer. We must have the courage to share the Gospel with those around us. We must have Faith that He will use these occurrences to bring glory to His name.

My prayer for you is that you would sit with that coworker or friend sometime today and share more deeply than just the weather. Have the Courage and Faith of Ruth.

To His Glory

Mark

Fall Spectacular

2006-09-27T12:16:00.000-07:00

Psalm 8 (English Standard Version)
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.

Psalm 8
How Majestic Is Your Name
To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith.[a] A Psalm of David.

1O LORD, our Lord,how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.
2Out of the mouth of babes and infants, you have established strength because of your foes,to still the enemy and the avenger.
3When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4what is man that you are mindful of him,and the son of man that you care for him?
5Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings[b]and crowned him with glory and honor.
6You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;you have put all things under his feet,
7all sheep and oxen,and also the beasts of the field,
8the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,whatever passes along the paths of the seas. 9O LORD, our Lord,how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Footnotes:
Psalm 8:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
Psalm 8:5 Or than God; Septuagint than the angels

It was one of those days yesterday. Now this is kind of dangerous, making the following statement in an email read by leaders within my company, but yesterday I should have paid Taco Bell for the privilege of working.

I was able to spend some time in the car driving through some of the best country that God has created. The mountains of Pennsylvania and New York are just spectacular this time of year. I feel sorry for those of you in Miami or LA as you miss the fall leaf season. Of course, I envy you in February while shoveling 12 inches of snow off of the car. And after spending some time in His Creation, I got to spend some time with great teams serving our guests in a spectacular fashion. What a day!

The mountains were decked out in brilliant oranges, yellow, reds and browns punctuated by the brilliant greens of the pines. At times I drove through wide valleys of outrageous hues and at other times I followed the colors along awe inspiring mountain ridges. But look beyond the autumnal fireworks display and think about the physical and chemical processes occurring. As the trees begin to shut down for the winter, the leaves fall to the ground to return vital nutrients to the soil. Only an all powerful God would design such things. Oh Lord our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

To His Glory

Mark

Sir Francis Drake

2006-09-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little, when we arrive safely because we have sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess, we have lost our thirst for the waters of life; having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity; and in our efforts to build a new earth, we have allowed our vision of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wider seas where storms will show your mastery; where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars. We ask you to push back the horizons of our hopes; and to push into the future in strength, courage, hope, and love.

Sir Frances Drake Quoted in OC Missionary Prayer Letter of Jeanie Curryer, September, 1997

My wife, daughter and I traveled to an Asian country recently to work with a mission agency. We had a great time and I was thinking about what a great thing we had done (oh yes, ugly pride rears it's ever present head). On the morning of our departure for home, we arrived at the airport to be told that our tickets had been cancelled. Cancelled? How could that be? There was a language disconnect that complicated the whole matter as the airline representative's English as marginal and my mastery of the native tongue is non existent. The plane takes off without us on board. Not a big deal, right? You can catch the next flight in an hour or two.
Not so fast, my friend. In this country, the time between flights is measured in days not hours. We were to arrive home on a Saturday to host a visitor from Malawi, Africa on Sunday, and a picnic for several other Malawians on Labor day. Well, that became the least of our concerns. In His provision, there was another flight in the late afternoon of the next day and we got confirmed seats on that plane, we hoped. Eventually, we made it home two days later. And as to compensation for the missed flight, well, not really. We think that our seats were given to someone else with cash. This type of preferential treatment is somewhat common in this country.

The Drake quote above was in the sermon at church this week. As I looked through the lines, I could see specific incidents in my life that were answers to Drake's prayer. Mind you, these are not necessarily answers to prayer that I liked, but I am trusting that God knows what I need more than I do. I would always chose the easy out, no discomfort or conflict route. I also know that I continue to need "attitude" adjustments.

My prayer would be that you take a close look at Drake's words and allow God to work these things in your life. Venture away from the shores of your comfort zone and bask in the joy of His navigation!

To His Glory

Mark

Short Term Mission Work

2006-09-25T12:07:00.000-07:00

Matthew 28:16-20 (English Standard Version)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.

16Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Footnotes:
Matthew 28:19 Or into

So let me ask you a rather pointed question. Does this scripture apply to you? Or does it only apply to those called to serve in mission fields around the world? The command is very clear. Go into all of the world and make disciples of all nations in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

I clearly see this as a call to all followers of Christ. The key point is “all of the world”. The world is in China, India, Russia, Malaysia, Bolivia, and right next door. Too often, we tend to think of mission fields being in remote places of the world. And certainly, some are called to minister in these places. But there is much to be done right in your own neighborhood or town. We just need to be obedient and go regardless of the distance.

Now don’t use your age or physical status as a defining factor. I have served locally and overseas with folks in their 70’s. And as to the disabilities piece, God will work that out if it is His plan for you to serve. I have sleep apnea and need electricity to run a machine that helps me to breathe properly when I sleep. Yet I have been to remote villages in Africa and Asia where the Lord has either provided electricity or a reasonably comfortable night’s sleep.

But what about your own neighborhood? Right now, there are non believing neighbors who watch you go through the trials of life and not come unglued. How can that be, they wonder. How do they manage to survive this ordeal? And someday God will have them ask you that very question, providing you with the opportunity to share the truth of the Gospel.

Be open and listening for those little messages that God sends your way calling you to His service. I can assure you that you will be blessed far more than those that you serve.

To His Glory

Mark

I Timothy 4:7-8

2006-09-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

I Timothy 4:7-8 “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”

Did you get that? “Train yourself to be godly.” Train yourself.

Godliness isn’t handed to us like a baptismal certificate when we come to faith. It takes effort. It takes persistence. Sometimes it takes hard work. And that effort must be our own.

Our training includes not just listening to the sermon on Sunday but also in challenging it by checking Scripture about the questions the sermon raised. It includes going to Bible studies with homework, like Bible Study Fellowship, and actually doing the homework. It includes getting Bible study books at the Christian book store and doing them during our quiet time at home. It includes journaling as we pray or read the Bible and letting ourselves explore what we see in the Word and what that means in our lives.

Most important, training means taking what we learn and making those lessons in godliness part of our lives.

God has given us so much. He’s given us grace, forgiveness, salvation, peace, a Savior, and the Holy Spirit. Our gift to Him is to put a high enough value on all He’s given us that we pour ourselves into learning who He is and taking on His ways.

What changes do you need to make to improve your training program? May you look to the promise this training holds for both this life and the next as your incentive to get started.

Brenda

Habakkuk 1:2-3

2006-09-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

Habakkuk 1
2 How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save?
3 Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds.

5 “Look at the nations and watch -- and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe even if you were told.

6 I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwelling places not their own.

10 They deride kings and scoff at rulers. They laugh at all fortified cities; they build earthen ramps and capture them. Then they sweep past like the wind and go on -- guilty men, whose own strength is their god.”

I’ve been drawn to the book of Habakkuk ever since I first studied it many years ago in Bible Study Fellowship. Habakkuk’s cry to God could be ours today. In so many ways and it so many places, justice is perverted, people do wrong without being punished, and there seems to be destruction and violence anywhere we look. How long will it be before God deals with the oppressors of our time?

He doesn’t tell us when, but He assures us that it will be done. For Habakkuk, justice would come in the form of the Babylonians, people who were so much worse than the wrongdoers among his own people, and it didn’t seem right to use such wicked people to mete out justice.
But God is sovereign, and he assured Habakkuk that the Babylonians would face justice for their crimes when the time was right for them.

It’s hard, as I look at national and world events, to accept that God tolerates so much sin in our culture, that He allows wanton assaults and murder to go seemingly unchecked. Is it possible God is again using wicked people to judge a nation that once claimed Him as their God? Could He be asking us to wait, in the midst of our doubts and questions, for His will to be completed later? Much later?

When it comes to the heart of the matter, Habakkuk has this to say:

But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him. Habakkuk 2:20

If you’re questioning God’s justice and righteousness in the world, bring those doubts to Him. He will accept your questions, just as He accepted Habakkuk’s. But after you raise those doubts, wait for Him to answer you. Remember that He is the Lord, and take time to be silent before Him.

Brenda

Genesis 50:20

2006-09-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

Genesis 50:20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

One of the missions my church supports is an orphanage in Mexico’s Baja California. For over thirty years the Rancho operated as an oasis of safety and hope for the orphaned and abandoned children of that area.

But four years ago, the local social service agency placed a couple boys with the Rancho without telling Rancho staff the boys were known molesters. Later, when the boys abused some of the other children, the social service agency shut down the Rancho.

During the years of fighting painstakingly slow legal battles in Mexico, the Rancho Board of Directors started looking for ways to minister to the community while they waited to get their property back. They bought some property in town and converted the house into a day care center for the single mothers who had no place to leave their children during work hours. They also started work on a maternity home. And when the local school (which was no more than a couple walls leaning against the side of a restaurant) was destroyed when the restaurant burned down, the Rancho staff and a group of volunteers from a US church built a real school building.
The latest Rancho newsletter tells about the new baby and toddler house they’ve just opened up after years of having no children to care for directly. Five precious little ones who now have the chance for lives filled with love.

If the Rancho hadn’t been shut down as it was, they would have continued caring for their orphans in their oasis separated from the community. But because of the legal battles, the Rancho Board and the churches that support them have had an impact on the community and affected many more lives with the message of Christ than ever would have been possible.

How about you? Has someone done something to thwart you? Do your plans all seem fruitless? Maybe it’s time to stop fighting and start looking around to see how God wants to use you where you are and as you are--in the middle of your challenges. Let Him turn evil plans to His good in your life.

Brenda

Psalm 139:14

2006-09-19T13:01:00.000-07:00

Psalm 139:14a “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”

Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Recently I attended the Women of Faith conference in my area, and what a couple of the speakers said hit home with me enough that I bought their books. Sheila Walsh’s book, I’m Not Wonder Woman, But God Made Me Wonderful, has questions at the end of each chapter for the reader to think about or journal about or pray about.

In the first chapter, she talks about how much we mean to God and how great His love for us is. I know this already. I believe this already. But one of the questions stopped me in my tracks.

How do you honestly believe God sees you?”

My answer was, “As a disappointment.”

I know He loves me, but I’m a disappointment to myself, and since He knows what I know and then some, how could He not be disappointed too? He’s given me gifts and He’s poured out blessings on me, and I stick so many of them on the shelf to gather dust, because I’m afraid to take chances. I’m afraid of what might happen if I step out, even in faith, into the unknown.
And I picture God in heaven, shaking His head over all the dust collecting on His gifts to me and wondering why He even bothers.

I know that’s not who our God is. I know that. But still I need the reminder sometimes, the reassurance in my heart of what I know in my head.

He longs to gather me in His arms and tell me, “Do not be afraid.” He longs for me to seek His face--first, not as a last resort. He longs to have deep conversations with me that help me remember that He will be with me, even to the end of the age.

How do you honestly believe God sees you? Take your answer to Him, either in praise, or for healing of the wounds that have left you doubting His love for you.

May the Truth set you free.

Brenda

Psalm 33:6, 8-9

2006-09-18T12:50:00.000-07:00

Psalm 33:6, 8-9 “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.”

I was talking with a fellow Christian at work, and he said he had just started helping with his church’s first through fifth grade Sunday School program. The memory verse for the next Sunday was Psalm 33:6, and he recited it for me.

It reminded me, as I listened, just how powerful is the Lord our God, and how gentle. He used the soft, silent breath of his mouth to set the stars in the sky. No flashing thunder. No flinging wide His arms. Just His breath to make the stars. Just His word to make the heavens.

In the first chapter of Genesis, when it describes the creation, each of the first five days reveals God saying, “Let there be...” or “Let the land produce….” And each of those ends with, “And it was so.”

But on the sixth day, God said, “Let us make man in our image.” But then it wasn’t so. Instead, “So God created man in his own image.” In Genesis 2:7, “The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”

God is so personal with us. He formed us. He touches us. The very breath of his mouth that He used for making the stars He breathed into us. His desire is to walk with us--or rather for us to walk with Him.

We are to fear Him. We are to revere Him. Is this where you are today? Let your heart wonder anew at who our God is, the majesty of His creation, and most of all His love for you.

Brenda

Wiping Our Sins Away

2006-09-15T12:04:00.000-07:00

“O Lord, You are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask Your aid." Psalm 86:5

Debbie, my wife, shared with me the remarkable pictorial devotion below. In turn, I want to share it with you. Hopefully, the pictures will be effective on your computer, but if not, the words alone are meaningful to seeking hearts...

Let us never forget we have an all-powerful, all-loving, risen Lord who is always willing to forgive us...

Blessings Always in All Ways,
Steve
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The Rain-Thomas Kinkaid

Stop at the picture for a second, and watch the Rain... then read on...

One rainy afternoon I was driving along one of the main streets
of town, taking those extra precautions necessary when the roads are wet and slick.
Suddenly, my daughter, Aspen,spoke up from her relaxed position in her seat.
"Dad, I'm thinking of something."
This announcement usually meant she had been pondering some
fact for a while, and was now ready to expound all
that her six-year-old mind had discovered.
I was eager to hear."
What are you thinking?" I asked.
"The rain!" she began, "is like sin, and the windshield
wipers are like God wiping our sins away."
After the chill bumps raced up my arms I was able to respond.
"That's really good, Aspen."
Then my curiosity broke in. How far would this little girl take
this revelation? So I asked...
"Do you notice how the rainkeeps on coming? What does that tell you?"
Aspen didn't hesitate one moment with her answer:
"We keep on sinning, and God just keeps on forgiving us."
I will always remember this whenever I turn my wipers on.

In order to see the Rainbow, you must first endure some Rain.

WWJD

2006-09-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

“He who follows Me, walks not in darkness,” says the Lord.

Jesus plainly tells us to learn Him: to imitate Him. We may have advanced academic degrees, but what good is our learning if it isn’t used to help us be more like Jesus? We work hard. We study hard. We become very knowledgeable in our area(s) of interest. Are we happy? Do we feel the “peace which surpasses all human understanding” (Eph.4:7)?

All of my adult life I’ve been an avid Bible student, formally and informally. What good does it do us to know the facts of the Scriptures if we haven’t the Spirit of the Scriptures?

The Spirit is the manna from God which feeds us in our desert journey through this world.
I remember a great teacher once say, “I’d rather feel contrition than know how to define it.” Indeed, it isn’t learning that makes a person content, it’s pleasing God. Don’t mishear me, learning can be a great enabler toward that end. But let us never confuse the means with the ends.

Don’t we get it: to understand the words of Christ we must emulate the actions of Christ?

Blessings Always in All Ways,
Steve
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A Different Blessing

2006-09-13T12:11:00.000-07:00

“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them ….” Romans 12:6

“A certain man placed a fountain by the wayside, and he hung up a cup near to it by a little chain. He was told some time after, that a great art-critic had found much fault with its design. “But,” said he, “do many thirsty persons drink at it?” Then they told him that thousands of poor people, men, women, and children, slaked their thirst at this fountain; and he smiled and said that he was little troubled by the critic’s observation, only he hoped that on some sultry summer’s day the critic himself might fill the cup, and refreshed, praise the name of the Lord.

Here is my fountain, and here is my cup: find fault if you please; but do drink of the water of life. I only care for this. I had rather bless the soul of the poorest crossing-sweeper, or rag-gatherer, than please a prince of the blood, and fail to convert him to God.”

(a story I’ve always loved, but never knew the SOURCE)

I want to take a moment to affirm the blessed diversity of the Bread writers (or, as we who manage the Bread refer to them, the Bread “Bakers.”). When the Holy Spirit opened the door for the “Bread” ministry to begin approximately ten years ago, there were only a couple of us writing these Breads. As time passed, the Spirit has spoken to various believers who have stepped to the plate volunteering to help continue this ministry. Currently, there are eight (8) “Bakers.” Our diversity is impressive: almost as though “Someone” greater than us planned it this way! Some have a rather cerebral approach to writing these devotions, others have a more “everyday real-world” approach. Some of us attend a church with a very formal “high” worship. Others of us participate in churches with a rather informal, more unstructured, worship approach. Sometimes a given writer feels led to focus on an academic, or indeed, scholarly, approach. Sometimes, we’ll feel led to speak from a daily experience we’ve recently encountered. What’s so refreshing, it seems to me, is that each week we are treated to a completely different devotional approach: never the “same ole, same ole!” What a great paradigm this is for our everyday living. We can choose to use our differences to divide us…or…we can choose to use our differences to deepen our understanding of the Loving Father of us all, to expand our insight, to solidify our bond in brotherly/sisterly love. It’s always our choice how we will deal with the differences between us, isn’t it?

Blessings Always in All Ways,
Steve
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The Focal Point

2006-09-12T12:09:00.000-07:00

“Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, through the region of Decapolis. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment. Taking him aside from the multitude, privately, He put His fingers into his ears and spat, and touched his tongue. Looking up into heaven, He said, ‘Ephphatha’…that is…’Be open!’ And his ears were open, and his tongue released, and he spoke. And He charged them to tell no one, but the more He charged them the more zealously they proclaimed it. ” Mark 7:31-36

We always have the choice whether to approach Christ with our problems or not. No matter what we’ve elected to do in the past, each time we have a problem in life we have the choice to make anew. If we choose to bring our concern to Him, what a great feeling when we discover that He doesn’t deal with us at a distance but takes us aside, one-on-one, “close-up-and-personal,” and focuses totally on our situation. He then reaches out to us, touches our life at our point of need, and brings the power of His presence into our moment. When that happens, it’s so amazing, so remarkable that we can’t help but tell people about it! Out of my past comes to memory a song we used to sing in our Christian youth group entitled, “Pass It On.” You probably know it, too. It’s resurfaced in my mind every-now-and-then over the years. I can’t remember 100% of the words, but I remember enough that I think you’ll get the point…

“It only takes a spark, to get a fire going…
And soon all those around, warm up in its glowing.
That’s how it is with God’s Love, once you experience it…
It’s warm like spring, you laugh and sing…
You want to pass it on!”

How lucky we are to have a Living…Loving…Lord!!!

Blessings Always in All Ways,
Steve
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The Sacrifice

2006-09-11T12:13:00.000-07:00

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“This is my commandment, that you should love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:12-13

Over 2,000 years ago God sent His only Son in the world to be sacrificed for our sins. Today, we can accept eternal life with our God of Love because of this sacrifice. Five years ago, on Flight 93, some sisters and brothers who had never met before, covertly developed a pact of sacrificing themselves to save many of us. They called their loved ones. Then they prayed this prayer. Would you join me in praying the prayer of our Lord and with each word, reflect on the brave brothers and sisters of Love as well as the Ultimate sacrifice of Love for us:

“Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors
And lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil.
(For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory forever.)
Amen!”

Blessings Always in All Ways,
Steve
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To Know Or Not To Know

2006-09-08T12:02:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 13:12 (NIV)
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Too often we minor on the non-essentials instead of majoring on the essentials that we do know. When it comes to Christ's return, the major issue is not the when of Christ's return, but that we are ready for it because God alone knows the day and hour of this time. And then who can understand the Holy Trinity--God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit--all part of the one God. "Someone has said that if you fully try to understand the Trinity, you'll lose your mind. But if you deny the Trinity, you'll lose your soul."

Then there are questions about life that we simply cannot fully answer. We offer up platitudes. We make guesses--sometimes even educated guesses, but we really don't know. For example, we don't understand why good people suffer. We don't understand why bad people prosper. We can't understand why some people from a certain kind of situation become criminals, while other people growing up under the same kind of circumstances become sterling citizens. And why does God allow missionaries to be kidnapped and killed?

However, there is one thing in life that we can know --that we know that we know--and that is the answer to life's most important issue--our eternal well-being. God's Word, the Bible, assures us that all who put their trust in Jesus as their personal Savior can know without a shadow of a doubt that we have the gift of eternal life. - Dick Innes

1 John 5:13 (NIV)
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God [Jesus] so that you may know that you have eternal life.

O golden day, when light shall break,
And dawn’s bright glories shall unfold,
When He Who knows the path I take
Shall open for me the gates of gold!

Earth’s little while will soon be past,
My pilgrim song will soon be over,
The grace that saves shall time outlast,
And be my theme on yonder shore.
Then I shall know as I am known,
And stand complete before the throne;
Then I shall see my Savior’s face,
And all my song shall be saving grace. - Julia H Johnson

Have a blessed weekend,
Bill

Sacrificing At What Cost?

2006-09-07T12:02:00.000-07:00

Samuel 24:24
"...I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing."

One day I was having lunch with a man who had a certain amount of notoriety in his life. After a time of getting to know each other, he said, "How can I help you?" Those words surprised me coming from a man who obviously already had many requirements on his time. My first thought was that I was impressed with the individual. My next thought was to wonder whether it was a genuine offer or just an effort to impress me with his humility and Christian piety. I have since discovered he was sincere.

This encounter reminded me that each of us must be willing to give to others without a motive to get anything in return. It is simply an act of serving others. Jesus said that we must consider others more important than ourselves. When is the last time you did something for another without a motive of getting anything in return?

When King David came to offer a sacrifice and pray for the removal of a plague on Israel, he was given the opportunity to make the sacrifice without the cost of purchasing the sacrificial animals.

2 Samuel 24:24-25
But the king replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them. David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord answered prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.

David, understanding the principle of giving, said he could not offer anything to God that did not cost him something. Otherwise, it was not a sacrificial gift.

When is the last time you sacrificed for another in such a way that it cost you something with no expectation of getting anything in return? We can all give something to others, such as our time, our money, or our expertise. This is real Christianity that models the Spirit of Christ. The next time you meet with someone, why not consider how you might be a blessing to that person. Why not ask, "How can I help you?"

A WORK PRAYER
Lord God, raise up in me the willingness to give to others without wanting anything in return even at work, where the bottom line is usually measurable in some way. Amen.

Bill

Overcoming A Grumbling Attitude

2006-09-06T12:44:00.000-07:00

Today I received a wonderful reminder from a friend. It was a good day to receive it as I have been bombarded with "issues". It helps to have a reality check during times of stress.

Philippians 4:6 (NIV)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Colossians 3:1,2 (NIV)
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

I think that thankfulness is the key, coupled with realizing that God is Sovereign, in every circumstance, He is in control. Like Job, we need to thank Him for the good and the "bad" that comes our way. Many times trials or hard times will point us back to Him. Is God trying to teach you something through the trial? Blessings on you and yours as you Seek Him! - Charles Swindoll

Colossians 3:15 (KJV)
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

If we were thankful for everything
The way God tells us to be,
What a wonderful change in our living
We would be able to see! -Eaker

Father God, help us to keep our heart and mind focused on you. Thank you for the trials we go through, because they draw us closer to you. Amen.

Blessings,
Bill

Do You Hear Him?

2006-09-05T11:29:00.000-07:00

“He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” John 8:47

Jesus said that the key to being able to hear God's voice is first to be one of His children. One of the great mysteries of the universe to my logical mind is how God can communicate with six billion people on the earth at the same time. It is one of those mysteries I must let go of because my "hard drive" would crash if I had to explain and understand this before I believed and trusted in Him. It is as though God places a computer chip in each human being, and when we place our faith and trust in Him, it becomes activated. We begin to communicate with Him. Jesus says that if we are children of God, then we can hear God's voice. He further explains this relationship in the following parable:

“I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice.” John 10:1-5

The Shepherd is always representative of Christ. Sheep are representative of God's children. This passage tells us that the Shepherd communicates with His children. We are called by name and we can listen to our Shepherd's voice. There is another comforting aspect to this relationship. The Shepherd goes before the sheep to prepare the way. Jesus has already gone before us today to prepare our way.

Knowing the Shepherd and His voice allows us to have the assurance that we will not be fooled by another shepherd's voice. The sheep know His voice. It is only when we are dull of hearing that we mistakenly hear another's voice and follow it. Sin can create a poor frequency in our communication with the Shepherd. Make sure your frequency is free of static (sin) today so that the Shepherd can lead you and go before you.

Finally, distractions can also keep us from hearing our Shepherd's voice. When the sheep get entangled in the fence or wander off, they get too far away to hear the Shepherd's voice. We must stay in close proximity to the Shepherd to hear His voice. Stay close to the Shepherd today. Listen and follow. He wants to lead you.

Blessings,
Bill

God relents when people repent

2006-09-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

I just love the witness of the prophet Jonah. My favorite part of his experience is when, in utter anger, he told the Lord, “I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.” (Jonah 4:2) If you’ve read the Old Testament account, then you’ll know why Jonah was so upset. He basically accused the Lord of being a God who relents when people repent. He said, “I knew You’d do this. I knew You would forgive these Ninevites and show them mercy. That’s the very reason I didn’t want to come to this place and obey you.” In my humble estimation, the fact that God relents when we repent sounds like something to celebrate. But when the truth of God’s grace applied to a people Jonah despised (particularly after he prophesied God’s wrath against them at God’s own demand), Jonah despaired unto death. It can be tempting to despair when we see the blessings of God’s relenting in the life of someone we dislike (or someone who has wronged us). But our hearts should be encouraged when we see the favor of God on that person’s life. For in this we know that His heart is the same toward us. He stands ever ready to relent when we repent also.

What amazes me is how convinced Jonah was about the goodness of God’s heart. He had absolutely no doubt that God would be gracious and full of compassion. May we know such conviction! The Message translates Jonah 4:2 this way: He yelled at GOD, “GOD! I knew it--when I was back home, I knew this was going to happen! That’s why I ran off to Tarshish! I knew you were sheer grace and mercy, not easily angered, rich in love, and ready at the drop of a hat to turn your plans of punishment into a program of forgiveness!”

Perhaps you need to be reminded today that God relents when you repent. He longs for you to run to Him, confess sin, and receive His forgiveness and cleansing. He desires to lavish His love on you every moment of every day. Nothing you have done, no matter how sinful, can separate you from God’s love. You can be sure of that!

Romans 8:38-39
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Gracious Father, thank You that You always forgive. Thank You that You love us no matter what. May our souls ever rejoice in You, our Daddy God, who are slow to anger and teaming with love toward us. We bless You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Barb and Yerusha

The Heartbeat of God

2006-08-31T00:22:00.000-07:00

A friend recently shared with me about a heart transplant surgery that she watched years ago on one of those real-life-in-the-E.R. shows. It was simply fascinating. As she shared, I visualized with a sense of wonder how the surgical team redirected the patient’s blood flow through a machine and removed his heart. Then they retrieved the “new” heart that had been preserved in a cooler of ice and connected it in the patient. After everything was reconnected, one of the surgeons leaned in close and began to tap the heart with his index finger. The surgeon tapped a steady rhythm on the heart to get it to start beating again. For several moments, the heart beat with an irregular rhythm. But as the surgeon continued his steady tapping, the heartbeat conformed to his rhythm. My friend commented that those moments were amazing and beautiful to her. The Holy Spirit ministered to her through watching this surgery that she needed Him to tap her heart to beat with the rhythm of His love for her.

Have you ever considered that God’s love has a rhythm, a heartbeat? His love’s rhythm is meant to be a steady influence on the pattern of our living. Just like our heartbeat needs to be steady for all things within our physical body to function properly, God’s love needs to be a steady influence within our souls for all things in our spiritual life to function properly. Scripture declares that God is love, and Jesus is called the Son of His love. Jesus taught that the greatest commandments are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Scripture goes on to say that we love Him because He first loved us. God’s ultimate destiny for our lives is that His unfailing love pulsate within us and influence all that we are, all that we feel, all that we think, all that we say, and all that we do.

I wonder what would have happened had the surgeon not tapped a steady rhythm on the transplanted heart. Would it ever have beat as desired? This surgeon knew that regardless of the many hours of surgery and the skill of the surgical team, in the end, the critical need was to retrain this vessel to beat as designed. And with the whole team watching, the surgeon calmly began the process of gently reminding the heart of its destiny. Patiently he tapped the life-sustaining rhythm into existence. And all celebrated!

Like this surgeon, God knows exactly what retraining is needed in each of our lives. We are vessels designed to house and minister His Holy Presence. Is the Lord leading you into a process of being gently reminded of your destiny in Him? Will you yield to His rhythm? Know that He will calmly and patiently tap the life-sustaining rhythm of His Love into your existence. And all will celebrate!

1 Kings 8:58 (Message)
May he keep us centered and devoted to him, following the life path he has cleared, watching the signposts, walking at the pace and rhythms he laid down for our ancestors.

(NKJV) that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers.

1 Samuel 13:14
…The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart…

Blessed Father, I pray that You tap Your will into our life. We yield to our destiny in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Barb and Yerusha

Air

2006-08-30T12:17:00.000-07:00

This summer, Tim, a 12-year-old friend of our family, joined us for a day of swimming. Although he was excited, he was extremely cautious about the deep end of the pool and would not use the diving board. Having once been a Life Guard, I felt compelled to provide a bit of instruction. I explained to Tim how when our lungs are filled with air, they behave like a ball. I demonstrated this lesson first by holding a ball underwater and letting it go. The ball darted to the surface. Air being lighter than water has to rise. Then I took a deep breath and dove to the bottom of the pool. While I stayed motionless, my body surfaced, lungs first. I also showed the effect of empty lungs, which is staying on the bottom of the pool. Armed with this information, the day progressed excitedly for Tim who demonstrated more and more confidence, eventually diving from the diving board!

Just when Tim thought it couldn’t have gotten any better than this (because now he’d be able to keep up with his friends in their local pool), my husband Bob entered the scene. As Tim watched Bob swim lengths of the pool underwater without coming up for air, he commented in awe about how long Bob could hold his breath. So Bob began to instruct him that while underwater, if he periodically released a small amount of air from his lungs, the air remaining in his lungs would last him longer. The reason behind this phenomenon, Bob explained, is that as you hold your breath, the oxygen gets converted into carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide expands the lungs and creates pressure to be released, hence the feeling that you have to get more air. I wasn’t really sure how much of all that Tim actually understood, but he was willing to give it a try. And when he tried, he DID in fact stay underwater longer, with much more ease than before. As Tim emerged from the water with a big smile, Bob congratulated him for his effort and said: “It’s all about how you manage the air that you have to breathe with.”

As I consider Tim’s two lessons, I am reminded of lines from a worship song that say: “This is the air I breathe, Your Holy Presence living in me. And I’m desperate for You. And I’m lost without You.” How well we navigate within the pools of life, and how much fun we have doing so, is all about how we manage the Air we have to breathe with. In John 20, we see Jesus breathe on the disciples and tell then to receive the Holy Spirit. Job tells us that the breath of the Almighty gives us life and understanding. As seen in the lives of the disciples and Job, sometimes circumstances can try to sink us to the bottom. These are the times when we take a deep breath of the Holy Spirit and rise above opposing forces. There are other times when we must maneuver for a season below the water’s surface, when we must engage a challenge head-on. In those times, we strategically exhale a little at a time so that the Air remaining in us does not become polluted pressuring us to end the quest prematurely. Consider how Jesus managed the Air He had to breathe with during His time on this earth. Remember when He was tempted in the wilderness by the adversary? Luke 4:1 says that being filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. In Matthew 4, we see the series of the evil one’s attacks on Jesus’ identity and devotion to the Father. Jesus responded to each attack by releasing Truth, a small amount at a time, ultimately overcoming the enemy’s temptations and being restored by ministering angels.

John 20:21-22
21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

Job 32:8
But there is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.

Job 33:4
The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

Father God, You are the air we breathe, and we are desperate for You. We are lost without You. Reveal to us, dear Lord, how to manage Your Holy Presence within us. Help us to trust that as we fill ourselves up with You, we will rise. Cause our days to progress excitedly as we demonstrate more and more confidence in the life and understanding that You faithfully breathe into us. In Christ’s Name, amen.

Barb and Yerusha

More Than Just a Name

2006-08-29T12:45:00.000-07:00

When I check my email and I see the name of my covenant friend in my inbox, my heart tenderly flutters. Had I read her name on a page or heard someone say it before meeting her, it would have meant nothing at all to me. And had I received an email from her prior to our meeting, I would likely have deleted it without even reading it. But now that I’ve met the person behind the name, the name means something very special to me. And as I get to know her more, the name grows sweeter and sweeter to me. People could have told me how wonderful she is, but until I encountered her myself, my response would not have been remotely what it is since we’ve met. Now that I’m in personal experience with the person, I can attest to the wonder.

This is how it is with Jesus. To many, He’s merely a name on a page, or a sound on another’s lips. Reading the name on a page or hearing someone say it, before one has had a personal encounter with the Person behind The Name, it remains merely “a name.” Messages get deleted without even being read; and responses to testimonies about the Person are dismissive. I, for one, can personally attest to this behavior. I can remember completely glossing over comments about being healed and testimonies to His wonder. I can remember not caring one bit about such discussions and even going to some effort to avoid them. But I’ve had the experience, and I can now attest to the wonder. My heart has been opened to His love, and my responses have changed! I now know the yearning Believers can have to invite others into the Kingdom; and I know the disinterest that others can have towards being invited. I also know with certainty that this interest can and does change.

Once a heart personally experiences Jesus, wow! He becomes committed. She begins to trust. They learn to love. Their hearts flutter at His name. But before these things can happen, they must meet the Person behind “the name.” Believers can help whet the appetite for the introduction, and our Father assigns the Harvest. Only after encountering the Person will the name become The Name that inspires awe and changes lives. For we know that at The Name of Jesus, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!

Have you encountered the Person behind the name? Jesus is truly more than just a name. He is an eternal experience; and once you meet Him, you will never be the same.

Philippians 2:9-11
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Glorious Lord, may our hearts ever flutter at the wonder of You. Help us to go deeper in our experience of You and know intimately the Person behind The Name. In Your Matchless Name, we pray. Amen.

Barb and Yerusha

Mindless

2006-08-28T12:32:00.000-07:00

Not long ago on a particular Monday, I was very busy trying to assemble things for an upcoming presentation. I had very much to do and was driving hard to achieve my goals. I needed my Administrative Assistant to help me with something so I walked out to her desk, but she wasn’t there. I stood there for a minute trying to decide whether to leave her a note or come back later. As I pondered my options (which lasted only a few seconds), I grabbed 3 peanut M&Ms from a big jar of “community” candy that she has near her desk. I decided to come back later and returned to my office. I was still chewing the M&Ms when I arrived back in my office and was instantly reminded of the mindless behavior that I had just exhibited.

You see, earlier this year I started a 40-Monday fast. (I am fasting all but water-based drinks for 40 Mondays.) It has been a good experience to help me refocus on Jesus at the beginning of each week. Any time I feel hungry, I think of our Lord and am completely sustained. In this instance, however, I didn’t think of Him or me or anything – I completely absentmindedly ate 3 peanut M&Ms. My behavior was totally mindless. I went about the activity with no thought about what I was doing what-so-ever. I was shocked that I could have done that. Then I wondered how often I do before I think, or more importantly, before I ask Jesus.

I recognized that I go about my days this way sometimes – absentmindedly. Instead of making a deliberate decision, periodically I simply respond to a subliminal impulse. If the Holy Spirit orchestrates our subliminal impulses, then it is good to obey without much thought. Scripture warns us, however, to be mindful of everything we do; for it doesn’t take much mindlessness for the enemy of our souls to gain a foothold in our lives. Let’s stay on guard and think before we do. And when we’re not sure of God’s will, let’s make sure to ask Him first.

Ephesians 4:17-19 (Message)
And so I insist—and God backs me up on this—that there be no going along with the crowd, the empty-headed, mindless crowd. They’ve refused for so long to deal with God that they’ve lost touch not only with God but with reality itself.

Ephesians 5:16-17 (NLT)
Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do.

1 Corinthians 10:32-33 (Message)
At the same time, don’t be callous in your exercise of freedom, thoughtlessly stepping on the toes of those who aren’t as free as you are. I try my best to be considerate of everyone’s feelings in all these matters; I hope you will be, too.

Proverbs 13:16 (NLT)
Wise people think before they act; fools don’t and even brag about it!

Dear Lord, thank You that You give us wisdom and understanding. I pray that You will help us stay mindful of Your marvelous ways and think before we act. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Barb and Yerusha

Fulfilling the demands of the Gospel

2006-08-25T12:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we took a glance at the passages of Genesis 4 where Cain and Abel brought offerings to the Lord. As you recall The Lord's reaction to their offerings was quite different. Able brought the firstlings of his flock, and the fat thereof, and Cain brought the fruit of the ground as an offering to the Lord. The Lord had respect unto Abel and his offering; but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. Yesterday’s Bread ended with questions about why the Lord had not respect for Cain’s offering, and how was it that Cain knew his offering wasn’t accepted? How did Cain and Able know to even make an offering to the Lord? ….I mean, they lived way, way before Moses brought the law and the whole Levcitical system of blood sacrifice that was given to him on by God on Mt Sinai. Let’s look back a little further…back to Adam and Eve…After the fall they made themselves fig leaves to cover their nakedness. Genesis 3:21 says The Lord God replaced their fig leaves with coats of skins. Many believe the Lord was teaching Adam and Eve that the covering they made for themselves wasn’t adequate, and He must have explained the process of redemption. The skins the Lord supplied had to come from the killing of an innocent animal, and this is the first example of the blood sacrifice. This is the first of many examples in the scripture where animal sacrifice occurred prior to the law being delivered to Moses. Adam and Eve must have made sacrifices unto the Lord and they must have taught their children as well that this is what the Lord required. Some scholars think that fire may even have came down from heaven and consumed their sacrifices. The fact that Genesis 4:4 says that Abel offered the firstlings of his flock AND THE FAT THEREOF suggests a burnt offering. Maybe that is how Cain knew his offering wasn’t accepted, if it wasn’t consumed? These are all conjectures but I think the Holy Spirit expects us to think about the details of the Word, or lack of details as we have in Genesis 4, and try to figure out exactly what it is He wants us to understand from the stories. Hebrews 11:4 says “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.”…..This verse in Hebrews is key to understanding the real difference between Cain and Abel and their offerings. Able by faith accepted the Lord’s method of offering and worshipped based on that, understanding that he was incomplete without the Lords method of redemption. Cain on the other hand declared the Lord’s method incomplete by trying to add to it by offering the works of his hands. On the face of it Cain wanting to offer the works of his hands wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it was incomplete. It was a form of worship but inadequate for a right relationship with the Lord. It is so easy to get lulled into this as we go through our religious motions. It is easy for us to forget that our righteousness has nothing to do with how often we attend church, how much bible reading we do, or even how often we pray without all of it being based on how incomplete we are without the covering of the perfect sacrifice offered once for all by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Worship the Lord in Spirit and in Truth…for He is the way , the TRUTH, and the Life!
Max and Tammy

The Gospel God’s Market

2006-08-24T12:50:00.000-07:00

I heard a teacher once use a business metaphor for pleasing God. He said that if you are in business selling a product or service, you must do your research and figure out what exactly your customer wants. In our service and worship of the Lord shouldn’t we also do our research and figure out exactly what it is God wants? There are many examples in the scripture of those who pleased God, and likewise there are some examples of those who blew it. The book of Jude is a very strange 1 chapter book that is dedicated to those who are examples of what not to do. Jude begins his book with an explanation of why he set out to write them of the common salvation but was moved by the Holy Spirit to write about certain men who have “crept in”, believers among us who could jam us up. Jude v4-5 4)For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. 5)I will therefore (or in other words, because of them) put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. ….Yikes…Seems like the Lord is very serious about the kind of belief, worship, and service we offer Him.

Those who have crept in among us are obviously believers, and he goes further in verse 6 as to compare them to those angels who fell. Verse 12 says they are ‘spots’ in our feasts…This word spots is a little clumsy for the actual root in the Greek. The Greek idea for this word is a hidden rock or reef that sinks a ship. Verse 11 says 11)Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

Let’s look at Cain…Genesis 4 says Cain was a farmer, and Able was a shepherd. Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord, and Able brought the firstlings of his flock, and the fat thereof. Gen 4:5 says the Lord had respect for Able and his offering but not Cain’s…Why not Cain’s? Obviously Cain believed because he was making on offering to God…Cain also worshipped the Lord because of his offering. I think we in our judgment of each other would say Cain is doing pretty well. He believes and worships!! How are we different from Cain? How do we know if our worship is accepted by God? How did Cain know his wasn’t accepted? If we want to please the Lord shouldn’t we figure out what He wants? We will look a little deeper into the Cain and Able story and deal with the subtleties of the Genesis 4 verses that I think reveal what is really going on there in tomorrow's Bread.

Max and Tammy

The Gospel

2006-08-23T12:46:00.000-07:00

The gospel, as we glibly use that term, means good news. What exactly is the “good news”? If you track down every reference to the word ‘gospel’ in the bible it is always defined as good news or good message. There is one peculiar translation though in Galatians 3:8. To get the full flavor of this verse though let’s look at verses 6-9 6Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. 7Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 8And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 9So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

The Greek root for the word gospel in Galatians makes the distinction of ‘advanced good news’. Abraham was told ‘the good news’ in advance. This would sure explain why Abraham in Genesis 22 was willing to offer his son upon an altar as a sacrifice unto the Lord. He must have thought that his son was going to be THE ONE who would take away the sin of the world. Not only did Abraham think his son was going to take away the sin of the world, but he was willing to offer his son because he believed also that God would raise his son back up from the dead. So…the good news or gospel is the message that God has made a way….He has a plan…a plan to reconcile us back to Him. He tells us that because Abraham believed it was accounted to him for righteousness. This good news is what we also must believe to receive the promise….The promise of eternal life and reconciliation with God. Romans 10:9-13 says 9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

It is that simple!!! Confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, believe in your heart that his sacrifice was enough, call upon the name of the Lord and you will be saved!! In the next couple of days we will look a little deeper into the pitfalls we experience in our walk as it relates to the realization of this good news. It is difficult to walk in the realization of our righteousness. I often do not feel worthy of the huge gift of grace the Lord has lavished on me, and because of this I am often inhibited in my prayer life. My ability to have peace about work, relationships and lifes struggles in general are also affected by this inward struggle with self.

My prayer for us is that we would look beyond ourselves and take hold of the Love the Lord has Lavished on us as.

Max and Tammy

Worshipping/Praying to Idols

2006-08-22T12:41:00.000-07:00

5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus…1 Timothy 2

Worshipping/Praying to Idols

Mark 7 – I encourage all of you to read this chapter.

6 He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors Me with their lips ,but their heart is far from Me. 7 And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’[b] 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.”9 He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.

I was born and raised Catholic. Traditions of Catholics are praying to Mother Mary and to the Saints. I say tradition because the Word of God makes no mention of praying to anyone or worshipping anyone other than He. I was raised to pray to Mother Mary and the Saints by my mom and dad who were taught by their mom and dad. My parents cannot tell me where this came from or why they pray to as they do…they do it because they were taught by men to do so.

My mom and dad both have given their lives to the Lord and I see the Lord working in their lives and it brings joy to my heart. I: Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Phil 1:6

21 And he walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served, and worshipped them: 22And he forsook the LORD God of his fathers, and walked not in the way of the LORD. 2 Kings

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Col 2:8

The only way to God is through Christ Jesus.

I know there are many things that I too need to learn. Things I am certain are not true to the Word. That is why we need to be saturated in the Word and know the Word. Each of us has a gift to bring to another brother or sister something the Lord has given us. We need to share that with each other because we are one through Christ.

My prayer is that we know the love of God through His Word and know that through Christ Jesus, we are made clean and beautiful able to come to Him in Faith. That we stay true to the Word as God has given us and we stop praying to anyone other than He.

Max and Tammy

Psalm 18:4-18

2006-08-21T12:34:00.000-07:00

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD, who spoke to the LORD the words of this song on the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said:

PSALM 18
4 The pangs of death surrounded me, and the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
5 The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; the snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called upon the LORD,And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry came before Him, even to His ears.
7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken,Because He was angry.
8 Smoke went up from His nostrils, and devouring fire from His mouth;Coals were kindled by it.
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down, with darkness under His feet.
10 And He rode upon a cherub, and flew; He flew upon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness His secret place; His canopy around Him was dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
12 From the brightness before Him, His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire.
13 The LORD thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire.[a]
14 He sent out His arrows and scattered the foe, lightnings in abundance, and He vanquished them.
15 Then the channels of the sea were seen, the foundations of the world were uncovered. At Your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.
16 He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support.

I, lately, with this past year, feel as though my enemies are stacked up against me and at times I get very afraid. In that fear I cry out to the Lord but sometimes wonder if the Lord hears me because my faith in who God is, is lacking. I cry out saying Lord, I don’t know if I can take one more thing. Then my husband reads Psalm 18 tome and…what can I say? NO matter where we are in life, NO matter who is trying to tear us down we serve a God who is FAITHFUL. He never changes. What He has done for David and the anger against David’s enemies is the same anger He has for us when our enemies try to devour us. WE are HIS children. HE CHOSE US. I realize that no matter what I’m feeling, He remains the same. His love endures forever. He is my Dad, my Father. He is:

1 I will love You, O LORD, my strength. 2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.

My thoughts and my fears NEVER change who God is. We may not know all the “whys” we are put through trials, oh if we could flip to the end of it and see the blessings and the mightiness of our awesome God, we would go through them differently. I realize there are times when I am most broken that reading the Word can be very hard for me but realize without the Word and being saturated in His Word, I can lose sight of who God is and His love for me.

My prayer is that we lean not on our own understanding but search Scripture and learn about who God really is and that His love for us is beyond anything we can understand.

Max and Tammy

Sow a Seed

2006-08-18T16:25:00.000-07:00

2 Corinthians 9:10-11
Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

1 John 3:16-18
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
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If I didn’t mention money at all, I wouldn’t do justice to the subject of prosperity. My pastors taught about many other things that affect our prosperity—repentance, walking in love, believing God, refusing to sin, refusing to worry, and forgiving those who have offended us, to name a few. But let me leave you with a couple of final thoughts about giving and receiving.

1) To prosper, we have to sow a seed. If you need a blessing, you have to be a blessing to someone else. If you need healing, pray for someone else’s healing. If you need a job, pray for someone else who needs a job.
2) God supplies the seed for us to sow. If we don’t have money, we can also sow a seed by giving of ourselves. Give someone a ride to church, help an elderly neighbor with yard work or shopping, or visit someone in jail or in the hospital
3) The first 10% of your earned income (the tithe) belongs to God. Don’t expect Him to bless you if you withhold it. The other 90% is yours—but it will go a lot further if you dedicate it to the Lord.
4) When you sow a seed, believe God to bless you with a specific result. One man I know wrote a check to his church equal to one mortgage payment. In the corner he wrote, “Mortgage, paid in full.” Within 6 months, his house was completely paid off.
5) Start sharing what you have NOW with those who have less. If you are faithful to honor God and love others with the little you have, He will bless you with more.

Sometimes I don’t feel like I have much to sow, but over the past two weeks I have been helping a homeless woman in recovery from crack cocaine and alcohol, who has even less than I have—and God has poured out blessings on my family as a result.
· As we drove home from church last Tuesday, my kids started complaining that we had no food in the house. I made them stop complaining and start thanking God for everything He’s given us and for supplying all our need. The next morning, a friend called unexpectedly and took me shopping at Costco for over $200 of food.
· Two days later, another lady took my teenage daughter shopping and bought her several new outfits.
· The day after that, my daughter was given a full scholarship to go on a Christian retreat at Hume Lake, which normally costs around $400.
· By the end of the week, I was out of gas and low on money. That night, one of my pastors handed me a check for $200. Even the homeless lady I had been driving to church gave me $10 for gas. (If you’re thinking I should’ve turned it down, I started to—but she insisted because she wanted God to bless HER finances!)

God is faithful to His word. He will provide seed for you to sow, and He will bless you abundantly for sowing it.

God bless you abundantly as you pursue prosperity in every area of your life—for His name’s sake.

Cathleen

Put Pressure on the Word

2006-08-17T12:03:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 55:11
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

“Mary” is one of the most amazing women I know. About 15 months ago, a friend brought her to our church. She was over 50 years old, addicted to drugs, and desperate. The house she was living in had just burned down, destroying everything she owned. She had no car, no clothes, and no money. She hadn’t been able to find a job due to a felony conviction for possession of drug paraphernalia—a charge she had accepted to protect her boyfriend (who later ended up in prison on another charge).

The friend who brought Mary to church stopped coming after a few weeks, but Mary refused to give up. She came to church every time the doors were open (which at that time was every night of the week). She always sat in the front row, singing with all her heart and shouting “Amen!” “Hallelujah!” and “Praise You, Lord!” throughout each service. Seeing her sincere devotion to God, the pastor hired her to clean the church. She tithed on every penny she earned, and one day a church member gave her a car. When she heard there was a job opening at a Christian bookstore, she prayed for God’s favor and they hired her, in spite of her criminal record. Her boss and co-workers love her so much that they told her they wish they could hire three more just like her.

Mary glows with love for Jesus like no one I’ve ever met. She says the ONE THING that made the greatest difference in her life was when Pastor Amy taught, “Put PRESSURE on the Word.” “Pressure” means: never stop reading the word, believing the word, praying the word, and speaking the word. That’s how Mary lives. You can’t be with her for two minutes without the word of God coming out of her mouth. And God’s word cannot fail—it always accomplishes what God intended.

Mary isn’t the wealthiest woman I know by worldly standards—but she is one of the happiest. God has completely transformed her personality and her circumstances, just through the power of His word. Her every need is met because she looks to God as her Source.

Would you like to see a transformation in your personality or circumstances? Put a little extra “pressure” on the word and see what happens.

Cathleen

Teach Your Children

2006-08-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

Deut 6:3, 5-9
Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you… Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
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Another ingredient to prosperity really caught me off guard--teaching God’s word to my children. I thought I had been doing a good job because I quote the Bible to them a lot, and I make sure everyone goes to Bible study at least twice a week.

But when my pastor brought up these verses, I felt a twinge of concern. Did my children really know the word of God? Was I really doing a good job? Back when they attended Christian schools, I knew they were learning the Bible every day, but is twice a week at church enough? And it only increased my concern when my pastor said we need to go after our older children and not give up on them.

I have two sons that are over 18. One of them is a self-proclaimed agnostic who is always declaring that God, heaven, and hell are imaginary. He knows the truth, but he feels God messed up his life by giving him an abusive and mentally unstable father. So his revenge on God is to declare that He doesn’t exist. The other son knows the Lord, but he rarely reads the Bible and never goes to church. I also have a 17-year-old daughter who lives with a non-Christian lady and never goes to church. I pray for my children every day, but I want to do more.

With the younger kids, I gave them a little test. I asked them if they knew what the “greatest commandment” is. They all thought it was, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Now they know the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and the second greatest commandment is to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:29-31). I’m determined to teach them something new from God’s word every day as we drive to and from school and church.

With the older kids, it’s a little harder. I invited all three of them to church, but so far they aren’t interested. However, I do have a backup plan! Recently one of my senior pastors gave out copies of “Driven by Eternity,” by John Bevere (available on walmart.com or directly from John Bevere’s website, www.messengerintl.org ). She also played the CD dramatization of the parable in the book during her weekly Bible study. I highly recommend both the book and the CD. They changed my life, and I guarantee they will change yours, too! I got a book for my oldest son and I am ordering CD’s for the other two. Get one for yourself!

If your children are older adults and long gone from home, don’t give up! I have seen miracles at my church where parents stood in faith that their older children would come back to the Lord, and they have. One of them came back to the Lord at age 44 and is now bringing his children to church with him.

Cathleen