Some of us are having financial difficulties.
Some are in a dire situation.
Some of us have health issues.
Some very serious.
All of us can reach out to others even in
our own needs.
Even a little may save lives.
Can You Help?
Please donate as much as you can.
http://itshrunk.com/b4c6ab
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Scripture and Thought for Today, Wednesday, 01/13/2010
“ONLY TWO PERCENT!”
Matthew 6:12-15
“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. . . For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
“I asked for John to forgive me and he has not spoken to me since. That’s what I get for trying to make things right between us. He knows how much more guilty he is than I am, so he can just forget thinking I will speak to him again!”
Please read the above paragraph once more. You may or may not have had a similar reaction when you asked someone to forgive you. I want to stress the fact that you may be feeling that you are more the victim than the offender. That being the case, you no doubt are reluctant about asking Mr. 98% to forgive you, instead of him asking you for forgiveness.
I was attending a Basic Life Seminar many years ago and heard Bill Gothard speak about this very area. I was impressed by the wisdom of his teaching on asking others to forgive you. He mentioned wrong wording and right wording.
Wrong wording: 1. “You know, John, we both have been at fault in this matter, but I want to ask your forgiveness for my part.” Beep! You can just imagine how John is going to react to that! That is a sure way to cause bitter feelings. 2. “John, if you feel that I have done something wrong, I want you to forgive me.” In both instances there is a question that you are sincerely sorry for your actions.
Godly actions and right wording: 1. Pray sincerely and ask the Lord to show you how you have been at fault. Ask the Lord to forgive you before you ask the one you offended to forgive you. 2. Word your apology something like this: “John, the Lord has revealed to me that I was wrong in _________. I am truly sorry for what I have done. I have come to ask you to please forgive me.
Remember, you feel that John is 98% wrong in what he has done, but leave that in the hands of the Lord. Allow the Holy Spirit to do the work of bringing John to the place of seeking restoration.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
- - - Pastor Cecil
Matthew 6:12-15
“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. . . For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
“I asked for John to forgive me and he has not spoken to me since. That’s what I get for trying to make things right between us. He knows how much more guilty he is than I am, so he can just forget thinking I will speak to him again!”
Please read the above paragraph once more. You may or may not have had a similar reaction when you asked someone to forgive you. I want to stress the fact that you may be feeling that you are more the victim than the offender. That being the case, you no doubt are reluctant about asking Mr. 98% to forgive you, instead of him asking you for forgiveness.
I was attending a Basic Life Seminar many years ago and heard Bill Gothard speak about this very area. I was impressed by the wisdom of his teaching on asking others to forgive you. He mentioned wrong wording and right wording.
Wrong wording: 1. “You know, John, we both have been at fault in this matter, but I want to ask your forgiveness for my part.” Beep! You can just imagine how John is going to react to that! That is a sure way to cause bitter feelings. 2. “John, if you feel that I have done something wrong, I want you to forgive me.” In both instances there is a question that you are sincerely sorry for your actions.
Godly actions and right wording: 1. Pray sincerely and ask the Lord to show you how you have been at fault. Ask the Lord to forgive you before you ask the one you offended to forgive you. 2. Word your apology something like this: “John, the Lord has revealed to me that I was wrong in _________. I am truly sorry for what I have done. I have come to ask you to please forgive me.
Remember, you feel that John is 98% wrong in what he has done, but leave that in the hands of the Lord. Allow the Holy Spirit to do the work of bringing John to the place of seeking restoration.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
- - - Pastor Cecil
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Christ’s Bell
This is an awesome e-mail.. Someone took a lot of time setting up this message .
THE BELL
I KNOW WHO I AM
I am God's child (John 1:12)
I am Christ's friend (John 15:15 )
I am united with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17)
I am bought with a price (1 Cor 6:19-20)
I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1)
I am a personal witness of Christ. (Acts 1:8)
I am the salt & light of the earth (Matt 5:13-14)
I am a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27)
I am free forever from condemnation ( Rom. 8: 1-2)
I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant (Phil 3 :20)
I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8:31 -34)
I am a minister of reconciliation for God (2 Cor 5:17-21)
I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18)
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6)
I cannot be separated from the love of God (Rom 8:35-39)
I am established, anointed, sealed by God (2 Cor 1:21-22 )
I am assured all things work together for good (Rom. 8:28 )
I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16 )
I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3: 12 )
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13 )
I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15: 1-5)
I am God's temple (1 Cor. 3: 16). I am complete in Chris
t (Col. 2: 10)
I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3).. I have been justified (Romans 5:1)
I am God's co-worker (1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor 6:1). I am God's workmanship (Eph. 2:10)
I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected. (Phil. 1: 5)
I have been redeemed and forgiven ( Col 1:14). I have been adopted as God's child (Eph 1:5)
I belong to God
Do you know
Who you are?
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Finding spiritual uplift in an economic downturn
By Dr. DeForest B. Soaries, Jr.
7:00 AM on 11/25/2009
Related NewsFamily experiments with trying to survive on food stamps
Sisters use shea butter to soften recession's rough patch
As economy sags, man finds way to support women in need.
Economic recession brings with it very significant personal challenges. While economists consider the macroeconomic aspects of recessions like manufacturing, investing and other categories measured by statistics, ordinary people wrestle with day-to-day issues such as income, expenses and peace of mind.
Because of the pressures that lie behind the numbers reported in the media, many people become victims of recession-induced stress and become statistics of another sort. Careful analysis will reveal that rates of substance abuse, domestic violence and suicide all increase during tough economic times. Crisis hotlines have been overwhelmed by calls from families that are hurting emotionally due to financial stress. Recovery of the spirit can take much longer than recovery of the economy. That is why many people reconsider the role of faith in their lives during times like these.
Of course people must avoid allowing the faith option and some of the gimmicks that can accompany faith strategies to become an alternative to common sense strategies for beating a recession. When hard times arrive, people are much more vulnerable to religious alchemy and the likelihood of becoming prey to spiritual lottery ticket schemes increases. But a connection with an authentic faith experience can help people survive and even defeat the most difficult circumstances.
One characteristic of such a faith experience is the discovery of self worth and personal value apart from the value of one's possessions. Because our consumer culture is so pervasive, it has convinced too many that our personal value is dependent upon the value of the things that we own. During a recession, the value of our possessions will decrease as will our purchasing power. Finding faith should mean discovering one's intrinsic value as a created human being that exists separate and apart from the appraised value of our homes or our ability to purchase items that bear the proper logo on them. Such a perspective protects people of faith from the temptation to conclude that all has been lost because money or things have been lost.
This discovery also leads to a greater appreciation for the value of those relationships that we have and that remain during recessions. People whose faith deepens during recessions should find more joy and meaning in their relationships since their possessions are no longer as primary as they once were. Holidays and special occasions can regain their original meaning and purposes and creative expression among friends and family can replace the bestowing of gifts that had become substitutes for genuine expressions of appreciation and love. Having lost the ability to use our credit cards to buy more stuff can be a blessing that forces us to become more human.
Discovering faith during recessions can also have benefits after the recession is over. No recession lasts forever. And after jobs have been regained, houses begin to rise in value, credit is restored and life begins to become much more pleasant, the lessons learned during recessions can become the framework for the post recession lifestyle. Living within our means, appreciating the value of ourselves and one another, having realistic and redemptive priorities are all products of authentic faith encounters. If we master those disciplines during recession, we will be healthier after recessions and our faith will have proven to be an investment rather than an escape.
Perhaps that is what one poet meant when he said, "faith is the victory that overcomes the world."
7:00 AM on 11/25/2009
Related NewsFamily experiments with trying to survive on food stamps
Sisters use shea butter to soften recession's rough patch
As economy sags, man finds way to support women in need.
Economic recession brings with it very significant personal challenges. While economists consider the macroeconomic aspects of recessions like manufacturing, investing and other categories measured by statistics, ordinary people wrestle with day-to-day issues such as income, expenses and peace of mind.
Because of the pressures that lie behind the numbers reported in the media, many people become victims of recession-induced stress and become statistics of another sort. Careful analysis will reveal that rates of substance abuse, domestic violence and suicide all increase during tough economic times. Crisis hotlines have been overwhelmed by calls from families that are hurting emotionally due to financial stress. Recovery of the spirit can take much longer than recovery of the economy. That is why many people reconsider the role of faith in their lives during times like these.
Of course people must avoid allowing the faith option and some of the gimmicks that can accompany faith strategies to become an alternative to common sense strategies for beating a recession. When hard times arrive, people are much more vulnerable to religious alchemy and the likelihood of becoming prey to spiritual lottery ticket schemes increases. But a connection with an authentic faith experience can help people survive and even defeat the most difficult circumstances.
One characteristic of such a faith experience is the discovery of self worth and personal value apart from the value of one's possessions. Because our consumer culture is so pervasive, it has convinced too many that our personal value is dependent upon the value of the things that we own. During a recession, the value of our possessions will decrease as will our purchasing power. Finding faith should mean discovering one's intrinsic value as a created human being that exists separate and apart from the appraised value of our homes or our ability to purchase items that bear the proper logo on them. Such a perspective protects people of faith from the temptation to conclude that all has been lost because money or things have been lost.
This discovery also leads to a greater appreciation for the value of those relationships that we have and that remain during recessions. People whose faith deepens during recessions should find more joy and meaning in their relationships since their possessions are no longer as primary as they once were. Holidays and special occasions can regain their original meaning and purposes and creative expression among friends and family can replace the bestowing of gifts that had become substitutes for genuine expressions of appreciation and love. Having lost the ability to use our credit cards to buy more stuff can be a blessing that forces us to become more human.
Discovering faith during recessions can also have benefits after the recession is over. No recession lasts forever. And after jobs have been regained, houses begin to rise in value, credit is restored and life begins to become much more pleasant, the lessons learned during recessions can become the framework for the post recession lifestyle. Living within our means, appreciating the value of ourselves and one another, having realistic and redemptive priorities are all products of authentic faith encounters. If we master those disciplines during recession, we will be healthier after recessions and our faith will have proven to be an investment rather than an escape.
Perhaps that is what one poet meant when he said, "faith is the victory that overcomes the world."
Friday, November 20, 2009
When I say good morning I mean to say:
G-od
O-ffers us His
O-utstanding
D-evotion to
M-ake us
O-bedient &
R-eady for a
N-ew day with Him.
I-nspire others please, and
N-ever forget
G-od loves you!
HAVE A BLESSED DAY!
O-ffers us His
O-utstanding
D-evotion to
M-ake us
O-bedient &
R-eady for a
N-ew day with Him.
I-nspire others please, and
N-ever forget
G-od loves you!
HAVE A BLESSED DAY!
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