Good Friday

Today and Sunday are probably the most significant days on the Christian calendar. Not Christmas or any other day but today…..You see friends today was the day that they crucified my Lord. My Jesus who I love today was the day that He died for you and me so that we never ever have to fear death. Today was the day that He was born for, today was the day that He willingly became the everlasting sacrifice the one and only perfect unblemished Lamb of God, The sweet smelling sacrifice, the last sacrifice in fact my friends THE GREATEST LOVE STORY EVERY TOLD..

You see my friends Jesus had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Even before the crucifixion began, he clearly had physical symptoms associated with severe stress. The night before the execution, his disciples reported seeing Jesus in “agony” on the Mount of Olives. Not only did he not sleep all night, but he seems to have been sweating profusely. So great was the stress that tiny blood vessels were rupturing in his sweat glands and emitting as great red drops that fell to the ground (see Luke 22:44). This symptom of severe stress is called hematohidrosis.
Jesus was physically exhausted and in danger of going into shock unless he received fluids (which he apparently did not). This is the man that the Roman soldiers tortured. Having previously been beaten by the Jews, it was now the Romans' turn.

The beatings administered by Roman soldiers are well known to be very bloody, leaving lacerations all over the body. Romans designed their whips to cut the flesh from their victim's bodies. The whips commonly used in those times the whips were made from sharp bone and bits of metal. These beatings were designed to be painful to the extreme.

It would also cause a fluid build up around his lungs. In addition, a crown of thorns was forced into his scalp which was capable of severely irritating major nerves in his head, causing increasing and excruciating pain, as the hours wore on. Our Lord was crowned with that crown of thorns in mockery by the Romans (Matt. 27:29). The object of Pilate's guard in doing this was probably to insult, and not specially to inflict pain. There is nothing to show that the shrub thus used was, as has been supposed, the spina Christi, which could have been easily woven into a wreath. It was probably the thorny nabk, which grew abundantly round about Jerusalem, and whose flexible, pliant, and round branches could easily be platted into the form of a crown. Many experts say however that the thorns that were used were hooked so once impressed into the Lords head they were virtually impossible to remove.

In Christ's severely stressed condition, these beatings were easily enough to kill him. His body was horribly bruised, cut and bleeding. Having had no nourishment for many hours, and having lost fluids through profuse sweating and much bleeding, Jesus would have been severely dehydrated. This brutal torture would certainly be sending him into what doctors call “shock,” and shock kills.
In addition, Jesus was forced to carry the wooden beam on which he would die. Imagine the effect of carrying a heavy weight if you were in that condition.

Crucifixion was a common mode of punishment among heathen nations in early times. It is not certain whether it was used by the ancient Jews; probably it was not. The modes of capital punishment according to the Mosaic law were, by the sword (Exodus 21), strangling, fire (Lev. 20), and stoning (Deut. 21).
This was regarded as the most horrible form of death, and to a Jew it would acquire greater horror from the curse in Deut. 21:23.
This punishment began by subjecting the sufferer to scourging as discussed earlier. In the case of our Lord, however, his scourging was before the sentence was passed upon him, and was inflicted by Pilate for the purpose, probably, of producing pity to avoid a demand for further punishment .

The condemned person carried his own cross to the place of execution, which was outside the city, in some conspicuous place set apart for the purpose. Before the nailing to the cross took place, a medicated cup of vinegar mixed with gall and myrrh (the sopor) was sometimes given, for the purpose of deadening the pangs of the sufferer.

Our Lord refused this cup, that his senses might be clear (Matt. 27:34). The spongeful of vinegar, sour wine, posca, the common drink of the Roman soldiers, which was put on a hyssop stalk and offered to our Lord in contemptuous pity (Matt. 27:48; Luke 23:36). He tasted it probably to allay the agonies of his thirst (John 19:29).
Hung completely naked before the crowd, the pain and damage caused by crucifixion were designed to be so devilishly intense that one would continually long for death, but could linger for days with no relief.

According to Dr. Frederick Zugibe, piercing of the median nerve of the hands with a nail can cause pain so incredible that even morphine won't help, “severe, excruciating, burning pain, like lightning bolts traversing the arm into the spinal cord.” Rupturing the foot's plantar nerve with a nail would have a similarly horrible effect.

Furthermore, the position of the body on a cross is designed to make it extremely difficult to breathe.

Frederick Farrar described the intended, torturous effect: “For indeed a death by crucifixion seems to include all that pain and death can have of horrible and ghastly—dizziness, cramp, thirst, starvation, sleeplessness, traumatic fever, tetanus, shame, publicity of shame, long continuance of torment, horror of anticipation, mortification of untended wounds—all intensified just up to the point at which they can be endured at all, but all stopping just short of the point which would give to the suffer the relief of unconsciousness.”

One doctor has called it “a symphony of pain” produced by every movement, with every breath; even a slight breeze on his skin could bring screaming pain at this point.
Medical examiner, Dr. Frederick Zugibe, believes Christ died from shock due to loss of blood and fluid, plus traumatic shock from his injuries, plus cardiogenic shock causing Christ's heart to fail.

At the ninth hour (the time at which a sacrificial lamb was killed everyday in the Jewish temple), Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated,“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” and soon died, after saying “It is finished.” At about this moment is probably the time when the temple's priestly ram's horn would have been blown that day, announcing that the priests had completed the sacrifice of the lamb for the sins of Israel. Also at that moment, the great, thick curtain that closed the Holy of Holies room from view, ripped open from top to bottom.-Mark 15:34 and Matthew 27:46

James Thompson believed that Jesus did not die from exhaustion, the beatings or the 3 hours of crucifixion, but that he died from agony of mind producing rupture of the heart. His evidence comes from what happened when the Roman soldier pierced Christ's left side. The spear released a sudden flow of blood and water (John 19:34). Not only does this prove that Jesus was already dead when pierced, but Thompson believes it is also evidence of cardiac rupture. Respected physiologist Samuel Houghton believed that only the combination of crucifixion and rupture of the heart could produce this result.

There is no question that it was painful beyond words.

Biblically, it is clear that Jesus chose and willed His moment of death. That moment was induced not by pain, emotional stress, heart attack, or any other, but by His will. Though fully human, He is also fully divine. As God, He could not die from external sources, but only of His own volition and will.

Near the end, a criminal beside him mocked, “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us.” Little did this sinner know that the man he was speaking to hung there voluntarily. He was speaking to our Creator, capable of releasing all the power in the universe and beyond, and easily saving himself. Jesus remained in this agony and shame, not because he was powerless, but because of his incredible love for humanity. He suffered to provide the needed way of salvation for you and me.

The accounts given of the crucifixion of our Lord are in entire agreement with the customs and practices of the Romans in such cases. He was crucified between two “criminals” (Isa. 53:12; Luke 23:32), and was watched by a party of four soldiers (John 19:23; Matt. 27:36, 54), with their centurion. The “breaking of the legs” of the crucified was intended to hasten death, and put them out of misery (John 19:31); but the unusual rapidity of our Lord's death (19:33) was due to his previous sufferings and his great mental anguish. The omission of the breaking of his legs was the fulfillment of a symbol (Ex. 12:46).

He literally died of a broken heart, a ruptured heart, and hence the flowing of blood and water from the wound made by the soldier's spear (John 19:34).
Our Lord uttered memorable words from the cross, including “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise” (23:43), as well as John 19:26, Matt. 27:46, Mark 15:34, John 19:28, Luke 23:46, and John 19:30 (“It is finished.”).

This Jesus the man I serve and love, My God, my Saviour, the King of Kings the Lord of Lords, died for you and He died for me…He died for your healing and He died for my healing……He died for your deliverance and for my deliverance.

During this time remember how special and loved you are so special that God gave His ONLY begotten Son for you and me.

If we can pray for you or help you in any way please email me on:

alcc@xtra.co.nz

God Bless you now and always

Sharmaine

How To Resolve 4 kKinds of Marital Conflict

Kathy Collard Miller, D. Larry Miller


ROMANS 12:17--21 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but over­come evil with good.


Conflict often makes our beloved seem like an enemy. We can easily begin to think, "It's me against you!" when we're supposed to be on the same side. Yet when we start picking a fight with our spouse and, in effect, try to take vengeance by getting our own way, we're certainly not trusting God to fulfill his promise to work in someone's life. If we're supposed to give food and water to our enemy, then let's resolve our conflicts with our best friend--our mate! Here's how to identify the four main kinds of conflict and what to do about them:


1. Faults and Weaknesses. Everyone has faults. Faults aren't sins. Faults could be based in the weaknesses of your spouse's personality. A person who seems to talk too much is a gregarious kind of person. You may judge that she talks too much, but that's because you may not talk much at all. She is most likely thinking you don't talk enough. This is not a conflict about sin; rather, it is a lack of com­passion and understanding about who God created your spouse to be.

If your conflict comes from trying to change your spouse, remember that only God can change someone. It isn't your job. Don't allow conflict to separate you emotionally because of his fault or weakness. At the same time, you can gently point out how too much talking prevents both of you from contributing to the conversation. Speaking "peaceably" means invit­ing a dialogue--not haranguing your spouse for what you perceive is wrong. Ask God to make any changes that he wants. Believe it or not, he might not plan to change that person at this time, and you can relax and eliminate the conflict knowing that he has his perfect timing.


2. Unintended Emotional Injury. When someone hurts your feelings and he didn't intend to (although we might think he did), we can easily fall into the trap of blaming and taking it personally. Each person thinks he is right.

It's important to express your hurt by saying something like, "I know you didn't intend to hurt me, but I felt . . . [and share your feelings]." Give your spouse the benefit of the doubt. He loves you, and most of the time, what you think is meant to hurt you isn't intended that way. It was most likely a misunderstanding, or he inadvertently touched on something that is a wound within you, possibly even from childhood.

Acknowledging the underlying causes of why this "triggers" you is essen­tial. Most often, things from our childhood are at the root. For instance, a wife was neglected by her father, and so any slight by her husband takes her back emotionally (without her knowing it) to those longings of want­ing her daddy to love her. Because of this trigger, she will need to take responsibility for her own reaction. The person who inadvertently hurt his or her spouse can remember this: "The purposes of a man's heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out" (Proverbs 20:5). God wants you to compassionately invite your spouse to address her hurt and possibly her wound from the past.

The "offending" spouse will need to walk "peaceably" by not reacting in kind with anger or hurt. By keeping your cool, you will cover the situation with a calming balm. Proverbs 15:1 urges us, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."



3. Preferences. During your courtship, you most likely appreciated the differences that completed you as a couple. If one of you is outgoing and friendly, the other person is most likely more reserved. You liked how your spouse made friends easily so that you didn't have to put out so much effort. But now that difference has made him or her into an enemy. You may feel that he is so friendly with everyone else that he ignores you.

Living peaceably means recognizing that a preference isn't sinful. Just because you think one way doesn't mean your spouse's opposite thinking is wrong--it's just different. Different isn't wrong. Your conflict is based in thinking that there's only one way to think about something or do some­thing. But look at Proverbs 27:14: "If a man loudly blesses his neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse." If because you're an early riser you think it's pretty close to a sin to sleep in late, the Bible says you're cursing your friend. Some things just aren't in a sin category.

If your spouse thinks strongly about something, then it may be even more of a conflict if you feel that you're going to be forced to abide by your spouse's preferences. That's why you need to try to feel his passion or pref­erence. That doesn't mean you need to change your preference, just under­stand how much it means to him. You may both choose to do your "own thing" separately if one person doesn't enjoy the desired activity, but leave room for both of you to do what you want at some point. Or take turns. If your conflict is about where to go on vacation, decide that one year you will go to the lake and the next year you will go to the mountains. Or find a place that has both a lake and a mountain.

If you feel that your own preferences aren't ever honored, first look at the word ever. Is that really true? Or is your spouse giving in on some things thinking she is pleasing you, except that particular thing isn't that impor­tant to you so you don't give her credit for her effort? But when you say "You never let me" or "We don't ever," your spouse may point out some­thing that she thought she was doing for you but you hadn't noticed because it's not your important preference. This is why it's important to communicate what's valuable to you. And if your spouse tells you you're not really hearing what she says, listen! Really listen and try to feel her passion. Understand that just as your activity is important to you, so also is her activity to her.


4. Sin. When your spouse sins, he can certainly seem like the enemy. Yet Romans 12:17--21 tells us we have a choice whether to live peaceably with our enemy. That doesn't mean overlooking his sin or doing nothing about it, but it does mean having an attitude of good that isn't overcome by evil. And most of the time in conflict, evil means being angry. Being angry means that you're trying to be in control instead of allowing God to be, and that won't get you the result you want. Yes, you'll still need to call your spouse's attention to the sin. If it's horrible and terribly painful, like adultery, and your spouse refuses to remove himself from the sin, then you may need to separate legally. But most of the time, we're dealing with sin that is griev­ous but not liable to end the marriage. What then can we do?

God calls us to righteousness if we are the offended party. This is not a self-righteous, I'm-better-than-you attitude, but a humble heart like the one 1 Peter 3:8--9 describes: "Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing."

Compassion means thinking, "I could do something like that, and even if I haven't, I've done something equally bad or pretty close." Sin is sin. Regardless of the degree of sin that we have committed, we've all fallen short. We all stand on equal ground before a holy God who has forgiven us. In those moments, Galatians 6:1--2 is a good reminder: "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (NKJV). We could have done the same thing if we were tempted in the same way.

Compassion also means forgiving our mate, but forgiving doesn't mean we're saying the sin didn't happen or that he or she shouldn't suffer the consequences of sin. But it means releasing our anger and our need to take revenge. Then set up a plan for accountability and strength for your spouse to turn from the sin so that the two of you can be reconciled.



How Others See It
Henry Cloud and John Townsend
Agree on a follow-up plan. "If I notice something again, how do you want me to help you? What do you want me to do?" This way you become a team member to deal with the problem and not a police officer. You might want to talk to him about bringing other resources to the problem as well, such as friends to hold him accountable. The important issue is that you are together as a team to fight the reoccurrence.


Becky and Roger Tirabassi give seven motivators for forgiving others:
To forgive someone benefits you.
To forgive doesn't mean you allow the person to continue to hurt you in the same way.
Most people don't intentionally try to hurt you.
God wants us to forgive others.
It won't be long before you will need to be forgiven.
Forgiveness becomes easier when you look for similar behavior in your life.
Forgiveness is not a feeling. It is a decision!


source: CWalk
This article originally posted on November 5, 2007.
Excerpted from
What's in the Bible for Couples © 2007 by Kathy Collard Miller, D. Larry Miller, and Larry Richards, Ph.D.
__._,_.___

Your Answer is at the DoorRev. James C. Matthews

"So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him' ... 'Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. "Quick, get up!" he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists'. ... 'When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door.

When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, "Peter is at the door!" "You're out of your mind," they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, "It must be his angel." But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. (Acts 12:5,7,12-16, NIV)

One morning during my prayer and devotion time, I ran across a scripture that stopped me in my tracks. There was something in the text that God wanted me to see. So I backed up and reread the text again. Then it hit me! These believers, who were praying earnestly, weren't expecting their prayers to be answered. I said to myself: "How can this be? How can we prayer "earnestly" for something and not believe our answer when it arrives?" God revealed to me that this happens all the time. He sends answers to our prayers and they are returned to Him stamped "Unclaimed."

Why is this? How can we take the time to pray and not expect our answer or recognize it when it comes knocking? I believe there are three main reasons why this happens.
First, is a "lack of expectation" due to "past experiences". In looking at the context of this scripture, these individuals had experienced fellow believers being killed, even after they prayed for their release.

They had endured the stoning of Stephen, the slaying of James and now their leader Peter was schedule to be next. Those who were in the house praying, told the young girl who reported that their prayers had been answered, that she was "out of her mind". However, we must remember that our past experiences or failures do not determine or dictate God's present or future course of action.

Many of the most difficult things that hinder our forward movement in life, are not the things that lay ahead of us, but those things that are behind us that distract us from what is happening in our lives now. We must expect God to answer our prayers and be on the look out for its manifestation in our lives, regardless of what happened yesterday. The Bible says that he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

Secondly, prayer in the lives of many believers, has been minimized to being nothing more than a "religious activity or responsibility", instead of it being the heaven moving gift of God. When we lose sight of the fact that we are calling upon an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent Creator God of the universe, who also happens to be "our Father", we can become overwhelmed by the severity of our situation. We must understand that we are not calling upon another human being or some distant disinterested deity - but our Father who has no limitations. If I can find it in His Word, and agree with what He has said, the facts of my situation will have to line up with the truth of His word. Facts change everyday, but the truth never changes.

Because I've decided to believe the truth above the fluctuating facts, I have a legitimate expectation of manifestation (answered pray) in my life. Prayer is more than religion or a believer's responsibility, but a relationship with our Father!
Thirdly, "God's ways are not our ways". I truly believe, that part of the difficulty those gathered in prayer had in receiving their answer, was that it seemed "too easy". They prayed and God answered their prayer. It was that simple! Believe it or not, this happens more often than you think. I've discovered that many of us overlook our answers because we "feel" that we haven't toiled, labored or suffered enough to have earned an answer from God.

Remember, you are a "son", not a slave! You don't earn blessings - you receive them! Jesus said, in Matthew 7:11, "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"
Therefore, what have you been praying to God about? Did you know that God is your Father and He wants to bless you? Do you expect your prayer to be answered? If not, you need to take a good look around, because the answer to your prayer may have already arrived, and waiting on you to receive it!

ANGIES MARRIAGE COLUMN FEBRUARY2009

Ask Angie: Angie, my husband is a Christian, and I just found out that he has been looking at porn on the Internet for about a month. How do I have a relationship with him after this? We went through this when we first got married 19 years ago...I don't think I can do it again!

Marriage Guidance: You have to see your husband underneath the cloak of this addiction. Addiction is not who he is but what he has allowed to filter into his heart and mind. You need to pray about his recovery and ask God to give you the strength to get through these hard times in your marriage.

Some husbands lie to themselves and believe its ok to look at naked women and men. But the truth is its not ok if you have stopped enjoying your wife. It’s not ok if you look forward to viewing women on the Internet instead of the woman you married and that God has blessed you with. It would be a good idea to print this marriage column out and read through it with your husband. Work together on this issue by being supportive and encouraging.

Try and be your husbands other half (help mate) rather than an antagonist. You both need to sit down and talk through this with respect and consideration of each others feelings. Some husbands are in denial and believe they don't have a problem with porn. But since you said your husband is a Christian or trying to be a Christian then he is not in denial and should work towards inner healing. Help him do that.

Pornography viewing is an addiction of the heart, mind and soul. It is a symptom of something greater going on within those who view it. Just as drinking is a symptom of alcoholism; viewing porn is a symptom of a sexual, emotional, and psychological issue going on within the mind of the viewer. He needs to figure out “what” the problem is within him (past issues) and tackle it head on through His Creator. Was he sexually abused as a child? Was his mom or dad an alcoholic who didn’t show him any love? Was he emotionally bruised from someone in his past as a child?

We all have issues from our past but we must grow away from these sufferings and learn from them. We can’t keep blaming our failings and weaknesses on our past – that’s not right. Grow up, be responsible and take accountability for your actions. If you have bruises that need healing, then heal them! You know what to do. But just in case you forgot, I will help you out a bit with some marriage guidance. Click on the article at end of marriage column, Pornography Addiction:

What Can A Man Do?

Lust is an unhealthy desire that takes a person away from that which is right and good. It does not matter if it is lusting after strangers on the Internet or a fleshly body in a secret place. To yearn for the flesh of another person other than who you are married is wrong thinking taking over your mind and eliminating the natural goodness that resides in man.

The evil one knows that by getting you to think and envision the lusty images in your mind first it will entice you to desire it. Once you take a peek, you look again, and again, until you can’t seem to get the immoral imagery away from your mind, and you become ensnared within it. If you think long enough, you become what you think. God says we are not to even THINK about these things in our mind.

“Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes, for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread, and the adulteress preys upon your very life”. Proverbs 25, 26

You are worth more than a loaf of bread, aren’t you? If you continue in your wrong thinking long enough, you will turn moldy. Are you going to let that happen? So if the act of adultery is wrong, then so is the intention. It is considered mental adultery and thus a sin! To be faithful to your spouse with your body, but not your mind is to break the trust that is so vital to marriage.

“There is nothing wrong with looking at porn, at least I’m not having an affair!”
Pornography for many is more justified than the physical act and if they get caught looking at it, all they have to say is, "well, at least I didn't have an affair."

WRONG! But you are having an affair each and every time you look at another woman or think of another woman in a lustful way! Don’t you get it; you are allowing naked strangers to control who you are. Is that who you are? I thought you were a child of God? He created you. What happened to respecting His choices for your life? Why are you disrespecting yourself by choosing to turn your back on God?

“It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God.” 1Thessalonians 4, 3-5

The power to rid yourself of temptation and to remain faithful comes from what you believe. Therefore it does not rest in you alone but in your Creator. If you have been unfaithful to your wife by looking at other women, it is because you do not have the foggiest idea how to utilize the tools (gifts) God has given you. Otherwise you would not be addicted, right?
So, I say, live by the Spirit (The Spirit is Jesus Christ – Your Savior) and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit. (Galatians 5:16-17)

Virtually anyone can become addicted to porn if they allow their heart and mind to gravitate to it. Addiction doesn’t pick certain people to become controlled by it – it takes whoever wants to play; whoever is not trusting in God with their life. Porn addiction will take hold of your life just like any other addiction… if you don’t live by the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
What are the tools (gifts) from God that a man or woman can use against the power of porn addiction?

Faith to trust God with your life! God won’t let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. And He will provide a way out of temptation so you can stand up under it! Do you believe God can do that? Do you believe with that kind of faith? Then use it as a weapon next time you are tempted.
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Loyalty, in all areas of marriage is a part of the giving process that you learn through allowing God's love and forgiveness into your heart and mind. When you accept what the Truth is, you can actually give of yourself and do it freely. It's really that simple. Accepting is on the same line as humbling oneself. If you humble yourself to God you are giving yourself to God. Once you actually release your sins to God, He will rid you of temptation. You see how that works?
How great is the love the Father lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. (1 John 3:1)

Are you a child of God? Then why do you look to the world (evil and sin) for reassurance of self? If the world is where you look for truth, you will believe what the world says, and probably be weak in your sin again. As with any addiction we are powerless to defeat it on our own. The world justifies sin and makes people believe its ok to rebel against God.

It is God's will that all marriages be built upon the rock of loyalty and when you remain steadfast and loyal to your spouse, even through the hardships, you are allowing God to give you the understanding you need to remain faithful. By trusting in what God says for your marriage, you are less tempted to stray from the marriage, whether in the physical act or through pornography.

Therefore, you must stop looking to society for the answers. Faith comes from believing in what you cannot see with your eyes, bringing those beliefs into the heart and acting upon them with passion. Having and utilizing the power of faith is an individual matter that is gained by your own personal relationship with God. Make God your Captain.
Jesus Christ will free the man or woman from bondage when he or she believes and trusts God with His life. You can find your way home – Jesus is waiting for you to come follow Him.

Remember true repentance means we must change how our heart and mind thinks. What we think we believe. For what a man thinks he becomes.

Dear Friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul (1 Peter 2:11)

BLESSINGS IN ABUNDANCE!!!

CHANGE

Courage To Change The Things We Can
By Angie Lewis

God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, courage to change the things we can, and wisdom to know the difference.

This is a very powerful statement and very good principles to live our life by, even if we don’t have a drinking problem. There are many things in our life, marriage, and our relationships that we would like to change, and we spend countless hours, and spend great amounts of energy trying to control and change people and circumstances.

Why are we doing this? Why can’t we just accept people for who they are and accept circumstances and outcomes how they happen? Why must we continually try and control what is obviously out of our power to change? Perhaps we aren’t asking God to help us with accepting some of the people we have relationships with. Maybe we have not put our faith in God to just let him control the outcome of circumstances.

God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change.

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6Perhaps we think we can control and manipulte our spouse, boss, friends and family. Maybe we think we can change them to be the people we think they should be for us.

But all this does is cause strife and contention with the people were supposed to be loving and respecting. Have we prayed for God to give us the serenity to accept our spouse just the way he or she is? Or are we still leaning on our own understanding and wisdom?Let’s ask God to give us the courage to change the things we can and accept people for who they are. Wouldn’t that be better? What are some of the things that we can change? We can change ourselves, and we can work at changing the outcomes of circumstances that we initiated. Anything else would be controlling, manipulating and abusing people to be what we think they should be. Let’s pray for the courage to change what we can about ourselves; focus on changing the consequences of our actions by the spirit of courage given to us by God.

All we have to do is ask. If we truly want to accept the things we cannot change we first must be willing to give up the control if it. We must acknowledge our Lord and place our faith in His promise for us and then we will be given the courage to change ourselves. I thought, “Age should speak; advanced years should teach wisdom.” But it is the spirit in a person, the breath of the Almighty that gives them understanding.

Job 32: 7-8Where does wisdom come from? Do you think wisdom is something we gain through the years or something we learn by just reading scripture? God says wisdom comes from the spirit within us. The Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ gives us the wisdom and understanding to know the difference between what we can change and what we cannot change. We can read about wisdom but it is a gift from God given to those who put their faith and trust in Him. God gives us the wisdom to know the difference. Can I change my alcoholic spouse and control their drinking habits? Can I make my adult child be a doctor instead of an accountant? Can I make my friends do what I want? We can try to control and change people in this way, but what is the use if it causes contention, bitterness and strife between us?

That is not of God. These are the things we cannot change. 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. Romans 8:28We must learn to acknowledge the things we cannot change so we can be free to love without control. For instance, we cannot make our alcoholic spouse stop drinking but we can change how we react to the alcoholic when they are drinking. We don’t have to enable him or her any longer; we can have the courage to change our behavior towards them. We cannot make our friends do whatever we want because that would be selfish and wrong. But we can ask God for the courage to change our feelings about the things we do with our friends.

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. Joshua 1:9

REMEBER GOD AND I LOVE YOU!

CHANGE

--Thomas Watson, "The Beatitudes" 1660

To render evil for evil is brutish;to render evil for good is devilish;to render good for evil is Christian.

"Blessed are the meek." Matthew 5:5 Meekness is a grace whereby we are enabled by the Spirit of God, to moderate our angry passions.

Meekness has a divine beauty and sweetness in it. This meekness consists in three things:

1. the bearing of injuries,

2. the forgiving of injuries,

3. the recompensing good for evil.

Meekness is opposed to:anger,malice,revenge andevil-speaking.

Meekness is a great ornament to a Christian. "The ornament of a meek spirit—which is so precious to God!" (1 Peter 3:4). How lovely is a saint in God's eye, when adorned with this jewel! No garment is more befitting to a Christian, than meekness. Therefore we are bid to put on this garment, "Puton therefore as the elect of God—meekness."(Colossians 3:12)Meekness is a noble and excellent spirit. A meek man is a valorous man. He gets a victory over himself! Anger arises from weakness of character. The meek man is able to conquer his fury.

"He who is slow to anger is betterthan the mighty; controlling one's temper is better thancapturing a city." (Proverbs 16:32). To yield to one's anger is easy—it is swimming along with the tide of corrupt nature. But to turn against nature—to resist anger, to "overcome evil with good"—this is truly Christian. Meekness is the best way to conquer and melt the heart of an enemy. Meekness melts and thaws the heart of others. The greatest victory is to overcome an enemy—without striking a blow!

Mildness prevails more than fierceness. Anger makes an enemy of afriend. Meekness makes a friend of an enemy.Meekness is the way to be like Jesus—"Learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart." Mat. 11:29.It is not profession which makes us like Jesus—butimitation. Where meekness is lacking—we are likebrutes. Where it is present—we are like Jesus.

PRAYER AND OTHER THINGS

I just love what Jean Nicholas Grou (1730-1803) said in his classic book "HOW TO PRAY", he said,

"You ask me what this voice of the heart is. It is love which is the voice of the heart. Love God and you will always be speaking to Him. The seed of love is growth in prayer. If you do not understand that, you have never yet either loved or prayed. Ask God to open your heart and kindle in it a spark of His love and then you will begin to understand what praying means."

Wow what powerful words! I do not have very much if anything to add, maybe just to ask you a few questions:-

• How much do you love Him?


• When last have you had intimate communication with Him? (intimate standing for in to me you see)


• Have you taken the time to see into Him?


• Stop and be quiet and listen to the wonderful things He will share with you, when you have finished praying do not just run away, but wait, be quiet and listen.

Remember you are valuable and precious

In friendship

Sharmaine

A SAYING FOR TODAY

The question for each of us is not what we would do if we had the means, time, influence and educational advantages, but what we will do with the things we have!

Hamilton Wright Mabie

Tools of the Trade

Tools of the Trade

WHY WERE THE WISE MEN CALLED WISE

Matthew 2:1-121.

THEY SOUGHT GOD FIRSTMatthew 2:1-2

2. THEY DID NOT ALLOW THE ENEMY TO DISTRACT THEM FROM THEIR PURPOSE -Matthew 2:8 Matthew 2:12
3. THEY GAVE THEIR BEST TO GODMatthew 2:11

The three gifts of the Magi had a prophetic meaning: gold, the gift for a king; incense, the gift for a priest; and myrrh, a burial ointment as a gift for one who would die.

The first mentioned gift was gold. Gold was the usual offering presented to kings by their subjects, or those wanting to pay respect. When the Magi presented gold, they were honoring Jesus with the very best that they possessed, and they were also recognizing that Jesus was King.

The second gift brought out of the boxes by the Magi was frankincense. Frankincense is a very costly and fragrant gum distilled from a tree that is found in Persia, India and Arabia, as well as the East Indies. Frankincense is highly fragrant when burned, and was, therefore, used in worship, where it was burned as a pleasant offering to God. - Exodus 30:7,8

The primary lesson from frankincense is that our worship is to be pleasing to God.

The last gift brought by the Magi was Myrrh. Myrrh is an aromatic gum produced from a thorn-bush that grew in Arabia and Ethiopia, and was obtained from a tree in the same manner as frankincense. This thorny tree, called "balsamodendron myrrha", is similar to the acacia. It grows from eight to ten feet high, and is thorny. When it oozes from the wounded shrub, myrrh is a pale yellow color at first, but as it hardens, it changes to dark red or even black color.
Myrrh then is brought as a gift to acknowledge the human suffering that Jesus partook of when He came into our world.

DURING THIS TIME OF HAVING DONE SO MUCH FOR OTHERS, SO MANY PRESENTS BOUGHT, I WONDER WHAT YOU HAVE GIVEN THE KING?

HOW MUCH TIME HAVE YOU SPENT WITH HIM AND WHAT GIFT WITHIN YOURSELF WILL YOU GIVE HIM?
GO TO THE THRONE ROOM I IMPLORE YOU KNEEL BEFORE HIM TELL HIM HOW MUCH YOU LOVE HIM AND BE ALL YOU WERE CALLED TO BE THIS COMING YEAR!!

LOVE AND HUGS
SHARMAINE

GOD GIVEN DREAMS

God-given Dreams of the Heart
By Rebekah Montgomery

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a desire to share the Good News. Because of this, some of my earliest childhood memories are of “playing church.”
My sister Ruth and I would dress up our cats and dogs in doll clothes, sit them on little red wooden chairs, then present flannel graph Bible stories and lead them in singing.

But we weren’t playing. We were serious. The Great Commission had instructed us to “preach the Gospel to every creature,” which included cats and dogs, of course. We loved our cats and dogs. We never knew when one of them would be called to meet their Maker.
Occasionally, a member of our congregation would make a break for it, but from past bitter experience, they knew escape was futile. Mostly they sat through our services with resignation.

Their lasse faire attitude proved good training for me: As a speaker, I am sometimes greeted with similar trapped expressions on audience members’ faces.
At the end of each church session, Ruth and I would lead many verses of Just As I Am and extend an “invitation.” We felt this was vitally important and conducted them with great earnestness. We didn’t want any cat or dog to fry for an eternity in hell because we had cut short the invitation to play Barbie or ride bikes. Our theology may have been skewed, but our hearts were in the right place.

The longer we urged them toward repentance and salvation, the more verses we sang, the sorrier the animals looked. When we finally had the closing prayer, some of them seemed to bow their heads, so we were encouraged that some had repented.

Examples to Follow

As an adult, I wholeheartedly wanted to serve God. I didn’t suppose God would ever open up a ministry for me. After all, I was a woman, and according to the lights of many, women were not supposed to do anything in the church except cook the food for potluck dinners and clean up afterwards. My parents didn’t subscribe to this interpretation of the scriptures, but so many did that I realized if I were to exercise the gifts God had given me, I would be the target of a great deal of criticism.

Little by little, God showed me in the scriptures exactly what He had called women to do. He showed me Mary who washed the feet of Jesus. And Martha who served Jesus food at first century potlucks. Then there was Mary Magdalene and others who supplied Jesus with financial help. Deborah led, inspired, and judged. Miriam led music. Dorcas clothed widows and orphans.

Lydia networked. Pricilla instructed Paul. The woman at the well evangelized her village. Jesus didn’t consign these women to work only in the nursery and hold babies: He reserved that extra special job for Himself.

But most of all, God pointed out to me the women who stood at the foot of the cross and bore witness of His crucifixion. These were the women who hastily prepared His body for burial then assembled the spices to return on Sunday to do a proper job of it. They were the first to realize that the tomb was empty.

These were the women Jesus told to tell Peter and the disciples that He was risen — and that was precisely the job I felt called to do: To tell the world that Christ was risen.
I concluded if He had called me to a ministry within the church, He would open the doors for me so others would recognize my call, too — which is exactly what has happened.

The discovery of God’s call on my life has been a joyous adventure. He has allowed me to share the Good News of Jesus’ resurrection in a variety of ways, from Bible school for underprivileged inner-city children to wealthy, upper crust matrons, from seminary-trained pastors to illiterate Haitians, from babies to senior citizens.

If He Asks You, He’ll Show You How

Pursue the dream God has placed within your heart. And don’t be afraid or hold back.
I

f God asks you to build an ark, He’ll give you the measurements.
If He asks you to fish for men, He’ll give you the bait.
If He asks you to get out of the boat and walk on water, He’ll show you the technique.
If He asks you to pick up your bed and walk, He’ll give you a hand to help you up.
If He asks you to pray, He’ll teach you how.
If He asks you to love your neighbor, He’ll give you love.
If He asks you to go to a new land, He’ll give you the map. © Rebekah Montgomery 2008

MARRIAGE ADVICE

Angie’s Marriage Column

Marriage question: What do you do when your husband says he wants a close relationship, but continually has a negative attitude and is quick to become angry? I am just so discouraged!

Marriage guidance: I can certainly understand your feelings. When someone says they want to be close with their spouse but then behave just the opposite, anyone would get discouraged. It seems your husband is in contradiction to his own feelings. You’re not going to know why your husband has a negative attitude until you guys come together and communicate yourselves with one another.

Many times couples think they are communicating just fine but when they accuse, blame, use negative emotions, name-call, or tell their spouse “how they are feeling” or “what they are going to do” that is not communicating properly and nothing in the marriage ever gets resolved. Most couples communicate incorrectly and that is why resentment and all kinds of negative feelings get in the way of coming to a resolve.

We should always consider the feelings of our spouse during verbal communication; the reason for this is simple. For two-way communication to work both sides need to feel comfortable and trust the person they are communicating with. If one person is getting their feelings rejected or shot down by the other every time they speak, they will shut down. This will cause discouragement and frustration in marriage.

"A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver”. (Proverbs 25:11)

Did you know that many couples never learn the proper ways of communicating with one another and they lose touch with the person they married – intimacy is gone and the marriage is in ruins. Then couples wonder what happened. Productive communication takes more than asking “why” or telling your spouse “what they did wrong” or “what you want” from them. Communication begins with listening to what they have to say.

“He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin”. (Proverbs 13:3) “Let your conversation be always full of grave, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone”. (Colossians 4:6)

What does our spouse want? Have you ever thought about that? Have we even asked? We’re so used to wanting our own needs met, that we forget that maybe our spouse has needs to. We must put ourselves in our spouse’s shoes once in awhile, otherwise what is the use of getting married if not to support one another through the difficult times. Here is a VERY true saying: Couples don’t know the person they married because they don’t communicate!

“For out of the overflow of the heart (attitude) the mouth speaks”. (Matthew 12:34)

Right now, you’re discouraged about what is happening in your marriage. What about your husband? He is probably discouraged too. Maybe you can help your husband to become encouraged and he can help you become encouraged. You’re married – that is what marriage is all about – working and growing together in the Lord.

“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification”. (Romans 14:19)

Marriage (between a man and a woman) belongs to God – Don’t let satan get a hold of it!

You guys are both pulling further way from each other because of your attitude. He wants to get close with you, but for some reason that’s not happening. I don’t know what is coming between the two of you, but one or both of you need to do something about it, and that means you need to communicate. Scripture tells us that we are to build each other up in our communication with one another.

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen”. (Ephesians 4:29)

The best thing you can do at this point is to resolve this issue before more resentment sets in and you guys cave in under temptation. Let your husband know that you feel discouraged about not being close anymore. Tell him you would like to work on becoming more intimate with him and ask him “how he thinks” you two can do that? Don’t tell him that you don't have a close relationship because he is angry and negative; let him figure that out on his own. Just do your part, building him up while you do it. That way, he can’t shut down on you, and he will be more likely to express his feelings too.

Husbands like to shut down with their wives. And the reason is some of us wives aren’t talking (communicating)! We’re usually nagging, yelling, ridiculing, blaming, arguing and or complaining. But that is not going to help the issue get resolved, is it. No!

A woman finds joy in giving an apt reply – and how good is a timely word!” (Proverbs 15:23)

The truth of the matter is you can only do your part in the marriage, that means you can’t feel for your husband you can’t take over his responsibilities in the marriage for him, or tell him what his responsibilities are. He must be ready to fulfill his own responsibilities just as you need to fulfill your own responsibilities. This is how husband and wife fulfill one another’s needs by doing what is right in the Lord and taking care of the duties and obligations that God imparted them with in the marriage. Do you see how that works? This is why it is so important to keep God ALWAYS at the forefront of the marriage. If we base our marriage upon things of the world will have a worldly marriage but when we base our marriage upon things of God we will have a Godly marriage and that is the way marriage is designed.

“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord Forgave you”. (Colossians 3:13)

Get encouraged by reading scriptures and applying them into your life. Don’t worry about what your husband is or is not doing – just do what you can for the marriage, which is acting on your responsibilities and always keeping Christ at the top of your priority list.

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

THANK YOU

TO ALL MY FRIENDS WHO HAVE VISITED ME THIS YEAR ON MY BLOG PAGE .....MAY YOU BE ABUNDANTLY BLESSED, MAY THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU MAY HE CAUSE HIS FACE TO SHINE UPON YOU!!

HUGS

SHARMAINE

HOW TO DEAL WITH ISSUES

How to Deal With Your IssuesDr. Betty R. Price
Proverbs 4:20-27 gives us some very sound advice if we want to move ahead with God:
20 My son [that includes daughters], give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart;
22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all diligence [that is careful effort, perseverance], for out of it spring the issues of life.
24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead and your eyelids look right before you.
26 Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil.According to these verses, how we deal with the issues or challenges that face us in life come from our hearts.
In Matthew 15:18-19, Jesus gives us more information about the issues that come from the heart:
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.
19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornication, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.

Jesus is telling us that any time we are involved in fornication and adultery, and all the other things He listed in Matthew, they come out of the heart. That is why you have to protect your heart, in order to keep those things from getting in there.

Luke 6:45 says: For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. It is up to us as Christians to keep all the ugly things out of our hearts and to protect our hearts with all diligence by right thinking and right action. So many people bring the types of things listed in Matthew from the world right into their Christian life because they have never been told that they do not have to keep those things in their hearts and they don't have to do them.

Many Believers don't really know how to take the Word and drive these things out of their hearts.

You might be wondering where the heart is. We know it is on the inside of us. There are many views about where the heart is. There are some who say the heart is where the spirit and the soul meet. This theory witnesses with my spirit. The Bible indicates that the spirit man is the heart of man. The heart and the soul go together. You can only separate them to talk about them, but they go together. When a person gets born again, he or she is supposed to take his or her born-again spirit--the new man--and renew the new man's mind by the Word of God. The renewed mind is a part of his heart and is the soul and spirit combined. It now exercises control over the old man--the soul that used to control the heart.

How do issues get into the heart?

These negative issues enter the heart through thoughts, ideas, and suggestions that are planted by Satan and also by the eye (what we see), the ear gates (what we hear), and by the mind (the things we experience and dwell on). Some of the other issues of the heart we also deal with, in addition to the ones Jesus talked about in Matthew are: sicknesses, bad relationships, rejection, promiscuity, hurts, depression, abuse, low self-esteem, loneliness, lying, jealousy, envy, gossip, bitterness, guilt, malice, lack of peace, lack of finances, worry, fear, overweight, racism, prejudices, and unforgiveness. The list goes on and on. We can't cover every issue, but there is a principle that leads to victory over every one of them: you cannot get victory over your issues or live the Christian life victoriously without the Word of God. You can take this same principle and deal with whatever issues you may be facing. There are still too many churches today that do not teach the uncompromising Word of God. Believers who attend these churches are usually up and down in their Christian walk. They may get emotionalized every week, but they are not taught to be overcomers. That is why they live in and out of sin, committing fornication and adultery, and doing all the other junk we covered earlier. Even when they are in church, they may be planning how they are going to meet their girlfriend or boyfriend and have sex that night. They may shout and fall out every Sunday morning in church, even after having a sexual affair that Saturday night before.

They are what we call carnal Christians, and basically they live that way because they don't know they can do better. They do not have enough Word in them. They will never have peace in their lives because they can't continue to live that kind of life and be prosperous or victorious in the kingdom of God. If you are caught in such a trap, the only way to escape and find peace is to find out what the Word says about your situation, and then do what it says. What does the Word say about fornication? What does it say about adultery? You are going to have to refuse to go down to the level of how you feel, and make up your mind that you are going to do what the Bible says to do.

This devotional was excerpted from Dr. Betty's book entitled, Wisdom From Above, Volume 1

What To Do in Times of Trouble Bishop Keith Butler

For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. 2 Corinthians 4:15 (KJV)

Do you know what time it is? It is time to give God thanks because He is your Deliverer! In the time of trouble, you have to abound in thanksgiving to God. Thank Him for protection. Thank Him for provision. Thank Him for your food. Thank Him for your job. Thank the Father whether or not it looks like things are working. When you do, you release His ability and power.

In 2 Corinthians 4:16 it says, "For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not s een: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." (KJV)

We have no need to faint and no need to fear. When we are in Christ, we don't gauge our future by what the stock market does. We don't gauge our future by what the news reporters say. We gauge our standing in this life by the word of God which lives and abides forever.
So I'm telling you today, don't look at all the things you are reading in the newspaper. Instead look to God. You may not see God, but you know He's there. You know He makes a way for you. So begin to thank Him for doing it right now.

In 2 Thessalonians 1:6 it says "it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you." In other words, God is going to trouble your trouble. In 2 Thessalonians 2:2 it says, "That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand ."

So, know what time it is and don't be troubled. Don't be frightened. Don't be full of fear. God is pleased by our thanksgiving, and He will move in our situation. It is time now to thank God for delivering us by His mighty power!
Scripture References: 2 Thessalonians 1:6; Acts 16:25-26

Bishop Keith A. Butler is the founder and pastor of Word of Faith International Christian Center in Southfield, MI, and Word of Faith Christian Center in San Antonio, TX. Bishop Butler ministers extensively in churches, conferences, and seminars throughout the U.S. and abroad with an emphasis on instruction and no-nonsense, practical application of God's Word.

It's Better Not To Know Better Steven Furtick

My youngest son Graham lets me throw him up in the air so high that he almost goes through the ceiling. He loves it. He just turned 1 about a month ago.
His older brother Elijah used to let me do the same thing. He's 3 now, and he doesn't like it so much any more. It scares him. Didn't used to scare him, but my wife Holly says now that he's more aware of his surroundings, being thrown in the air freaks him out. I guess that's understandable.

Sometimes our awareness of our surroundings can take the naiveté out of our faith in God. When I first came to Christ, it was like I was letting Him throw me up in the air as high as He could (or would, more like it), and it never crossed my mind that this was dangerous.

It never crossed my mind that He might drop me.

If He prompted me to speak out for Him, I spoke up. If He urged me to give something to Him, I gave. If He wanted me to give up something for Him, I gave it up.

Then came mortgage payments, adult responsibilities and the like. Now I'm more aware of my surroundings. And it's a little more unnerving to get thrown up in the air.
It didn't frighten me at all when I didn't know any better...and sometimes I think it's better not to know any better.

As a child of God, and even more so as a leader, I don't ever want to become so aware of my surroundings that I stop innately trusting God because it's dangerous.
Not that we should stay in a state of perpetual childhood. It's good to grow up, to exercise wisdom, and to analyze the risks.

But when it comes time to jump, never let your awareness of your surroundings be the final factor when deciding how high to go and how much to trust.
As you finish this year strong, find confidence in the strength of the one who caught you the last time, and who is positioned to catch you again.

Steven Furtick is Pastor of Elevation Church, located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Under his passionate leadership, Elevation Church was named one of the 10 fastest growing churches in America. A devoted husband and father of two, you can find Steven blogging at www.stevenfurtick.com

Closing Well - Dave Burchett

For twenty year-five years I have directed Texas Rangers baseball. And all of those seasons have taught me a valuable spiritual lesson from the National Pastime. I have learned how important it is to be a good closer.

In baseball parlance the closer is the pitcher who comes into the game in the last inning to protect the lead and finish off the win. It all comes down to the closer. If he does well the collective efforts of eight position players and the pitchers that proceeded will have a happy ending. If the closer fails all of that effort is wasted. There is nothing more demoralizing than playing a great game for eight innings and seeing it all blow-up in the last one. So what is the spiritual lesson learned from a baseball closer?

Closing out well is critical as a follower of Christ. I am praying and seeking to be a good closer in my faith walk with Jesus. Sadly that is not a given. Many great men of the Bible did not finish well. They allowed the efforts of many around them to end in frustration and anguish because they did not close well. The honest portrayal of human success and failing is something I love about God’s Word. It is one important aspect that makes the Bible unique and real.

The successes and failures are equally displayed. Men with great stories still managed to not close well. Examples? How about the story of Saul? How sad to hear words like this at the end of your journey.

“How foolish!" Samuel exclaimed. "You have disobeyed the command of the LORD your God. Had you obeyed, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your dynasty must end, for the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart. The LORD has already chosen him to be king over his people, for you have not obeyed the LORD's command." (1 Sam 13, NLT)

Imagine when the prophet came to Eli and proclaimed this dire message. What a kick in the spiritual gut this must have been.

"Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, says: The terrible things you are doing cannot continue! I had promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests. But I will honor only those who honor me, and I will despise those who despise me."
I would be willing to imagine that Saul and Eli were planning on closing well. They had moments of great leadership and fellowship with God. But they couldn’t close. You know that Saul’s story ended in madness. The results for Levi’s sons were horrific. His family needed a man who could start well, stay strong, and close it out with integrity and faith.

I want to finish strong. I want to close this journey with an effort that honors the One who was willing to finish for me. Paul understood athletics. Sports can be a good metaphor for life and he knew that well. At the end of my life race I have a couple of options that I could hear.
a) You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. (Gal 5)
b) You have fought the good fight, you have finished the race, you have kept the faith. (2 Tim 4)
I choose b) for the words I want to hear.

I pray that I will close well.


Dave Burchett is an Emmy Award winning television sports director, author, and Christian speaker. He is the author of When Bad Christians Happen to Good People and Bring'em Back Alive: A Healing Plan for those Wounded by the Church. For more information on Dave, log onto www.daveburchett.com

FIELD OF BROKEN DREAMS

There are times when the world turns dark and we have nowhere to turn but to the creator! The only hope we have is Jesus. If you have ever felt like the poem below, I implore you turn your eyes, your hope on Jesus. He will NEVER forsake you He will NEVER leave you, He is the begining and the end.

I HAVE A FIELD OF BROKEN DREAMS

A HARVEST OF SHATTERED HOPE THAT LIES SCATTERED UPON THE GROUND.

WHEN I WALK THROUGH MY FIELD OF BROKEN DREAMS

AND EXAMINE THE HOPELESSNESS

I HAVE TO TIPTOE THROUGH THE BROKENESS OF MY LIFE

HOW DESPERATE HOW DESPERATE AND THEN....

I SCREAM AND SCREAM IN SILENT SURRENDER

AND GIVE THEM UP ON THE ALTER OF MY EGO.

COME AND LOOK

COME AND SEE

BUT, STEP CAREFULY NOW

WALK SOFTLY

THE RAZOR SHARP SHARDS

OF EVERY BROKEN DREAM

CAN DESTROY YOU

CAN KILL YOU

LOOK AT MY SOUL

IT IS BLEEDING

IT IS DEAD!

Sharmaine Anna Dobson

Copyright International Library

Quote for the Day

"The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak."

Hans Hofmann