The Rain

Mercy Said NO!!

I'm not gonna let you go;

I'm not gonna let you slip away;

You don't have to be afraid.

Mercy Said NO!!

Sin will never take control;

Life and Death stood face to face;

Darkness tried to steal my heart away;

Thank You Jesus;

Mercy Said No.

Good morning to you all my brothers and sisters. It is truly a great pleasure to minister to you (and myself) of God's Goodness and Mercy which flows like a river wide. I can boldly say that none of us is worthy of God's Mercy yet because of his LOVE for us, he freely gives.

Below is a story which touched me deeply when I heard it. I trust that it does the same for you. God Bless and Keep you.

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 rain keeps 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.

If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God.

Thanks Garvin

Victory in Prayer

I will stay in theme of using prayer as a weapon or shield and recommend another Psalm for you.
This Psalm is one that is special to my family and given to me as a child by my Aunt. It is intended to off you protection from your 'enemies'.

Enemy is word that is alien to most people's vocabulary because it is associated with wars and motion pictures and the like. But in my mind, an enemy is anyone or anything that retards your progress, directly or indirectly.

Remember, your goal is always spiritual growth. Mind you, I am not yet at that point, nor do I fully comprehend the true meaning of spiritual growth. But I am aware that I am incomplete and that spirituality is a large part of what I am missing to be whole.

We'll discuss that in the future...but for now, let's read these words from Psalm 35. It's much more in depth, but for the purpose of protection you need only repeat these words in the morning and at night.

Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me

Take hold of my shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.

Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation...

May God bless you.

Use prayer as a weapon

Many of us do not know the power of prayer and the infinite power of consistent prayer.
Recently I was awash in stress and overwhelmed by work and I didn't know why.

Normally, no matter how burdensome the weight, I always had this honest belief that God had given me a cross I could bear. So why was it different this time?

I stopped praying!

I allowed the enemy to get near me and penetrate my mind because I had not summoned my shield. My shield is prayer.

The removal of prayer from your life is the first stage of attack and you must be aware of that. Keep praying, continue to use your weapon against evil, against wickedness, against spite and envy.
Your prayer is your prayer; said from your mouth and thought in your mind it is a unique defence.
Use it and learn its strength.

My prayer, which I will share with you; is Psalm 20...make it your prayer too.

The lord hear thee in the day of trouble;
The name of the God of Jacob defend thee;
Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion;
Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah.

God bless

The Devil's Future

"Resist the devil and he will flee from you."1

A friend shared with me her way of handling the deceiver-tempter: "When Satan comes to remind me about my past, I remind him about his future."

One thing Satan does is continually accuse us before God.2 Knowing that he does this, we can remind him not only about his future in hell but also that Christ shed his blood on the cross and gave his life to pay for our sins and has washed them all away. So what's there to accuse us of if we have confessed our sins to Christ and asked for and accepted his forgiveness?

Furthermore, because Christ died for us and cleansed us from our sins, we can, in Jesus' name resist the devil and, as James said, he will flee from us. Satan hates the name of Jesus. Be sure to mention it when he comes to tempt you.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that you forgive all who confess their sins and ask for your forgiveness. Help me always to resist the devil in Jesus' name, knowing that he will flee from me and has no power over me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."1. James 4:7.2. Rev. 12:10.

Source: Daily Encounter

GOD'S VALENTINE'S GREETING

Good morning to all of God's beautiful creation. Today is February 14th. Its a day when people all around the world show that special "someone" in their lives a little more appreciation.

As the world celebrates Valentine's day, let us not forget the one who has shown us True Love.

God Bless.

For God so loVed the world,
That He gAve
his onLy
BegottEn
SoN
That whosoever
Believeth In Him
Should Not perish,
But have Everlasting life."

John 3:16

Little Foxes

"Catch the foxes for us, The little foxes that are ruining the vineyards, While our vineyards are in blossom."1

Today in the Word shared how "researchers who had made repeated dives to the wreckage of the Titanic challenged the accepted theory that an iceberg tore a 300-foot gash in the side of the ship.

The ship's bow is mired in mud, but the team 'looked' at the hull using sound waves. They concluded that the damage is 'astonishingly small,' just six small gashes along the starboard hull.

Unfortunately, the openings were made at the worst possible place, along six watertight holds."

Little things can do great damage: a little lie here, a little cheating there, a little stealing, a little gossip, and/or a little unresolved conflict—like a little gash in a mighty ship—can open a floodgate of damage somewhere down the track.

Any holes in your life? Any in mine? Let's not neglect them. Let's get smart and, with God's help, take care of them today—before they sink us.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to see the 'little' things in my life that, if I fail to resolve them now, they may 'burn out of control' farther down the line. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Song of Solomon 2:15 (NASB).

Credit: Daily Encounter

The King and his four wives

Once upon a time there was a rich King who had four wives.

He loved the 4th wife the most and adored her with rich robes and treated her to the finest of delicacies. He gave her nothing but the best.

He also loved the 3rd wife very much and was always showing her off to neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one day she would leave him for another.

He also loved his 2nd wife. She was his confidant and was always kind, considerate and patient with him. Whenever the King faced a problem, he could confide in her, and she would help him get through the difficult times.

The King's 1st wife was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom. However, he did not love the first wife. Although she loved him deeply,he hardly took notice of her!

One day, the King fell ill and he knew his time was short. He thought of his luxurious life and wondered, I now have four wives with me, but when I die, I'll be all alone.

"Thus, he asked the 4th wife , "I loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No way!", replied the 4th wife, and she walked away without another word. Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into his heart.

The sad King then asked the 3rd wife, "I loved you all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No!", replied the 3rd wife. "Life is too good! When you die, I'm going to remarry!" His heart sank and turned cold.

He then asked the 2nd wife, "I have always turned to you for help and you've always been there for me. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?"

"I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!", replied the 2nd wife. " At the very most, I can only walk with you to your grave."

Her answer struck him like a bolt of lightning, and the King was devastated.

Then a voice called out: "I'll go with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go". he King looked up, and there was his first wife. She was very skinny as she suffered from malnutrition and neglect. Greatly grieved, the King said, "I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance"!

In truth, we all have the 4 wives in our lives:

Our 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it will leave us when we die.

Our 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, it will all go to others.

Our 2nd wife is our family and friends . No matter how much they have been there for us, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.

And our 1st wife is our Soul. Often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power and pleasures of the world. However, our Soul is the only thing that will follow us wherever we go.

Cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only part of us that will follow us to the throne of God and continue with us throughout Eternity.

Thought for the day: Remember, when the world pushes you to your knees, you're in the perfect position to pray.

Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect. It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections.

Thanks Garvin

How to Forgive

I'll never know how much it cost;
To see my sin upon that cross;
I'll never know how much it cost;
To see my sin upon that cross.

I have often wondered do we really know how much it cost for Jesus to leave his Deity and come down to earth in the form of lowly man? For the creator to become the creation and suffer humiliation and great indignity for our Sins upon that cross?

Did he curse his accusers, did he judge them? Did he judge us? No, he forgave us. His words to the heavenly father was "Father, Forgive them, for they know not what they do".

For God so Loved us that he gave his only begotten son, Jesus for us, to save us. John 3:16

How many times have people done things to us that we did not deserve? How hard was it to forgive them? We must always remember that when we forgive, we are not only releasing that person but ourselves.

For God has said in this word, "If you do not forgive others their trespasses neither will I forgive you your trespasses". Matthew 6:14&15

Prayer: Lord, Forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Matthew 6:12

God Bless

One day a while back, a man, his heart heavy with grief, was walking in the woods. As he thought about his life this day, he knew many things were not right. He thought about those who had lied about him back when he had a job. His thoughts turned to those who had stolen his things and cheated him.

He remembered family that had passed on. His mind turned to the illness he had that no one could cure. His very soul was filled with anger, resentment and frustration. Standing there this day, searching for answers he could not find, knowing all else had failed him, he knelt at the base of an old oak tree to seek the one he knew would always be there. And with tears in his eyes, he prayed:

"Lord- You have done wonderful things for me in this life. You have told me to do many things for you, and I happily obeyed. Today, you have told me to forgive. I am sad, Lord, because I cannot. I don't know how. It is not fair Lord. I didn't deserve these wrongs that were done against me and I shouldn't have to forgive. As perfect as your way is Lord, this one thing I cannot do, for I don't know how to forgive. My anger is so deep Lord, I fear I may not hear you, but I pray that you teach me to do this one thing I cannot do - Teach me To Forgive."

As he knelt there in the quiet shade of that old oak tree, he felt something fall onto his shoulder. He opened his eyes. Out of the corner of one eye, he saw something red on his shirt. He could not turn to see what it was because where the oak tree had been was a large square piece of wood in the ground.

He raised his head and saw two feet held to the wood with a large spike through them. He raised his head more, and tears came to his eyes as he saw Jesus hanging on a cross. He saw spikes in His hands, a gash in His side, a torn and battered body, deep thorns sunk into His head. Finally he saw the suffering and pain on His precious face.

As their eyes met, the man's tears turned to sobbing, and Jesus began to speak:

"Have you ever told a lie?" He asked? The man answered - "yes, Lord".

"Have you ever been given too much change and kept it?" The man answered - " yes. Lord". And the man sobbed more and more.

"Have you ever taken something from work that wasn't yours?" Jesus asked? And the man answered - "yes, Lord".

"Have you ever sworn, using my Father's name in vain? " The man, crying now, answered - "yes, Lord".

As Jesus asked many more times, "Have you ever"? The man's crying became uncontrollable, for he could only answer - "yes, Lord".

Then Jesus turned His head from one side to the other, and the man felt something fall on his other shoulder. He looked and saw that it was the blood of Jesus. When he looked back up, his eyes met those of Jesus, and there was a look of love the man had never seen or known before.

Jesus said, "I didn't deserve this either, but I forgive you".

It may be hard to see how you're going to get through something, but when you look back in life, you realize how true this statement is. Read the following first line slowly and let it sink in. If God brings you to it - He will bring you through it.

When Jesus died on the cross, he was thinking of you!

Thanks Maritta

Pastor's Business Card

A wonderful blessed morning to all of you my brothers and sisters. This is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!!!

Today I want to laugh with you as we all know, Laughter is Medicine for the Soul. So my people, here's our medicine. God Bless

A new pastor was visiting in the homes of his parishioners. At one house it seemed obvious that someone was at home, but no answer came to his repeated knocks at the door. Therefore, he took out a business card and wrote "Revelation 3:20" on the back of it and stuck it in the door.

When the offering was processed the following Sunday, he found that his card had been returned. Added to it was this cryptic message, "Genesis 3:10." Reaching for his Bible to check out the citation, he broke up in gales of laughter.

Revelation 3:20 begins "Behold, I stand at the door and knock."

Genesis 3:10 reads, "I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid for I was naked."

Remember when the funniest jokes were the clean ones? They still are! "A cheerful heart is good medicine" (Prov. 17:22)

Thanks Denise for making us smile.

Fly with Eagles

Good Morning to all of you beautiful people. I got this in my mailbox from the Daily Encounter and I have decided to share it with you. God Bless!!!

"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."1

A friend of mine has trouble with Japanese bonsai trees because she sees tiny trees with great potential inhibited because they have been root-bound by man. Others have trouble seeing animals and birds trapped in cages for the same reason. For example, how do eagles feel in cages in zoos? These magnificent birds, designed to soar to the heights of mountaintops, do they get frustrated? Are they fulfilled?

Too many of us, who were also designed to reach our total God-given human and spiritual potential, are trapped in a cage of our own or of another's making. We fail to resolve the problems in our life that hold us back. True, we may have been wounded in the past, but God wants us to be healed, to be made whole, to be free to fly, and to soar like the eagles.

We have a choice: we can "scratch in the dirt with the turkeys" or we can wait (seek after and hope in) the Lord God and rise up to fly with the eagles to the heights that God envisioned for us to reach.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to wait on you to renew my strength so that, with your help, I will see my God-given life purpose and 'fly' to reach the full potential you have planned for me to achieve. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Isaiah 40:31 (TLB).

Our Greatest Fear

A very good morning to all, but a special good morning to Meale. Meale thanks for your support.

Today I would like to share with you what I believe limits each and every one of us - Our Greatest Fear. What do u think?


Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate,
But that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens Us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant,
Gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
So that other people won’t feel insecure around
You.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God
Within us.
It is not some ; it is in everyone.

And, as we let our own light shine, we
Consciously give other people permission to do
The same.

As we are liberated from fear, our presence
Automatically liberates others.

Thanks Josephine and Ranu