Elk County Forum

John Cliver 9:53am Oct 27 
"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Hebrews 4:12 NIV . One reason many do not like to read the Bible is that it is too incisive. It tends to point out problems and difficulties we would just as soon keep hidden. But Jesus knows our hearts. He is that Word that is alive and active in our world. And he speaks though his written word to let us know what he wants us to know: mainly that he loves us and wants to bring us back to God. He sees you r heart and knows your motives and yet loves you anyway.

 7:47am Oct 28 
"For, 'All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.' And this is the word that was preached to you." 1 Peter 1:24-25. Nothing, not even government programs, last forever. Everything dies, everything gets old, everything goes away. That is, everything but the grace of God and his love for us. He is eternal and all he is is eternal. When we put our trust into something, we put it into him. He is the only lasting thing.
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 4:02pm Oct 29 
"And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him." Romans 12:1. In the church, we are the sacrifice. But we are also the altar and the priest who offers it. The fire is the Spirit of God that burns us and the aroma of the fire is our praise that reaches all the way to the throne room of The Almighty God. When we praise, when we live, when we work for him, when we offer ourselves to him, that is our sacrifice.
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 9:21am Oct 30 
"God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it." Ephesians 2:8-9. His grace saves us in spite of ourselves and in spite of our own weakness. That is why it is called grace, unmerited favor. God gives salvation, we cannot earn it. If we could, it would be of our own doing and would not be grace. The Bible says again and again that we are not saved by what we do, we are saved by who we are. Our names are in the Lamb's Book of Life if we are his and that is what saves us.

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 8:44am Oct 31 
"Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are." 1 Peter 5:8-9. Evil works by trickery. It makes you think things that are bad are good, and things that are ugly are beautiful. That is why the phrase "ugly as sin" never really works. The roaring lion makes sin look beautiful. He is trying to trap you and take away the good you have in your life. There has to be an awareness of this without falling into fear. After all, God is greater than the devil and he has already given you the victory. We just need to watch out to keep from falling into the trap.
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 9:42am Nov 1 
"I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance." Ephesians 1:18.

Light comes from hope and that is the truth. Hopelessness makes a certain darkness in your soul. But that hope comes from the grace of Jesus, the glory of God. It makes us his people, people in line for a marvelous inheritance: that of not just eternal life, but eternal life in glory. God took away the Tree of Life because eternal life in your sin and despair would be horrible. But he gives it back when we accept him and let him cleanse us and our hearts. And that is our hope that floods us with light.
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9:28am Nov 2 
"But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light." 1 Peter 2:9.

The people of God. That is what we are. We are the ones he sent his Son to die for. We are the ones who responded to his love and his goodness. we are the ones who are the citizens of spiritual Israel. And that love and goodness shows through our lives so that others can be called to him by it. There is no need to walk in the darkness of sin or despair. He gives us light and he gives us love by his calling.
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A Christian believer needs a church, just as a candle needs a candlestick, a tree needs soil, and an electric light bulb needs a socket. Without a candlestick, a candle cannot stand; without soil, a tree cannot grow; without a socket, an electric bulb cannot shine. Neither can you. Without fellowship, a Christian can neither stand, nor grow, nor shine. God bless you. (REINHARD BONNKE)

We need more evangelists today
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8:31am Nov 3 
"Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God." Romans 13:1. In the middle of this election season, remember that President Obama, whatever you may think of him and his policies, is still ordained of God and we have the responsibility as Christians to respect him. Otherwise, we are sinning. Vote how you want. Change when you can. But the office of President is one that God said to respect and submit to.
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7:26am Nov 4 
"He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life." 2 Corinthians 3:6.

In the new covenant, we are not saved or lost by what we do or don't do. We are saved or lost by who we are. When God writes our names in his Book of Life, we are saved. The things we do under this new covenant are because of his love, not in order to gain his love. He recognizes from the beginning that we cannot do enough to warrant his salvation, so he makes us righteous. And he fills us with his Spirit. It is that Spirit within us that gives us life. This new law is written on our hearts and lived in our lives.
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Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do." Romans 13:6.

Jesus told his disciples that they needed to do what was right. If taxes were required, pay them. one of the miracles Jesus performed involved getting the money from a fish to pay taxes for both himself and Peter. The Bible said that it is proper and part of your duty as a citizen to support those who are in positions of leadership in this world. like it or not, it is the right thing to do.
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9:55am Nov 6 
"He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ." Ephesians 1:9-10.

A lot of things are mysteries to those who have not experienced them. Falling in love, marriage, having children – these are all things that are common to some, but mysteries to others. In the same way, the joy of being in Jesus is also a mystery to those who do not know him. And to those in the Old Testament, the plan of God for us in the New Covenant was a mystery. But that mystery fulfilled brings unity in that it brings all humanity together under the name of Jesus. A mystery revealed.
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11:50am Nov 7 
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." 1 Timothy 2:1-2.

We pray, Lord, for your blessings to be on President Obama that he may do what is good and needed for this country. And we pray that he sees you and allows you to guide him in whatever he does. Bless him, Lord. We also pray that bitterness and anger will not reign. In Jesus name, Amen.
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 1:01pm Nov 8 
"But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15.

We all have a choice s to whom we will serve. Service to either is slavery. But a servant of the devil is a slave to sin, to his nature and his passions and failings. A servant of God is a slave of joy, of goodness, one who lives his life in a way that brings happiness and peace. Slavery to sin is real bondage. Slavery to God is freedom. The choice is yours.
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12:10pm Nov 10 
"God's voice is glorious in the thunder. We can't even imagine the greatness of his power. He directs the snow to fall on the earth and tells the rain to pour down." Job 37:5-6.

Any god we can imagine the limitations of would not be the Almighty God. Our God is not a God that we can limit, that we can predict, that we can order about like a servant. Our God is a consuming fire, a light upon which we cannot look in this life. He is God and he is in control.
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7:41am Nov 11 
"Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world." 1 John 2:15-16.

When you get yourself tangled up in things of this world, you untangle yourself from God. Jesus said you have to choose whom you will serve. When we serve the world, it takes up everything we have, all of the space in our lives. It overwhelms us until we can no longer find room for God. It brings despair at life and a certain knowledge of doom. But when God overwhelms us, we have freedom, we have joy, we have the knowledge that God is with us. The two cannot coexist. Untangle from the world and let God overwhelm your life.
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9:28am Nov 12 
"So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding." Colossians 1:9.

Prayer is a response of gratitude. When we remember people and things that they have done for us and for the kingdom of God, we thank God for them. But it is also a response of anger, disappointment and betrayal. When people do things to us that hurt us, we pray for them that they can understand what they have done. We pray for strength to deal with the situation. Sometimes we pray for God to take care of the situation and stop it. Many are disappointed in the result of the election of last week. But we pray to God to make the best of it, to use it to his glory. And we pray that he will bless the president. That is the right thing to do.
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9:12am Nov 13 
"It is God's will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. For you are free, yet you are God's slaves, so don't use your freedom as an excuse to do evil." 1 Peter 2:15-16.

It is the truth that people who live lives outside of the grace of Jesus hate it when you live within that grace. They will do anything possible to tear you down and minimize that life of goodness. But sometimes, it is nothing more than a life lived in honor consistently that will shut them up. And it is your responsibility to do whatever you can to do what is right so that they will have no ammunition to use against you. Sooner or later, you will win.
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8:41am Nov 14 
"Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit." 1 Peter 3:18.

Just like Jesus, we will suffer physical death. But just like Jesus, we will live forever with God in heaven. That one sacrifice brought eternal life, which spiritually begins when you accept him as your Savior. Physical life will end, but eternal life will never end.
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8:28am Nov 16 
"Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions." Psalm 119:18.

The reason people in the world cannot understand Christians is because their mindset is so different from ours. The people in the Tower of Babel learned that you do not just walk up to God and look him in the eye and say hello, or understand him. It is God who draws us. and it is only him who can help you understand what he says in his written word. Only by the grace and the wisdom and understanding of God can you ever really understand anything of eternal importance. You cannot do it yourself. He opens our eyes to the beauty that lies in his grace.

:angel:8:52am Nov 16 
"Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. And don't forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God." Hebrews 13:15-16.


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8:49am Nov 17 
"Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path." Psalm 119:105.

The world is a pit of darkness and many a good person has fallen into it and died. But the word of God provides light for the path, direction for the lost, aim for the aimless. That word will guide us throughout all of the problems that come on us as we travel life's road. With it, we will not fall.
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 7:10am Nov 18 
"Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth." John 17:17.

it is only by the entrance of Jesus into our hearts that we can ever really learn anything good. All other information is superficial and only benefits us in this life. His word, his truth makes us holy and makes us able to stand before God the Father now and in the days to come. Both the revealed Word – Jesus – and the written word – the Scriptures – will keep us safe and good. And only God can teach that to us. It comes through an open heart standing in humility before the God of the Universe

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9:11am Nov 19 
"Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night." Psalm 1:1-2.

So many men in jail will tell you that they are there because they were hanging around with the wrong people. They were out for a ride and the driver of the car they were in the backseat of decided to stop and rob a liquor store. They were out drinking and the group decides to rape a girl. They were out doing nothing in particular and one of them buys some crack from an undercover cop. They were out together... And you see the problem. They were with the wrong people. Some people will get you killed, either physically or spiritually. Having the right friends makes all the difference.
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8:57am Nov 20 
"Come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him." Psalm 95:1-2.

The whole idea of the season is that of remembering where what we have came from. When we come to God, we do not come with a sense of duty, or fear. We come with joy and thanksgiving, singing praise to the God who made the universe and who made us.
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9:07am Nov 24 
"And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness." Colossians 2:6-7.

Finishing a week of thanksgiving passages with this one. just remember to continue in your thankfulness. Don't let it be something that you do only once a year, but let it be a lifestyle. When you let it be a rule of your life, you will continue to have strong faith and will continue to grow in all you do.
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 Nov 25 
"And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father." Colossians 3:17.

When we thank God, we do it because of and through the agency of Jesus Christ. Without his sacrifice, we have nothing really to be thankful. But through him, we have peace, we have joy, we have purpose, we have a point in it all. In him, we have life. Thanks be to God.

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Nov 26 
"Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe." Hebrews 12:28.

The Kingdom of God is a serious thing. It is not just some side venture, or hobby. It is the primary vocation of any real Christ-follower. When we serve him the way we should, we show him the strength of our convictions. When we just throw some stuff out there for him out of our left-overs, we show him what we think also.
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8:02am Nov 27 
"Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts." Colossians 3:16.

The old expression was "you are what you eat." If you eat healthy and nutritious food, you will probably be in good health. But if you eat a lot of junk, even if you feel fine, you probably have a lot of nutritional problems. The same with life in Jesus and his grace. If you feed yourself liberally from the word, if you eat the Bread of Life, if you take in as much of Jesus and his grace as you can, you will be spiritually healthy. Things will still happen, of course. We are human. But you will be able to deal with them and fight off those diseases of sin. Be filled with him.
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8:18am Nov 28 
"Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done." 1 Chronicles 16:8.

Your relationship with God is personal, intensely personal. But it is not private. You need to tell others why you believe like you believe. That doesn't mean you carry an inflatable pulpit and sound system around and preach, but it does mean that your life shows that relationship. You let them know about your relationship with Jesus and his grace by your gratitude in life, by your actions at work and home and just in general by the way you live.
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:54am Nov 29 
"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever." Psalm 136:1.

There is nothing that will stop the love of God. You may quit loving him, you may turn your back on him, you may even move as far away from him as is possible, but nothing will stop him from loving you. And if you have left, he looks daily for you to come back. There is no sin great enough to turn him away from you.
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7:55am Nov 30 
"But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live," 2 Peter 3:10-11.

Life in Christ is a matter of perspective. Are you going to work all your life and spend your money on what will ultimately be flammable cardboard? Or are you going to invest in that which is truly important, in the kingdom of God and the things that belong to it. There is nothing wrong with having stuff, but one day all that stuff will burn up. Only what you have gained in Jesus and his grace will count.
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 6:49am Dec 2 
"Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe." Hebrews 1:1-2.

Today is the first Sunday of Advent, the four Sundays of watching and waiting for the coming of the Messiah it is the Sunday of Hope, the gift God gives us that makes us able to look toward an eternal reward in heaven with him. And it was he who told of his Son, Jesus, who would come as a human to give us life. He spoke of him all the way from the beginning and today we have that realized gift of hope when we give ourselves to him through Jesus.
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8:27am Dec 3 
"Jesus replied, 'I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.'" John 6:35.

We can eat a lot of junk food and still suffer from malnutrition. It is only when we begin to eat the right stuff, to get the right nutrients and vitamins that we are benefited by what we eat. We can consume more and more of the world and still have an empty feeling inside us. There is no way to fill that "God-shaped vacuum", as one man called it, than with Jesus. He is the only answer, he is the only way. He fills us.
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8:15am Dec 4 
"Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, 'I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.'" John 8:12.

It is a bizarre thing to choose to travel in darkness rather than turn on the light. Jesus gives us the light we need to live our lives and if we use it, if we turn that light on, we can see where we go and all the obstacles that face us. There is no need to walk in darkness when we have that Eternal Light to guide us.
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8:14am Dec 5 
"Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." John 10:9-10.

Jesus didn't come to give us new rules, or new instructions for life. He didn't come to bind us further with new regulations. He came to free us. The "thief," or the one who tries to take away our freedom, will tell us all of the things we have to do to get to heaven. Jesus just said, believe in me, love me and each other. He is the Real Shepherd and leads his sheep (us) into freedom.
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8:32am Dec 6 
"I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep." John 10:14-15.

There is something within us that responds to Jesus that doesn't not respond to anything else. We have to be taught to move away from God, but we respond to him naturally. That is because we are made in his image and made to want to know him. Jesus is that connection with God that we have that brings us into God's presence. And he sacrificed himself and his own life so that we could come before God. We know him.
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 7:51am Dec 7 
"Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying." John 11:25.

Eternal life in Jesus is not a future thing. It is now. When we accept Jesus, he gives us life right away. Our spirit, our soul, will live forever beginning now. The body will stop, the physical life will stop, but the soul will live forever. He conquers death in our hearts by his grace and one day will conquer death in the world when he comes again. But for now, when you come to him, you live forever, even if your body should die.
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8:05am Dec 8 
"Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." John 14:6.

There is one God, and JHWH is his name. And Jesus is his Son. There is no other way to God but through Jesus. If there had been, the whole process of Jesus coming in the first place would have been worthless. In him alone there is life and truth.
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 6:54am Dec 9 
"Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5.

It is only through the power of Jesus and his grace that we are able to do anything we do. He is our strength and our motivation.

When we remain in him and grow from him, we will do great things. But when we try to do things our own selves with our own power, we will fail. While it may look like we are doing fine, our root system will be corrupted and what we do will ultimately fall.

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8:51am Dec 10 
"Moses continued, 'The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.'" Deuteronomy 18:15.

Even though those in the Old Testament didn't really understand, they knew God had in his plan the sending of a Messiah, a contact point for humanity, in the future. Moses knew this much. He was coming and his people needed to listen to him. He didn't know how long, nor could he even imagine the world of the future that he would come in. By that time, his people had become a world empire and lost it all to become just another state. He knew none of this, but he knew they had to listen. And so do we.
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3:54pm Dec 11 
"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14.

sign was given so long before Mary or any of her family were even thought of. That virgin birth was going to show that it was indeed God's Son. And because it was God's Son, he would become the One who brought us back to the Father and out of sin.
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10:21pm Dec 11 
The odd thing about the Christian faith is that it is not for sale. It does not depend on the ability of the salesman to get it to people. It is not for sale, it is free. But even though free, it costs your life. It really doesn't matter how good your presentation is, it depends on the heart of the hearer. If they "buy" it, God has not entered their hearts. It depends on whether or not you accept something that is illogical and strange, a return to God based on the death of a young man 2000 years ago. The acceptance of that return includes the belief and acceptance of the resurrection of that young man and the belief that he will change your life. Totally illogical and foolish, yet it is the wisdom of God. That is something you just cannot sell. But it will change your life.
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9:17am Dec 12 
"But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship." Galatians 4:4-5.

there is a time and place for everything. Jesus came at just the right time for his message to spread world-wide. It was a time of world peace enforced by the Roman Empire, there were good roads, travel was easier than ever before, and there was a common language – Greek. In addition to all this, the pagan nations, especially Rome, were beginning to get tired and a little embarassed about their "gods" and were ready to move to something better. Into this came the man, Christ Jesus, to bring the world back to God.
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8:23am Dec 13 
"When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 'In Bethlehem in Judea,' they replied, 'for this is what the prophet has written: '"But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel."'" Matthew 2:4-6.

It is always surprising to people that someone great would come from some lowly beginning. The Savior needs to come from a great place, living in great circumstances and highly educated. But God wanted Jesus to be like us, not like the rulers. He wanted Jesus to be just an ordinary guy coming to other ordinary people bringing an extraordinary message. The place of birth does not make one special. The mission does.
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:35am Dec 14 
"In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, 'Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!'" Luke 1:26-28.

Consider all the women who ever lived or who would ever live. And then consider that God chose out of all those billions of women this young woman. She was probably no more than 14 or 15 and it ruined her reputation. But yet, he says that she is favored among all women. Not only that, Mary praises the Lord for the opportunity to serve him. Did she tell anyone? Probably not. But even though it made her less in the eyes of the town, she became great in the eyes of the Lord.
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9:05am Dec 15 

"'Don't be afraid, Mary,' the angel told her, 'for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!'" Luke 1:30-33.

Mary's life was about to be turned over. But the angel said, don't be afraid. God is with you. Even though life may hand you a strange situation, when God is with us, we do not need to be afraid. Great blessings for us and for the kingdom can come out of the things that happen to us if we all stay brave and strong in the Lord.
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7:37am Dec 16 

7:21am Dec 16 
"Mary responded, 'Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me.'" Luke 2:47-49.

Mary's response to an angel telling her she would be become pregnant out of wedlock, would have her life turned upside down, could very possibly damage all future relationships with her fiance, Joseph, would be looked down upon by the entire town? Her response: he has done great things for me. Great things come from what seem at the time to be setbacks or curses. But they turn out to be things that lead to the glory of God. From Mary came the Messiah and she was glad it was her who would bring him into the world.




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"That is why they stand in front of God's throne and serve him day and night in his Temple. And he who sits on the throne will give them shelter. They will never again be hungry or thirsty; they will never be scorched by the heat of the sun. For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes." Revelation 7:15-17.

This is why we celebrate Christmas. Not necessarily the coming of Jesus into the world, but the bringing of the world by Jesus and his sacrifice into the presence of God. For this the baby was born.
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7:44am Dec 16 
"Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. Do not add to his words, or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar." Proverbs 30:5-6.


Anytime we add anything to what God said, no matter how well meaning we may be, or how much we are trying to help the "weaker Christians," or even if we just feel it should be this way; anytime we do that, we add to God's word and stand in possibility of judgment. The writer of Proverbs said we are a liar. Be careful when you start telling people how to live or how to worship or what to eat or drink. If the Bible doesn't talk about it, you don't need to. Personal conviction is one thing and there is freedom in that. But public proclamation and making rules where rules do not need to be is another thing. And that is dangerous to your soul.
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9:14am Dec 17 
"As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. 'Joseph, son of David,' the angel said, 'do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.'" Matthew 1:20-21.

Of all the men who ever lived or ever would live, God chose Joseph to raise his son. He knew that Joseph would have the courage needed, the strength of character and the compassion to marry a woman whose reputation was bad and love her and her child anyway. He had the ability to raise another person's child as his own and love him like a father should. Joseph was chosen by God. He was a great man.
:angel:

6:53am Dec 18 
"Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago." Luke 1:68-70.

God always does what he promises, even if it takes a long time. He promised Jesus from when Adam and Eve were in the Garden and kept telling his people he was coming. For thousands of years, he said so. But length of time doesn't mean forgetfulness and he kept his promise. And he always does.
:angel:

 9:54am Dec 18 
There are two sources of beauty. One is external and physical. It tends to corrupt the soul. The other is internal and spiritual. It transforms the body. Read more at <http://drmi115.wordpress.com/>.

6:29am Dec 19 
"And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Because of God's tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us," Luke 1:76-78.

Everybody needs an introduction and John was Jesus'. Whatever john did before Jesus came in the thirty or so years he was alive, his whole mission was designed to last for six months and was to point at Jesus and tell people who he was. When this was finished, this short ministry, he was killed. Yet Jesus said there was nobody greater than he was. What love and what a life, to be God's messenger even to the point of death.

:angel: :angel:

6:37am Dec 19 
"So I went to the angel and told him to give me the small scroll. 'Yes, take it and eat it,' he said. 'It will be sweet as honey in your mouth, but it will turn sour in your stomach!' So I took the small scroll from the hand of the angel, and I ate it! It was sweet in my mouth, but when I swallowed it, it turned sour in my stomach." Revelation 10:9-10.

it is absolutely true that it is easier to read about what God wants you to do than it is to do it. Just because you read the Bible a lot doesn't make any difference if you do not do what is in it.
:angel: :angel:

At Christmas, Love shall be the rock
To build our homes upon
So everyone within
Will know that they belong

At Christmas, Faith shall be the anchor
To keep our homes secure
So each little one will know
That families endure

At Christmas, Peace shall be the answer
To give each heart a rest
Then everyone we love
Will have a season of God's best

At Christmas, Joy will be the Lord Jesus
So all who come and go
Will know everlasting love
And always feel 'At Home'

Soft CHRISTmas Whispers from
Derry's Heart Poems ©2007
heartwhispers@iinet.net.au
Poetry from the Heart


~**~



Luke 2:15-16 (KJV)
And it came to pass, as the angels
were gone away from them into heaven,
the shepherds said one to another,
Let us now go even unto Bethlehem,
and see this thing which is come to pass,
which the Lord hath made known unto us.
And they came with haste, and found Mary,
and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

CHRISTmas Blessings
From our home to yours!
:angel:

 8:31am Dec 21 
"And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them." Luke 2:6-7.

the world waited for the coming of the Savior and he came at such an inconvenient time for the world. There was no place for him, so he was born in a stable among animals so that he could minister to common people. Such humble beginnings for the King of the Universe.
:angel:

9:29am Dec 22 
"That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. 'Don't be afraid!' he said. 'I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!'" Luke 2:8-11.

The message of the birth of Jesus was one of joy,not further servitude. Jesus did not come to lay down new rules, or to make people feel guilty. He came to bring joy. It is the joy of knowing God loves you, and that even if you die, you will live. It is the joy of grace and not having to live a guilty life. It is the joy of standing before the Almighty God and him knowing your name.
:angel:

 7:38am Dec 23 
"The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger." Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, "Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased."" Luke 2:11-14.

When they went to look for the King, how would they find him? Just like every other baby. The only difference was that he was the Son of God. The point of Jesus coming as he did was to show us that a human being, like us in all ways, could live a perfect and sinless life. If he had not been like us, if he had been born with a radiance about him and awareness of everything, he would not have been human. But he was. And this baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, just like every other baby born that night, was the King of the Universe. How do we find him? Just look for a baby.
:angel:

 8:24am Dec 24 
"They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds' story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them." Luke 2:16-20.

Mary knew that this was from God and Joseph, on the basis of nothing more than a dream, believed her. But the shepherds were confirmation to both of them. This was not the delusion of a girl, or the gullibility of a loving boyfriend. This was real. He was the Messiah. For the rest of their lives, these shepherds would remember that night when angels came to them specifically and told them of the birth of the King. And Mary would remember it even as she watched her little baby nailed to a cross, dying.
:angel:

 9:49am Dec 25 
"For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6.

He has been born! The King is here. He is immediately identifiable by the fact that he is a baby, born to transient people in a homeless shelter. He was conceived out of wedlock to a young woman who was blessed by God. Of course, nobody knew it. Nobody knew he was King except for his mother and a large part of Joseph's mind. Mary didn't tell anyone or they would have thought she was crazy. But there he was. And when it comes down to it, you couldn't really tell him apart from any of the other million babies born that night. That was the point. He came to be like us and to live among us and to give God the Almighty the ability and chance to experience humanity in all points. He was human, conceived nine months ago and born today. Praise be to God for his message of peace and joy!
:angel:

 7:03am Dec 26 
"Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, 'Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!'" Luke 2:28-32.

Like all of Israel, Simeon had been waiting so long for the Messiah. When Mary and Joseph bought their new baby to be dedicated at the temple, he knew that this was the One. He saw in this little tiny baby the salvation of all of humanity. He saw mankind being brought back to God as they were in the garden of Eden. And he saw the glory of God's presence once again restored to the world.
:angel:

10:02am Dec 27 
“Let all that I am praise the LORD; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me.” Psalm 103:1-2.

unless we praise God with all our hearts, with all our lives, with all our being, it does not good. Half-hearted praise is never any fun, nor is it all that desirable. Give him your life and he will give it back. Give him your whole heart and he will give it back. Keep part of either and you damage all of it. Never forget what he has done and the good things he has given you.
:angel: :angel:

9:00am Dec 28 
"Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28.

God never intended that his people carry the burdens of life alone. He never meant for us to go through life weighed down with guilt and shame, with fear and sin, with disappointment and despair. Jesus gives rest, not enslavement. He never promises he will necessarily take those things away, but he will help you carry them. He will give you strength.

8:26am Dec 29 
"Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father's home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am." John 14:1-3.

The future is not uncertain. God is in control and he is waiting for his people. And there is room for all who serve him and love him. That day will come when Jesus returns to bring his people to their new home, that big, big house with lots and lots of room.
:angel:

7:19am Dec 30 


"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." John 16:33.

peace in Jesus does not mean a smooth road in life. But it does mean One who loves you and One who will take care that you do not fall off the road or go the wrong direction. No matter what may go wrong in this world, Jesus has overcome the world. And even though we die, we live in him.
:angel:

 7:30am Dec 31 
"I am the LORD, who opened a way through the waters, making a dry path through the sea. But forget all that— it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland." Isaiah 43:16, 18-19.

Today is the last day of the old year. Tomorrow a brand new year begins. It is a time of renewal, or new beginning. Let God start something new in your life.
:angel:

8:27am Jan 1 
"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" 2 Corinthians 5:17.

Ne beginnings is a phrase that is overused, yet at the same time, at this time of year, the most appropriate you can use. The new year is here, 2013, a year that sounds so science fictiony to anyone past a certain age, yet it is now. And we have the chance to take this "now" and make it good or bad. It is a chance to begin again, to start fresh, and you even have everybody's permission. Make it a fresh year, a year of the opening of the Spirit of the Lord into your life, a year of bringing all that is good and holy into the "now" of your life. May God bless you and your family this new year. Happy New Year!
:angel:

8:34am Jan 2 
"Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom." Psalm 90:12.

life is so short. It just seems yesterday that I was young. Now I am not. And life will get shorter as I get older. We do not have a lot of time to do what the Lord wants of us, so we need to do the best we can with what we have and not waste it, not procrastinate or goof around. We do not have any assurance of anything beyond today. Wisdom realizes that.

:angel:

7:51am Jan 3 
"For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God," Titus 2:11-12.

We were not made for doing what we wanted in this life. If we belong to Jesus, we will try our best to do his will, to bring about his desires in our lives. And as we live, we show the love of Jesus in our lives and through our actions. We are not our own. We are his and we live to his glory.
:angel:

8:45am Jan 4 
"No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8.

One of my all-time favorite verses. The Bible never says to keep doctrine straight, nor to make sure all the boxes are checkmarked, nor even to defend your faith like so many think they have to. The Bible, over and over, says that the proper response to God is to do what is right in your life and to show his love and mercy to others. Helping others, living in such a way that people see God in you and to remember that he is your God. That is true religion. And if that were done by Christ-followers, people would come to Jesus, just as they did in the first century.
:angel:

 8:32am Jan 5 
“Wash yourselves clean! I am disgusted with your filthy deeds. Stop doing wrong and learn to live right. See that justice is done. Defend widows and orphans and help those in need.” Isaiah 1:16-17.

All of the church-going in the world will do no good unless it is internalized into your heart. Otherwise, it is rank hypocrisy. Quit holding worthless “worship” services and start bringing your worship into the world. Touch people, love people, defend those who are defenseless, feed the hungry, be friends to those who desperately need friends. In other words, put up or shut up. God hates empty religion. He loves a full heart.
:angel:

8:49am Jan 5 
Ella's platelet level has come up a bit from the steroids they are pumping into her. I will be coming home this afternoon to get ready for tomorrow. Mary and Georgia will be singing in our praise line and I thank them for that. It will be a good day tomorrow and I will be speaking on the Book of Job. What happens when a lot of bad things keep happening. How does a Christian deal with it? Does it mean that God is angry with you? Has he ceased to care for you? Does he send them on you as a test of your faith? Is there a purpose for the problems? It may surprise you to hear what I will have to say. Be sure to be there and bring a friend to eat some tacos after church.

7:22am Jan 6 


"So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world." 1 Peter 1:13.

As a culture, we do not value self-control. We want what we want right now and are willing to go through a lot to get it. But there are some things that are worth waiting for, the revelation of Jesus to the world is one. One day he will be known for who he is to everyone and every eye will see him, every tongue confess. The key is to both name him now and wait for his coming. One day things will be good, no matter how bad off they are now. And the Christ-follower waits.

:angel:

9:39am Jan 7 
"Be alert and think straight. Put all your hope in how kind God will be to you when Jesus Christ appears." 1 Peter 1:13.

There is a mindset a Christian has in knowing that the kindness and mercy of God rules all the time in his life. No matter whatever else may happen, God loves him and is working in him. And as long as we keep our minds on him, our thoughts on him, we can have that mindset in our lives. It gives us a clear-minded way to approach our lives that those outside of Jesus do not have.
:angel:

8:38am Jan 9 

"Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." Matthew 6:19-20.

You care about where your money is. If it is in the stock market, you are constantly checking your stocks. If in your possessions, you are constantly checking your stuff. If it is in God and the kingdom, you are constantly checking that. Jesus said the only place that is truly safe is the kingdom of God. There is no inflation, n o deflation, no fear or losing everything. You know it is safe and doing good things it could not do other otherwise. It is feeding and clothing, it is helping and saving, it is glorifying and bringing grace to the world. That is real savings.
:angel:

7:25am Jan 10 
"But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, 'You must be holy because I am holy'" 1 Peter 1:15-16.

Being holy doesn't earn you anything in the kingdom of God. Instead, we are holy just for the reason that God is holy. If we follow him and are trying to be like him, we want to be like him in every way. We are holy because he loves us, not to make him love us. He loves us even when we are a miserable failure.
:angel:

 6:31am Jan 11 
"In my distress I prayed to the LORD, and the LORD answered me and set me free. The LORD is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?" Psalm 118:5-6.

There is a freedom that comes in being in Jesus. And that freedom is the freedom of worrying about dying. All of us are scared if dying and do not want to face it. But in Jesus, he tells us that we do not have to worry, because he has overcome dying. There is no reason to be afraid of it/ he has overcome it and will give that victory to us if we are in him. There is no great unknown there because he is there and will take us with him. So somebody threatens to kill you? All you have to say is. "Go ahead, threaten me with heaven."
:angel:

 9:54am Jan 12 
"For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:26-28.

When we accept Jesus as our Savior, when we are immersed into him, when we become his, we become also family. And when that happens, there are no longer ethnic barriers, there are no longer socio-economic barriers, there are no longer sexual barriers. We are all equal in the sight of God. We are all children of his and family together. We belong to a family that spans time, that spans the world and all its cultures and that is universal in its scope. He is our God and we are his people.
:angel: :angel:

 9:25am Jan 14 
"If someone says, "I love God," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don't love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters." 1 John 4:20-21.

Anybody can say that they love God. It takes no effort whatsoever. However, It does take effort to love other people. And John says that the proof of your love for God is that you love other people, that you are concerned with other people. That love, concern, compassion for others, those who are tangible, is the proof that you love God, who is intangible. No one who treats people badly or hurts others can really love God.
:angel:

10:13am Jan 15 
"Jesus said to the people who believed in him, 'You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'" John 8:31-32.

Anytime you know the truth, there is freedom. Deception only leads to slavery and trickery. God's word brings freedom because it brings truth. When we know what is right, we are able to do it. The devil works in trickery and lying. God through Jesus works in truth. If we remain in him, if we accept his grace and his truth, we will be free. And only through him and his grace is truth.

:angel:


7:33am Jan 16 
"So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves." Galatians 5:16.

You want someone who knows where they are going to show you the way. You own nature will always lead you to problems, no matter how well meaning it may be. But if you really want to come to God, if you really want to do what is right, the Spirit or God will always move you the right way. Your heart, no matter how much you may believe it to be good, will lead you wrong if it is not led by the Holy Spirit.
:angel:

8:12am Jan 17 
"Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people." Philippians 2:14-15.

Nothing ruins your image to others than complaining and arguing. People get so tired of it. And nothing enhances your image than good clean innocent living, the world is so full of criticism and complaining that a good clean innocent life stands out in stark relief. People see it and love it. Live in such a way that people see the good, not the bad. Bring out the good instead of the bad, in that God is glorified

:angel:

9:25am Jan 18 


"The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure." 1 Corinthians 10:13.


He will always show you a way out It may not be what you want, but he will do it. The problem comes when we want out of the temptation but the exit strategy God has is not what we want, or may be too far beneath our dignity. But remember this, too. What you are going through is really no different than what other go through. But since it is happening to you, you feel that it is worse, or more egregious, or stranger. Just rely on God and his power and he will help you. It may hurt, but you will be stronger for having survived.
:angel:

9:04am Jan 19 

"Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets." Matthew 7:12.


The essence of Christianity distilled into one short sentence. And the sentence is a positive one. You do, don't just not do what will hurt others. But rather, do first, help others first. Treat them as you would like to be treated. That is much of Christianity and embodies much of Jesus' life. It eliminates revenge, takes away getting even. It makes us the instigator of good in people's lives. Before they even do anything, you do good to them. They didn't deserve it? Do it anyway. They are acting stupid and ugly, do it anyway. This is hard and in many ways against human nature, but it is our mandate from God. And it completely changes us and our relationship.
:angel:

7:05am Jan 20 


"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow." James 1:2-3.

The trees that produce the finest and hardest woods are the ones that sit in adverse conditions. It may be on the northeastern sea coast where the strong cold winds come off the north Atlantic. Or it may be the ones in the desert where they have learned to live with little water. The ones with the softest cheapest woods are the ones that have an easy life, living in warm climates and having no problems with the existence. In the same way, the Christians who are strongest are the ones who have overcome more problems and difficulties in their lives. Their faith has been tested and they have overcome. They are the ones who are worth more to God in the long run because they are strongest. Temptations strengthen, not destroy, if used and viewed right.
:angel:

9:26am Jan 21 

"Don't be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit." Galatians 6:7-8.

You get back whatever you plant. If you plant potatoes, you will not harvest rib-eye steaks. The same with life. If you do nothing but bad things, you can' be surprised when bad things come back to you. Sooner or later, whatever you did in your younger years will come back. If it is good, you will get more good. If not, you will get bad. Living your life to make yourself happy will sooner or later backfire on you. But whatever you plant for God will grow back good.
:angel:

8:08am Jan 24 


"Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself." Galatians 6:1.

That is why we meet together as Christians. We come together to strengthen. It is our job and our mandate. One of us has a problem, he tells the other, we all pray for strength and wisdom to deal with it and our walk is strengthened. And those who are strong will do this. Those who are weak and immature will complain and criticize and demean those who need help. But those who are strong will strengthen. That is the beauty and the strength of the church.
:angel:

9:09am Jan 25 

"And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." Philippians 4:8.

You want to be Christ-like? Then think about Christ-like things. You go where your mind is pointed and you do what your mind leads you to do. You hit what you aim at. If you aim down, you hit down. If you aim at the target, you have a lot better chance of hitting the target.


:angel: :angel:

1:17am Jan 26 


"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor." James 4:10.

One of the most nauseating things in the world is pride. Nobody like to be around somebody who is proud, constantly talking about themselves, constantly mentioning their own accomplishments and talents it is the same with the Lord. Pride removes the Lord's ability to set you up, to make you above, to exalt you. Before the Lord God Almighty, the God of the Universe, there is no place for exaltation. He is God, we are not. He is All-Powerful, we are not. The more we humble ourselves before him and give him the place of honor in our lives, the more he will make us great. After all, if we have given ourselves the greatest seat in our lives, there is no room for him, and we have robbed ourselves of so much that is good and holy.
:angel: :angel:

7:31am Jan 27 

"For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm." Ephesians 6:12-13.

It is easy to forget in the midst of all our striving, that we are not fighting each other. We are fighting evil itself. We are not fighting secular liberalism and its effects or abortion or other denominations or anything like these. We are fighting against the devil and the forces of evil which drive these things. We can get rid of all of the bad stuff and still not have won the war. It is only when we drive the evil forces behind these things out that we will win anything at all. And when it comes down to it, it is only a house to house fight at that. Fighting the devil's intrusion in our lives is what we are doing. All these other things are just symptoms of something greater: evil working against us. It is the devil we are fighting, not each other.
:angel:

9:08am Jan 28 
"For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:24,

You can do all the stuff you want to do. But God is spirit, he exists in the spirit world, so unless your worship goes deeper than just things, it will never be real. It has to go deeper than just the songs, or just the Lord's Supper, or the rituals, or any other physical things. It has to go to the heart of God, straight to his spiritual being, or it is worthless. God never wanted tradition, or things. He wanted heart.
:angel:

9:23am Jan 29 


"He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, 'Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.'" Mark 9:35.

The kingdom of God is not about position. The leader of the movement, the Messiah and Savior, was a servant who washed feet himself. Who served others himself. He never demanded people wait on him. And he tells us that if we want to in the kingdom, we need to give ourselves over totally to others. We are the servants of a Servant, the slaves of a slave. The lowest will be greatest in this new order. It is not about position, it is about service.
:angel:

8:17am Jan 30 
"Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love." Ephesians 4:2.

The church was designed to be a group that helped each other. When one needed comfort, he went to the church. When he needed encouragement, when he had failed – there was the church. The apostle Paul said to help each other, and above all, love each other. And when you do that, you make allowance for others because of that love, being patient and caring. That is what church is supposed to be. It still could. All it needs is someone like you to start.
:angel:

9:04am Jan 31 
"O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help." Psalm 86:5.

God sees our hearts, not the occasional emotional outburst. And we always have them, no matter how great we may be. God also forgives. That is because he is God and he loves us more than he hates evil. He will always be there to help you in your struggles of life. He fills in the voids, bridges the chasms, just all in all helps you through life. And if we are to be like him, we have to be like that too: loving and forgiving. Praise God!

:angel:

9:11am Feb 1 

"Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength." Deuteronomy 6:4-5.

Unless you love God, nothing you can do will matter. Without it, everything else is worthless.
:angel:

 8:54am Feb 2 
"That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9.

There are things that God has in store for us that are unimaginable, and the results, the product of those things are amazing. If we love him, and if we commit our lives to him, great things will happen, it is more than the mansions, it is more than a home in heaven. In fact, I is more than anything you can think of. But to have these things happen, we have to first love God and second commit ourselves to him and his will.
:angel: :angel:

6:35am Feb 3 
"But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress." Psalm 59:16.

We, every day, awake to the knowledge that God is great, that it is he who is in control. We can know that it is he to whom we go when we have problems, distress, sadness. It is his love, a love which will not let go, that brings us to his presence. And in that presence we feel that comfort and can know that we are not alone. Someone greater than us loves us, and that someone is our refuge from the storms of life. He alone has power and when we realize it, and remember it, we sing his praises.
:angel: :angel: :angel:

8:46am Feb 5 
"For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does. He loves whatever is just and good; the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth." Psalm 33:4-5.

It is the love of God that is the mainstay of the universe. It is always constant and always true. Since God is love and all of his being is love, he (and his love) fills the earth. He is a winner. He will never let you go.

:angel: :angel:

7:58am Feb 6 
"Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness, and honor." Proverbs 21:21.

You hit what you aim at. If you are aiming low, you will hit low things. If high, then high things. The only way to attain life, righteousness, and honor is to aim for them. No one ever lived a godly Christian life by accident. The desire for these things, coupled with the familiarity with them gets them into your life. God blesses those who are interested in being blessed. Look for him and you will find him.
:angel: :angel:

9:08am Feb 7 
"You who love the Lord, hate evil! He protects the lives of his godly people and rescues them from the power of the wicked." Psalm 97:10.

Evil is the opposite of good and love and all that is holy and beautiful. When you love the Lord, it stands that you would be diametrically opposed to everything that is against him. And when you love him and move away from all that is wrong, he will protect and keep you. Those who are wicked have no power over you, no ability to really hurt you. That is his promise.
:angel:

8:13am Feb 8 
"You have heard the law that says, 'Love your neighbor' and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike." Matthew 5:43-45.

There is a whole new attitude that the Christ-follower has that can only come from the Spirit of God. It the attitude of thinking right. It doesn't matter if you do not kill if all you do is think of killing. It doesn't matter if you never commit adultery if you mind of full of lust. When God comes into your heart, and you will let him, he will change your heart and the very way you feel. He will allow you to remove from you mind all these things that make you unfit or unsuitable for the kingdom. And only he can do it. Only the Spirit of his Grace and mighty Love.
:angel:

8:03am Feb 9 
"Dear brothers and sisters, we can't help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing." 2 Thessalonians 1:3.

There is no greater joy for a teacher or a pastor than to find churches or people he has known in the past doing well. After all, that growth in the grace of God is what marks the growth of the implanted seed. The presence of God is unmistakable in a person's or a church's lie when you see these things.

:angel:

7:40am Feb 10 
"If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:1-3.

This says it all. It doesn't matter how pious or holy you act, or how much money you give, or how loudly you sing or intently listen to the sermon: if the love of God for both him and each other is not in your hearts, it will not matter. Without love, all your church stuff is useless. After all, God is love and if you do not have love in your life, you cannot have God.
:angel:

8:14am Feb 11 
"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged." 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

Love is open-ended. With real love, there is no "I will love you if you..." Real love accepts you and is not afraid of you being better than me. It is unselfish and forgiving. Real love is beautiful, not demanding.
:angel:

7:32am Feb 12 
"It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." 1 Corinthians 13: 6-7.

You can always tell when someone loves you. They are not happy when bad things happen to you. They constantly encourage you, keep believing in you, and they look for all the good that you do and can do. They are not fair weather friends, but will stick with you through all adversity. There are not many people like this in your life. When you find one, hold that person close and guard them and treat them the same way.
:angel:

8:10am Feb 13 
Today marks the beginning of Lent, the six week period followed by Easter Sunday. Traditionally people give up something they love. But the giving up is six days a week. On Sunday, the Bridegroom and, as he himself, we do not fast when there is celebration (Luke 5:34: "And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?").

But this is different from Advent. Advent is celebration. This is mourning that Jesus had to come and die for us. We usually give up meat. We decided that this year with all the other stuff going on, we are not going to do so.
:angel:

9:25am Feb 14 
"So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." John 13:34-35.

Anybody can say I love you. It is simple. Just say the words. However, that doesn't mean anything. What does mean something is the display of that love in your life. When people hear it, okay, maybe so. But when people see it in your life, it becomes real. And it is the proof that you are in Jesus Christ and in the presence of God Almighty. After all, he is the one who IS Love.
:angel:

9:22am Feb 15 
"This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." 1 John 4:10.

Real love is sacrificial love. Real love doesn't mind giving up something if it is for the well-being of someone else. Real love gives up that nice guitar because the kids need new shoes. Real love stretches a paycheck over four people when you could leave and get all you want. Real love causes you to not do something if by doing it you will hurt someone else. Real love gives up you life so that somebody else's life might be saved. That is the love Jesus gave when he gave up his life so we could have our lives back in God. That is real love.
:angel:

8:12am Feb 16 
"This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another." 1 John 3:11.

message of love is not a new one. It is as old as God, because God himself is love. It is nothing more than the way love is portrayed that is new. The new way is self-sacrificial love. Jesus came to show a new spin on an ancient emotion. Give up yourself and give up all you have to show your love. Love is not new, but when it shines in the heart of each person for the first time it becomes new. When it was shown by love in Jesus it became new. And when you feel it for the first time, it is new.
:angel:

7:12am Feb 17 
"Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us." Romans 8:35,37.

It does not matter what you do; God will always love you. That doesn't mean he will save you, because he cannot take you where you do not want to go, and he cannot make you do what you do not want to do. But no matter what happens, no matter how far you range from God – he will still love you and will always take you back. You are always welcome back at his table,
:angel:

9:49am Feb 18 
"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39.

The power of God is greater than any other power. His power will protect and keep us no matter what forces evil will marshal against us. He is God and he will keep you in his love.
:angel:

7:57am Feb 19 
"Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us." 1 John 4:11-12.

God tells us his command is to love. But you really cannot love someone, not really, if done because of command. You love by example. You love the way you see others love in your life. We see his love and emulate it, we copy it, we model it in our lives. And not only that, we love because it is our nature to love. If God is in us – and he being Love Eternal – and if Jesus is in us – he being Love Incarnate – how can we not love? If we don't, it is because he is not there. Saved by the blood of Jesus, we bleed love. And when we love, we fulfill our purpose in life: modeling God.
:angel: :angel:

8:23am Feb 22 
"Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love." 1 John 4:18.

When you love God and you know God loves you, there is no need to be afraid. Even though you face death, there is no need to be afraid. Life is not all there is when you are in Jesus and when you have hold of his marvelous grace. Even though you face death, you can still thank God and praise him. And when you are in him, and you die, it is not punishment you go toward, but reward, standing in the presence of you God, the Lord Almighty. What a shame to live life so full of fear of death, full of fear of punishment, just full of fear. He is your God and he is greater than any fear you might have.
:angel:

6:44am Feb 23 
"If you plan to do evil, you will be lost; if you plan to do good, you will receive unfailing love and faithfulness." Proverbs 14:22.

It matters how you set your heart. No one has ever lived the Christian life by accident or by slap-hazard design. You live it because you set out to live it. And where your mind goes, that is where your heart will go, invariably. If your mind is set on evil, you will do evil. The thing is, your life has a directional finder, and it always follows your heart. Set your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.
:angel:

7:12am Feb 24 
"For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.'" Jeremiah 29:11-13.

One of the most loved verses in the Bible. It is amazing how many time you hear people quote this verse in reference to their own lives. And there is a reason: it is that when we give ourselves to God, we allow him to work within us. We trust him and we love him. And the word says that when we do that, we lock ourselves into his view of the world. We allow ourselves to move where he wants, do what he wants, accomplish what he wants. And the Lord never ignores one who wants to live in him. He has plans; but the saddest thing would be the presence of great plans for you in your life which you never accomplish because you are more interested in the mediocrity of your own plans, plans that stop at death if not before.
:angel:

9:20am Feb 25 
"Jesus replied, You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22:37-39.

Love is the whole point of the gospel. God loved us and we return that love to him and pass it on to others. Unless we respond in this attitude of love, everything else that we do, no matter how large or noble or well-meaning is worthless. If you look at all the comments that God gives us in the Bible and things he wants us to do, everyone of them is based in love. And not only that, but the love we share with others is as important as the love we give to God. Unless we love others as much as we love God, our love for God is no good. It is the only way we can show the fact that we love him.
:angel:

Bill Richardson, a missionary to Northern Kenya, will be with us Sunday in morning services. He will give us an update and talk for a few minutes about his work. We have supported him in the past, so his report should be interesting. I remember as a child, the missionary from Africa was always one of the most interesting. And each time, I would pledge myself to go as a missionary to Africa. They would always show slides of Africans dancing and jumping up and down while they sang hymns. It was fascinating to a 10 year boy. I am looking forward to it.


:angel: :angel:

Feb 26 
"God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him." 1 John 4:9.

The gift that means the most to someone else is always the one that required some effort on the part of the giver. A gift picked up with pocket change – no matter how great the amount of pocket change – is just something you kind of throw at the other person. On the other hand, the gift that requires sacrifice is the one that is usually cherished. It may be a laboriously printed hand-made card, or something baked with care, something that the person went out of their way to get. The sacrifice of Jesus required God the Almighty to cut off part of himself and send that part to earth to give us hope. And that part, 1 Corinthians 15 says, will not be back with God until after the last day. That is sacrificial love. And that is the kind of love God wants from us to him and from us to each other.
:angel: :angel:

8:35am Feb 28 
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7.

The Christ-followers don't have to be afraid. They the power of God in their lives and there is nothing that will truly harm them. We do not have to be afraid of the environment, or food additives, or germs, or other countries or even mass shootings. God is on our side. If we are afraid, it is because we have lost his real Spirit. His Spirit is one of power, overcoming power, that leads us into life bravely. That is not to say that we are foolish, or take unnecessary chances; but what it does say is that that fear should not rule us. God is greater than our fears. In him, we not only boldly approach the throne of grace, but with that same courage, boldly approach life. We are clothed in the power of God and have no reason to fear. Any fear we have, other than the holy and righteous fear of the Lord, is not of God. Be brave.
:angel:

8:43am Mar 1 
"Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. Psalm 73:25-25.

Stuff happens and the world falls apart, but God can never fall apart. He is always constant and always there. You can know that whatever else goes on, whatever else fails, God will be constant in your life. He is the strength of your heart and will be with you forever.
:angel:

But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold. For I have stayed on God's paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside." Job 23:10-11.

God does not send the tests because the Bible says he does not send bad things. But he uses the bad things to give us strength. When we refuse the things satan throws at us, we are stronger and before long, we are like pure gold. Gold is made purer and purer by constant melting and cooling, burning out all the impurity until it gets to 24 carat pure gold.. it is only when the gold gets to that purity that God can work with it. At that purity, gold is soft and malleable, able to be molded and made into the beautiful and fine jewelry the jeweler is able to make. But it is only after that melting that God can. We stay on his path and allow him to use us.
:angel:

8:01am Mar 4 
"This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9.

The Lord wants a brave people a people who show his power to the world, who are unafraid of things that happen. When we come into contact with that spirit of power, and the mighty presence of the Lord God Almighty, there is no reason to be afraid. The God of the Universe is on our side.
:angel:

5:28am Mar 5 
"And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up." Deuteronomy 6: 6-7.

Nothing done half-heartedly is ever any good. And it is important to you, you need to tell your children so that they too can feel the urgency. Make it not just a daily routine, but make it and lifestyle imperative that they know what is important. Share it with them constantly so they can feel the urgency.
:angel:

9:19pm Mar 5 
God is my strength and my shield and in him I will not be afraid. Just a note: When I feel down, I am not down on God nor on anything else. It is simple fatigue like many in the Bible felt. I will overcome this, I will not fall under the depression and I will do what I need to do to accomplish his holy will. As I said in Church when I began all this, I feel peace at it and I feel the will of the Lord in my life. With God, I will overcome. I wish nothing more than to model a minister of the Kingdom of God in this church, one who can say,

as 2 Timothy 2:12 says, "for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return."

:angel: :angel:

:29am Mar 6 
"O Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them." Isaiah 25:1.

Hard as it is to imagine, the things God has planned for us were planned long ago when he wet up the plans for his Kingdom. They were not just put out there because he was trying to figure out how to slot you in. But instead, he had a place for you and set up that place at the beginning of time. You are integral to his kingdom and he will use you if you allow him

:angel:

5:05am Mar 7 
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life." Psalm 139:23-24

Sometimes we can deceive ourselves and only God himself can show us where we do. When he comes into your heart, he gives you the ability to serve him. He shows you the path toward fulfillment in him. He gives you grace and life, if you will but let him show you.
:angel:

8:45am Mar 8 
"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us." 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.

We are like the moon. We radiate no light of our own, but we reflect that greater light near us. The comfort God gives us, we are able to pass on to others. That light that shines in our lives, we are able to reflect to other lives and give comfort to them.
:angel:

9:57am Mar 9 
"For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus." 2 Timothy 1:9.

We were saved, not to benefit ourselves (although it does) nor to make us happy (although it does), but to bring us into God's plan, into that plan of grace that will both benefit us by making us children of God, and make us happy by giving our lives fulfillment. Only in him and his grace can we truly be benefited and happy. But his main purpose was to make us part of that plan. We are saved, we call others into the kingdom, they are saved and we are part of the plan.

:angel:

6:14am Mar 10 
"Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it." 1 Peter 3:15.

Your faith is intensely personal, but it is not private. Our Lord wants you to be ready to share with others why you think like you think and be able to share it all with others. When you worship, let them know why you do, and why you worship the One you worship. Be ready to tell others what you are doing and why you are doing it.
:angel: :angel:

9:51am Mar 11 
"Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands." Deuteronomy 7:9.

If God says he will do something, he will do it. His faithful and never changes his heart. And he will love you forever.

:angel: :angel:

8:50am Mar 12 
"And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by human desires." 2 Peter 1:4.

He does not give us the promises because we deserve them. He gives them because he wants to. He give them to us in order to bring us back into that divine order that was present in the garden. They make us able to share his nature, that of holiness, and to escape corruption by the world. When we take those promises, we become more like him.
:angel: :angel: :angel:

8:23am Mar 13 
"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." Romans 8:28.

IF WE LOVE God and if we are called and do his will, everything will work together for good. That doesn't mean that everything is going to be fine anyway. It just means that if we are in God, everything will turn out like God wants. He will work out his will in our lives if we allow him.
:angel:

8:48am Mar 14 
"In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God's promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:5-8.

You build on a foundation. You start with a foundation of your own effort to do what God wants, then you add the stuff God wants you to add. The more you add, the more like Jesus you become, until you become. It is only when that happens, that you can achieve the foundation of his knowledge.
:angel:

9:11am Mar 16 
"Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." Colossians 3:12.

Like a uniform in the army, we wear the clothing of godliness so that when people see us, they will see that we are in the service of the King.
:angel:

6:29am Mar 17 
"The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name." Psalm 23:1-3.

What a day! I have the Lord on my side, he is with me to guide and show me his path and he renews my strength. What more do I need? With the Lord on my side, I have all I need, and I will take him, for sure. Thank you, Lord, for your goodness and your day!

:angel:

A beautiful psalm.

Psalm 121
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

1 I look up to the mountains—
does my help come from there?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!

3 He will not let you stumble;
the one who watches over you will not slumber.
4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel
never slumbers or sleeps.

5 The Lord himself watches over you!
The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
6 The sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon at night.

7 The Lord keeps you from all harm
and watches over your life.
8 The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
both now and forever.
:angel:

8:43am Mar 18 
"I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13.

God is our Source of hope. He is our fountain of knowledge and wisdom. It is he who gives us all we need to be happy in life. If we but go to him, he will fill us with that hope through his power, enough so that others can latch onto it – our hope – and in that way be able to see God. He gives us confidence in our ability to do what he wants. He is our God, Lord Almighty.
:angel: :angel:

7:31am Mar 19 
"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!" Galatians 5:22-23.

You can always tell what a person spends his time doing. It will always show. If a person is immersed in the world, you can tell. If immersed in things godly, you can also. You may be able to fool someone for a while, but sooner or later the source material will show. From one who is immersed in godliness will be these things, and they are good. But you always tell what nourishes that life, what makes that life move right. Make God your nourishment and everything will be fine.
:angel:

8:50am Mar 20 
"Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good." 1 Peter 2:2-3.

You need the basics. Without the basics of anything, you cannot progress on to the more mature. That doesn't mean that you keep on with the basics all your life, but it does mean that you cannot ignore them. They are vital. And sometimes you have to go back to the basics to get your feet back on track. If your feet aren't on track, the more mature teaching will pull you off in odd direction, First you have to know how to use the teaching and then you use it. But you cannot use what you do not know. Let God teach you: the Father will guide you, his Spirit will train you, and Jesus will teach you.
:angel:

 8:47pm Mar 20 
Today I put together koinonia, our new monthly newsletter for LCCC. This newsletter will primarily be to build community here at LCCC and in Elk County. Community is, of course, one of the primary definitions of the Greek word koinonia, as is fellowship.

Acts 2:42 is one of the first where it is translated fellowship. "They joined with the other believers and devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, sharing in the Lord's Supper and in prayer." This will go out to our members and to our Ministerial Alliance community here in Elk County. Look for it Sunday. Our first issue I will have to hand out due to my tendency to flop around on the floor, run out of blood and in general make a physical nuisance of myself. I will mail the others to the Ministerial Alliance. Sooner or later, I would like to mail it to the entire town.
:angel:

10:05am Mar 21 
"But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." Jeremiah 17:7-8.

In west Texas, there are two kinds of mesquite plants: big trees and small bushes. The only difference between then is that the big trees found water and the small bushes didn't. The mesquite plant can live under almost any condition, from desert to almost tropical. If there is no water it will struggle long, taking what it can from the soil, but never really growing or thriving. But as you look across the landscape, there will be a line of trees. If you went over to them, you would see that they found a river or at least, a small stream. Those plants grow into trees and become strong. The same with a Christian. The Christian who grows will find the living water and will be nourished by it. You may be a Christian even though you never study his word or pray or anything else, but you will be a stunted Christian, one who never reaches his or her potential.
:angel:

9:00am Mar 22 
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." Ephesians 6:10-11.

The devil cannot do what you do not want him to do. And if God is on your side, you are fully armored against anything he may try. However, it is up to you to make sure that armor is in place and used. The greatest of God's holy armor will do not good if you leave it at home. But when you are armored, you are power against evil. God will keep you if you left him.
:angel:

8:40am Mar 23 
"God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." James 1:12.

It is the enduring of temptation that makes us strong. Weight lifting will make us strong in the same way because you only get strong when you begin to press against weight that is heavier than you can lift. Keep pressing and sooner or later you will be able to lift that weight. Sing strongly and practice your singing and sooner or later your abdomen and throat and all will make you a better singer. Stretch your brain and you will learn another language. Nothing good has ever been accomplished by sitting around reading about it. It is only through the stress of the exercise that you become stronger. The same with faith. God does not send the temptations, but he helps you use them to make you stronger.
:angel:

7:31am Mar 24 
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23.

Grace, like salvation is a gift, freely given by God, its only true Source. If you work for anything at all in the Kingdom, you work for death. There are wages because there is no job. We do what we do because we love God, not in order to make him love us. The Gift is eternal life; the wages are for death. A hard concept but absolutely true.
:angel:

Psalm 67
For the choir director: A song. A psalm, to be accompanied by stringed instruments.

1 May God be merciful and bless us.
May his face smile with favor on us. Interlude

2 May your ways be known throughout the earth,
your saving power among people everywhere.
3 May the nations praise you, O God.
Yes, may all the nations praise you.
4 Let the whole world sing for joy,
because you govern the nations with justice
and guide the people of the whole world. Interlude

5 May the nations praise you, O God.
Yes, may all the nations praise you.
6 Then the earth will yield its harvests,
and God, our God, will richly bless us.
7 Yes, God will bless us,
and people all over the world will fear him.
:angel: :angel:

9:55pm Mar 24 
What a good day, Church. Got a couple of naps in this afternoon and feel refreshed and good, just in time for bed time. The Church seemed to enjoy the recreation of the Triumphal Entry, or at least until, disappointed that he wouldn't do things like I wanted, I threw my branch on the floor and left Jesus standing there. Think about it. As Jesus hung on the cross, he might even have seen a couple of the palm branches lying in the roadway, and remembered when they thought he was the most wonderful person ever. He would lead them into political and military victory over the Romans and make them the great nation they once were. When he didn't, they got mad and crucified him.

Next Week is Easter. It is the ultimate of all that has come before and in it, there is freedom, release, forgiveness, repair from brokenness, access to God the Father as humanity had in the Garden of Eden, sinlessness, power, glory - all you can think of all in Jesus. Hallelujah, Jesus is alive! Death has lost its victory and the grave has been denied. Jesus lives forever, He's alive, He's alive. Hallelujah, Jesus is alive!

Ella and I are going to sing that song next Sunday and invite you to sing along with us. What a day, glorious day that will be! I love Easter! I might even dance :angel: :angel:

9:53am Mar 25 
"But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness." 1 John 1:9.

What God wants from us is the acknowledgement that we need him, that without him we cannot live. He does not want groveling, nor does he want someone so broken they are in constant grief. That is foolish. If we are made in the image of God and that is so unappealing to us, how must it be to him? He wants someone who will be molded, used, glorified, sanctified. He wants someone who will allow him to work his will to the betterment of both that person's life and to the church and to humanity in general. Give him that and you have confessed your sins. And he will forgive you and use you and love you (which he does, anyway) and make great things come of you.

:angel: :angel: :angel:

8:48am Mar 26 
"For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him." Philippians 1:29.

A privilege to suffer is an odd way to put it, but it is true. There is more to the Christian life than just sitting around believing. There is also the day-to-day living, the daily interaction with non-believers, the daily suffering. We like the believing part. That is fun. But the suffering comes along, too. They are part of the same package: good and bad. And if you take the package, just like Jesus did, you have to take them both. Together, both of them lead to glory.
:angel:

 Ella Mochman Cliver 2:50pm Mar 28 
A thought from Ella:

Deut 10: 12 "And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul."

All that our God has ever wanted is for us to love him with all our heart and soul – give Him all our everything. We give it to him and he gives it back to us pressed down, shaken together and overflowing.
:angel:

11:14am Mar 29 
"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21.

There was no way we could come before God with all our sins and all our failures to have our sins forgiven. It was only through the agency of God and the perfection of Jesus that it could be accomplished. Jesus took our sins on his perfect soul and brought them before God so that God could eliminate them forever, never again to be mentioned or seen. That was the sacrifice we honor this weekend. And that is the very center of our faith in God. If you do not believe that, you don't believe much.
:angel:

6:30am Mar 31 
He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. Isaiah 53:3-4.

It was not his looks that brought people to Jesus; it was his heart, his message, the fact that in him was embodied the love of God. And he was punished so that we did not have to be. He was the Living Message of God and people knew it. - Happy Resurrection Day and Happy Easter.
:angel:

8:52am Apr 1 
The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. Psalm 14:1.

Take God out of you heart and there is no god center to what you do. Everything is subjective, everything is what you feel is good, there is no moral core. Take away God and you take away decency, goodness, all that is God-centered, and you have nothing left. What a sad life.
:angel:

5:32am Apr 2 
"Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, 'We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!'" Matthew 20: 17-19.

The Jewish leaders thought they were getting rid of a minor irritant, when they were trying to subvert the will of God and fulfilling the will of God both at the same time. Jesus knew this and knew his part in it all. The apostles didn't and were confused. We are often confused by the unrolling of the might will of God, but if we but trust him, as Jesus did, we will know what is right, even if it seems horrendous and terrible to us. It is part of trusting in God and his plan.
:angel:

8:22am Apr 3 
"Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2.

For joy he endured shame and death. It is the joy of the Lore that gives us strength. As long as we keep that joy in sight, we will be able to endure whatever comes along, just as Jesus did. When we follow Jesus, we follow one who suffered and died. And as he lived, so shall we.
:angel:

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace." Ephesians 1:7.


It is only through Jesus that we have anything good in this life or in the life to come. Through him we can come back to God and receive the joy we once felt as children of God. Through him we can be truly forgive of all the mistakes we have made in our lives,. Through him we have grace and the knowledge that no matter how far from God we may have gone that we can come back. Through him is the spring of love.
:angel:

8:48am Apr 9 
Would like to ask that we all lift John and Ella up in prayer Ella went to the ER last night and they kept her over night . Not sure at this time what is wrong but will let you know.they have come under fire by the enemy and they need all our prayers so please just bombard heaven with me.They are good people and willing servants of GOD no weapon formed against them shall stand.
:angel:

Ella Mochman Cliver 8:09am Apr 24 
I AM FINALLY HOME!! Yesterday the doctor told me I was well enough to be at home by myself, so I went back to the nursing home and checked out. It was so good to get to sleep in my own bed in my own house last night. Then to just get up this morning and do my regular morning routine. Nobody woke me up to take pills or blood or any of those other nasty things they do to you in hospitals and nursing facilities. Praise God for getting me through this part of my illness.
Now we just have to get John home, too. He has moved to the rehabilitation part of the VA hospital in Wichita. His spirits seemed much better yesterday evening and he was actually eating some food with the other guys in the facility. Pray for his strength to return as well as the cancer and broken bones to be healed.
We give all the glory to God.
:angel:

Ella Mochman Cliver
8:51am May 23 
Proverbs 15:30 A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health.
When we are saddened by something that has happened to us or is going on around us, we do not feel like smiling or showing happiness in any form. But if we just go ahead and put a smile on our face so that we have a "cheerful look" it will make us feel happier. So show a smile and not a frown. You will feel happier and so will everyone with whom you come in contact.
:angel:

Ella Mochman Cliver posted in Christian Community Church of Longton Kansas
Ella Mochman Cliver 8:13am Jun 30 
Psalm 148:13-14
Let them all praise the name of the Lord.
For his name is very great;
his glory towers over the earth and heaven!
14 He has made his people strong,
honoring his faithful ones—
the people of Israel who are close to him.
Praise the Lord!

This psalm lists out all of heaven and earth and all God's creation and then ends in this final verse encouraging all of creation to praise the Lord. On this day that we come together to worship our Savior, we all should praise the name of the Lord for his name is very great. Let all God's people join together today to praise Him.
:angel: