Sing Your Praises!

Yesterday I shared two things on FB that I would like to share with you all as well. First:
From Charles Stanley's: Life Principles Bible (NKJV) He stated: "God rarely empties our lives of trouble and conflict. If He did, our dependence on Him would fade. He allows enough difficulty to keep us turned toward Him." A segment from Life Principle #2: Obey God and Leave all the Consequences to Him.

All too often we get caught up in the frustrations of daily life on earth, due to the ways of the world and being of the flesh. As like myself, I've been frustrated, hurting physically and mentally. Mentally over watching several family members and friends going through some really tough and painful times. Instead of taking it to the Lord and leaving it in His hands, I moaned, groaned, whined, complained and felt worse as the days went on until I came to this and what a dear sweet friend and Sister in Christ (Heather) shared with me. Thank you Heather, you are an awesome amazing woman of the Lord. You have no idea how much you helped me. Through the Grace of God!

Second:
Last night our Pastors son gave the message and talked about worship and how important it is to sing out no matter the kind of voice we have to the Lord on a daily basis. For it is true what he stated that when we sing out our praises to Him, we are filled with joy and peace. Amen! He challenged us all to daily sing our praises to Him. I do that already, but am going to really sing out and not worry about how I sound. :) I don't have a singing voice, but I know the Lord thinks differently. He deserves our praises. And so, I am going to leave you with this video with words asking Him to give us clean hands and pure hearts.

Give Us Clean Hands by Christ Tomlin. Be blessed abundantly!

Sharing God's Love

I’ve been going to write this post for about a week now and finally have the right words for it all. Its funny how we are lead on our paths and wait until the right moment. We often wonder why at times we wait and put things off. It’s not always procrastination, but rather our Father telling us to wait until He has given us the exact tools we need to carry on.

Tonight I received word that my best friend from H.S. mother passed away. Her dad is seriously ill battling cancer. I’ve lost contact with her since she married around 1983-84 there about. I’ve often thought of her and wondered how she is doing. I’ve missed her and reminisce all the great times we had together.

Tonight hit me hard. It was an awakening. At first it was hard to breathe. I just wanted to bawl, but only allowed a few tears. I had so many emotions flowing through me; I didn’t know how to feel. I decided to work on more organizing of the house. That wasn’t helping. So I thought I would go straighten up my desk. I looked at all the inspirational books we have and thought I need to read that one…not that one…oh wait a minute, that’s the one I really need to read. Then I came to Charles Stanley’s Life Principle Bible and was going to work on it…then I thought, no, I need to listen to a pod cast. I haven’t done that in ages.

Well, that’s what I needed and then it hit me as I’m listening to the end of one I had started months ago. The words…the exact words I needed to fit in with what I’m going to write about. By now you are probably thinking, “You just wrote several paragraphs now. You have a story to tell yet?” Yes indeed. It’s a story I pray will stir the hearts of those that need it and strengthen those that already know. So here goes.

It all started over a week ago. I went to pick up the kids to take them all to school as usual. The oldest girl was in a foul mood and was not happy. I tried to keep my cool until she started taking it out on the van. I snapped at her; and then reminded myself that anger on top of anger gets one nowhere, so I gained control. We were all loaded up and on our way, and the grumbling with the children continued. I reached down and grabbed a worship CD. The first one, “God is Good!” They grumbled a little more and I started to pray. I kept on praying asking for peace and restoration. It got quiet. The next thing I knew, they were singing, well all but one, but the grumbling subsided. By the time we dropped the first boy off at his bus stop, everyone was giggling and happy. Thank you Lord!

The next song they like to hear each morning, “Jesus Take the Wheel,” then “I Can Only Imagine.” This part of the story shows how God’s Love for us can be so calming. We only need to let Him in and learn to love as well.

Okay, that’s just the beginning. At first I thought, ugh, this day is starting out just great, then He showed me, don’t be so negative. Put on that positive attitude, be a builder and bring peace. Obey, and good things come of it.

Later that day I got an excited call from my husband. He had been going through problem after problem on one of the buildings they had plans for. He prayed on the way to work that morning and said, “Father, I need you to do something about this today. We need to get these problems solved so that this project is no longer delayed.” He no more than got into the office before he even had a chance to take his coat off, and the phone rang. It was one of the people working on solving the problems to tell him that “all” the problems had been solved. The project was moving forward!” Praise God.

And it just keeps getting better. He’s been praying for more work to come in since taking over the company completely. Each time he prays and asks for help, He shows up. The problems are solved, the money comes in. He’s been flabbergasted and stated he doesn’t know what is going on and that he doesn’t know how much more he can handle.

I reminded him to be careful with what he says. The answers came to us in church a week ago this past Sunday. “Tithing;” yes you read right; tithing. It’s right in the Bible that we are to give 10% of our goods to the Lord. I kept feeling empty when we would not give our full amount. Now mind you, we are in a church where they do not keep track of what we give. Our Pastor knows that’s between the Father and us.

Well I knew we were not doing the right thing and kept telling hubby my feelings on this. Then without my knowing it, he started giving 10% sometimes more. He’s been faithfully tithing for some time, and giving more when needed or prompted to do so. He knew it was right and knew that was what he was supposed to be doing.

Then came the picture at the “Men at the Cross,” that he was instructed to buy. He knew he was supposed to do it for the church, and it happened. It was money I didn’t think we had, then the Lord reminded me, “do not worry child, I will take care of you.” You know what? He has done just that.

We have learned to be faithful to our Father, our Lord and Savior. Jesus gave His all for us. We are asked to do a small thing for Him. I mean seriously, it is small when you compare it to giving your life for everyone! My husband has faithfully been giving what we are suppose to for several months now, and wow, the blessings keep coming.

He asked some of the pastors and myself if it was bragging to tell people about this. We all told him that the Lord wants us to share the good news, just not in a boastful manner. This is why I’ve waited. I wanted to make sure I wrote this with the right words.

Two things to share with you that drove me to write this. One is from words we heard from Oral Roberts at church this past Sun: “If you don’t give a harvest, why do you plant a seed?” Those are some powerful words.

Then last but not least from Charles Stanley:
“If you hunger more for worldly riches than for the treasures of knowing God; then you’re climbing the wrong ladder of success. Genuine eternal blessing is more than it’s measured in relationship with Jesus, not monetary accumulation. Make Christ your top priority and chief joy, and you will experience true prosperity.”

Wow! How true that is. We need to really grasp hold of this message that He is sending us. We were talking with some of the pastors and they have seen others experiencing similar testimony’s. We were struggling, worried where the money was going to come from, business was slow and low and behold, faith kicked in and He’s answered every call. Other’s have had the same experience. Faith! Plant the seed! We talked of how many are struggling and afraid to take the plunge. All I can say is do it with your heart in it! Have faith! Be true to Him and He will bless you beyond your wildest imaginations. Don’t do it wanting and expecting, but do it in faith, with Love and a giving heart. He’ll know if you are doing it for personal gain or not.

Long story short: Ever since hubby started planting the seed faithfully, life has improved. Ever since I grabbed hold of all that was happening and got back to the Bible, life has improved more. We have become builders with the grand children and joy has surrounded us. We find it much easier to handle difficult situations. When the enemy strikes, we say NO! We pray and life returns to normal. We still go through out dark times, but they are much easier to walk through now. When one of us starts to stray, the other grabs hold and reels us back in. I can't begin to describe the way life has become other than it is so much more of a positive atmosphere, and we feel His presence. It's beautiful! It's beyond beautiful. There are no words to describe it; you just have to experience it yourself. Don't give up! He never does with us.

Be blessed everyone. Walk in the light of the Lord. Believe in Him. Trust in Him. Have faith in Him to walk you through. And remember, we come closer to Him in our weakest and darkest moments. He’s molding us and preparing us. Love and blessings to you all!

Looking for Answers

Have you had those days where you just feel lost, or confused and frustrated? Days where you keep thinking, "I know I'm suppose to cast all my fears up to the Lord," but you ask, "how can I do that when the same problems are facing me day in and day out and they never change?" Well that's what it's been lately.



I'm concerned about the well being of my grand kids, very concerned, and now my heart is breaking for my little sis. She is going through some terrible struggles, health wise, which includes physical, and now her marriage is coming to an end. I've been talking to the Lord, asking to be led to the right answers. Asking for the right words. Asking what it is I should be doing.



One thing that has hit me is I've been lacking in solid prayer and meditation, and definitely lacking in getting in the word the way I had been. Too many excuses letting the way of the flesh drive me instead of the Lord. The only thing I have been doing is being in constant conversation with the Lord.



So I went searching, and this is where I've been led so far. Charles Stanley's "Life Principles Bible" was my first place to look, since he has all the life examples, answers to life's questions etc. in the front. I came to "What steps can I take when I really need to hear from God" under Answers to life's questions.



Dr. Stanley talks about how we tend to complicate our desire to hear Him. He states, "we already have everything we need in order to discover what He wants for us." He also talks about daily things we can be doing through spiritual discipline. He lists four basic steps to take and dwell on.



1. Get in the Word, really read it. We need to be doing this every day. This is where we will find what it is He wants us to do. Stanley writes, "We learn about God's truth, mercy, love, and forgiveness." So very true.



2. Prayer, we need to pray in order to seek Him. We all know the most powerful position is to be on our knees, but as Dr. Stanley says, we can also see Him by simply bowing our heads in prayer as well. Praying should be done in a private, quiet place, where we can fully open ourselves up to Him in order to hear Him. We need to be able to listen for Him. Pastor Ken had said something that has always stuck with me; sometimes we put too much emphasis in talking/praying and not enough time just being still and listening. God doesn't want to listen to us go on and on, as He already knows what we need, but instead He wants us to come to Him and then listen. This makes very good sense.



3. Meditate, which we will hear most Pastors, Priests, Fathers, Preachers, etc. tell us. Meditating on His word will allow us to receive, hold and "take root in our souls," as stated by Dr. Stanley. By meditating on what He tells us and His word, we are allowing Him to build a solid "foundation in our hearts." I can't remember when I sat and really meditated. How sad is that. One of the basic foundations needed to be a part of Him.



4. Last but not least, "Listen." We not only need to listen with our ears, but with our hearts as well. Disruptions, noisy areas, minds some where else will not allow us to hear His sweet voice. We are going to hear sounds around us. Some distractive noises are often unavoidable. But we need to focus and gear our minds into "active listening" in order to really hear what He is telling us.

I thought this was some pretty good advice. I'm going to make sure I stick to this now. It's so important to have a good healthy relationship with God, which is one of my personal goals. The other area I was sent to was "Bearing One Another's Burdens," in the category of "What the Bible says about." This is referenced from Galatians 6:1-3.

"Many people object to the idea of accountability because they don't see how other people's actions are any of their business." But, the Bible says it is our business when others are known to sin, we need to be their to tell them and get them back on the right track.

Of the examples Dr. Stanley used was a woman who had been married only a short time when she found out her husband was a homosexual. Once she found out, friends of theirs told her that they had known before they even married. She was upset that they had not told her. They told her they felt it was none of their business.

How many of you feel her friends were right? On something like this, I think I would have to say something, as allowing someone to go ahead and marry someone that will eventually end up in divorce, spare them the pain and agony. The man was being deceptive. But I will admit, there are times I feel it's none of my business. There are times when I feel we are suppose to keep our mouths shut and let God handle it. So this piece is very befitting with what is happening here. Hubby & I have finally decided to talk to our daughter and her fiance about what we see.

Proverbs 28:23 "He who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with the tongue." This is an area that I have trouble with my little sister. I'm afraid to be upfront with her for fear of hurting her and making things worse. We have such a bond, I'm afraid of losing it. Dr. Stanley goes on to say, "Remember this, in an accountability relationship you are not responsible for how the other person responds to you. But you are responsible to tell the truth and then continue to love that person through the process." Those are some pretty powerful words.

Galatians 6:1-3
1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

Then last but not least, I started reading Max Lucado's "For these tough times: Reaching toward heaven for hope & healing. What great inspiration in this book. He is another of my favorite writers. I'll soon be making a list of books that I've read, what they are about, and whether or not I think they are worthwhile purchasing .

I hope this may have helped anyone else out there struggling with a problem or more. Sharing is a way of helping us all get through difficult times. It was amazing how calm I became after reading all this. God is so loving, forgiving, and always there. As Heather put it, "God is our All in All.! Amen!!! Be Blessed and have a great weekend!

References:
Stanley, C.F., May 30, 2009. The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible. Holy Bible, New King
James version, p 439 par 3 ln 7-9; par 5-8; pp 1375-76 par 1, ln 1-5; par 4, ln 10-14; p1376
par 2 v 1-3. Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Prayer

Everything I've been reading lately has to do with praying. The importance of prayer. Now I know God is up to something. Hubby has been real restless lately, as have I. So I decided to devote a post to prayer.

First off, Charles Stanley under "Life Principle #14 of What the Bible Says About: The Many Faces of Prayer". His message came from Colossians 1:9-12

9 For this reason we also, since the day we
heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His
will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully
pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according
to His glorious
power; for all patience and long-suffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be
partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

Psalm 32:6 For this cause everyone who is godly
shall pray to You.

Matthew 6:5-13

5 "And when you pray, you shall not be like
the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the
corners of the streets, that they may be seen by many. Assuredly, I say to you,
they have their reward."
6 "But you,
when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your
Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will
reward you openly."
7 And when you
pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they
will be heard for their many words."
8
"Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need
of before you ask Him."
9 "in this
manner, therefore, pray: (Also Luke 11:1-4)
Our Father in
heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10Your kingdom come,
Your will be done
On earth
as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day
our daily bread,
12 And forgive us our
debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the
evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power
and the glory forever.
Amen."

Matthew 26:41 & Mark 14:38 "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

Mark 11:24 "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them."

Mark 11:25 "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses."

Mark 13:33 "Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is."

Luke 6:28 "bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you."

Luke 18:1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,

Luke 22:40 When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."

Acts 8:22 "Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you."

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. for we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groaning's which cannot be uttered.

1 Corinthians 14:13-19

13Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue
pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I praying a tongue, my
spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.
15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the
spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the
spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.
16 Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he
who occupies the place of the uninformed say "Amen" at your giving thanks, since
he does not understand what you say? 17 For
indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified. 18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; 19 yet in the church I would rather speak
five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten
thousand words in tongue.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 pray without ceasing.

1 Timothy 2:8 I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

James 5:13-16

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him
pray. Is anyone cheerful? Le him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders
of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name
of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith
will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed
sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray
for the one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a
righteous man avails much.

Matthew 21:22 "And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

There is a lot of instruction about praying and how to pray. As we can see through all the scriptures, that it is important that we follow what God has laid out for us. If taken lightly, our prayers are basically null and void. The best way to pray is in silence, in a private room, on our knees. I love that we stand tallest when on our knees.

Elijah from 1 Kings 18:20-40 is a good example of how well a prayer prayed with authority works.

Ahab had gathered the children of Israel and the prophets to Mount Carmel. This is where Elijah asked them if Baal was their God or if the Lord was God. No one answered him. He then told them to have the supposed prophets of Baal supply two bulls; one for them, and one for Elijah. The prophets of Baal were to prepare their bull, lay it upon wood without lighting a fire and call upon their god to burn the sacrifice.

They tried all day, even cut themselves, calling out to their god. Nothing happened. When the time came for the evening sacrifice, Elijah repaired the alter, encircled the altar with a trench and had the people drench the wood with 3 pots of water. The water saturated the offering wood and all around the altar. Then at the time the sacrifice was to be made; Elijah called out, v. 36, "Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. v. 37 "Here me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again."

Then the Lord lit the fire, took the bull, wood, stones, and water. v. 39 The people then fell on their faces and cried out; "The Lord, He is our God, The Lord, He is our God!" That is when Elijah told the people to seize "all" the prophets of Baal and then led them to the Brook of Kishon where he executed them.

A lesson well learned here. We should never stray from the Lord. The consequences can be mighty. Never honor another God nor idol. Always pray to the Lord our God. When we doubt, we open ourselves up to the enemy.

And last but not least. I like this one. Of course I like them all. To maintain our life with God Jude 20-21 reads:
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Now I know this is a lengthy post, but felt it was a good one. I felt the need to do this even though it took me all day to do this. I stopped off and on to do other things that needed my attention, then would come back to this and research some more. There is plenty more in the Bible about prayer. If anyone has more to share and you don't mind, when you comment I will add them to a separate post of those with added scripture or words of your own. Now go pray! :)

Reference

Stanley, C. 2005. "The Charles Stanley Life Principle Bible." New King James Version. Life
principle 14, What the Bible says about the many faces of prayer. p. 1399. Thomas Nelson
Inc.

Other pages used were: Ps 32:6 p. 644; Mat 6:5-13 pp. 1118 & 1120; Lk 11:14 p. 1203; Mat 26:41 p. 1150; Mk 14:38 p. 1178; Mk 11:24, 24 p. 1173; Mk 13:33 p. 1176; Lk 6:28 p. 1194; Lk 18:1 p. 1214; Lk 22:40 p. 1223; Acts 8:22 p. 1276; Rom 8:26 p 1319; 1 Cor 14:13-16 p. 1421; 1 Thes 5:17 p. 1409; 1 Tim 5:13-16 p. 1421; Mat 21:22 p. 1142; 1 King 18:20-40 pp. 417 & 419; Jude 20-21 p. 1489.

Life Principle # 7

Charles Stanley's Life Principles Bible has been such a blessing in our lives. The way he breaks it all down for you is amazing. It's easier to understand, and really opens ones eyes. I hope you all don't mind my using Stanley's and other devotionals I recieve to point out some great points. I just come across them and realize the message and the timing and feel it's something to post about. There are plenty of devotionals I recieve but do not get that feeling to share them.

Any way. Life Principle number seven reads:

"The dark moments of our life will last only so long as is necessary for God to accomplish His purpose in us. 1 Samuel 30:1-6 p. 350.

He uses the darkest moments in our lives as long as necessary. I'm thinking there are others out there like myself and my little sister that sometimes wonder, does the dark moments ever come to an end? Why do we have to endure this much? But then we stop and remind ourselves of this very scripture, and that God's timing is always perfect, and that there is a reason for every season.

The reason for the darkest moments is to accomplish His purpose in us. This is very encouraging. After all, isn't that we are striving for, to do as God wishes for us to do. To follow His plans for us. After all, this is what brings us closer to Him. I don't know about you, but I want that close relationship with our daddy! How about you?

Luke 6:38

This devotional comes from "God's Way: Day by Day by: Charles Stanley"

"Give and it will be given to you." Luke 6:38

"Be quick to serve others. In giving, you will receive. There's an old but
true phrase. 'To make a friend, be a friend.' To give acceptance to others is to
recieve acceptance. To widen your circle of friends to include others is to be
included in the broader cirlces of their lives. Jesus taught, "Give, and it will
be given to you." When you give to others a sense of belonging, you feel a
greater sense of belonging."

Nothing else is needed to be said for this one, other than this is a great devotional that is so very true. Giving is caring. ;) Have a beautiful week all my wonderful friends.

Blessings

"God Blesses those so that they might Bless others."

Life Principle #25 from Charles Stanley's Life Principle Bible.

I know this to be so true. He has blessed many that have been put in our paths that have blessed us beyond words. How great is that?! I can't think of anything better than following and being in the Lord.

Have a Beautiful and Glorious Christmas Day!

In what way(s) have you been blessed lately?

Daily Devotional: Don't Worry

Are you a worrier? Is there something(s) in your life that is troubling you? Often times in our lives we find things that trouble us and we carry it with us. I know I have a bad habit of that; especially when it comes to children. With the grand kids, I find myself constantly worrying over some things that are going on in their lives and the treatment they recieve. But then I constantly remind myself of a recent pod cast I had heard from Dr. Charles Stanley saying, "Don't worry, don't worry, don't worry." I can't count the times anymore when I am constantly reminded of that very thing.

Partly hearing this repeated is due to listening and writing what I hear so that I can go back and referr to different areas of the message. There are times when the cast would skip ahead and I'd have to go back and would hear the "don't worry" part over and over. At first I was irritated, then realized that God was probably trying to tell me something. That particular pod cast was the worst one I've had problems with. Now I know why! :)

Anyway, on today's Crosswalk.com; Greg Lauries Daily Devotions has a great pieced called, "God's Answer to Worry." Definitely worth the read. Have a great day!

1-1-1

Correction: My mistake. This article has been posted for a full day and I just now realized I had placed the wrong pod cast. It should read Focus on the Family instead of Charles Stanley. Sorry! I've been listening to both pod casts often and get the two mixed up.

Today while listening to Charles Stanleys pod cast titled "If God Lived in my House," by Lee Strobel. Wow! What a powerful message he has. I've only gotten through part one and can't wait to listen to part two.

Any way, I wanted to share a part of the message that sounds like a great idea! Lee talked about a special function to do in the church. It is called, 1-1-1. This is what you do; The Pastor asks everyone to come to agreement to chose one person in their life that is heading for a Christ-less eternity. Each person of the church will pray for that person everday at one o'clock for one minute until Christmas. Then each person is to invite that person that they prayed for to service in hopes they will come to Christ.

What Lee had done at Willow Creek Church was handed out business type cards that could fit in their wallets as reminders with just 1-1-1 on them and a line for them to write the name of the person on it that they were praying for. Of course this was not for showing to the person you were praying for. I would imagine it was to be kept personal no matter what.

Lee did say that one lady had taken her card to the person she was praying for and said, "Look, I'm praying for one person, that's you for one minute a day at one o'clock, so that you may come to Christ and enjoy it as much as I." (this isn't the exact words). The woman just laughed and said okay. Two weeks later while the woman being prayed for was taking a shower getting ready for work; she was hit by the Holy Spirit. She dropped to her knees and started praying right there in her shower and received Christ.

A funny comment was made by some people of his congregation that there was a conversion and a Baptism at one time! Hee hee. But think about how awesome that would be. Think of the many people that could be saved by performing one simple act. Lee also stated that someone asked if they could pray for 2 people at two o'clock instead. Lee said, "No!" This had to be done the same way with everyone. After all that is how when all comes into agreement that it works. Something to consider and perhaps mention to your Pastors as well.

Have a beautiful day, and God Bless!

A Life of Becoming

The following comes from In Touch with Charles Stanley. Very good piece.

October 9, 2008

A Life of Becoming 2 Corinthians 4:7-18

"Probably the greatest obstacle to understanding God's purpose for
brokenness is this: Most believers think of Christianity as something we do. We
pray. We read the Bible. We go to church. We sing hymns. We give money. We do
and do--and assume that's the Christian life. It's not. Authentic Christianity
is about becoming rather than doing. The life of faith that God designed
involves receiving Jesus into our hearts and allowing Him to change our habits,
mindset, beliefs, interests, and concerns so we become more and more like Him.
Realizing this will change our perspective on the heartache we must endure. You
see, when we recognize that the Christian life is about Jesus' persistent work
of "re-creation" in our lives, then the role of brokenness makes more sense.
It's the process God uses to strip us of things that have become, or may one day
become, an obstacle to our growth. The Lord also uses this tool to address
issues we may have declared "off limits" to Him, such as unhealthy behaviors or
relationships that we rationalize. God doesn't want to be Lord of most of your
life; He wants to be Lord of all of your life! So He zeroes in on areas of
self-will and self-sufficiency to remove everything within us that relies on
"self." He uses brokenness to remove those inclinations so that we can live
moment by moment, day by day, in full dependence on Him.Open your heart, and ask God to reveal any selfish strongholds. Let Him break unhealthy behavior
patterns."