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July 17 Billy Graham's PrayerSubject: Billy Graham's Prayer For Our Nation Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2008 02:24:41
A GOOD VIEW OF WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THIS COUNTRY! PAUL HARVEY'S ON- AIR PRAYER 'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have rid iculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!'
Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, 'The Rest of the Story,' and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired. With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called 'One nation under God.'
July 15 Psalm 23 - - EXPLAINED
Psalm 23 - - EXPLAINED
The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness. For His name sake Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I will fear no evil. For Thou art with me Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me, Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil, My cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord. Forever June 18 A Stranger Moves InHere's a story my parents sent me. See if this describes your home!
The Stranger This is very interesting and not ending the way I had expected! A few years after I was born, my Dad met a stranger who was new to our small Texas town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around from then on. As I grew up, I never questioned his place in my family. In my young mind, he had a special niche. My parents were complementary instructors: Mom taught me good from evil, and Dad taught me to obey. But the stranger...he was our storyteller. He would keep us spellbound for hours on end with adventures, mysteries and comedies. If I wanted to know anything about politics, history or science, he always knew the answers about the past, understood the present and even seemed able to predict the future! He took my family to the first major league ball game. He made me laugh, and he made me cry. The stranger never stopped talking, but Dad didn't seem to mind. Sometimes, Mom would get up quietly, while the rest of us were shushing each other to listen to what he had to say, and she would go to the kitchen for peace and quiet. (I wonder now, if she ever prayed for the stranger to leave.) Dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions, but the stranger never felt obligated to honor them. Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our home... Not from us, our friends or any visitors. Our longtime visitor, however, got away with four-letter words that burned my ears and made my dad squirm and my mother blush. My Dad didn't permit the liberal use of alcohol. But the stranger encouraged us to try it on a regular basis. He made cigarettes look cool, cigars manly and pipes distinguished. He talked freely (much too freely!) about sex. His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing. I now know that my early concepts about relationships were influenced strongly by the stranger. Time after time, he opposed the values of my parents, yet he was seldom rebuked... And NEVER asked to leave. More than fifty years have passed, since the stranger moved in with our family. He has blended right in and is not nearly as fascinating as he was at first. Still, if you could walk into my parents' den today, you would still find him sitting over in his corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures. His name?.... . . . We just call him "TV." (Note: This should be required reading for every household in America !)
He has a wife now....We call her "Computer". We have revamped our Christian Webstore and have changed our name. June 02 ENLIGHTENED PERSPECTIVEENLIGHTENED PERSPECTIVE
I've learned ... That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.
May 01 Be BlessedThis another e-mail I received from a friend of mine in California. Man is it GOOD!
"Just wanted to tell everyone that I am so grateful to have each of you in my life. I pray you all have a blessed day. May everyone who received this message be blessed of God." There is nothing attached. Just send this to people that you want to bless. Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive. There is no cost, just a lot of reward. Make sure you pray, and pray believing in your heart God will answer. Prayer May God meet all of your needs according to the riches and glory that are May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding guard your heart May the power and presence of the Holy Spirit come upon you as you seek God’s face with your whole heart. May the LORD strengthen you with power through His Holy Spirit in the inner man. May the LORD open the eyes of your heart and enlighten the eyes of your understanding. May His Holy Spirit lead you into all truth, and teach you the deep things of God. May God’s love manifest itself today in ways you have never experienced. May your joy be full, for the joy of the LORD is our strength. May your thoughts and dreams be inspired by the Holy Spirit, and may God give you vision for His purposes for your life. May you delight in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart. May His love be perfected in you, for perfect love casts out fear. Jesus Christ is our Great and High Priest. He is the author and finisher of our faith. I pray that your faith enters a new height for you; I pray that every hindrance would be taken out of the way. I pray that your heart would be enlarged and your territory expanded. I pray that the hearts of His children would be sow together in unity by His Spirit. That we would be one, just as Jesus and the Father are one. I pray for His blessings upon you, your families, and those who are close to your heart. In Jesus Christ’s Almighty and precious name I humbly ask and pray. Amen.
April 09 Clean The Soul and SpiritCLEANING HOUSE GODS WAY 2008
Last Week I threw out Worrying, it was getting old and in the way. It kept me from being me; I couldn't do things God's way. I threw out a book on MY PAST (didn't have time to read it anyway). Replaced it with NEW GOALS, started reading it today. I threw out hate and bad memories, (remember how I treasured them so)? Got me a NEW PHILOSOPHY too, threw out the one from long ago. Brought in some new books too, called I CAN, I WILL, AND I MUST. Threw out I might, I think and I ought. WOW, you should've seen the dust. I ran across an OLD FRIEND, haven't seen him in a while. I believe his name is GOD, Yes I really like His style. He helped me to do some cleaning and added some things Himself. Like PRAYER, HOPE AND FAITH, Yes I placed them right on the shelf. I picked up this special thing and placed it at the front door. I FOUND IT- its called PEACE. Nothing gets me down anymore. Yes, I've got my house looking nice. Looks good around the place. For things like Worry and Trouble there just isn't any space. Its good to do a little house cleaning, get rid of the things on the shelf. It sure makes things brighter; maybe you should TRY IT YOURSELF. BE BLESSED AND BE A BLESSING TO SOMEONE ELSE!!!! A Financial Prayer. May the Lord bless you with a financial blessing today. May the Lord open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that you will not have room enough to receive it all. Malachi 3:10. May the Lord bless you exceedingly abundantly above all you could ever hope for. Philippians 4:19. May the Lord bless you that you may walk in a financial overflow for the rest of your days. Deut. 28:2 Amen March 30 A SUNFLOWER PRAYERI have these friends who pray for me,
Which must be quite a task, They say they love me very much, For this I did not ask. The thought that now goes through my mind, Why do these people care? They hardly even know me, Yet, they say I'm in their prayers. Why would total strangers, Speak out to God for me, Get on their knees and bow their heads With time and energy? They must have problems of their own though they never talk about them, But if I ask, they laugh and say "Oh, Jesus just re-routs them." Sometimes I fear my words have hurt, Yet, they keep coming back for more, Again, they say they love me, They simply will not close the door. They learned to say, "I love you, too," Which I have said for years, Then they would say, "I love you back," Reducing me to tears. They seem to love unselfishly, But, I wonder what they gain, "Some day you'll know," they say to me, "Then, Jesus will explain." These strange and lovely friends Have truly touched my heart, I'd tell God all about them, But I don't know how to start. They say it doesn't matter how Just talk to God direct, Though they are very close to me God will be closer yet. Thank you, dearest friends of mine, For all your love and prayers, I know you are God's gifts to me, As proof He truly cares. But, Dearest Lord, I thank You more, For sending me these friends, Whose word and love expressed for you, Have placed me in Your hand.
March 12 COURT SETS ATHEISTS' HOLIDAYThis is another e-mail I received that tells a great truth!
COURT SETS ATHEISTS' HOLIDAY
In Florida , an atheist became incensed over the preparation of Easter and Passover holidays. He decided to contact his lawyer about the discrimination inflicted on atheists by the constant celebrations afforded to Christians and Jews with all their holidays while atheists had no holiday to celebrate.
The case was brought before a judge. After listening to the long passionate presentation by the lawyer, the Judge banged his gavel and declared, 'Case dismissed!' The lawyer immediately stood and objected to the ruling and said, 'Your honor, how can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas, Easter and many other observances. Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah...yet my client and all other atheists have no such holiday!' The judge leaned forward in his chair and simply said, 'Obviously your client is too confused to even know about, much less celebrate his own atheists' holiday!' The lawyer pompously said, 'Your Honor, we are unaware of any such holiday for atheists. Just when might that holiday be, your Honor?' The judge said, 'Well it comes every year on exactly the same date---April 1st! Since our calendar sets April 1st as 'April Fool¢s Day,' consider that Psalm 14:1states, 'The fool says in his heart, there is no God.' Thus, in my opinion, if your client says there is no God, then by Scripture, he is a fool, and April 1st is his holiday! Now have a good day and get out of my courtroom!! God Bless
February 28 A Great PrayerI received this from one of my business partners and thought all of you may enjoy reading it.
Relax your mind and humble your heart to focus on Christ.. Allow God to be the only person on your mind while you read this prayer. If we can take the time to read long jokes, stories, etc., we should give the same respect to this prayer. Friends, who pray together, stay together.
Dear Lord,
I thank you for this day. I thank You for my being able to see and to hear this morning. I'm blessed because You are a forgiving God and an understanding God. You have done so much for me and You keep on blessing me. Forgive me this day for everything I have done, said or thought that was not pleasing to you. I ask now for Your forgiveness.
Please keep me safe from all danger and harm. Help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude Let me make the best of each and every day to clear my mind so that I can hear from You .
Please broaden my mind that I can accept all things.
Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over. Let me continue to see sin through God's eyes and acknowledge it as evil. And when I sin, let me repent, and confess with my mouth my wrongdoing, and receive the forgiveness of God.
And when this world closes in on me, let me remember Jesus' example -- to slip away and find a quiet place to pray. It's the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits. I know that when I can't pray, You listen to my heart. Continue to use me to do Your will.
Continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to others. Keep me strong that I may help the weak. Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others. I pray for those who are lost and can't find their way. I pray for those who are misjudged and misunderstood. I pray for those who don't know You intimately. I pray for those who will delete this without sharing it with others. I pray for those who don't believe. But I thank you that I believe.
I believe that You change people and You change things. I pray for all my sisters and brothers. For each and every family member in their households. I pray for peace, love and joy in their homes that they are out of debt and all their needs are met.
I pray that every eye that reads this knows there is no problem, circumstance, or situation greater than You. Every battle is in Your hands for You to fight. I pray that these words be received into the hearts of every eye that sees them and every mouth that confesses them willingly.
This is my prayer. In Jesus' Name, Amen. January 20 The Spirit, time management and satanWe're back and coming out of a DEEP DEPRESSION! It is hard to believe how satan can invade our lives and make life miserable for us and those we love. Even when we believe in Christ Jesus and are thankful to God for His sacrifice. How does satan get a foothold? Well satan is ready to grab any weakness we have, mine being self centeredness and neglecting to study the word this past week and a half. (We're getting personal from this point on) As you know if you've looked over my site, My wife and I run three on-line businesses. I have concentrated on our business instead of God's business (self-centered). I have not studied either the Bible or my lessons.
I feel like the Jewish leaders that Jesus was speaking to in the book of John.
42Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from
God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. 43Why is my language
not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44You belong to your father, the
devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning,
not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native
language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
John 8:42-44
Please don't get me wrong, I have not discarded God and He promises that He will never leave me! Yes, I have allowed the world to take over however, I have recovered and I do remember whose chlid I am. I am the brother of our Lord and Savior as well as a beloved child of God. What caused my temporary "slip" may be effecting you now, in the future or perhapse in your past. What I am getting at is, I put the world ahead of God and gave the enemy the crack he was looking for in my armour.
We got up this morning preparing for church and my wife asked what she had done to make me mad. I was floored! Just then, I realized how I appeared to those around me. I told her that I was not mad but had been as depressed as I had ever been. I was shaking and almost cried at that point. I realized I had not been praying in the mornings as usual, had not opened my bible since the Sunday past and had not done my daily sudies. (It is amazing to me how the Holy Spirit works for our good and how God knows just what we need.) Today in worship, our pastor talked on the very subject of allocating time for study, fellowship and just being alone with God. He used a visual, which he rarely does, to demonstrate his point about spending time with God. He started with an empty gallon jar (day, month, year or any recordable measure) and a pitcher of sand which represents time (minutes, days, etc). And he aslo had four tennis balls to represent the desires God has for us (time with Him, time for fellowship, study and prayer).
The point being that we need to always place God first in our day. Alway accomplish the thing of God and He will take care of the insignificant or non-priority things in our lives. I know why satan got to me. It was because of the worries I had about time, placing our business above God and most of all, getting out of my prayer and study habits along with NO TIME for God. Bible reading
John 1:5 (if you have been reading since before Christmas, go to John 6:10)
January 09 Movement Of The Spirit"Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him
and he will bring justice to the nations.
Isaiah 42:1
Please allow me to diverge slightly this week. My Spirit has a burden for two of my employee's and you may have freinds, family or co-workers in the same situation. This is an example of what I am being led to do, maybe to save their souls.
The Spirit of the Lord is offered to us all, we only need to ask Him. Peace, joy, power and many other manifestations of the Spirit are found in the individuals who have accepted the Spirit so willingly given by God. What about those living without his Spirit? Are they "bad" people? Please allow me to answer that by example.
I am an average work-a-day Joe coming in contact with employees and the general public daily and as many of you may have figured out, we're on-line marketers as well. The Holy Spirit works in me by showing me the desperation and depression in others (This was not the case before I truely accepted Christ and asked to be filled with the Spirit). I do not know why or how this works, I only know I can tell those who are joyful in the Lord from those who are either down in their spirit or maybe are filled with a spirit of darkness (maybe they don't know the Lord or they have rejected Him). Let's get on with the example of one particular employee of mine. Good man? According to the world, yes. Knows God? No! This man can be one of the most depressed fellows I have ever been around! He also does not show any happiness unless he is talking about his troubles and bringing those around him down to his level. Sound like people you may know? Also this man believes he is the only person in the office that is working. NOT THE FACT, however, this gives him the status of importance. He has really been depressed over the last two to three weeks and I can tell that he is really looking for something to fill his life. Last night that which filled him was...getting drunk and playing guitar with his freinds. (This used to be me!!!!)
Well, yesterday, I was moved to finally tallk to him. The reason I write this is maybe to "shove" some of you into action. The conversation was simple and to the point. No mention of God or the Lord, Christ Jesus. I asked him what he was thankful for. He stuttered at first and finally said "to be alive". Then together we named several other things that he could be thankful for. This is just a start, at our church we have a very upbeat praise session to start our services. Maybe, with him being a musician, I can get him to come just to the praise service! Remember, God will take over and use you to bring joy and peace to others!
Remember to always greet people positively. Show the Glory of the Lord in your life so those you come in contact with will see something in you that they may want. Don't be afraid to witness to others, just tell your story. People love stories.
See you next week,
Sam
Complete Acts this week January 02 Holy Spirit Part 2Sorry about being late with this entry. After taking off last week and with all the hustle and bustle of the Christmas Season along with New Year's, I really got down in my own spirit. I let the world take over. My own problems and the world's expectations overwhelmed me until this morning, when I realized, I am a child of the Most High.
We all have this this problem. From the new believer...to the Christian who has followed Christ for many years. Even Jesus's followers got down. Look at the book of Acts (Acts is the Bible reading assignment). Doubt arose to the fact that Christ was the redeemer. Not only had they been filled with the Spirit, they had also lived the life of Christ firsthand, and still they allowed the expectations of the world to overwhelm them. The disiples caught on fire and spread the word of God's love through Christ upon their second filling of the Holy Spirit (Yes, I believe that being filled with the Holy Spirit is ongoing). You know...we are the children of a loving, patient God! He offers His Spirit to all will call on His name and believes in His Son, Christ Jesus. He also wants us to continuely be filled with His Holy Spirit.
Ask to be filled with the Spirit. This is a gift freely given because of the love God has for us. Pray daily for an increased measure and allow the Spirit to lead you (This is exactly where I needed inprovement).Call on Him in times of crisis, i.e. pressures of the old life we have shed.
The most zealous Christian, Paul, even stated that he had struggles. But he knew that being renewed in the Spirit was how he was to win the battle with the flesh. We all need to remember that the flesh is strong. Those past "good times" ways of life may have been "fun" when we think of the worldly however, as Christians, we live in the spiritual world. Allow God to have His way, surrender your will for His. Ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Do this with you prayer team or with a Spirit filled friend or pastor). If you have been filled, continue to ask through pray for more of God's Spirit.
Living in the Spirit offers you, as a believer, a much more "fun" life than that of the world. Through the Spirit, much can be accomplished for the Kingdom of God bringing peace and joy to your soul.
See you next week.
In Christ,
Sam
Bible reading for this week: Acts 11-20 December 18 The Holy Spirit Part 1Here at the time of we celerbrate our Lord's birth, I believe there is no better time to start discussing the promise of Holy Spirit in our Christian life. The Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Please don't get confused! We as Christians only have one true living God. Our God is in three persons; 1) God - our Father, the Creator of all ther universe. 2) The Son - Christ Jesus the promised One. God in the flesh, the final ultimate sacrifice. And 3) The Holy Spirit - God's spirit with us.
The Holy spirit is composed of the following ( This not a complete listing):
1) Knowledge - There is knowlege far beyond those things we are taught. Only avaliable through the Holy Spirit. Things we know that are beyond our own thought and reason. One of which may even include the fact that we know, that we know there is a God! 6 Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. 7 No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. 8 But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, 10 But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 11 No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. 12 And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. 2 And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, 2) Instruction/Truth - The Spirit is within us to lead us. 1 In my first book I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach 15 “If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you 3) Power - The Holy Spirit affords us power beyond our conception. 7 He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they 15 As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. 16 18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on Next week we will not have an entry. We plan on being with our family and worshiping God. In two weeks we'll be back and go deeper into the Spirit of God. Please open yourself to the Spirit. Pray with sincerety, get into the Word and love with the deepest love. Weekly Bible reading (2 Chapters per day) Acts 1-10
December 11 A Gift Freely Given ContinuedUp until Sunday, I had no idea how to continue the entry I had started last week. I have been Spiritually drained this past week. Then on Sunday I read an article on "The Christian Post" that set the gears in motion. Perhapse the Spirit inspired me. How many in the US and abroad actual know the Christmas Story? According "The Christian Post" only 1 in 8 Brittons know the story in detail. Read entire article at http://www.christianpost.com/article/20071208/30393_Poll%3A_1_in_8_Britons_Know_Christmas_Story_in_Depth.htm
Well this determined me to quickly tell the story.
Last week we hit on the Old Testiment prophets that foretold of the coming of Immanuel
14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall
conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (God with us).
The lord Christ, Immanuel (God with us) Was to be born to a virgin (MARY) and raised as a mortal man.
His coming was foretold whlie Zacharias (John the Baptist father) was in the temple praying for the people of Isreal.
11Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar
of incense. 12When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.
13But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard.
Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.
14He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,
15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented
drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. 16Many of the people of
Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. 17And he will go on before the Lord, in the
spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the
disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the
Lord (The Messiah)."
Luke 1:11-20
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village
in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named
Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings,
favored woman! The Lord is with you!”
29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” 18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. 20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” 22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: 23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! 24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took The Messiah's Birth (During the Roman census)
3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph 6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her first The birth of Christ is a miracle and only from God. This is only a short detailing however, God has blessed the believer as well as the sinner, even today, with of the birth of the Savior! The Lord Christ was born for us, died for us (the final sacrifice), rose from the dead for us and lives for us and will live in us if we allow. For those of us that are believers, it our duty to tell our story to a world that is seeking meaning and purpose in thier lives. We don't have to be Bible scholars we only need to be real, tell our conversion story and become a friend. Weekly Bible reading: Be blessed this week and bless those around you.
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