The Weekly Word

Billy Graham's Prayer

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:43:46 GMT

Subject: 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.'

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Psalm 23 - - EXPLAINED

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 01:12:03 GMT

Psalm 23 - - EXPLAINED

The Lord is my Shepherd
That's Relationship!

I shall not want
That's Supply!

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.
That's Rest!

He leadeth me beside the still waters.
That's Refreshment!

He restoreth my soul
That's Healing!

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness.
That's Guidance!

For His name sake
That's Purpose!

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
That's Testing!

I will fear no evil.
That's Protection!

For Thou art with me
That's Faithfulness!

Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me,
That's Discipline!

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
That's Hope!

Thou anointest my head with oil,
That's Consecration!

My cup runneth over.
That's Abundance!

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
That's Blessing!
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord.
That's Security!
Forever
That's Eternity!

A Stranger Moves In

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:52:37 GMT

Here'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".

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ENLIGHTENED PERSPECTIVE

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:16:05 GMT

ENLIGHTENED PERSPECTIVE

If you will take the time to read these, I promise you'll come away with an enlightened perspective. The subjects covered affect us all on a daily basis:

I've learned ... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

I've learned ... That when you're in love, it shows.

I've learned ... That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day.

I've learned ... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.

I've learned ... That being kind is more important than being right.

I've learned ... That you should never say no to a gift from a child.

I've learned ... That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.

I've learned ... That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I've learned ... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

I've learned .... That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

I've learned .... That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

I've learned ... That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.

I've learned .... That money doesn't buy class.

I've learned ... That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

I've learned ... That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

I've learned ... That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I've learned ... That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

I've learned ... That love, not time, heals all wounds.

I've learned ... That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

I've learned ... That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

I've learned ... That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

I've learned ... That life is tough, but I'm tougher.

I've learned ... That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.

I've learned ... That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.

I've learned ... That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.

I've learned ... That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

I've learned ... That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

I've learned ... That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.

I've learned ... That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.

I've learned ... That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

Be Blessed

Fri, 02 May 2008 03:33:39 GMT

This 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
in Christ Jesus.

May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding guard your heart
and your mind in Christ Jesus.

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.

Clean The Soul and Spirit

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:59:04 GMT

CLEANING 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

A SUNFLOWER PRAYER

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 20:49:17 GMT

I 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.

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COURT SETS ATHEISTS' HOLIDAY

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 11:08:17 GMT

This 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

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A Great Prayer

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:42:10 GMT

I 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.

The Spirit, time management and satan

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 04:57:50 GMT

We'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).

To start, he was pouring sand into the empty jar and going through a daily routine (sleep, eating, work or school, socializing and so forth), before you knew it, the jar was full and there was no room for any of the tennis balls (God things).
He stated that this is the life that so many of us lead. THIS WAS ME THE LAST WEEK AND A HALF!! NO ROOM (time) FOR GOD!!!
He then emptied the jar back into the pitcher and started over but this time adding all four tennis balls first (indicating placing God first).
He then started adding the sand with the same comments about sleep, work and so on.
At the end, there was very little sand left in the pitcher! The items left out of the pitcher were not significant loses.

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)

Movement Of The Spirit

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 12:53:21 GMT

"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

Holy Spirit Part 2

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:46:26 GMT

Sorry 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

The Holy Spirit Part 1

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 12:48:33 GMT

Here 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.
9 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.”

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.
1 Corinthians 2:6-12

2 And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
Isaiah 11:2

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
2 until the day he was taken up to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions
through the Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:1-2

15 “If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you
another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The
world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know
him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. 18 No, I will not abandon you as
orphans—I will come to you. 19 Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I
live, you also will live. 20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and
you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the
ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them
and reveal myself to each of them.”
John 14:15-21

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
are not for you to know. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes
upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in
Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:7-8

15 As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. 16
The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the
name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and
they received the Holy Spirit.

18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on
people, he offered them money to buy this power.
Acts 8:15-18

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

A Gift Freely Given Continued

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 12:15:11 GMT

Up 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).

Isaiah 7:14

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,”
the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and
give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 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. 33 And he
will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
                                                                                                                   Luke 1:26-33
18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph.
But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the
power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.
20 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. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he
will save his people from their sins.”
22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:
23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
      She will give birth to a son,
   and they will call him Immanuel,
      which means ‘God is with us.’”
24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took
Mary as his wife. 25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born.
And Joseph named him Jesus.
                                                                                               Mathew 1:18-25
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
was a descendant of King David (The Messiah was to be a descendant of David) , he had to go
to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in
Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant.
6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 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 2:3-7
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:
John Chapter 1 - 10
Be blessed this week and bless those around you.

THE TOP TEN PREDICTIONS FOR 2008

1.   The Bible will still have all the answers.
2.   Prayer will still work.
3.    The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5.    There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6.   There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8.    There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost.

God whispers in your soul and speaks to your mind. Sometimes when you don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at you. It's your choice: Listen to the whisper.

A Gift Freely Given

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 00:36:22 GMT

December 3, 2007

As we look at the coming season (Christmas), do we always keep in mind that God gave us a gift because of His love for us? Even though we were not alive then, God knew us and also knew we had to have this gift. The gift of God, in the flesh, as a child. A child that would grow and know the trials we go through in the 1^st person. A child that would not give into sin, even though as an adult, he was tempted, even by satan himself, face to face! A child that in adulthood, would take on the sins of the world. He took on the beating and cruel death that we so rightly deserved! God gave us the gift of our Savior, Jesus!!! And because of this gift, we are joint heirs with Christ. God is the Father, Christ the son and we are sons and daughters of God so, we are brothers and sisters with Christ. What a tremendous gift given freely!!!!

Let us remember the reason we celebrate.

Long before his birth, he was written about:

Listen to me, O Joshua the High Priest, and all you other priests, you are illustrations of good things to come. Don’t you see?-Joshua represents my servant the Branch (the Messiah, Christ) whom I will send. He will be the Foundation Stone of the temple that Joshua is standing beside, and I will engrave this inscription on it seven times: I will remove the sins of this land in a single day.

Zechariah 3:8-9

For unto us a Child is born; unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder. These will be His royal titles: “Wonderful”, “Counselor”, “The Mighty God”, “The everlasting Father”, “The Prince of Peace”. His ever-expanding, peaceful government will never end. He will rule with perfert fairness and justice from the throne of his father David.

Isaiah 9:6-7

Christ Jesus had to come as a child. All God and all human. A Savior with all the attributes of man including the ability to sin. However, Jesus was sinless. A perfect sacrifice for our many sins.

“Praise the Lord, the God of Isreal, for He has come to visit His people and has redeemed them. He is sending us a Mighty Savior from the royal line of His servant David, just as He promised through his holy prophets long ago – someone to save us from our enemies, from all who hate us. “ He has been merciful to our ancestors, yes, to Abraham himself, by remembering His sacred promise ……..and by making us holy and acceptable, ready to stand in His presence forever.

Luke 1:68-75

Continued next week.

Weekly Bible Reading Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2, Isaiah 7-12

In Christ, with Christ, for Christ!