We are full of worship because of Who You are!  Oh how we love You, Father.  The many wonderful things that You provide for us and do for us mean so very much to us.  We need and desire them.  But it is YOU that we daily seek and insistently require!  We know that our very being is locked into Who You are.  It is such a comforting and secure realization to know that the God of the universe is our very own Father.

Today we just want to pour out our adoration for You.  Your holiness is so amazing to us.  Because we are such creatures of change, the fact that You never change is so important to us.  You are consistently holy and never waiver from it.  Your righteousness is such a force of protection for us.  You always do right and this keeps us from evil.  Your mercy and Your grace are places we run to when we have missed Your glorious mark and we thank You for these refuges.

We thank You for repentance that allows us to come back into proper relationship with You when we sin.  Thank You that You promise to always be faithful and just to forgive us and restore us to Your righteousness.  What can we say about Your love?  It is so amazing!  In fact, You describe Yourself as LOVE!

Thank You that love caused You to give Jesus for us when we had rejected Your instructions and eaten of the forbidden fruit.  Love lifted me, when nothing else could help, love lifted me!  Your teaching nature as our Father is so uplifting.  The way You patiently take us through our lessons means so much to us.  Because of the sin that surrounds us as a result of our original sin, we sometimes do not recognize or understand Your instructions.  But You never fail to give us the same lesson in a different way.  You are determined that we are successful and have the life You are dreaming over us.  Thank You for Your diligence!

You have promised to never let us go and we are grateful for that.  There are times when we feel so weak that we cannot hold on to You.  But You hold us and breathe strength back into us.  Thank You Daddy!  We desire to be accurate representations of Jesus today.  Holy Spirit, we give ourselves to You with joy!  We give this worship and these praises in the matchless Name of Jesus, Amen.

Submitted by Rev. Caralene McClain

A time of prayer is a time of communion. If there is no communion then have we really prayed?

 

Talent and time spent in praising the Lord is all well and good but have we forgotten the big picture which is, loving God?

It is not always easy to discipline oneself and remain focused, in order to complete a plan. Doing so can be frustrating, especially when there is much to be done. Although following a plan is not always easy, it is necessary if we want to accomplish a goal.

Many of us get bogged down when working on the small steps and make a mountain out of a molehill with what was trivial. . By doing this, we mismanage time and lose focus of our original intent. 

No matter what task we have to accomplish, it is always important to reflect and refocus our thoughts on the important goals. Some like to create ‘To Do’ lists as a guide to help them with their daily tasks. Sometimes, these lists are so long and complicated that they seem like crowded trees in a forest. How do we prevent ourselves from becoming in the midst of many details? How do we keep remembering the big picture?  When it comes to serving in the Kingdom of God, then our big picture is ‘Loving God’.

Let us for a moment step back and take an overview of what are our God-given goals.  What have we accomplished? What is yet to be done?  What boundaries have been established along the way? What skills have we developed that would enable us to accomplish purpose?  From this vantage point we will be on the road to achieving and accomplishing our purpose and mission.  This time of study and retrospection is important and necessary.

Let us review our goals, the goals of the ministry and mission.  Observe how they have changed or developed over time, and then create new goals showing how you plan to accomplish the big picture.

May we show that we love God by obediently doing what He has called us to do. In that way we will keep sight of the big picture.

 John 14:15     Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.

Read John 14 (The Message)

“If you love me, show it by doing what I’ve told you. I will talk to the Father, and he’ll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can’t take him in because it doesn’t have eyes to see him, doesn’t know what to look for. But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you!

^18-20“I will not leave you orphaned. I’m coming back. In just a little while the world will no longer see me, but you’re going to see me because I am alive and you’re about to come alive. At that moment you will know absolutely that I’m in my Father, and you’re in me, and I’m in you.

²¹“The person who knows my commandments and keeps them, that’s who loves me. And the person who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and make myself plain to him.”

²²Judas (not Iscariot) said, “Master, why is it that you are about to make yourself plain to us but not to the world?”

^23-24“Because a loveless world,” said Jesus, “is a sightless world. If anyone loves me, he will carefully keep my word and my Father will love him—we’ll move right into the neighborhood! Not loving me means not keeping my words. The message you are hearing isn’t mine. It’s the message of the Father who sent me.

 

Do a good deed for someone today. You might be saving a life.

May your walk with the Lord be strengthened in the year to come.

Have a happy and blessed New Year even as we pray for Peace on earth and goodwill to all mankind.

Thank God for the cross!

We often remember it as a place of pain and shame; a place of sacrifice. A place where the ugliness of man’s sinful heart was nailed upon an innocent Christ.

Yet for all its humiliation and sorrow, there is a beauty in the cross of Christ. It is not just a wooden cross hewn from a tree, but it is a golden cross revealing the redeeming light of God’s glory. It is not only a cross soaked with the sin of man, but it is a cross brilliant in the delivering power of God.

The light of the cross of Christ chases away all shadows and darkness. It cuts directly through our stubborn hearts and removes the deepest root of sin, in order to bring us deliverance.

Thank God for the Cross of Christ!

Shalom!

Enjoy this day as you give thanks.

Be grateful to God for the precious gift of life.

Trust His word and believe

His promises.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Psalmist David said:

1 Don’t worry about the wicked
or envy those who do wrong.
2 For like grass, they soon fade away.
Like spring flowers, they soon wither.

3 Trust in the Lord and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart’s desires.

5 Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you.
6 He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,
and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.

7 Be still in the presence of the Lord,
and wait patiently for him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper
or fret about their wicked schemes.

8 Stop being angry!
Turn from your rage!
Do not lose your temper—
it only leads to harm.
9 For the wicked will be destroyed,
but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.

The Election furor has come and gone. Many are excited that their candidate won. Others are second guessing their choice while so many others are sad and afraid of the unknown. Yet, in the midst of this period of change, God’s faithful word remains the same. It is His faithful assurance found in the scriptures that I will be sharing with you for the next few days. Let the word of God renew your faith for He never fails.

Today’s Scripture: Proverbs 3: 5-12 (The Message)

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all.
Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own;
give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
your wine vats will brim over.
But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline;
don’t sulk under his loving correction.
It’s the child he loves that God corrects;
a father’s delight is behind all this.

They teach us that we should not covet what belongs to our neighbour. Are many of our friends being coveteous by voting for one of the presidential candidates because he has promised to take from those who have more in order to give to those who say that they need it? Is this the Gospel of the Bible?

Ten Commandments for the Covenant Community (New Living Translation)

1 Then God gave the people all these instructions^[a]:

2 “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.
3 “You must not have any other god but me.
4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 6 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those^[b] who love me and obey my commands.
7 “You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.
8 “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.
12 “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
13 “You must not murder.
14 “You must not commit adultery.
15 “You must not steal.
16 “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.
17 “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”

Some may say that time-tested biblical truths are of no value today. They believe that there is no absolute truth and no God; no right or wrong. Instead, we can be directed from within by a source of life, that spiritual entity that is with everything living on the planet.

On the other hand, there are many who say that they believe in God and that Jesus Christ His Son came to earth to show them the way of salvation; a way which brings them into harmony with God who is the all-knowing, faithful, provider, healer, sustainer, deliverer and father of mankind.

As I read His book, the Bible, I have not seen where this great God ever deceptively tantalized his people into believing that he would do something great for them, then disappoint them. Often, it was man who failed to live up to his end of the agreement. He disappointed both himself and God by embracing and perpetrating sins on himself, his family, town, nation and people.

You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God.
You’re blessed when you follow his directions,
doing your best to find him.
That’s right—you don’t go off on your own;
you walk straight along the road he set.
You, God, prescribed the right way to live;
now you expect us to live it.
Oh, that my steps might be steady,
keeping to the course you set;
Then I’d never have any regrets
in comparing my life with your counsel.
I thank you for speaking straight from your heart;
I learn the pattern of your righteous ways.
I’m going to do what you tell me to do;
don’t ever walk off and leave me.

Psalm 119: 1-8 (The Message)

It is better to put your trust in God and let Him bless you.

The prophet Jeremiah wrote:

“Cursed is the strong one
who depends on mere humans,
Who thinks he can make it on muscle alone
and sets God aside as dead weight.
He’s like a tumbleweed on the prairie,
out of touch with the good earth.
He lives rootless and aimless
in a land where nothing grows.

7-8“But blessed is the man who trusts me, God,
the woman who sticks with God.
They’re like trees replanted in Eden,
putting down roots near the rivers—
Never a worry through the hottest of summers,
never dropping a leaf,
Serene and calm through droughts,
bearing fresh fruit every season.

You could say that I am not a sports fanatic, but I do enjoy looking at the Olympics swimming, gymnastics, and track & field events. Over the past few days, Usain Bolt of Jamaica, West Indies bolted as a flash of lightning to break long held track records and win the gold at the Olympics being held in Beijing, China. Wasn’t it awesome watching him run and win? We all love a winner and we all want to win especially after working very hard. But life’s path to victory is oftentimes unpleasant, challenging, lonely and painful.

Life’s victory paths can take us around dark corners and bends, up rugged terrain and down into emotional valleys. Sometimes we are up and at other times down; happy and sad; angry with brothers and sisters at home and at places of worship, or loving and thanking God for placing them in our lives. At times we may be financially drained or have just enough to eat, pay the rent or mortgage, spend or invest. That’s life and kicking ourselves in the teeth will not help. Instead, knowing our purpose and having faith in the God who leads and guides will be a source of strength as we weave our way through life.

In our previous blog we shared how Daniel took a stand for his beliefs and actions. This stand led him to victory but the victory path led him through a den of lions.

David took a stand for his belief that God would vindicate the army of Israel which was being insulted and threatened by Goliath the Philistine giant. David’s victory path led him to trust God to help him win the fight against Goliath with a smooth stone and a sling shot.

Likewise, Jesus came to earth to save mankind from sin. But his victory path led him through the cross of crucifixion, death and a tomb. After all that He suffered, he emerged victorious as he arose from the dead.

So let us be encouraged as we turn your heart towards God who alone can see beyond the dark places in which we find ourselves. Trust Him.

Click here to read Psalm 23 where you will find examples of God being with us in good and bad times.

Where is your victory path leading you? Know that God’s path is the right path and allow Him to lead you to victory.

Sing along with Yolanda Adams ‘I’ve Got the Victory’

Have you heard of Daniel whose day on the job took a sordid twist as his enemies schemed to destroy his life and political career? Read about Daniel’s day on the job and how his faith in God guided his actions, even in the face of death.

Dare to be a Daniel by Philip P. Bliss

Refrain

Dare to be a Daniel,
Dare to stand alone!

Pastor Bert Farias inspired the audience as he recently spoke at Bethel World Outreach Church in Clarksburg, MD. He said, “Do not sing about the economy going bad, we are in the midst of a recession, gas prices are up, there is war in Iraq and Afghanistan, terrorists are coming to us … Instead:

You’ve got to keep your joy in the God of your salvation!

Sing about the victory!

I found this video and thought that you might enjoy it. Check out ‘Baby Got Book”. (the guy’s version)

Would you ‘talk’ to a girl who walked around at school with a very large Bible? Would you want to be seen with her?

What if the roles were reversed and it was one of your male friends who was reading a very large Bible in public? What would you do? Would you ignore him?

How comfortable would you be walking across campus with someone who was carrying an enormous Bible?

It’s time for a heart check-up! Let us examine our hearts and how we respond to others who seem different from us.

I thought that I would begin my day by spending some quiet time outside. My favorite spot below the tree was vacant; not even a squirrel was in sight. But as I looked around, I realized that I was not alone. Birds were everywhere and even the butterflies were flitting from leaf to leaf. Was I intruding into their world?

That question was dismissed as something whitish dropped down in front of me. It dropped almost at the spot where I was about to sit. Looking up I saw a little bird shaking herself on the branch. It was she who had let her droppings inform me that I was an intruder into her space. 

As she flew away I found somewhere else to sit. Other birds came, searched among the leaves, hopped on branches and preened themselves, while some young ones seemed to be happy just learning to fly way down low among the grasses. For them, a new day in their life had begin. A day with opportunities to come out of the nest and explore a brand new world. 

Although the hour was early, the world of God’s creatures had already awakened. Everything around seemed to be awake to its purpose. Their new day had already begun … and so has mine.

Have you ever started a project but never completed it? (like not loosing weight because you hate the thought of exercising and eating rabbit food (green veggies) ?

Has it been easy keeping up with New Year’s resolutions?

Within the past few weeks I was able to complete some major projects successfully. Although they were not part of my original New Year’s resolutions, they became my responsibility and I am glad that I was able to bring them to fruition. In each instance the learning curves caused the most headaches, but after many trials and errors I am glad that I was able to follow through and bring them to completion.

There were those along the way who offered helpful suggestions and I am surely glad that they responded to my calls for help. I believe that each nugget of learning has added to my growth, so that I am not the same person that I was a month ago. I have now become the new me, and tomorrow I will continue being a new me. What about you?

I looked at the calendar almost in disbelief as I realized that I had not posted anything since the month of May. Maybe some of you write for fun and it comes very easily, but it takes me a lot of time write and edit. Should I say it this way or that? Should I add a bit of spice and sugar to what might come across as very stern or should I be politically correct?

Politically correct? Hogwash! So many times it has come to mean “tell a lie, live a lie, be a lie” but in a nice way. As far as I am concerned, it is a polite way of indoctrinating people so that they would choose to be afraid of speaking truth. One would master the art of ‘beating around the bush’ not saying what you mean and not meaning what you say, while at the same time, attempting to please everyone.

Humor me and let’s see how politically correct you would be in these situations: (How/what would you say or do?)

How would you let your best friend know that he/she was being an anonyance? What would you say to a daughter who tells you that her sexual preference is for both male and female? How would you deal with a parent who insists that his son becomes a doctor when the child wants to pursue the priesthood? What will you say or do about the older man in your church who is winking and making passes at the younger men in the congregation? How politically correct will you be?

Do not allow foolish arguments to ruin your character.

JLF.

Green, Green, Green! It seems to have become the most favored color of the latest bandwagon. Go green and help preserve the planet. Preserve mother earth! And in the midst of these cries, millions of hungry and needy children are having their voices subdued and stilled, because of the louder cry of the adults who have the financial means to manipulate the media for political expediency – Go Green!

Give thanks and offer praise and worship to God. Praise and worship Him just because He is God.

He loves you.

Psalm 89:1

I WILL sing of the mercy and loving-kindness of the Lord forever; with my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness from generation to generation.

 

It was only a few minutes since they had entered the room, but a group of my students shared a lot with me about what they had learned on a recent trip.

They learned:

(a) that having a good character was very important. Being disrespectful to others especially to parents, makes you look ugly.

Would you say that God is particular …?

The story is told of two church workers who were preparing the sanctuary for Sunday service. Both loved God and had dedicated themselves to this weekly duty. It was called a ‘Ministry of Helps’, but theirs were the only committed helping hands at work.

She had believed him when he told her that he loved her. He had said that she was the only one in the world for him. She felt special and enjoyed the things that he had bought for her; clothing, jewelry and a townhouse, somewhat like a flat. However, she continued to feel empty and unloved.

Many months had gone by since Matthew’s birth. His mother Joy thought that he was the best looking baby in the entire world. His winsome smile was like a magnet drawing a crowd towards him. No one ever seemed to care that it was toothless. Stranger still, no one seemed to care when his toothless smile caused saliva to dribble onto their faces. Everyone loved Matthew.

Joy (not her real name) was a young mother who had recently given birth to her first child. He was a beautiful, chubby, bouncing baby boy whose smile lit up is face compelling you to smile back at him. After the smile, you would find yourself saying silly or adoring words like ‘oh sweety pie … gooshie gooshie pooshie wooshie … oh choonky pie ….baby baby… sheek sheek … Kissy kiss’. Yes, you say words that only an adult would say to another human being that is a baby.

She became blind shortly after birth, yet was one of the most prolific past Christian songwriters. Writing hymns and gospel songs, preaching, teaching, playing the piano and guitar, were only a few of the activities in which Fanny Crosby was actively engaged. Her passion for doing whatever she could so that others would hear God’s message of love and salvation even led her to join a group of lobbyists in Washington D.C who at the time were fighting for the implementation and support of education for the blind.

To a hurting someone that I do not know. Yes, this is to you!

I could not forget the cry of your heart that you expressed as you wrote on your blog. Therefore, I will share some thoughts with you. Hopefully it will encourage you and whoever else may read it. For I believe that at some point in all of our lives, we too ask the same question, “Where is the thing that was promised to me?” “Where is my promise”?

You have worked very hard; did what you were supposed to have done; sown good seeds, but yet your promised blessing is not here. That which you expected has not arrived …