WHAT IS LOVE, ANYWAY?

What Is Love, Anyway?
Today's message is from Germaine Copeland.

As the afternoon shadows melted into evening a young mother prepared dinner and then helped her children with their homework. The rest of the evening they watched television, then and the children settled into bed. With a deep sigh, the mother sat down with the latest novel, looking for the great escape. But painful thoughts intensified as she considered the perceived neglect by her husband—lack of money, no help with the house or the children.

The feelings of that long ago honeymoon had faded. She concluded that her husband no longer loved her. She thought, I have made the worse mistake of my life.

The next day she loaded up the children and a few clothes and drove to her parents’ home. Her wise mother listened with an understanding heart. As the days went by, the older woman introduced positive thoughts and ideas that displaced the negative image the young wife held of ­her husband.

Gradually, these words began to take root, and in the mind of the young wife she began forming a positive image of her husband. After one of the numerous phone calls from her husband, she loaded the children into the car for their return trip.

Today, in their retirement years this couple is enjoying their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Their relationship continues to grow.

What held this marriage together? It was not the love portrayed on television, in the theater, and in movies. Love is not about feelings; love is commitment. Love is a man and woman aligning themselves with one another. Keep Christ as the center of your marriage. Since the Holy Spirit has poured out God’s love into our hearts—let us love one another even as we love ourselves.

A marriage takes work: learning good communication skills (which includes listening), assuming responsibility, forgiving and appreciating one another. Pray together, make room for each other to grow spiritually, and be thankful for one another.

MAY IT BE

May It BeTGIF Today God Is First
Volume 2,
by Os Hillman12-24-2008

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her (Luke 1:38).

Have you ever had a boss come to you and give you an assignment which had rules never before used? Not only were the rules different, he was asking you to agree to them not knowing the outcome or impact it would have on your life. That must have been the way Mary, the mother of Jesus felt.

God was about to do something so extraordinary that it required a face to face meeting with the subject, Mary, and his key angel, Gabriel. What God was about to do was so foreign that it needed detailed explanation.

Mary had been handpicked to give birth to the Christ-child. Can you imagine!? However, in order to do so she was going to be pregnant while yet unmarried, something totally taboo in her culture. In fact, women were stoned to death if found to be fornicators. So, when Mary heard the assignment and responded by saying, "May it be," this tells us what a courageous woman of faith she must have been.

She did not understand the implications of what she was about to do. However, she placed her total trust in God and knew that if God chose her for such an assignment, she could trust the outcome to Him. She would even have to trust the explanation to Joseph, who was not going to understand. In fact, when he discovered Mary was pregnant, he immediately considered divorce proceedings.

However, when God saw Joseph's response, He sent an angel to explain the situation through a dream. I am sure the time between her telling him and his dream must have been difficult to explain. She did not know God was going to solve the problem. This is another example of her faith and courage. I would imagine most women might have responded to the angel like this, "I won?t do it unless you tell my husband!"

Do you have an assignment from God that seems impossible on the front end? Is God calling you to trust Him for the outcome? Take a lesson from Mary and release the outcome to God.

IS IT TIME FOR YOU TO INDUCE?

Friday, December 05, 2008

Is It Time For You to Induce?
Milan Ford


At some point today (possibly even as you read these words), my wife and I will be delivering our third child, and our first baby boy; and I am pretty excited about it.

As a 32 year-old husband and father of two lovely daughters (ages 3 and 2), I can't even express how happy I am to finally have another man in the house with me. Being tossed back and forth between helping my girls comb through Dora the Explorer's hair and enduring yet another episode of HGTV with my wife, can drive even the most dedicated believer to pure insanity!

So needless to say...I am pretty excited.
Geeked. Stoked. Amped. Hyped. Pumped Up. And most importantly...READY.

But as hard as this maybe for you to believe, there is actually something (or should I say someone) for whom I also very excited about. Can you guess who?

...Sorry...I can't hold the suspense any longer!!

I am excited...
...about YOU!

Now I know that sounds extremely corny, so please allow me to explain.

This past Monday (December 2nd), my wife and I went in for another ultrasound. Our due date was not for a few more weeks, but our doctor had advised us to come in for an examination.

The reason: our soon-to-be-born baby boy was already...full term.

And as the ultrasound soon would indicate, our soon-to-be-born baby was not only full term, but he was now tipping the scale at (hold on to your seat mothers)...8lbs. and 4oz!

Yep. That's exactly what we said: Wow!

Our doctor informed us that if we still wanted to pursue a vaginal delivery, which is what we had with our other two children, and the procedure that my wife still prefers, then it would probably not be wise for us to wait any longer.

The doctor's words of advice to us: "It's time to induce."

So why does that make me excited about YOU?
I'm glad you asked.

Later on that evening, as we considered what the doctor had recommended, my wife and I discussed how our situation was much like many believers in the Body of Christ today.

Here we are, drawing to the end of another year, and many of us are still carrying around things that God had placed within us that have yet, much to our dismay, come to pass.

For some, it may be the promise of a new job or the start of a new relationship. While for others, it may be the desire for better health or a stronger church. Perhaps a new business venture.

Whatever the case may be, there are many of us as believers who still remain pregnant with a hope that what God promised you earlier this year will still come to pass.

Yet, here we are. It is December. And for some of you, nothing has happened yet.

Well, I have a question for you today. This is a question that you may have to wrestle with for a little while. We did as a family...and now perhaps it is your turn.

Is it time... for you to induce your labor?

Are you still waiting on God to do something for you this year that perhaps He has already given you the ability to do yourself? Are you still waiting for things to just happen naturally in your life?

Do you realize that where you are in your life right now perhaps has already come full term? How much longer do you want waddle around in pain and pity? How much bigger are you going to allow this baby you're carrying inside of you to get before you decide to get up and activate your faith?

Now don't get me wrong. It is perfectly okay to wait if you would like to. I know God is a faithful doctor that is more than willing to perform a C-section and deliver the baby you've been carrying if it is necessary for Him to do so.

Sometimes, for the health of the baby and vision He provides us, there are times when he has to do just that. But that's exactly why it is time for you to examine where you are today.

Is it time... for you to induce your labor? With a little less than 4 weeks left in this year, it may be one of the most important decisions you will need to take to God today in prayer.

Believe me when I tell you, we have.
And that's why...even as you read this...

It's A Boy!!



Milan Ford has been a leader (and survivor) of ministry within the local church for over 12 years. A lover of Red Vines Licorice and all things pointing north, Milan's first book, 83 Things I Wish The Black Church Would Stop Doing, is scheduled for release February 2009. You can find Milan blogging at ThePewView.com

CHANGING THE WORLD ONE CHILD AT A TIME

WWW.COMPASSION.COM/MAGGIEESCOTO


JEREMY CAMP




MICHAEL W. SMITH




MERCY ME

POWER OF PRAYER

2 Chronicles 7:14: If my people, which are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
During WWII, there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every night at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England , its people and peace. This had an amazing effect as bombing stopped.There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America.The United States of America and our citizens need prayer more than ever!!!
If you would like to participate it is simple ...
Each evening at 9:00 PM Eastern time, 8:00 PM Central , 7:00 PM Mountain, 6:00 PM Pacific, stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for:
the safety of the United States,
our troops,
our citizens,
for peace in the world,
for wisdom and courage for our leaders,
the up-coming election,
and that the Bible will remain the basis for the laws governing our land and that Christianity will grow in the U.S.If you know anyone who would like to participate, please pass this along. Someone said if people really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless.Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have.
Thank you. Please pass this onto anyone who you think will wantto join us.
God Bless You!!!

Don't tell GOD how Big your storm is. Tell the storm how Big your GOD is!

The Word is Positive

We all know how important a positive attitude is, and how important keeping negative thoughts out of our mind and life is, but it's more then just positive thinking!
Every morning get up and say what God says about your life and family. Say, thank you Father, I'm redeemed from the curse of the law, from poverty, sickness and spiritual death because Jesus has set me free. For sickness I have health, for poverty I have wealth, for eternal death I have eternal life. And he whom the Son sets free is free indeed.
I am indeed free in Jesus' name!
Somebody may say, "you're talking about mind over matter." This is not mind over matter, even though your mind will begin to think the way God says to think when you meditate the word of God. I'm talking about stirring up the healing power on the inside of you.
The word of God says in Proverbs 18:21, "death and life are in the power of the tongue."
So keep the word of God on your tongue. Stir up the gift in you by speaking the word of God. Then Jesus, our Great High Priest will take your words before God and cause healing to manifest in your body.

Meet Me In The Stairwell

You say you will never forget where you were when you heard the news on September 11, 2001. Neither will I.
I was on the 110th floor in a smoke filled room with a man who called his wife to say 'Good-Bye.' I held his fingers steady as he dialed. I gave him the peace to say, 'Honey, I am not going to make it, but it is OK..I am ready to go.' I was with his wife when he called as she fed breakfast to their children. I held her up as she tried to understand his words and as she realized he wasn't coming home that night.
I was in the stairwell of the 23rd floor when a woman cried out to Me for help.
'I have been knocking on the door of your heart for 50 years!' I said. 'Of course I will show you the way home - only believe in Me now.'
I was at the base of the building with the Priest ministering to the injured and devastated souls. I took him home to tend to his Flock in Heaven. He heard my voice and answered.
I was on all four of those planes, in every seat, with every prayer. I was with the crew as they were overtaken. I was in the very hearts of the believers there, comforting and assuring them that their faith has saved them.
I was in Texas , Virginia , California , Michigan , Afghanistan .. I was standing next to you when you heard the terrible news. Did you sense Me? I want you to know that I saw every face. I knew every name - though not all know Me. Some met Me for the first time on the 86th floor. Some sought Me with their last breath. Some couldn't hear Me calling to them through the smoke and flames; 'Come to Me... this way... take my hand.' Some chose, for the final time, to ignore Me. But, I was there.
I did not place you in the Tower that day. You may not know why, but I do.
However, if you were there in that explosive moment in time, would you have reached for Me?
Sept. 11, 2001, was not the end of the journey for you. But someday your journey will end. And I will be there for you as well. Seek Me now while I may be found. Then, at any moment, you know you are 'ready to go.'
I will be in the stairwell of your final moments.

God

No Dumping Allowed

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly.So I asked, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!"
This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck."
He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you.
Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.
Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.
The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day.
Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so.....
"Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't."
Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!

Ask and you shall receive !

Kneeling in prayer to God, the faithful man asks,

" O God, what is a million years to Thee?"
God answered him, "A mere second."

The man gasped, then had an idea.
He then asked,

"And, O God, what is a million dollars to Thee?"
"A mere cent" came the answer.

Hearing the answer hehad hoped for, he quickly asked
one more question.

"O God, could you not spare me just one of Your cents?"
Again God answered the man, "Just a second!"

My Prayer for You

May today be all you need it to be.
May the Peace of God and the freshness of the Holy Spirit rest in your thoughts, rule in your dreams tonight, and conquer all your fears.
May God manifest himself today in ways you have never experienced.
May your joys be fulfilled, your dreams be closer, and your prayers be answered.
I pray that faith enters a new height for you;
I pray that your territory is enlarged.
I pray for peace, healing, health, happiness,prosperity, joy, truth and undying love for God.

Nature

The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy
is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet,
alone with the heavens, nature and God.
Because only then does ones feel that all is as it should be,
and that God wishes to see His people happy.
I know that then there there will always be comfort for every sorrow,
whatever the circumstances may be.
And I firmly beleive that God's nature brings solace in all troubles.

Atheist challenges ‘In God We Trust’

Click here to read the story:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10103424/

Faith

When you are down to nothing, God is up to something!
"Faith" believes the incredible, sees the invisible, and receives the impossible!
'Worry looks around , sorry looks back , Faith looks up.'
Be Blessed!!

Do it with love

Do everything with so much love in your heart
that you would never want to do it any other way.

Trust

'To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did'
When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better.
Concentrate on this sentence.....
'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.'
Something good will happen to you today.

JOY

You say joy, I say happiness, we're saying the same thing ....or, are we?

I think perhaps we've confused joy with happiness. Happiness is dependent on happenings. Circumstances in your life dictate whether or not you are happy. Joy, on the other hand is a gift from God - a fruit of the Spirit that transcends whatever is happening in your life. Joy allows you to rise —even to soar— above difficult circumstances, challenges, and heartaches. Joy comes from knowing Who is in control and that He has a plan to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11) We do not draw our strength from the great feeling we get when things go right; if we did, we would be powerless when hard times and adversity hit, and we would all be easy pickings for the devil. Good times, happy times, come and go. When the times are not so good, its alright to be not so happy. Paul experienced some not so happy times, but his joy was
not in the jail cell that held him. No, it was the joy of the Lord that was his strength!
"Joy in unrelenting pain" (Job 6:10,NIV), joy in not so happy times, it is the joy of the LORD that is our strength!
Lord, help me to draw my strength from your gift of joy and not from my feelings or present circumstances!

Beauty

Never lose an oppurtunity of seeing anything that is beautiful,
for beauty is God's handwriting ~~ a wayside sacrament.
Welcome it in every fair face, in every fair sky, in every fair flower,
and thank God for it as a cup of blessing.

OLYMPIANS FOR CHRIST

These Christian athletes have more in common than astounding talent and the thrill of representing the United States in the 2008 Olympic Games. They also share the goal of crediting God for their athletic success.

Olympic Diver Laura Wilkinson:



Olympic Runner Ryan Hall:

Serenity and Wisdom !

God, grant me the serenity to accept the people I can not change,
the courage to change the one I can,
and the wisdom to know it's me.

DAILY RULES

1. Wake Up!! Decide to have a good day. "Today is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalms 118:24

2. Dress Up!! The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance; but the Lord looks at the heart." I Samuel 16:7

3. Shut Up!! Say nice things and learn to listen. God gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking. "He who guards his lips guards his soul." Proverbs 13:34 .

4. Stand Up!!... For what you believe in. Stand for something or you will fall for anything.. "Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good..."Galatians 6:9-10

5. Look Up!!... To the Lord."I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me." Phillippians 4:136. Reach Up!!... For something higher. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, And He will direct your path." Proverbs 3:5-6

7. Lift Up!!... Your Prayers."Do not worry about anything; instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING."Philippians 4:6Send this to the people you care about.I thought this was mighty special, just like you.

Pass this on and brighten someone's day, and remember: God answers Knee-Mail.

Life by GPS

Milan Ford

My wife and I recently decided to purchase a GPS (global positioning system) device for our new m-i-n-i.......van. Sorry for the long pause there. It's just that as a 32-year old urbanite, it's still rather hard for me to believe I actually own a mini-van. Very humbling to say the least.

I must say I was quite excited about finally having our own GPS; we had been talking about doing a few road trips with the kids for some time now, and the whole

MapQuest thing just wasn't going cut it anymore.

I mean who in the world still finds enjoyment reading and carrying around a folder full of printed directions everywhere they go?

Wow. I just said something pretty good right there...but will have to try revisiting that some other day.

We decided to try it out the other day while coming back from church one day. The following are just a few life lessons we both learned along the way. All courtesy of GPS.

1. When turning on the device, a screen immediately popped up and told us that the driver of the vehicle should never try entering any new coordinates into the device...while driving.

2. When entering in a specific destination, the device gave us the option on whether or not we wanted to travel by avoiding one of the following: Highways. Intersections. And U-Turns.

3. We decided to enter the address of a restaurant we had been to several times before. To our surprise, the device took us a totally different route. A scenic route. But one that was much faster.

4. While traveling, we just couldn't believe this device (controlled by a satellite 12,000 thousands miles in the air), could possibly know more than us about a community we have lived in for years.

We decided to test it out and turn the opposite way it had told us. Immediately after we turned, the device immediately began "recalculating" an alternative route that would take us to the destination we entered.

5. Once we arrived, we pulled aside to enter in a new destination, when suddenly, the device shouted out, "lost signal." We discovered that our GPS will lose its signal whenever it has not been properly charged. Considering we took it right out the box, we had to return home on our own.

Once we arrived back home, we realized something. Our GPS and The Holy Spirit have a lot in common. The lessons we learned unveiled the very way God desires to direct our lives every day.

The Holy Spirit is an incredible guide. One that is ready and willing to show us the path in which we our to follow to reach every predetermined destination God has established for us.

In fact, the only difference we discovered between our GPS and The Holy Spirit (besides the obvious difference in manufacturing companies), is that we decided to call our GPS... Anne.

The device talked to us so much along the way...we figured we might as well give it a name!

Milan Ford is a 12-year leader (and survivor) of college and student ministry within the local church. He serves as Content Editor for Streaming Faith and as the author of "The Pew View" (

www.thepewview.com), a blog for church ministry leaders.

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit help us to manifest the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives,
enabling us to be more like Jesus.

He is our Helper.
In Romans 8:26, Paul says that the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. Writing to the Philippians he says, "I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance." (Phil 1:19, NIV) Writing to his beloved son in the ministry, Timothy, Paul said, "Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you - guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us." (2 Tim 1:14, NIV).

He is our Counselor and Advocate.
This word brings to mind a defense attorney who is pleading our case before a judge, or one who strengthens and fortifies us. Or one who guides us and advises us. "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." (John 14:26 NIV)

He is our Comforter.
When our hearts are heavy and we don't even know how to pray or what to pray for, the Bible says that the Holy Spirit comes along side us.
"If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves." (Romans 8:26-27, The Message)

Wrong For A 1000 Years !

A young monk arrives at the monastery. He is assigned to helping the other monks in copying the old canons and laws of the church by hand. He notices, however, that all of the monks are copying from copies, not from the original manuscript. So, the new monk goes to the head abbot to question this, pointing out that if someone made even a small error in the first copy, it would never be picked up! In fact, that error would be continued in all of the subsequent copies. The head monk, says, "We have been copying from the copies for centuries, but you make a good point, my son." He goes down into the dark caves underneath the monastery where the original manuscripts are held as archives in a locked vault that hasn't been opened for hundreds of years.
Hours go by and nobody sees the old abbot . . . So, the young monk gets worried and goes down to look for him.
He sees him banging his head against the wall and wailing.
"We missed the R ! "
"We missed the R !"
"We missed the R !"
His forehead is all bloody and bruised and he is crying uncontrollably.
The young monk asks the old abbot, "What's wrong, father?"
With a choking voice, the old abbot replies,
"The word was... "CELEBRATE !!!"

TIME FOR A SPIRITUAL CHECK-UP

Bishop E. Earl Jenkins
"I am praying...your body is as healthy as...your soul." 3 John 2 TLB

We all know how important physical health is; here's a plan for keeping your soul in shape:

(a) Don't question your faith, question your doubts. We spend too much time dwelling on our misgivings, experiencing faith as an occasional flash-in-the-pan. God's promises are for 'believers.'

(b) Don't be a 'lone ranger.' It's no accident that the Old Testament contains the story of God's people, and that the Epistles were written to congregations. We grow as we relate - not isolate!

(c) Guard your thought life. If your "thinking is controlled by the sinful self, there is death. But if [it's] controlled by the Spirit, there is life and peace" (Ro 8:6 NCV). Practice mind management!

(d) Fall asleep and wake up immersed in gratitude. It'll transform your day. "In every thing give thanks!" (1Th 5:18).

(e) Ditch anything that distracts you from God. Toss the junk reading material, and if you've got the guts, throw in the TV!

(f) Always err on the side of mercy. Philip Yancey writes: "I marvel at the humility of a God who descends to live inside...his 'flawed' creatures...Do I show that same attitude towards people of whom I disapprove?"

(g) Be specific and don't revert to generalities when discussing your faith. Paul wasn't "ashamed of the Gospel" (Ro 1:16); neither should you be.

(h) Be gracious to the people who irk you. God chose them too! Sometimes it's easier to be gracious to non-believers than to uptight, moralistic Christians. But that just makes you a different kind of judgmental.

(i) Forgive those who've hurt you. Harboring hatred hinders healing, so bring your hurts to God.

Bishop Edward Earl Jenkins is the senior pastor and founder of the True Servant Worship & Praise Church located in Trenton, New Jersey. Bishop Jenkins earned his Bachelor of Theology degree from Eastern Bible College and has been preaching the unadulterated gospel for over twenty years. His unique method of preaching and teaching has opened many doors to allow him to touch the hearts of many lives near and far. Bishop Jenkins is the proud husband of Lady Sheila Jenkins and father of Travis, Jamal, Clarrisa and Dionna. Click here to purchase Don't Hate Your Enemies...Just Step On Them! by Bishop E.E. Jenkins!

© Bishop E. Earl Jenkins all rights reserved.

READY TO REIGN

Today's message is from Rick Godwin

Learning to reign is a process, not a quick fix. You have to grow up. If you’re a baby Christian and you have just been saved, take your time. But for the rest of us that have been saved for a long time, how long are we going to stay children?

There are some things God won’t do for us. We have to get up and do them for ourselves. For example, when the angel awakened Peter to let him out of jail the angel didn’t tie Peter’s sandals. Peter had to do that himself. The angel opened the door, but Peter had to walk out and go tell those who were praying that their prayers had been answered.

God isn’t going to do everything for you either. He will open the door, and when you are obedient to walk through it He will anoint you, but you are still going to have to walk through that door yourself and go tell others about the new truth and freedom you are experiencing!

We’ll go up when the time comes, but right now we need to spend all of our time and effort trying to grow up. We must become good fathers, good mothers, good husbands, good wives, good sons and daughters, good employees and good friends.

Then, as we are faithful in both the natural things and the spiritual things, God will not withhold anything from us. We will have been trained and be ready to reign!

TODAY'S PRAYER:

Lord, I want to reign with You. Help me to become spiritually mature by walking in faithful obedience.

IT'S YOUR MOUTH!

Bishop Donald Hilliard

You are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth. Proverbs 6:2 (NKJV)


Your breakthrough is in your mouth! There are some areas in all of our lives that have been dry for a long time. You might be reading this and your marriage is dry. Perhaps your relationships are dry. Your financial situation is dry. Your health is bad. Your mind is troubled. Your emotions are shattered. Or your nerves are on edge. But God is saying if you are going to be delivered, if change is going to come, if revival is going to come, it's in your mouth. It's not up to God. It is up to you.

What do you say about it? What do you say about the situation you are in? You can prophesy your own destruction or you can declare that you will live and not die. You can declare that health is yours. Prosperity is yours. Joy is yours. You can prophesy that your marriage will work. You will get that job. You will get whatever God has in store for you. No devil in hell can stop it. God said it, so declare it. Your victory is in your mouth.

Precious Savior, I am in a situation in which it appears that there is no hope. I'm pressed on every side; everything seems to be falling apart in my life. But I thank you for the power of declaration. Your word says that I am snared by the words of my mouth. I am taken by the words of my mouth. Your word also says that whatever things I ask for when I pray, I should believe that I receive them, and I will have them. Father, I believe your word because your word is true. I therefore declare boldly that I will have all that you have for me, my situation will turn around, my outlook is bright, and I will live and not die. My future is bright because I trust in you!


Bishop Donald Hilliard, Jr. is the Pastor of one church in three locations in New Jersey: Cathedral International in Perth Amboy, Cathedral Assembly by the Shore in Asbury Park, and Cathedral Assembly in the Fields in Plainfield. Dr. Hilliard's willingness to say "YES" to the Lord fostered his ability to grow the church from 125 in 1983 to well over 5,000 members today. As a result of Dr. Hilliard's unwavering faith, multifaceted mindset, and ability to trust in the Lord, over fifty ministries are at work within the three cities. For more information on Bishop Hilliard's ministry, visit www.thecathedral.org. Click here to purchase After the Fall by Dr. Donald Hilliard, Jr.!

RADICALLY SAVED

According to Webster: radical; of or pertaining to a root; exisiting inherently in a person;
forming the basis or foundation; going to the root or origin, or touching what is fundamental;
thorough; extreme, esp in the way of reform. In chemistry, radical refers to an atom or group of atoms which is regarded as an important constituent of the molecule of a given compound, and which remains unchanged during certain reactions.

According to John 3:16, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Sounds pretty radical to me!

God loves us radically, it is fundamental and complete. Jesus must be the root of all that we believe, all of what is good and true in our life. The Holy Spirit, exisiting inherently in us, needs to the foundation of our walk in faith, in all that we think and do. The Word is that radical constituent ( the essential ingredient; that which establishes or determines; gives form to ) of our strength that keeps our faith unchanged during those certain reaction. Perhaps an extreme reform is in order.

Get radical !

Believe radically, live and love radically, and be radically saved!

WALKING IN THE SPIRIT

Sunday, July 06, 2008

Walking in the Spirit

Dr. Betty R. Price

Christians are in constant warfare with a tricky enemy who refuses to give up. It is a spiritual battle that gets hotter as time goes on. When we are living for God, we become target practice for the devil. It doesn't mean that we are necessarily doing anything wrong when things come against us; it is just the way Satan plays his game. If you are doing something you have no business doing and you know it, you need to stop whatever it is, because you are only opening yourself up to satanic attacks.

When cancer attacked my body, a lot of people who knew me wondered why. Some even said, "It is not fair; you live so pure." You don't get healed because you are good and live pure. You get healed because you believe and act on the Word-God honors His Word if we will believe it.

A lot of people don't understand how faith works. They take the faith message all out of proportion. They don't understand that when you say you believe something has taken place before you see it, healing for example, you are saying it by faith. They think that means you don't take medicine or you don't go to the doctor. On the contrary, you need to go to the doctor and take medicine while you make a stand to receive your healing.

When I found out I had cancer, we had just returned from a television crusade in Houston, Texas. A doctor referred to us by a member of our church came by our home; took a look at my leg and said to Fred, "Your wife needs to go to the hospital immediately." He called and made the necessary arrangements. We thought that it was just a sprain or a strained muscle, and I would be home within a day or so. I actually stayed a week in the hospital having tests done before they found out what was wrong with me. At any rate, I never did get anxious, worried, or fearful. I was at peace the whole time; I had learned to walk in the Spirit.

After several days of taking tests, (and some were very painful but God was with me all the way) the doctors came and told us the bad news. The MRI revealed a tumor in my pelvic area, but because of its location, major surgery would have to be done to get a biopsy of it. I was scheduled for surgery the next day-which was Monday. That Tuesday morning, Dr. Taylor came and gave us the really bad news. The tumor was a malignant cancer that had vital nerve endings and muscle attached to it, therefore, surgery to remove it was impossible. The recommended cure was chemotherapy and radiation. Fred, of course, was devastated. He could not believe it. Even with all of the pain I never felt any unrest or fear. I was always in peace. I said, "I have to trust God. I know He is with me in this, and nothing is too hard for Him.

The first night I was in the hospital, I felt the Lord's presence so strongly that I knew He had come into my room, and I heard in my spirit, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it (John 11:4)."

So, instead of dwelling on thoughts of death, I kept my thoughts on God's Word. That is why I want to exhort you not to take the Word for granted. If I had not had 20 years of Word in me at that time, I don't believe I would be here today. When you hear the word "cancer," fear will raise its ugly head (it's only natural), but you don't allow the fear to take hold. I believe fear a lot of times is what actually kills people, so I would not allow myself to be fearful.

Second Corinthians 10:5 tells us what to do with negative thoughts:
Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

So when Satan comes and tells you, "You are going to die," you have to know that the Bible says, "With Jesus stripes you were healed," so your confession is, "I believe I'm healed..."

Hebrews 11:1 says:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,

the evidence of things not seen.

Faith is the evidence that you have what you have prayed for. I would tell myself, "I don't see it now. But by faith I have it. Faith is the tangibility of my healing." Most people want to go by sight and by the way they feel. But I had the faith principles so ingrained in me that when the attack on my body came, I knew how to stand and not let fear come in. Now your situation may not be a healing one, maybe it's a financial problem or a husband or wife problem or children problems. Whatever the problem, you can apply the same faith principles and be victorious too!

GUIDANCE

Dancing With God

When I meditated on the word Guidance, I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word. I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.

When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn't flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky. When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music.

One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing lightly in one direction or another. It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.

The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other.

My eyes drew back to the word Guidance. When I saw "G" I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i". "God, "u" and "i" dance ". God, you, and I dance. As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life.

Once again, I became willing to let God lead.

My prayer for you today is that God's blessings and mercies are upon you this day and everyday. May you abide in God, as God abides in you.

The Role of Spouses in Making Decisions
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2, by Os Hillman
07-01-2008

"The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice" (Proverbs 12:15).

"It's amazing how similar at times the voice of my wife is to the voice of the Holy Spirit," I said to the Christian audience.

When John Benson decided to make some financial investments in a new business venture, he was very excited about the possibilities for a handsome financial return. His business and financial background had served him well. John felt strongly that his wife Jenny would not understand the complexity of his investment, so he casually mentioned it to her. When she asked a few simple questions, John became defensive and justified his plans for investing in the venture.

A year later, after investing a large sum of money, John received a phone call from the investment company. All the investors who had put money in the company were going to lose their investment with no ability to recoup it.

This story could be retold repeatedly across the world. God's principles for making decisions require input from both spouses, regardless of their level of expertise. I learned this lesson the hard way after making many independent decisions outside the counsel of my wife. Today, whenever I am faced with a major decision, I first consult the Lord, and then I consult my wife. She may disagree totally with something that seems very straightforward to me, but I have learned not to move forward if we are not in agreement.

She does not need to know all the details, nor does she have to have expertise. God has placed in her a "chip" called "intuition." That intuition cannot explain why she feels the way she does, she just knows when something is not right. Conversely, husbands bring a totally different perspective that may give an alternative side to a situation that the wife has never considered. God has called married couples to be one. If we seek to make decisions independently, then we benefit from only 50% of the intended resource God has placed within our grasp. In marriage, this stewardship of decisions requires two people. God blesses this union by honoring the decisions made with the motive of glorifying God and relying on His Spirit to lead in our decision-making process.

Before you make a major decision, get confirmation for your decision from your spouse.

TYPICAL GOVERNMENT AGENT

Department of Agriculture representative stopped at a ranch in Texas and talked with an old rancher. He told the rancher, "I need to inspect your ranch for your water allocation."

The old rancher said, "Okay, but don't go in that field over there."

The representative said, "Mister, I have the authority of the Federal Government with me. See this card? This card means I am allowed to go WHEREVER I WISH on any agricultural land. No questions asked or answered. Have I made myself clear? Do you understand?"

The old rancher nodded politely and went about his chores.

Later, the old rancher heard loud screams and saw the Rep running for the fence and close behind was the rancher's bull. The bull was gaining on the Rep with every step.

The Rep was clearly terrified, so the old rancher immediately threw down his tools, ran to the fence and shouted out......

* * *Your card! Show him your card!* * *

BOW BEFORE THE THRONE

May 22, 2008

Today's message is from Marcos Witt.

Revelation 4:10 says, “The twenty-four elders fall down before him” (NIV). Revelation 19:4 says, “The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God” (NIV). This is the key to the worshiper the Father is seeking. Everyone in heaven bows before the throne.

Besides the spiritual implication of prostration, I think it is important to learn to be physically prostrate as an outward sign of an inward decision. Many congregations don’t practice prostration, even though it is one of the most biblical forms of expressing worship. I believe it would be good to reinstate it into our worship services.

There is something that happens in our heart when we kneel and bow before His Majesty. It is a good exercise for our flesh, just to remind it who is in control of our body.

Occasionally, in a conference or other meeting, the Lord has led us to prostrate ourselves before Him. I cannot describe the feeling that comes over me when thousands of people bend their knees and bow before the great King as they pour out their hearts to Him. It is indescribable!

Looking upon that kind of scene, I can almost imagine how it is going to be in heaven when we are all around the great throne, from which emanates the wonderful light of His presence. There we will bow, receiving the warmth of His love, prostrate with our crowns thrown at His feet. Let us begin to learn, right now, to bend our knee in humility before Him, acknowledging His great power and glory.

TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, today I choose to bow before You in worship. As I kneel before Your throne, I acknowledge with all my heart that You are the only true God.

RECALIBRATE ROUTE!

TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2, by Os Hillman
05-18-2008

"The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth" (Luke 3:5).

I love the Global Positioning Systems (GPS) in the new cars. A voice comes on and tells me how far I have to go and when to turn. However, sometimes I get off course and the voice says: "Recalculating route." The GPS is telling me I have gone off course and it is now recalculating the route based on my wrong turn. Sometimes we can make wrong turns in our spiritual lives. We think we are going the right direction only to discover it was never God's will to enter that relationship, make that business deal, hire that person - the examples are limitless.

There is an amazing thing about God. He can make our crooked places straight. He has an ability to make whatever blunder you make turn out right. It may mean there might be some consequences to those decisions, but He will always allow your actions to work together for good for those called according to His purposes if we repent and seek Him fully to make things right. These lessons can even contribute to greater wisdom in our lives if we learn from our mistakes.

God's omnipotence is always one step ahead of our incompetence. Do you think He knew you would make that misstep? Absolutely. Do you think your life was planned even with that misstep figured in? Absolutely.
Isn't it comforting to know you cannot plan God out of the equation no matter how bad you mess up? He will always turn crooked places into straight places for those who are humble and contrite.

Do you need a crooked place straightened out today? Ask Him to straighten the course so you can flow in His perfect will for your life.

THOUGHTS

All truly wise thoughts have been thought thousands of times; but to make them truly ours we must think them over again honestly, until they take root in our personal experience."

-- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

YOU'RE ALL I NEED

From Imagination to Reality

Attracting Success With Mind Power

Creative visualization is the ability to use the imagination, see images in our minds and make them come true. If we add concentration and feelings, it becomes a great creative power that makes things happen. Used in the right way, visualization can bring changes into our lives. The thought is the matrix or blueprint; the feelings provide the energy, the "electricity".

Sounds weird? Not at all!

This is the power of creative visualization. This is the power that can alter our environment and circumstances, cause events to happen, attract money, possessions, work and love, change habits and improve the health. It is a great mind power. It is the power behind every success.

By visualizing an event, a situation, or an object, such as a car, a house, furniture etc, we attract it to us. We see in our imagination what we want and it happens. It is like daydreaming. It resembles magic, though actually there is no magic here. It is the natural process of the power of the thoughts.

Some people use this power in an unconscious manner in their everyday affairs. They are not aware that they are using some sort of power. They visualize their goals in a positive way and attain success. All successful people in all fields use it consciously or unconsciously.

ENFORCING YOUR CREATIVITY POWER THRU YOUR COMPUTER

Once you know your dreams, you write them down. By adding related pictures to this computer presentation you are creating a multimedia event for your senses. This alone will make you feel excited and motivated and will improve the overall effectiveness of your creative power

The presentation is saved onto the desktop which will continually run on your screen and program your dreams into your subconscious until you call up another program. This will train your mind focusing on your dreams, leading to necessary actions, and ultimately manifest your dreams.

Relax, sit back and work normally on your computer. Now the magic happens!

Every time your dream presentation appears on your screen, you automatically place your attention on that dream, and therefore, begin to manifest it. Scientific studies have shown that by engaging your senses with images and sound your attention ability increases.


Intention + Attention + Action = Manifestation

For more information on how to purchase presentation, contact me thru radicallysaved316@yahoo.com

THE LAW OF FAITH

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)

There are laws in the spiritual realm and you have endless resources in your heart.

What becomes pregnant in your heart and mind is going to come out in your circumstances. Watch your heart and your mind more than anything else. Do not try to find the answer of God through another person, for God's answer comes to your spirit and through your spirit the answer comes to your circumstance.

Claim and speak the word of assurance, for your word actually goes out and creates. God spoke and the whole world came into being. Your word is the material which the Holy Spirit uses to create.

We are perennial beggers, we are constantly begging. On the bank of the Red Sea Moses begged, "Oh God, help us! The Egyptians are coming." God rebuked him saying "Moses, why are you crying to me? Give the command and the Red Sea shall be divided."
There are times for you to pray, but there are also times for you to give the commands. You must pray through in your prayer closet, but when you come out to the battlefield, you are coming to give the word of creation.