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!"