Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Wildmen we need your HELP

John Napolitano has been nominated to be a judge and he has asked that we (his band of brothers) write a letter to Governor Crist endorsing him. John has positively impacted my life and many others and this is an opportunity to help him and say thank you and we love you bro...... He is a man that truly walks the walk and we need a man like him as a judge.

Please send the letter ASAP because the next interview in Tallahassee, at the Capitol, is scheduled for September 15th at 10:00 am. Don't wait do it today.

The address is:

Honorable Charlie Crist

Office of the Governor

State of Florida

The Capitol, PL05

400 South Monroe St.

Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0001

Telephone: (850) 488-7146

Fax: (850) 487-0801

E-mail: Charlie.Crist@myflorida.com



God bless you my brothers,

Peter

Oswals Chambers today

"That My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." John 15:11

What was the joy that Jesus had? It is an insult to use the word happiness in connection with Jesus Christ. The joy of Jesus was the absolute self-surrender and self-sacrifice of Himself to His Father, the joy of doing that which the Father sent Him to do. "I delight to do Thy will." Jesus prayed that our joy might go on fulfilling itself until it was the same joy as His. Have I allowed Jesus Christ to introduce His joy to me?

The full flood of my life is not in bodily health, not in external happenings, not in seeing God's work succeed, but in the perfect understanding of God, and in the communion with Him that Jesus Himself had. The first thing that will hinder this joy is the captious irritation of thinking out circumstances. The cares of this world, said Jesus, will choke God's word. Before we know where we are, we are caught up in the shows of things. All that God has done for us is the mere threshold; He wants to get us to the place where we will be His witnesses and proclaim Who Jesus is.

Be rightly related to God, find your joy there, and out of you will flow rivers of living water. Be a centre for Jesus Christ to pour living water through. Stop being self-conscious, stop being a sanctified prig, and live the life hid with Christ. The life that is rightly related to God is as natural as breathing wherever it goes. The lives that have been of most blessing to you are those who were unconscious of it.

Men at the cross

Check out this link

Men at the Cross

Monday, August 30, 2010

"Lord, teach us to pray." Luke 11:1

Over the weekend I read this and it hit me: What will suffer is the life of the Son of God in him, which is nourished not by food, but by prayer. How many times tdo we pray with no direction??? It goes on to say: Be yourself before God and present your problems, the things you know you have come to your wits' end over. As long as you are self-sufficient, you do not need to ask God for anything. God answers prayers...

"Lord, teach us to pray." Luke 11:1

It is not part of the life of a natural man to pray. We hear it said that a man will suffer in his life if he does not pray; I question it. What will suffer is the life of the Son of God in him, which is nourished not by food, but by prayer. When a man is born from above, the life of the Son of God is born in him, and he can either starve that life or nourish it. Prayer is the way the life of God is nourished. Our ordinary views of prayer are not found in the New Testament. We look upon prayer as a means of getting things for ourselves; the Bible idea of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself.

"Ask and ye shall receive." We grouse before God, we are apologetic or apathetic, but we ask very few things. Yet what a splendid audacity a childlike child has! Our Lord says - "Except ye become as little children." Ask, and God will do. Give Jesus Christ a chance, give Him elbow room, and no man will ever do this unless he is at his wits' end. When a man is at his wits' end it is not a cowardly thing to pray, it is the only way he can get into touch with Reality. Be yourself before God and present your problems, the things you know you have come to your wits' end over. As long as you are self-sufficient, you do not need to ask God for anything.

It is not so true that "prayer changes things" as that prayer changes me and I change things. God has so constituted things that prayer on the basis of Redemption alters the way in which a man looks at things. Prayer is not a question of altering things externally, but of working wonders in a man's disposition.

Monday Motivational

"I have never seen a man who could do real work except under the stimulus of encouragement and enthusiasm and approval of the people for whom he is working."

-William McFee


"No one ever attains very eminent success by simply doing what is required of him; it is the amount of excellence of what is over and above the required, that determines the greatness of ultimate distinction."

-Charles Kendall Adams

Daily Reading Mathew 2

1 Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We have seen his star as it arose, and we have come to worship him." 3 Herod was deeply disturbed by their question, as was all of Jerusalem. 4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law. "Where did the prophets say the Messiah would be born?" he asked them. 5 "In Bethlehem," they said, "for this is what the prophet wrote: 6 'O Bethlehem of Judah, you are not just a lowly village in Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.' " 7 Then Herod sent a private message to the wise men, asking them to come see him. At this meeting he learned the exact time when they first saw the star. 8 Then he told them, "Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!" 9 After this interview the wise men went their way. Once again the star appeared to them, guiding them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 11 They entered the house where the child and his mother, Mary, were, and they fell down before him and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 But when it was time to leave, they went home another way, because God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod. 13 After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up and flee to Egypt with the child and his mother," the angel said. "Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to try to kill the child." 14 That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, 15 and they stayed there until Herod's death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: "I called my Son out of Egypt." 16 Herod was furious when he learned that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, because the wise men had told him the star first appeared to them about two years earlier. 17 Herod's brutal action fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah: 18 "A cry of anguish is heard in Ramah -- weeping and mourning unrestrained. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted -- for they are dead." 19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and told him, 20 "Get up and take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead." 21 So Joseph returned immediately to Israel with Jesus and his mother. 22 But when he learned that the new ruler was Herod's son Archelaus, he was afraid. Then, in another dream, he was warned to go to Galilee. 23 So they went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what was spoken by the prophets concerning the Messiah: "He will be called a Nazarene."

August 30th. Oswald Chambers

AM I CONVINCED BY CHRIST?

"Notwithstanding in this rejoice not . . . , but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." Luke 10:19, 20

Jesus Christ says, in effect, Don't rejoice in successful service, but rejoice because you are rightly related to Me. The snare in Christian work is to rejoice in successful service, to rejoice in the fact that God has used you. You never can measure what God will do through you if you are rightly related to Jesus Christ. Keep your relationship right with Him, then whatever circumstances you are in, and whoever you meet day by day, He is pouring rivers of living water through you, and it is of His mercy that He does not let you know it. When once you are rightly related to God by salvation and sanctification, remember that wherever you are, you are put there by God; and by the reaction of your life on the circumstances around you, you will fulfil God's purpose, as long as you keep in the light as God is in the light.

The tendency to-day is to put the emphasis on service. Beware of the people who make usefulness their ground of appeal. If you make usefulness the test, then Jesus Christ was the greatest failure that ever lived. The lodestar of the saint is God Himself, not estimated usefulness. It is the work that God does through us that counts, not what we do for Him. All that Our Lord heeds in a man's life is the relationship of worth to His Father. Jesus is bringing many sons to glory.

Until We Are Broken, Our Lives Will Be Self-Centered

Until We Are Broken, Our Lives Will Be Self-Centered
True strength does not come out of bravado. Until we are broken, our life will be self-centered, self-reliant; our strength will be our own. So long as you think you are really something in and of yourself, what will you need God for? I don't trust a man who hasn't suffered; I don't let a man get close to me who hasn't faced his wound. Think of the posers you know-are they the kind of man you would call at 2:00 A.M., when life is collapsing around you? Not me. I don't want clich?s; I want deep, soulful truth, and that only comes when a man has walked the road I've been talking about. As Frederick Buechner says,

To do for yourself the best that you have it in you to do-to grit your teeth and clench your fists in order to survive the world at its harshest and worst-is, by that very act, to be unable to let something be done for you and in you that is more wonderful still. The trouble with steeling yourself against the harshness of reality is that the same steel that secures your life against being destroyed secures your life also against being opened up and transformed. (The Sacred Journey)

Only when we enter our wound will we discover our true glory. As Robert Bly says, "Where a man's wound is, that is where his genius will be." There are two reasons for this. First, the wound was given in the place of your true strength, as an effort to take you out. Until you go there you are still posing, offering something more shallow and insubstantial. And therefore, second, it is out of your brokenness that you discover what you have to offer the community. The false self is never wholly false. Those gifts we've been using are often quite true about us, but we've used them to hide behind. We thought that the power of our life was in the golden bat, but the power is in us. When we begin to offer not merely our gifts but our true selves, that is when we become powerful.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Amanda UPDATE

Brothers and Sisters

Please keep Amanda in your prayers, she is back in the hospital and still not doing well. They have her scheduled for a Spinal Tap tomorrow to see if there is an infection.

We prayed with her today and I am very concerned for her.

Thanks,


Peter

THEOLOGY ALIVE

THEOLOGY ALIVE

"Walk while ye have the light lest darkness come upon you." John 12:35

Beware of not acting upon what you see in your moments on the mount with God. If you do not obey the light, it will turn into darkness. "If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" The second you waive the question of sanctification or any other thing upon which God gave you light, you begin to get dry rot in your spiritual life. Continually bring the truth out into actuality; work it out in every domain, or the very light you have will prove a curse.

The most difficult person to deal with is the one who has the smug satisfaction of an experience to which he can refer back, but who is not working it out in practical life. If you say you are sanctified, show it. The experience must be so genuine that it is shown in the life. Beware of any belief that makes you self-indulgent; it came from the pit, no matter how beautiful it sounds.

Theology must work itself out in the most practical relationships. "Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees . . ." said Our Lord, i.e., you must be more moral than the most moral being you know. You may know all about the doctrine of sanctification, but are you running it out into the practical issues of your life? Every bit of your life, physical, moral and spiritual, is to be judged by the standard of the Atonement.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Are you troubled?

Today I was reading Oswald Chambers and this line hit me: are you still finding no well of peace or joy or comfort; is all barren? how many times do we let the problems and distractions take our eyes of God. It reminds me of when Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water towards Jesus as soon as he took his eyes off him he began to sink. Are you at peace? Are your eyes focused in God?

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you." John 14:27

There are times when our peace is based upon ignorance, but when we awaken to the facts of life, inner peace is impossible unless it is received from Jesus. When Our Lord speaks peace, He makes peace, His words are ever "spirit and life." Have I ever received what Jesus speaks? "My peace I give unto you" - it is a peace which comes from looking into His face and realizing His undisturbedness.

Are you painfully disturbed just now, distracted by the waves and billows of God's providential permission, and having, as it were, turned over the boulders of your belief, are you still finding no well of peace or joy or comfort; is all barren? Then look up and receive the undisturbedness of the Lord Jesus. Reflected peace is the proof that you are right with God because you are at liberty to turn your mind to Him. If you are not right with God, you can never turn your mind anywhere but on yourself. If you allow anything to hide the face of Jesus Christ from you, you are either disturbed or you have a false security.

Are you looking unto Jesus now, in the immediate matter that is pressing and receiving from Him peace? If so, He will be a gracious benediction of peace in and through you. But if you try to worry it out, you obliterate Him and deserve all you get. We get disturbed because we have not been considering Him. When one confers with Jesus Christ the perplexity goes, because He has no perplexity, and our only concern is to abide in Him. Lay it all out before Him, and in the face of difficulty, bereavement and sorrow, hear Him say, "Let not your heart be troubled."

From Perry Noble

What Is Holding You Back? August 26, 2010

I don’t think people fall short of what God has for them because He isn’t revealing Himself…I think many do so because He does reveal Himself, but in Him doing so we are forced to face several things that MUST be overcame if we are going to achieve what He has for us…such as…

FearPeople…never listen to people who are not doing anything tell you that you cannot do anythingLack of faith…Jesus will never ask you to do anything easyProcrastination lie#1 – Fear

If you don’t say “oh crap” when God reveals what He wants for your life…then you probably didn’t hear from God!

We will never become who God has called us to be and do what He has called us to do if we do not face our fears.

■David faced his fear and stepped out to face Goliath.
■Moses faced his fear of not being able to speak and went before Pharoah.
■Noah faced his fear of not knowing how to build a boat
People that accomplish great things for God MUST fight through their fears because reality is than God has never asked anyone to do anything that was easy (other than receiving Christ!)

#2 – People

When you want to do something great for God there will always be LOTS of people who try to tell you why you can’t do what HE said you can do! My advice…never listen to anyone who is not doing anything tell you that you cannot do anything. OR…in other words, NEVER take dance instructions from a person who just stands against the wall and does nothing but criticize those who are trying to stay in rhythm.

#3 – The Procrastination Lie

I know so many people who swear than “one day” they are going to do what they “know” God has called them to do…but…”one day” for most people NEVER comes…because in their minds “one day” is when everything is in place and doing what God has called them to do does not require any step of faith at all.

“I will do it one day” is a lie that we tell ourselves in order to justify our disobedience. God doesn’t speak to hear Himself talk…His word is not to be considered but to be obeyed.

#4 – Underestimation of Him Working Through You!

If God has called you then He has also equipped you and will sustain you. Of course the task at hand is large and seems “impossible,” that is why Zechariah 4:6 says it is by HIS Spirit and II Corinthians 12:9 says that HIS power is made perfect in our weakness!!! He didn’t call us because we are “able,” we are nothing more than common jars of clay (see II Corinthians 4:7) that He wants to use for HIS glory…and He has a history of take ordinary people (Acts 4:13) and doing extraordinary things through them!

I'm Perry Noble, Senior Pastor of NewSpring Church in South Carolina. These are the writings of a man who is out of his mind. www.perrynoble.com

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Thursdays Daily Bread

If you are in the area, you are invited to join us tomorrow at 8:15AM to talk about Proverbs 26 or as we call it: "Our Daily Bread" This proverb has some strong words about "Fools" and should be thought provoking. Looking forward to seeing you there:

6371 Business Blvd Suite 108
Sarasota, FL 34240

1 Honor doesn't go with fools any more than snow with summer or rain with harvest. 2 Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an unfair curse will not land on its intended victim. 3 Guide a horse with a whip, a donkey with a bridle, and a fool with a rod to his back! 4 When arguing with fools, don't answer their foolish arguments, or you will become as foolish as they are. 5 When arguing with fools, be sure to answer their foolish arguments, or they will become wise in their own estimation. 6 Trusting a fool to convey a message is as foolish as cutting off one's feet or drinking poison! 7 In the mouth of a fool, a proverb becomes as limp as a paralyzed leg. 8 Honoring a fool is as foolish as tying a stone to a slingshot. 9 A proverb in a fool's mouth is as dangerous as a thornbush brandished by a drunkard. 10 An employer who hires a fool or a bystander is like an archer who shoots recklessly. 11 As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly. 12 There is more hope for fools than for people who think they are wise. 13 The lazy person is full of excuses, saying, "I can't go outside because there might be a lion on the road! Yes, I'm sure there's a lion out there!" 14 As a door turns back and forth on its hinges, so the lazy person turns over in bed. 15 Some people are so lazy that they won't lift a finger to feed themselves. 16 Lazy people consider themselves smarter than seven wise counselors. 17 Yanking a dog's ears is as foolish as interfering in someone else's argument. 18 Just as damaging as a mad man shooting a lethal weapon 19 is someone who lies to a friend and then says, "I was only joking." 20 Fire goes out for lack of fuel, and quarrels disappear when gossip stops. 21 A quarrelsome person starts fights as easily as hot embers light charcoal or fire lights wood. 22 What dainty morsels rumors are -- but they sink deep into one's heart. 23 Smooth words may hide a wicked heart, just as a pretty glaze covers a common clay pot. 24 People with hate in their hearts may sound pleasant enough, but don't believe them. 25 Though they pretend to be kind, their hearts are full of all kinds of evil. 26 While their hatred may be concealed by trickery, it will finally come to light for all to see. 27 If you set a trap for others, you will get caught in it yourself. If you roll a boulder down on others, it will roll back and crush you. 28 A lying tongue hates its victims, and flattery causes ruin.

Rhyme of the Modern Parishioner

It happened in the vestibule
At ten one Sunday morn;
A haggard-looking church-goer
Sat plaintive and forlorn.

Then suddenly he rose and found
A hungry-looking Christian;
He took his hand, took him aside,
And asked him a straight question:

“You’ve read the Word; you know the Book;
The promises are clear.
But have you seen the living God?
Have you found Him here?

Have you experienced holy fire
The Spirit in His power,
A mighty wave, a rushing wind,
A flame that does devour?

Is there something more you’re seeking,
So high, so wide, so deep?
Do you find yourself frustrated?
Is church putting you to sleep?

Then listen well, your heart is ripe;
My tale I will tell.
This story is your story too,
And it’s your tale as well.

For thirty years I’ve been in church,
It seemed like a good show.
But now I’ve got to meet with God --
Do you know where to go?

I’m trapped in mundane worship times,
The praises have grown cold;
The preaching’s dry and dusty,
The teaching stale like mold!

Each service feels like a rerun,
The songs all sound the same;
The prophecies are so hollow --
Not worthy of the name!

Words, more words -- they’re everywhere,
But oh there is a stink!
Words, more words -- they’re everywhere,
But none to make us think!

We lack the heavenly Presence,
It’s clear we’re in a rut;
I’m desperate for revival --
It burns within my gut!

I’m love-sick for my Jesus,
So hungry for my Lord;
Just longing for my Savior;
God knows that I’m so bored!

Is there someone who can help me,
Who’s touched the real thing?
A man who’s heard from heaven --
With a word from God to bring?

Are there prophets burning with fire,
Servants who are ablaze?
Anointed and overflowing,
Appointed for these days?

Do they carry the Spirit’s burden,
And breathe the Lord God’s breath?
Are they set apart and holy,
Obedient to death?

I hear the words of the Master,
‘Come follow Me,’ He said.
If some Christians go their own way;
I’ll go with Him instead!

Oh please, don’t do as I have done,
And waste so many years.
Don’t wait and wait for endless months;
Move on! Outgrow your fears!

Forget the twelve step programs;
A seminar won’t do.
You need a touch from heaven,
To fill you through and through.

There must be change in your life --
A work of God that’s real.
Don’t fool yourself with worn clichés --
Don’t let the devil steal!

Don’t miss out on God’s presence
Or let these hours pass;
Don’t stop your soul from hungering;
Get out of the morass!

Dear friend, you are not crazy;
Dear saint, you are not mad;
There really is a problem,
It’s true, you have been had!

There’s more! There’s more! Believe it!
There is that place in God.
There are holy visitations,
New paths that must be trod.

Will you get up like old Pilgrim,
And seek that better way?
Will you go forth on that journey
No matter what men say?

Will you go out now and meet Him,
And leave the crowd behind,
Forsaking dead traditions,
If Jesus you will find?

It’s not in another meeting,
A nicely packaged hour;
Another harmless service,
Devoid of heaven’s power.

It’s not in another teaching,
Three points to fill your head.
The Word is always vibrant;
But this stuff is so dead!

We need God to send His Spirit,
To fully take control,
To transform every member,
To come and make them whole!

Enough with man’s religion;
Enough with earthly plans;
Enough with our new programs;
Produced by fleshly hands.”

Just then in strode the pastor
His calling to fulfill;
Just doing his weekly duty --
Then he became frozen still.

For astir was that parishioner
He grasped the preacher’s clothes,
And grasped the preacher’s soul as well --
And in that grasp he froze.

“Oh pastor, enter the prayer room
And shut yourself inside.
Be emptied of competition,
And crucify your pride!

Pray for holy visitations,
Caught up alone with Him,
Consumed with heavenly vision --
That’s where you must begin!

You won’t find Him in a textbook,
Buried on page twenty-two.
He is the living God who acts --
He wants to move in you!

It’s not only the ‘apostles’
He’ll bless and send and use;
He will saturate your own soul,
If you will not refuse.

So arise, get up, pursue Him,
Jesus your true best Friend!
He is worthy of devotion,
He’s faithful to the end!

Why should you starve on crusty bread,
And crawl along the ground?
Your Savior is your source of life,
Seek Him, let joy abound!

Renew your life, refresh your heart,
Press in, take hold, pray through.
Put first things first, make God your goal;
What else have you to do?

Your Bible schooling stole your zeal,
Church life has drained you dry;
You used to have such childlike faith,
Now budgets have your eye!

You used to be so passionate,
So innocent and free
Now you’ve become professional;
You’ll preach for a good fee!

Oh, set your sights on higher goals
And not on dollar bills.
Live in the light of Judgment Day;
Ambition always kills!

Let Jesus be your daily Guide,
Put Him where He belongs;
And soon His presence will arrive;
His praise will fill your songs!

Simplicity will be your style,
Devotion your new goal;
Communion will become your aim,
God’s life will flood your soul!

Oh, take your eyes off numbers,
Church growth can be a trap!
Go out and make disciples.
Go out and bridge the gap!

Pour your life out for broken lives --
Let God your heart break too.
Take up the cross, deny yourself;
Just live His will to do!

Wake up, be brave, be honest;
Today -- oh hear His voice!
Be ruthless with your schedule;
Seek GOD. Make that your choice.

You won’t find Him in your planner,
No committee has the key.
You’ll find Him when your soul cries out,
‘There must be more for me!’

‘There must be more than building funds,
And sessions past midnight,
And endless talks with leadership,
Disputing who is right.

Somehow I know I’ve been misled;
The model doesn’t work.
I’m not called as an executive,
Nor should I be a clerk.

I’m called to be a man of God,
A man who’s Spirit led,
A healer of the sick and lame
Someday to raise the dead!’

And with that cry new life will rise,
Your heart will be revived;
Heaven’s light will flood your soul --
You will not be denied!”

The parishioner then turned his gaze
Away from flesh and blood:
He looked to Him who sends the showers,
To Him who sends the flood.

“Today, O Lord, do hear our voice,
And pour Your Spirit out.
Saturate the thirsty ground.
End this spiritual drought!

Revive us with Your Presence,
Renew us from above;
Touch the flock called by Your name;
Come fill us with Your love!

Do greater works in our day,
Than that which You have done.
Bring the fullness of Your rains,
And glorify Your Son!”

That old church-goer spoke no more.
Another voice was heard.
Yet not the voice of flesh and blood:
It was our Father’s word.

And if you listen closely,
Beyond this little rhyme,
You’ll hear Him speaking clearly:
“My children, it is time.”

By Dr. Michael Brown

"I have called you friends."

"I have called you friends." John 15:15

We never know the joy of self-sacrifice until we abandon in every particular. Self-surrender is the most difficult thing - I will if . . . ! Oh, well, I suppose I must devote my life to God. There is none of the joy of self-sacrifice in that.

As soon as we do abandon, the Holy Ghost gives us an intimation of the joy of Jesus. The final aim of self-sacrifice is laying down our lives for our Friend. When the Holy Ghost comes in, the great desire is to lay down the life for Jesus, and the thought of sacrifice never touches us because sacrifice is the love passion of the Holy Ghost.

Our Lord is our example in the life of self-sacrifice - "I delight to do Thy will, O my God." He went on with His sacrifice with exuberant joy. Have I ever yielded in absolute submission to Jesus Christ? If Jesus Christ is not the lodestar, there is no benefit in the sacrifice; but when the sacrifice is made with the eyes on Him, slowly and surely the moulding influence begins to tell.

Beware of letting natural affinities hinder your walk in love. One of the most cruel ways of killing natural love is by disdain built on natural affinities. The affinity of the saint is the Lord Jesus. Love for God is not sentimental, for the saint to love as God loves is the most practical thing.

"I have called you friends." It is a friendship based on the new life created in us which has no affinity with our old life, but only with the life of God. It is unutterably humble, unsulliedly pure, and absolutely devoted to God.

Oswald Chambers

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Summer is soon coming to a close.

Summer is soon coming to a close. Have you taken time to rest? Or are you one of the many, like me, who feel guilty resting? Why is it that we are almost proud of our disobedience to God's explicit command to rest?

God considers rest so important that he modeled it for us at the very start of his word; the longest commandment of the ten is the one about Sabbath rest. So why do so many of us flaunt it? Could that be the source of many of our problems, conflicts, illnesses?


Lord, please give us a desire to be pleasing to you in all things, even rest.


It still isn't too late. The unofficial end of summer is September 6th - Labor Day. So hurry up and rest!



Blessings to you,

Jan Broucinek
Wildmen Ministry

Jan@WildmenMinistry.com

Have no Fear

Have no fear, for I am with you: do not be looking about in trouble for I am your God: I will give you sterength, yes. I wil be your helper: yes my true right hand will be your support. Isaiah 41:10

Worship Music Camp 2011 opportunity...


Hi, our son Daniel (13) loves music, leads worship at our church for kids, the youth group, plays during Sunday's services and plays bass guitar for Wildemen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNRRMiuozrA

Daniel asked us if we could extend his request to vote on his "90sec video entry" taken from Camp Electric music camp this summer.

The video with most votes wins full scholarship ($700+) to the next year's Music Camp 2011 in Nashville, TN sponsored by Toby Mac (and taught by top Christian musicians) A dream for those who are in the music field. (On 20 entries submitted, Daniel is in top 3)

http://media.campelectric.com/video/F562974373/daniels-entry

Thank you in advance for your consideration to help out... Fyi, Camp Electric lets one vote per day till September 1st,2010.


Let me know if you have any questions at lesu77@yahoo.com

(Info about http://www.campelectric.com)

Les Urbanski (for Daniel Urbanski)


How to vote for Daniel’s video entry:

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Daily Reading From Oswald Chanmbers for today

I read this today and the section about the "Good Child" hit me, how many times do we pray and ask for blessing when we are out of sync or not walking with God. It then causes more questions "God why are you not answering my prayers" and doubt can come in. Perhaps the question should be: "God is there anything in my life that is not pleasing to you that is interfering with our relationship?". Our God loves us and hears all our prayers.

My Upmost for his Highest
by Oswald Chambers

"Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?" Matthew 7:9

The illustration of prayer that Our Lord uses here is that of a good child asking for a good thing. We talk about prayer as if God heard us irrespective of the fact of our relationship to Him (cf. Matthew 5:45). Never say it is not God's will to give you what you ask, don't sit down and faint, but find out the reason, turn up the index. Are you rightly related to your wife, to your husband, to your children, to your fellow-students - are you a "good child" there? "0 Lord, I have been irritable and cross, but I do want spiritual blessing." You cannot have it, you will have to do without until you come into the attitude of a good child.

We mistake defiance for devotion; arguing with God for abandonment. We will not look at the index. Have I been asking God to give me money for something I want when there is something I have not paid for? Have I been asking God for liberty while I am withholding it from someone who belongs to me? I have not forgiven someone his trespasses; I have not been kind to him; I have not been living as God's child among my relatives and friends. (v.12.)

I am a child of God only by regeneration, and as a child of God I am good only as I walk in the light. Prayer with most of us is turned into pious platitude, it is a matter of emotion, mystical communion with God. Spiritually we are all good at producing fogs. If we turn up the index, we will see very clearly what is wrong - that friendship, that debt, that temper of mind. It is no use praying unless we are living as children of God. Then, Jesus says - "Everyone that asketh receiveth."

Monday, August 23, 2010

Full time position open

Account Assistant Position Open

We are currently interviewing for an Advertising Account Assistant to work in the Lakewood Ranch Office. We are looking for a detail oriented, motivated and self started to come join our growing team. Previous experience in the adverting world preferred. Must have great communication skills and be proficient in Word and Excel.

Previous writing and creative experience is a plus. Please send resumes to angie@cactusskyemail.com. To learn more about our company please visit www.cactussky.com

Job Opening

Guys: Re Post: the person we hired could not do the work.

We at Cactus Sky Communications have a job / project opening

One Time Database Manipulation Project

We need someone with reasonable familiarity with Microsoft Excel 2007 to work through a DB with approximately 90000 records and break it down into four component databases.

The work requires sorting the database, then filtering one or more columns and cutting and pasting subsets of data from the master database to one of the four component databases. In many cases, an internet search will have to be performed to decide which of the component databases the subset of data actually belongs to.

The work requires attention to detail and the ability to work reasonably quickly.

If this is something that you think you can help with please call Roger at 941 907 413

Rushing the Field

Rushing the Field from John Eldredge and ransomed heart

A friend of mine (John's) wanted to teach English as a second language in an Asian country, as a way of becoming a sort of undercover missionary. A beautiful dream, one that I'm sure she would have been excellent in fulfilling. But she rushed to the field unprepared in many ways. I don't mean finances and language skills; I mean in the ways of the heart. Lurking down in her soul were some deep and unresolved issues that would set her up for a fall: among them shame and guilt from an abusive past. The team she joined was totally unfamiliar with the new heart, and they doubted its goodness; as with too many Christian ministries, shame and guilt were often used as motivators. Their old covenant theology would play right into Susan's issues, shut down her young heart. Finally, she was unpracticed in spiritual warfare, ill-equipped for what hell would throw at her. The devil is a master at shame and guilt. She went; she got hammered; she came home, defeated. Her friends wonder if she'll ever try it again.

The disaster could have been avoided. Wisdom was crying out: do not rush the field (Luke 14:31); train yourself to discern good and evil (Heb. 5:14); live as though your life is at stake, and the enemy is waiting to outwit you (Matt. 10:16). God has given us all sorts of counsel and direction in his written Word; thank God, we have it written down in black and white. We would do well to be familiar with it, study it with all the intensity of the men who studied the maps of the Normandy coastline before they hit the beaches on D-Day. The more that wisdom enters our hearts, the more we will be able to trust our hearts in difficult situations. Notice that wisdom is not cramming our head with principles. It is developing a discerning heart. What made Solomon such a sharp guy was his wise and discerning heart (1 Kings 3:9).

We don't seek wisdom because it's a good idea; we seek wisdom because we're dead if we don't.

Misunderstood

Misunderstood

Even Jesus endured assault-not the open accusation that he had a wicked heart, but the more subtle kind, the seemingly "innocent" Arrows that come through "misunderstanding."

After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life. But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, Jesus' brothers said to him, "You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world." For even his own brothers did not believe in him. (John 7:1-5)

I think we can relate to that. Did your family believe in you? Or did they believe in the person they wanted you to be? Did they even notice your heart at all? Have they been thrilled in your choices, or has their disappointment made it clear that you just aren't what you're supposed to be? At another point in his ministry, Jesus' family shows up to collect him. "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you" (Luke 8:19). They think he's lost it, and they've come to bring him home, poor man. Misunderstanding is damaging, more insidious because we don't identify it as an attack on the heart. How subtly it comes, sowing doubt and discouragement where there should have been validation and support. There must be something wrong with us.

First Day of School

Dylan's first day of 3rd grade was today and the Principal shared this with us parents so I wanted to share this with any parents with Kids going off to school.



Thoughts at the Bottom of a Beanstalk

(Author Unknown)

Once upon a time there was a little boy named Jack who was about to climb his very first beanstalk. He had a fresh haircut and brand new book bag.

Even though his friends in the neighborhood had climbed this same beanstalk almost everyday last year, this was Jack’s first day and he was a little bit nervous. So were his parents.

Early in the morning they brought him to the foot of the beanstalk. They talked encouragingly to Jack about all the fun he would have that day and how nice his giant would be. For a moment they all stood together, silently holding hands, gazing up at the beanstalk. To Jack it seemed much bigger than it had when his parents had pointed it out on the way to the store last week. His parents thought it looked big too. They swallowed. Maybe they should have held Jack back a year….

Jack walked forward, grabbed a low-growing stem and slowly pulled himself up to the first leaf. Then to the third and soon he had vanished into a high tangle of leaves and stems with never a backward glance at his parents. They stood alone at the bottom of the beanstalk, gazing up at the spot where Jack had disappeared. There was no rustle, no movement, and no sound to indicate that he was anywhere inside.

“Sometimes, they thought, “it’s harder to be the one who waves good-bye than it is to be the one who climbs the beanstalk.”

Jack’s parents wondered how he would do. Would he miss them? How would he behave? Did his giant understand that little boys sometimes acted silly when they felt unsure? They fought down the urge to spring up the stalk after Jack and maybe duck behind a bean to take a peek at how he was doing. “We’d better not. What if he saw us?” They knew Jack was really old enough to handle this on his own. They reminded themselves that after all this was thought to be an excellent beanstalk and that everyone said his giant was not only kind but had outstanding qualifications.

“It’s not so much that we’re worried about him,” they thought, gazing up at the beanstalk. “It’s just that he’s growing up and we’re going to miss him.”

Jack’s parents turned to leave. “Jack’s going to have lots of bigger beanstalks to climb in his life,” they said to themselves. “Today’s the day he starts practicing for them… and today’s the day we start practicing something too; cheering him on and waving good-bye.”

Can you relate?

This weekend I was with a friend and he shared a story with me that really hit home. He was with Billy Graham’s Nephew and he was telling about a fight that he had with his wife and she was lying in bed in the fetal position crying and he got up and walked out of the room to go watch TV and escape.

God hit him as he walked out of the room and said “Look what you are doing” for me it was as if God smacked me as well because I am embarrassed to say that I have been there as well.

In the bible there is only 1 time that God gives us a time limit to do something and that is: Do not let the sun go down on your anger. It is not easy but God never said that it would be, as men, husbands and fathers it is our responsibility to do what is right in Gods eyes even though it is hard.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Prayer Request

Brothers:

Please lift up my nephews wife Amanda, she is in the hospital and may have to have emergency brain surgery tonight. We do not know much but it is very serious and we are asking for your prayers.


Thanks,

Peter

Friday, August 20, 2010

WALKING WITH GOD

WALKING WITH GOD

By David Wilkerson



"Enoch walked with God" (Genesis 5:24). The original Hebrew meaning for walked

implies that Enoch went up and down, in and out, to and fro, arm in arm with

God, continually conversing with him and growing closer to him. Enoch lived 365

years—or, a "year" of years. In him, we see a new kind of believer. For 365

days each adult year, he walked arm in arm with the Lord. The Lord was his very

life—so much so that at the end of his life, he did not see death (see Hebrews

11:5).


Like Enoch, who was translated out of life, those who walk closely with God are

translated out of Satan's reach—taken out of his kingdom of darkness and put

into Christ's kingdom of light: "Who hath delivered us from the power of

darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son" (Colossians

1:13).


Enoch learned to walk pleasingly before God in the midst of a wicked society.

He was an ordinary man with all the same problems and burdens we carry, not a

hermit hidden away in a wilderness cave. He was involved in life with a wife,

children, obligations and responsibilities; Enoch wasn't "hiding to be holy."


"Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him" (Genesis 5:24). We

know from Hebrews that this verse speaks of Enoch's translation, the fact that

he did not taste death. But it also means something deeper. The phrase he was

not, as used in Genesis 5, also means "he was not of this world." In his spirit

and in his senses, Enoch was not a part of this wicked world. Each day as he>

walked with the Lord he became less attached to the things below. Like Paul, he

died daily to this earthly life and he was taken up in his spirit to a heavenly

realm.


Yet while he walked on this earth, Enoch undertook all his responsibilities. He

cared for his family: he worked, ministered and occupied. But "he was not"—not

earthbound. None of the demands of this life could keep him from his walk with

God.


Hebrews 11:5 says clearly: "Before his [Enoch's] translation he had this

testimony, that he pleased God." What was it about Enoch that pleased God so

much? It was that his walk with God produced in him the kind of faith God

loves. These two verses cannot be separated: "Before his [Enoch's] translation

he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible

to please Him" (Hebrews 11:5-6).

We hear this latter verse often, but rarely in connection with the former. Yet throughout the

Bible and all of history those who walked closely with God became men and women of deep

faith. If the church

is walking with God daily, communing with him continually, the result will be a

people full of faith—true faith that pleases God.



All around Enoch, mankind grew increasingly ungodly. Yet as men changed into

wild beasts full of lust, hardness and sensuality, Enoch became more and more

like the One with whom he walked.



"By faith Enoch was translated." This is an incredible truth, almost beyond our

comprehension. All of Enoch's faith was focused on the one great desire of his

heart: to be with the Lord. And God translated him in answer to his faith.

Enoch could no longer bear to stand behind the veil; he just had to see the

Lord.


Our brother Enoch had no Bible, no songbook, no fellow member, no teacher, no

indwelling Holy Spirit, no rent veil with access to the Holy of Holies. But he

knew God!


"He that come to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of

them that diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6).

How do we know that Enoch believed God was a rewarder? Because we know that is the only faith that pleases God—and we know that Enoch pleased him! God is a recompenser, a

remunerator, that is, one who pays well for faithfulness. How does the Lord

reward his diligent ones?



There are three important rewards that come by believing God and walking with

him in faith.



1. The first reward is God's control of our lives. The person who neglects the

Lord soon spins out of control as the devil moves in and takes over. If only he

would fall in love with Jesus, walking and talking with him! God would soon show

him that Satan has no real dominion over him and this person would quickly allow

Christ to control him.



2. The second reward that comes by faith is having "pure light." When we walk

with the Lord, we are rewarded with light, direction, discernment,

revelation—a certain "knowing" that God gives us.


3. The third reward that comes with a walk of faith is protection from all our

enemies. "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper" (Isaiah 54:17).

In the original Hebrew, this verse is translated as: "No plan, no instrument of

destruction, no satanic artillery shall push you or run over you, but it will be

done away with."

Job openning

Guys:

We at Cactus Sky Communications have a job / project opening

One Time Database Manipulation Project

We need someone with reasonable familiarity with Microsoft Excel 2007 to work through a DB with approximately 90000 records and break it down into four component databases.

The work requires sorting the database, then filtering one or more columns and cutting and pasting subsets of data from the master database to one of the four component databases. In many cases, an internet search will have to be performed to decide which of the component databases the subset of data actually belongs to.

The work requires attention to detail and the ability to work reasonably quickly.

If this is something that you think you can help with please call Roger at 941 907 4132

Great Message of Hope

HOPE
by Max Lucado

It's one of the most compelling narratives in all of Scripture. So fascinating is the scene, in fact, that Luke opted to record it in detail.

Two disciples are walking down the dusty road to the village of Emmaus. Their talk concerns the crucified Jesus. Their words come slowly, trudging in cadence with the dirge-like pace of their feet.

"I can hardly believe it. He's gone."

"What do we do now?"

"It's Peter's fault, he shouldn't have ... "

Just then a stranger comes up from behind and says, "I'm sorry, but I couldn't help overhearing you. Who are you discussing?"

They stop and turn. Other travelers make their way around them as the three stand in silence. Finally one of them asks, "Where have you been the last few days? Haven't you heard about Jesus of Nazareth?" And he continues to tell what has happened. (Luke 24:13-24)

This scene fascinates me—two sincere disciples telling how the last nail has been driven in Israel's coffin. God, in disguise, listens patiently, his wounded hands buried deeply in his robe. He must have been touched at the faithfulness of this pair. Yet he also must have been a bit chagrined. He had just gone to hell and back to give heaven to earth, and these two were worried about the political situation of Israel.

"But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel."

But we had hoped ... How often have you heard a phrase like that?

"We were hoping the doctor would release him."
"I had hoped to pass the exam."
"We had hoped the surgery would get all the tumor."
"I thought the job was in the bag."

Words painted gray with disappointment. What we wanted didn't come. What came, we didn't want. The result? Shattered hope. The foundation of our world trembles.

We trudge up the road to Emmaus dragging our sandals in the dust, wondering what we did to deserve such a plight. "What kind of God would let me down like this?"

And yet, so tear-filled are our eyes and so limited is our perspective that God could be the fellow walking next to us and we wouldn't know it.

You see, the problem with our two heavy-hearted friends was not a lack of faith, but a lack of vision. Their petitions were limited to what they could imagine—an earthly kingdom. Had God answered their prayer, had he granted their hope, the Seven-Day War would have started two thousand years earlier and Jesus would have spent the next forty years training his apostles to be cabinet members. You have to wonder if God's most merciful act is his refusal to answer some of our prayers.

We are not much different than burdened travelers, are we? We roll in the mud of self-pity in the very shadow of the cross. We piously ask for his will and then have the audacity to pout if everything doesn't go our way. If we would just remember the heavenly body that awaits us, we'd stop complaining that he hasn't healed this earthly one.

Our problem is not so much that God doesn't give us what we hope for as it is that we don't know the right thing for which to hope. (You may want to read that sentence again.)

Hope is not what you expect; it is what you would never dream. It is a wild, improbable tale with a pinch-me-I'm-dreaming ending. It's Abraham adjusting his bifocals so he can see not his grandson, but his son. It's Moses standing in the promised land not with Aaron or Miriam at his side, but with Elijah and the transfigured Christ. It's Zechariah left speechless at the sight of his wife Elizabeth, gray-headed and pregnant. And it is the two Emmaus-bound pilgrims reaching out to take a piece of bread only to see that the hands from which it is offered are pierced.

Hope is not a granted wish or a favor performed; no, it is far greater than that. It is a zany, unpredictable dependence on a God who loves to surprise us out of our socks and be there in the flesh to see our reaction.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

We have a living Hope...

1 Pet 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.


How can we concern ourselves that much over what happens on this temporary planet when we know that it is all leading us to our eternal destination?

Peter calls that our "living hope," and he reminds us that it is based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If God brought His Son through the most painful trials and back from the pit of death itself, certainly He can bring us through whatever we face in this world, no matter how deep that pit might seem at the time.

So if we want to smile through the tears, if we want to rejoice through times of suffering, just keep reminding ourselves that, as a Christian, what we are going through isn't the end of the story... it's simply the rough journey that leads to the right destination and that is with our Heavenly Father.

Hope is like an anchor. Our hope in Christ stabilizes us in the storms of life, but unlike an anchor, it does not hold us back.

Have a blessed day my brothers

Don't ever give up...ever!!

Someone who loves Kids

Brothers, as you know we are trying to adopt and Jeremiah Guccione is someone we meet through the process, he is the founder of the http://www.heartgallerysarasota.org/ a web site that helps children get adopted.

He is running for office and is someone who would be a voice for the children and they need someone standing for them. Check out his commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2LZc6yJftU

Your Daily Bread: Proverbs 19

Proverbs 19

It is better to be poor and honest than to be a fool and dishonest. Zeal without knowledge is not good; a person who moves too quickly may go the wrong way. People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the LORD. Wealth makes many "friends"; poverty drives them away. A false witness will not go unpunished, nor will a liar escape. Many beg favors from a prince; everyone is the friend of a person who gives gifts! If the relatives of the poor despise them, how much more will their friends avoid them. The poor call after them, but they are gone. To acquire wisdom is to love oneself; people who cherish understanding will prosper. A false witness will not go unpunished, and a liar will be destroyed. It isn't right for a fool to live in luxury or for a slave to rule over princes! People with good sense restrain their anger; they earn esteem by overlooking wrongs. The king's anger is like a lion's roar, but his favor is like dew on the grass. A foolish child is a calamity to a father; a nagging wife annoys like a constant dripping. Parents can provide their sons with an inheritance of houses and wealth, but only the LORD can give an understanding wife. A lazy person sleeps soundly -- and goes hungry. Keep the commandments and keep your life; despising them leads to death. If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD -- and he will repay you! Discipline your children while there is hope. If you don't, you will ruin their lives. Short-tempered people must pay their own penalty. If you rescue them once, you will have to do it again. Get all the advice and instruction you can, and be wise the rest of your life. You can make many plans, but the LORD's purpose will prevail. Loyalty makes a person attractive. And it is better to be poor than dishonest. Fear of the LORD gives life, security, and protection from harm. Some people are so lazy that they won't even lift a finger to feed themselves. If you punish a mocker, the simpleminded will learn a lesson; if you reprove the wise, they will be all the wiser. Children who mistreat their father or chase away their mother are a public disgrace and an embarrassment. If you stop listening to instruction, my child, you have turned your back on knowledge. A corrupt witness makes a mockery of justice; the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil. Mockers will be punished, and the backs of fools will be beaten.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Do you understand Commitment?

Over the past few weeks I have been reflecting (struggling) with “Busyness” and “Committing to God”. Trust is not an issue because I know that my father loves me and is with me, but the verse “Commit your way to the Lord” and “Seek First the Kingdom of God” have been lost in the daily struggles.

Over the weekend I came to understand that it is not about things but it is about people and relationships and for me personally I had gotten wrapped up in wanting more and not being happy with what I had and had made money a God. I share this with you because the word says that confess your sins and be healed, God is not about one step forward and 2 steps back, we stumble and fall and he is there to forgive us and pick us back up.

Today I asked God “HOW” …. How do I commit your way to the lord? And in Psalm 37 in the study section he answered me:

To delight in someone means to experience great pleasure and joy in his or her presence. This only happens when we know that person well. Thus to delight in the lord we must know him better. Knowledge of God’s great lover for us will indeed give us delight.

To commit ourselves to the Lord means entrusting everything- our lives, our families, jobs, possessions to his control and guidance. To commit ourselves to the Lord means to trust in him believing that he can care for us better than we can ourselves.

I want to invite you join me and Commit to building a deeper relationship with our Father by learning more about how he loves us and understanding his plan for our lives. Starting tomorrow we will be refocusing our Thursday Morning Bible study to Proverbs and Psalms. Please join us at 8:15AM at 6371 Business Blvd Suite 108 Sarasota, FL 34240 if you need directions please call 941 907 4132. We are located in Lakewood Ranch just off University about 2 miles east of I75.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Is your life messy

Today in my quiet time I was reading 1 Samuel 7 and in the footnotes it talked about times when God seams to stop talking to you? It goes on to say that if you do not listen when he talks and gives you direction specifically acting on his direction, he will wait to to give you more until you have acted on what he has previously given you. I have been feeling overwhelmed personally and this hit me hard and then I read this:

Our walk with God is much the same process. Often we must go through a messy period of our lives in which all aspects of it are in disarray. It is in these times that God builds a new structure. He might remove some structural timbers in our lives and replace them with new ones. He might even add on another room. And unless this process takes place, we will never see the end product. The goal is more Christlikeness. In order to achieve this in us, He requires a period of removing all that is not of Him. It can be a painful process.

The bible went on to say: " Ask God if there is anything in your life or have you put anything before him?"

Monday, August 2, 2010

Do You Know God's Calling On Your Life?

The Door of Full Surrender
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Monday, August 02 2010

"But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold." Job 23:10

I was recently sitting with the leader of a workplace organization as he described a question he poses to workplace believers. "What if there were two doors to choose from; behind one door was the complete will of God for your life and behind the other door was how life could be according to your own preference. Which door would you choose?" The struggle for most lies in the desire to follow God completely and the fear of what might be behind the door of full surrender. Most of us desire to follow God, but few of us will do it at any cost. We do not really believe that God loves us to the degree that we are willing to give Him complete permission to do as He wills in us.

If we desire to fully walk with Christ, there is a cost. We may give intellectual assent and go along with His principles and do fine; however, if we are fully given over to Him and His will for our life, it will be a life that will have adversity. The Bible is clear that humans do not achieve greatness without having their sinful will broken. This process is designed to create a nature change in each of us, not just a habit change. The Bible calls it circumcision. Circumcision is painful, bloody, and personal.

If God has plans to greatly use you in the lives of others, you can expect your trials to be even greater than those of others. Why? Because, like Joseph who went through greater trials than most patriarchs, your calling may have such responsibility that God cannot afford to entrust it to you without ensuring your complete faithfulness to the call. He has much invested in you on behalf of others. He may want to speak through your life to a greater degree than through another. The events of your life would become the frame for the message He wants to speak through you.

Do not fear the path that God may lead you on. Embrace it. For God may bring you down a path in your life to ensure the reward of your inheritance. "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all" (2 Cor. 4:17)