Friday, May 20, 2011

Where do you fit in? This is a good one to ponder.

coming a Mighty Man
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Friday, May 20 2011

"All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him." - 1 Samuel 22:2

Have you ever felt that you could accomplish a whole lot more if you had more talented people around you? Perhaps you are in an office and think that some of your fellow workers don't quite measure up. Imagine what David must have thought in the years following his anointing by the prophet Samuel as the next king of Israel. He spent the next many years running from King Saul. Now God was beginning to bring men to support David. But what kind of men? The down-and-out. God gave David not the elite or the sophisticated; He gave him those who were in debt and discontented with life. David turned those men into the best fighting men of their day. In fact, David never lost a battle during his entire reign as king of Israel-quite a feat for a bunch of no-name, lowlifes! Some of those men became an elite group known as David's Mighty Men. These were the elite of the elite, the Navy Seals, the Few Good Men, the Green Berets. Whatever you call them, they were exceptional warriors.

Jesus took a few men who weren't exactly the cream of the crop either. He built His life into these men, which resulted in 12 men who turned the world upside down. Are you one of God's mighty men or women? Are you investing your life to build other mighty men or women? David and Jesus set the example of what can be done when we invest in others. God does extraordinary things through men who have an extraordinary God. Ask God to use your life to be a mighty man or woman for a cause greater than yourself. He delights in such prayers.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Monday, May 16, 2011

Thought for the day

1 Timothy 11-12, ". . . Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses."

WORTH WATCHING

This will make your day...

Click on the link above to watch a short movie.

Do you like golf?

• Saturday Golf Outings - one Saturday per month in June, July, and August we will have a golf outing at Heritage Oaks Golf Club. The cost is $25 plus tax for the cart fee. We will have early morning tee times. This is open to all adults and any juniors ages 13 and up are welcome as long as they are accompanied by an adult. You must sign up for each Saturday separately and must sign up one week prior to event taking place. The following dates are scheduled June 18th, July 16th, and August 20th. If interested please sign up on recreation board by the elevator or contact Laura Torrisi at laura@gowoodland.com


• Adult Golf League - Golf will take place on Mondays starting June 13th at the River Club and run through August 15th. The cost will be $10 for the league (one time fee) and $10 cart fee every Monday you play. Play starts promptly at 5:30 pm in shotgun style. We play quota point game. If interested please sign up on recreation board by the elevator or contact Laura at laura@gowoodland.com. Juniors

Host a Summer College Missionary in your Home

• Host a Summer College Missionary in your Home - Woodland has three college young men who will be serving as missionaries in Samoset this summer working out of our OASIS Community Center May 28-August 3. If you have an extra room and can volunteer your home and meals for the summer (or even a month) please contact Banks Corl at 345-7632 or bcorl@gowoodland.com We also need a "loaner" car that one of them can drive for local transportation.

Get Connected

• AFFINITY groups are our summer groups based on your favorite activities, interests, or hobbies. It's a great way to meet other people with common interests! Summer 2011 groups include: Old Cars, Scuba, Tennis, Running, Ballroom Dancing, Adventure Racing, Fishing, Foam Sword fighting, Bowling, Golf, Sand/Beach Volleyball, Young Professionals lunch group, Gardening, Open Art/Photography Studio, Girls Night/Day Out, and more. Get more info and sign up online at gowoodland.com/affinity.

Your Daily Bread

Proverbs 16
We can gather our thoughts, but the LORD gives the right answer. 2 People may be pure in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their motives. 3 Commit your work to the LORD, and then your plans will succeed. 4 The LORD has made everything for his own purposes, even the wicked for punishment. 5 The LORD despises pride; be assured that the proud will be punished. 6 Unfailing love and faithfulness cover sin; evil is avoided by fear of the LORD. 7 When the ways of people please the LORD, he makes even their enemies live at peace with them. 8 It is better to be poor and godly than rich and dishonest. 9 We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps. 10 The king speaks with divine wisdom; he must never judge unfairly. 11 The LORD demands fairness in every business deal; he sets the standard. 12 A king despises wrongdoing, for his rule depends on his justice. 13 The king is pleased with righteous lips; he loves those who speak honestly. 14 The anger of the king is a deadly threat; the wise do what they can to appease it. 15 When the king smiles, there is life; his favor refreshes like a gentle rain. 16 How much better to get wisdom than gold, and understanding than silver! 17 The path of the upright leads away from evil; whoever follows that path is safe. 18 Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall. 19 It is better to live humbly with the poor than to share plunder with the proud. 20 Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the LORD will be happy. 21 The wise are known for their understanding, and instruction is appreciated if it's well presented. 22 Discretion is a life-giving fountain to those who possess it, but discipline is wasted on fools. 23 From a wise mind comes wise speech; the words of the wise are persuasive. 24 Kind words are like honey -- sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. 25 There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. 26 It is good for workers to have an appetite; an empty stomach drives them on. 27 Scoundrels hunt for scandal; their words are a destructive blaze. 28 A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends. 29 Violent people deceive their companions, leading them down a harmful path. 30 With narrowed eyes, they plot evil; without a word, they plan their mischief. 31 Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life. 32 It is better to be patient than powerful; it is better to have self-control than to conquer a city. 33 We may throw the dice, but the LORD determines how they fall.

TGIF today

Sowing in Tears
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Monday, May 16 2011

"Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy." - Psalm 126:5
The most difficult place to keep moving in faith is the place of extreme pain. Extreme pain, especially emotional pain, can become immobilizing to the human spirit if it is allowed to overcome us. The psalmist tells us there is only one remedy for overcoming painful circumstances that will result in joy. We are to sow in the midst of these times. You cannot do this if you live by feelings alone. It is an act of the will. This act requires that we go outside ourselves in pure faith.

I learned this principle during one of the deepest periods of my life. I had lost much that was dear to me. A mature man in the faith admonished me to reach out to others in spite of my own pain. "Invest in someone else," he said. I did not realize what a place of healing and comfort that would become.

"He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him" (Ps. 126:6). Pain can become a source of joy if we take the first step by planting seed. There is a harvest that will come if we sow in the midst of tears.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Thank you God

Marching Into May -

Mission: Discipline

This month we're "Marching into May" by supporting the military and helping you lead your own "little troops" in your family, with tips taken from military family life.

One of the key characteristics that distinguishes military life is the discipline and regiment that organizes how members of the military work together to fulfill the mission. While you certainly don't need to run your home like a boot camp, there are some aspects of military discipline and procedure can be helpful in raising your children!


Learn more

word for today about struggles

An Encounter With God
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Wednesday, May 11 2011

"So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision, I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless." - Daniel 10:8

Daniel received a vision that troubled him greatly. He wanted understanding of this vision. He set himself out to understand the vision by fasting for three weeks. Three days after his three weeks of fasting, a messenger of God appeared to Daniel. The messenger explained that Heaven had heard his prayer from the first day, but the angel was temporarily prevented from coming by the prince of Persia, a demon angel, who sought to thwart God's messenger from coming to Daniel.

There are times in our lives when we must set ourselves to seeking God with all our hearts. It is in these times that we hear from Heaven in ways we may never have experienced before. Daniel's perseverance in prayer was rewarded with a personal encounter with Heaven. However, in order to receive from God, Daniel had to be left alone, have his strength removed, and be placed in a helpless condition. When we have no ability in our own strength to move Heaven or the events around us, we are in position to hear from Heaven. It is the acknowledgment of our humanity and our frailness that places us in a position to have a personal encounter with the living God.

Do you need a personal encounter with God today? Do you need God to intervene on your behalf? Seek Him with all your heart. Demonstrate to Him you are serious. Get alone and acknowledge your helpless condition before Him. He will reward you with His presence.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Abortion

As you may know, we are trying to adopt so I do not like (putting it mild) Abortion and I wanted to share this about what our Government is doing. Just thought you should know:

From our Friends at Concerned Women for America (CWA)

Last week the House of Representatives passed a crucial pro-life bill -- and abortion groups exploded almost immediately in anger.

Nancy Keenan, the president of NARAL Pro-Choice America called it the Republican "War on Women."

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also assailed the bill, calling it "radical assault" on women's choice.

The head of the Center for Reproductive Rights called it an "attack on women's health and rights."

What does the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (H.R. 3.) do? It simply stops taxpayers from being forced to pay for abortions while protecting the conscience rights for medical professionals who do not support abortion. And for this, the pro-abortion leaders are calling the bill a "war on women," a "radical assault," and an "attack!"

Concerned Women for America wants to rally an additional 25,000 signers to their "No Taxpayer Funds For Abortion" petition before the next key votes take place on this issue in the Senate.

CWA is calling on citizens to "speak up," or pro-abortion groups will succeed in framing this debate as a "war on women" when in fact this is all about GETTING THE GOVERNMENT OUT OF THE ABORTION BUSINESS!"

If you want to do something about it click here

Monday, May 9, 2011

Business Mens Bible Study

Guys:

We have now moved to our new office and we have room for a few new members of our Business Mens Bible Study on Thursday morning at 8:15 AM to 9:00. Our new office is right next to Woodland the Community Church on ST Road 70.

We serve Starbucks and the conversation is always relivant.

Please join us at Cactus Sky Communications at 5454 Lena Rd Suite 104. You can call me at 941 756 4975 for directions. or email me at peter@cactussky.com

Hope to see you there.

Peter

Sarasota update

Hello men, this is the men's ministry update for the week of 5/8/11.

Wildmen
We will have a very special evening to wrap up our sessions on forgiveness. This should create a big impact on us all so be sure to come if possible. Dinner is at 7PM with the special session to follow.

REAL Men
WE meet Thursday in the Forum from 6:20-7:30PM. These are very special times of learning, sharing and fellow shipping in a small and enjoyable format.

IRONMEN
We meet this Thursday from 7-9PM in the Auditorium at Sarasota Baptist Church on Proctor Road. We will be dealing with Agreements that we make that limit us from receiving and doing all that God intends. Dinner is at 7PM. This is a very liberating lesson when learned and applied with God's grace.

Boot Camp - Risk - Adventure - Hope
The Boot Camp is being held at Dayspring in Ellenton from 9/22-25/11. The planning is coming along nicely for this new and very exciting Boot Camp experience. You do not want to delay and miss your chance. We are already about 30% sold out which is strong for this far out. You can hold your place for a deposit of $50 now and the balance of $175 by 7/8/11. After that, the price goes up to $275.

Check this out

This is worth the watch. espicially is you like football

Great Movie

Watch now

Friday, May 6, 2011

The value of words.

Value of Words
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Friday, May 06 2011

"And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." - Matthew 5:36-37

Imagine for a moment that you are living in Jesus' time. It is before Jesus has begun His public ministry. He is a carpenter in your local town of Nazareth. You have asked Jesus to make a table for you. You're on a deadline and you must have it in a week. You agree on the price of $100 for the table and the date of one week for completion. A week later you arrive to pick up the table. You lay your money down on the table and Jesus says, "Mr. Johnson, I am sorry but the table is not ready. I ran into complications. Also, I can no longer honor the price I gave you. It is now $150 instead of $100."

Two years later you hear about this same Jesus who is preaching to the local townspeople. How are you going to view this Jesus? You probably won't give much credence to His message because of your personal experience. Our lives have an ability to reinforce the message we stand for, or they can violate it and make it totally ineffective. This literally happens all over the world in different settings with Christian workplace believers. Our message becomes ineffective because we have not done what we said.

I know people who, when they tell me they plan to do something, I can expect them to follow through about 50 percent of the time. I am sure you have had the same experience. Words and commitments are made with little meaning behind those words. However, I know others who will follow through almost every time. The only time they don't is when something falls outside their control. I quickly learn whose words have substance behind them.

There are times when we are unable to perform or deliver what we promised due to outside influences. The key to turning these potentially negative circumstances into a witness for Christ is communication. If we are unable to pay a bill on time, we must communicate with those we owe and make a good faith effort to resolve it within our means. In these cases, God's purposes are being performed as well if we seek to do the right thing.

Do your words mean anything to those who hear them? Do you make commitments and fail to follow through on them? What would others say about how you follow through? Ask the Lord today to show you how you are doing in this area. You might even want to ask three people who are the closest to you how you fare in this area.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

An excerpt from the strangest secret

An excerpt from
The Strangest Secret
by Earl Nightingale
George Bernard Shaw said, "People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, they make them."

Well, it's pretty apparent, isn't it? And every person who discovered this believed (for a while) that he was the first one to work it out. We become what we think about.

Conversely, the person who has no goal, who doesn't know where he's going, and whose thoughts must therefore be thoughts of confusion, anxiety and worry - his life becomes one of frustration, fear, anxiety and worry. And if he thinks about nothing... he becomes nothing.

How does it work? Why do we become what we think about? Well, I'll tell you how it works, as far as we know. To do this, I want to tell you about a situation that parallels the human mind.

Suppose a farmer has some land, and it's good, fertile land. The land gives the farmer a choice; he may plant in that land whatever he chooses. The land doesn't care. It's up to the farmer to make the decision.

We're comparing the human mind with the land because the mind, like the land, doesn't care what you plant in it. It will return what you plant, but it doesn't care what you plant.

Now, let's say that the farmer has two seeds in his hand- one is a seed of corn, the other is nightshade, a deadly poison. He digs two little holes in the earth and he plants both seeds-one corn, the other nightshade. He covers up the holes, waters and takes care of the land...and what will happen? Invariably, the land will return what was planted.

As it's written in the Bible, "As ye sow, so shall ye reap."

Remember the land doesn't care. It will return poison in just as wonderful abundance as it will corn. So up come the two plants - one corn, one poison.

The human mind is far more fertile, far more incredible and mysterious than the land, but it works the same way. It doesn't care what we plant...success...or failure. A concrete, worthwhile goal...or confusion, misunderstanding, fear, anxiety and so on. But what we plant must return to us.

You see, the human mind is the last great unexplored continent on earth. It contains riches beyond our wildest dreams. It will return anything we want to plant.

National day of prayer

Today is the National Day of Prayer. In accordance with 60 years of tradition, our nation's president has issued the following call to prayer.

Throughout our history, Americans have turned to prayer for strength, inspiration, and solidarity.

Prayer has played an important role in the American story and in shaping our Nation's leaders. President Abraham Lincoln once said, "I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for the day." The late Coretta Scott King recounted a particularly difficult night, during the Montgomery bus boycott, when her husband, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., received a threatening phone call and prayed at the kitchen table, saying, "Lord, I have nothing left. I have nothing left. I have come to the point where I can't face it alone." Dr. King said, in that moment of prayer, he was filled with a sense of comfort and resolve, which his wife credited as a turning point in the civil rights movement.

It is thus fitting that, from the earliest years of our country's history, Congress and Presidents have set aside days to recognize the role prayer has played in so many definitive moments in our history. On this National Day of Prayer, let us follow the example of President Lincoln and Dr. King. Let us be thankful for the liberty that allows people of all faiths to worship or not worship according to the dictates of their conscience, and let us be thankful for the many other freedoms and blessings that we often take for granted.

Let us pray for the men and women of our Armed Forces and the many selfless sacrifices they and their families make on behalf of our Nation. Let us pray for the police officers, firefighters, and other first responders who put themselves in harm's way every day to protect their fellow citizens. And let us ask God for the sustenance and guidance for all of us to meet the great challenges we face as a Nation.

Let us remember in our thoughts and prayers those who have been affected by natural disasters at home and abroad in recent months, as well as those working tirelessly to render assistance. And, at a time when many around the world face uncertainty and unrest, but also hold resurgent hope for freedom and justice, let our prayers be with men and women everywhere who seek peace, human dignity, and the same rights we treasure here in America.

The Congress, by Public Law 100-307, as amended, has called on the President to issue each year a proclamation designating the first Thursday in May as a "National Day of Prayer."

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 5, 2011, as a National Day of Prayer. I invite all citizens of our Nation, as their own faith or conscience directs them, to join me in giving thanks for the many blessings we enjoy, and I ask all people of faith to join me in asking God for guidance, mercy, and protection for our Nation.


We at Wildmen would add,

We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what he wants to do in your lives, and we ask him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and you will continually do good, kind things for others. All the while, you will learn to know God better and better.

We also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father, who has enabled you to share the inheritance that belongs to God's holy people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the one who rules in the kingdom of darkness, and he has brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son. God has purchased our freedom with his blood and has forgiven all our sins.

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation. Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see-kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities. Everything has been created through him and for him. He existed before everything else began, and he holds all creation together.

Christ is the head of the church, which is his body. He is the first of all who will rise from the dead, so he is first in everything.

Thank you Jesus for all the blessings that we do have. May we never take them for granted. For everything comes from you. Amen.

We encourage you to join with your Wildmen brothers all over the United States, Thursday May 5th, 2011 at 12:00pm (noon) for 5 minutes of prayer for our nation and each other.
And lastly, don't stop praying. If you'd like to keep current on how you can pray for our nation, visit the presidentialprayerteam.com.

"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." - 2 Chronicles 7:14

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Your invited May 18 free desert

This came from a good friend and I wanted to invite my blogger friends:

Hi! How are you? I trust you are doing well. Thank you for your love, prayer and support of the supernatural work God is doing through LoveServes International.

God has laid it on our hearts to spread His vision for revival by word of mouth and through relationships. We are planning a ?Pie Night? at Troyer?s Dutch Heritage in Sarasota, Thursday May 19th from 7:30pm-8:30pm. THIS IS NOT A FUNDRAISER! Can I get an ?amen?? We realize you know about LSI, but please pray about inviting a friend and enjoy some amazing encouragement about the REVIVAL happening in the Dominican Republic! At the end we will not ask for any donations, but we will give everyone a card to fill out if they would like to learn more about LoveServes and/or take a trip with us.

Consider bringing 1-2 friends earlier for dinner at the restaurant and then join us at 7:30pm for dessert on us!

Here are some suggestions if your friends wonder what you are inviting them to:
• Not a fundraiser, only 60 minutes of powerful testimony about revival in God?s Church!
• Unique ministry God is using to radically transform the local church by applying Ephesians 4:11-12
• God is using LSI to bring sustainable solutions to both physical and spiritual poverty in the Dominican Republic
• Results: Over the past four years 20,000 adults have come to Christ and are being discipled through the churches we are coaching.
• FREE PIE!
*Please RSVP by Tuesday May 17th to Peter Swanson 941-376-0799 or peter@loveserves.org
Thank you friend and God bless.

IN Christ,
Peter Swanson & Martin Newby


The event is at: Troyer's Dutch Heritage is located at 3713 Bahia Vista Street Sarasota FL

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

the last well

WILDMEN!!!!

Did any of you study the last seven words of Christ during Easter? I had never done this and it was new to me. (My Girlfriend) Gale has a tradition in her family to discuss "The Last 7 Words of Christ" every Good Friday. If you don't know, as I didn't; the last 7 words are actually the seven phrases that Christ uttered from the cross. I am only going to discuss one of them here...."...Why have You forsaken me..."

When someone says to you "Amazing Grace...", you would likely immediately think; "..How sweet the sound..." and the next person in the room would likely echo "..that saved a wretch like me..." This is a teaching technique widely used by the Jews to learn religious passages. Christ was using this technique from the cross. From a purely physical perspective Christ could only utter short bursts of speech because his breathing was severely restricted by the process of crucifixion. So all of the "Seven Last Sayings" are very short. Each phrase was very carefully chosen and was intended to remind those present and those of us yet to come, about the parts of the scripture that were fulfilled by his life, crucifixion and resurrection.

The one phrase I am writing about now is "My God, My God; Why have You forsaken Me...?" EVERY Pharisee and those with a Jewish religious background would have immediately recognized that Christ on the cross was intentionally reminding them of prophesy being fulfilled. These words He spoke would have let those listening know that He is referring to the prophesy of the writer of Psalm 22 which begins "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me...". That phrase would have struck fear into the hearts of those listening because it would have lead their minds directly Psalm 22 which tells of the events surrounding the crucifixion and how the events they were witnessing are the fulfillment of the Scriptures. Somewhere some Jewish leader must have been saying to themselves, "...OH NO! He really IS the Son of God..", Just as the Roman Centurion recognized that he was.

I am including Psalm 22 below. Read it and take note of the prophecies fulfilled by Christ on the cross. Imagine how the Jewish leaders must have felt as Christ reminded them of His Deity and His fulfillment of the Scriptures. And this is just one example. I have highlighted a few of the prophesies that jumped out at me.

This exercise reminded me once again about our need to STUDY the WORD....not just read it. (Thanks to Gale).

I LOVE you Guys,
Craig Smoot
941-518-8300

PSALM 22:

1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from my cries of anguish?
2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, but I find no rest.[b]
3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the one Israel praises.[c]
4 In you our ancestors put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried out and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

6 But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads.
8 “He trusts in the LORD,” they say,
“let the LORD rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him.”

9 Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast.
10 From birth I was cast on you;
from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

11 Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.

12 Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
13 Roaring lions that tear their prey
open their mouths wide against me.
14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted within me.
15 My mouth[d] is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me in the dust of death.

16 Dogs surround me,
a pack of villains encircles me;
they pierce[e] my hands and my feet.
17 All my bones are on display;
people stare and gloat over me.
18 They divide my clothes among them
and cast lots for my garment.

19 But you, LORD, do not be far from me.
You are my strength; come quickly to help me.
20 Deliver me from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs.
21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save me from the horns of the wild oxen.

22 I will declare your name to my people;
in the assembly I will praise you.
23 You who fear the LORD, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or scorned
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.

25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you[f] I will fulfill my vows.
26 The poor will eat and be satisfied;
those who seek the LORD will praise him—
may your hearts live forever!

27 All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
28 for dominion belongs to the LORD
and he rules over the nations.

29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
30 Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
31 They will proclaim his righteousness,
declaring to a people yet unborn:
He has done it! (reminds me of."...IT IS FINISHED...").

Monday, May 2, 2011

TGIF today

Tests of the Heart
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Thursday, April 28 2011

"Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands." - Deuteronomy 8:2

Has God performed a heart test on you lately? There are times in our lives when God leads us into the desert in order to let us find out what is in our heart. These times can be very difficult and humbling. They can test our mettle like no other time. Desert times often mean we are living without those things we are normally accustomed to: water, food, limited supplies - and with few comforts. In modern terms, it may mean a different environment. God is performing a very important work during these times. He wants to know if we can be obedient to Him in these times; or will we be obedient only when times are good?

"He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you" (Deuteronomy 8:3-5).

These desert times may mean experiencing new ways of provision from the Lord. Like manna from Heaven, it may mean seeing miracles we've never seen before. Like clothing that never wears out, it may mean seeing your normal capabilities expanded. Like walking hundreds of miles without pain, desert experiences provide new lessons and new experiences that only these times can teach us.

What desert experience has He brought into your life lately? Perhaps it is a lean time in business. Perhaps it is a new environment. Whatever it is, when God decides to bring new disciplines into our lives by bringing us into the desert, do not fear the heat that is sure to come. He is walking beside you in order to test you and find out what is really in your heart. Ask for His grace to pass the test. He wants to bring all of His children into the Promised Land.

From another brother

Hey My Brothers & Sisters;
I am sitting at my computer, I have a screen saver that has the bolded scripture below, and to be honest I may actually read it once a week. (it dose makes one look good to have this on your screen…LOL). Well it just jumped out at me so I pulled up the whole thing. The last part really hit me, Therefore, my brothers and sisters,[a] make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble.
I asked myself if I realize the power I/we have in being believers and what God has given us through his Son.
I hope you all have an amazing weekend and perhaps God will use us in some way that will glorify him and bless those around us.

W


Confirming One’s Calling and Election
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters,[a] make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.