TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

We all face challenges and obstacles in this life. We all have dreams in our hearts, and at times, it looks like they’re not going to come to pass. During these difficult seasons, we have a choice. We can get negative and discouraged and talk about how things are not going to work out, or we can switch over into praise and thanksgiving which opens the door for God to move on our behalf. A lot of times people think, “I’ll have a good attitude as soon as I get over this health issue.” “Joel, I’ll give God praise when I get through these tough times.” But that’s not how faith works. As long as we’re negative, discouraged and focused on our problems, it limits what God can do. You’ve got to give God praise first, and then the breakthrough will come. You’ve got to change your focus first, and then things will change in your favor. Praise always precedes the victory. Today, if you’ve been dwelling on the wrong things and focusing in the wrong direction, switch over into praise and thanksgiving. Begin to declare that God is good. Declare that He is faithful. Declare His praises and open the door to victory in every area of your life!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father God, today I humbly come before You, lifting You up and magnifying Your holy name. Thank You for Your goodness and faithfulness in my life. I bless You and honor You for Your goodness in Jesus’ name. Amen!

— Joel & Victoria Osteen

Join us Wednesday for Family Movie Night:

Play trailer of the movie

Fathers Day

For all the fathers reading this today, God Bless YOU. I watched the movie Courageous for the 5th time the other day and it really hit me as to the impact that we have on the lives of our children. What hit me the most was when the father said to his son: “I don’t think I started strong but I want to end strong”. It is never too late. My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it. - Clarence B. Kelland Every father should remember that one day his son will follow his example instead of his advice. - Peter Martin I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection. - Sigmund Freud It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons. - Johann Schiller The Man They Want One night a father overheard his son pray: Dear God, Make me the kind of man my Daddy is. Later that night, the Father prayed, Dear God, Make me the kind of man my son wants me to be. - Unknown If you have not heard the song by Sanctus Real called “Lead Me” you need to give it a listen. If you live in the Sarasota Area please join us this Wednesday for a Family Movie Night for the showing of the movie Courageous. Check it out and watch the trailer.

from John

Fierce Mastery Let's come back for a moment to original glory, the glory of God given to us when we were created in his image. So much light could be shed on our lives if we would explore what we were meant to be before things started going wrong. What was it that we were created to do? What was our original job description? God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule." (Gen. 1:26-28) And let them rule. Like a foreman runs a ranch or like a skipper runs his ship. Better still, like a king rules a kingdom, God appoints us as the governors of his domain. We were created to be the kings and queens of the earth (small k, small q). Hebrew scholar Robert Alter has looked long and hard at this passage, mining it for its riches. He says the idea of rule means "a fierce exercise of mastery." It is active, engaged, passionate. It is fierce.

Family movie night

We are hosting a Faimly Movie Night to see the movie Courageous. It is FREE and open to all, check out the link to learn more: http://foryourdailybread.com/courageous/ Watch Trailer

weekend

Before we all go, that is, into our weekends, and the myriad distractions even a day can hold, I wanted to let you know that the event is off to a good start and holy cow this must be an important one because the opposition has almost been ridiculous it is so blatant and bold. One of our team had their home broken into; many of the men had major obstacles/emergencies almost take them out; there’s been sabotage, sleep assault, accusation and blah blah blah I don’t want to give the enemy an ounce of my time. Just wanted to ask you to continue with us in prayer today and through the weekend. “Holy Spirit, we join with you – move us to pray and intercede; we give you permission to move us and remind us and join us together by the Spirit of God. Carry us, Holy Spirit, and make your mighty intercession through us. We worship Jesus Christ and we proclaim his Kingdom here over our lives, over Ransomed Heart, over each team member and their family, over these men now and this weekend’s event. We proclaim Jesus Christ Lord here, in every way, and we summon all the resources of heaven to fill and surround us and this event, in the mighty Name of Jesus Christ. We announce the triumph of God here, through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Thanks gang! The prayer that I sent on Tuesday continues to be a good one to unite over. Bless you! John

From Max

QUESTION #145: In most of my prayers I ask God for things I need each day. These are legitimate needs. (I’m not asking God to make me a millionaire, just to help me pay the mortgage.) Is God really concerned about the necessities of my life? “Give us each day our daily bread” (Luke 11:3). What is this daily bread Jesus spoke of, tucked inside the Lord’s Prayer? A loaf of warm Italian bread on my doorstep every morning? That would be nice. Bread is a staple of every culture. From flat bread to yeast-filled loaves, grain has been mixed with water and oil and placed over a fire by every civilization. What’s the first thing a restaurant brings before the meal? Bread. (Okay, maybe Mexican restaurants don’t, but those chips are made from grain. They’re just fried in oil.) But how about a slight change to the daily menu: “Give us this day our daily mocha chocolate chip ice cream” or “Give us this day our daily beluga whale caviar”? Those are luxuries, not necessities. Sorry, God does not promise those. Bread is a valued necessity, tasty and welcomed, but certainly not extravagant. Jesus tells us to ask for the necessities in life, but does he promise to provide them? Soon after this plea for daily bread, found also in Matthew 6, Jesus presents his famous “Don’t worry” passage: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” (v. 25). God takes care of birds, flowers, and grass and provides the basics they need to exist (vv. 26–30). Why not us? Aren’t we more important than a barn swallow, a multiflora petunia, and a blade of Bahia grass? You bet a loaf of sweet sourdough we are. In that statement comes a promise from God to provide his most important creation on earth with food, clothing, and drink (vv. 25–34). The necessities once again. Jesus tells us to ask, then promises to give us the basics we need to survive. So don’t worry; be prayerful. God has something wonderful for us baking in the oven. Can you smell it?

from John

An Extravagant Offer Jesus points to a field of wheat. Imagine trying to count the number of kernels in one acre. Immeasurable abundance. Turning our gaze to those luxuriant fields, he says, “Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over” (John 12:24 The Message). The point he is making is that he has come to share his life with us. But again, as soon as I say that, the old religious associations rush in to fog the reality. Imagine walking through a rain forest. Diving over a coral reef. Simply look through a microscope at a drop of pond water. Creation is pulsing with life. It is the life of Jesus, given generously for the life of all things. He is called “the author of life,” who personally “sustains all things” (Acts 3:15; Heb. 1:3 nrsv). This is the life he offers us; this is the extravagance with which he offers it. Jesus doesn’t only give his life for mankind, he also gives his life to mankind. It is showered upon us daily like manna.

God's Motives

God's Motives TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman Wednesday, May 30 2012 "He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me." - 2 Samuel 22:20 Questioning someone's motives for their activities can become an overriding response to those to whom we relate. Wrong motives can result in broken relationships, poor business decisions, and falling out of God's will. Sometimes we do not know the motive of another person. It is wrong for us to assume what their motive is until we have confidence that we know their intentions. When we respond or react prematurely, we become judge and jury over them. God has a motive for every one of His children. His desire is to bring us into a spacious place. He wants us to go beyond our borders of safety and security so that we might experience life at a level that goes beyond ourselves. What do you think of when you think of a "spacious place"? No limitations? A large, grassy field? Open air? These are positive images. Sometimes these spacious places encourage us to step out in faith into areas where we've never ventured. Sometimes we need to be rescued by the Lord. When Peter walked on the water, God was inviting him to a spacious place. He went beyond the borders of his boat and ventured into a whole new world. He didn't have complete success in his venturing out, but it was a process that would lead him to the next victory in his faith walk with Jesus. Sometimes failure is what is needed in order to move us to the next level of faith with God. However, we must be willing to fail and let God rescue us. The Lord delights in this process. His motive for His children is always love. It is always to bring us to a new level of trust and dependence on Him

Today we celebrate the brave men and woman that serve and protect this great nation. May we all take a second and give thanks to them and pray that God protects them where ever they are in the world fighting so that we can continue to live under the flag of freedom that they provide. Here is a collection of some quotes to honor our troups: Heroism is not only in the man, but in the occasion. Calvin Coolidge Heroes take journeys, confront dragons, and discover the treasure of their true selves. Carol Lynn Pearson Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened. Billy Graham Four things support the world: the learning of the wise, the justice of the great, the prayers of the good, and the valor of the brave. Muhammad The flag still floats unblotted with defeat! But ah the blood that keeps its ripples red, the starry lives that keep its field alight. Rupert Hughes Valor is a gift. Those having it never know for sure whether they have it till the test comes. And those having it in one test never know for sure if they will have it when the next test comes. Napoleon Bonaparte

Prayer Request

We have all seen on the news and heard the story of Aimee Copeland in Georgia who is fighting for her life and we continue to pray and lift her up. There is someone here locally that is fighting a not so uncommon battle with Cancer and a the over the past few years I have sent out a prayer requests for her and I want to thank you for all of your prayers. Some of you may know Tom and Erilda Waters but may not have known about their battle. They are 2 of the best people I have ever had the privilege of knowing and Erilda is the strongest woman I have ever known and her trust and love of God is inspirational. For the past 8 ½ years Erilda has been battling cancer and right now she is fighting for her life, the cancer has come back with a vengeance and none of the treatments are really making a difference. The prognosis is not good but there is a treatment in Mexico that they have looked into and after praying about it they have decided to give it a try. Tomorrow Tom, Erilda and their 18 year old daughter Tiffany are leaving for Mexico to start the treatments. Please continue to lift them up in your prayers and specifically for favor financially, because this treatment is expensive and not covered by insurance. You can also visit the Facebook page Pray for a Miracle Erilda Waters and give them encouragement. I know that this is a tough time for all of us financially, but we have set up a PayPal account for those who would like to make a donation of any amount to help cover the costs. Please continue to lift them up in your prayers as they start this new journey, we serve a God of miracles and I know that he hears our prayers. You can go to paypal.com and send donations to Kathryn Waters c/o peter@getdirectemail.com this is a PayPal account that has been established for the Victory Fund. Thank you and may God Bless you and your family,

get back on track

Do Whatever Brings You Back to Your Heart and the Heart of God Against the flesh, the traitor within, a warrior uses discipline. We have a two-dimensional version of this now, which we call a "quiet time." But most men have a hard time sustaining any sort of devotional life because it has no vital connection to recovering and protecting their strength; it feels about as important as flossing. But if you saw your life as a great battle and you knew you needed time with God for your very survival, you would do it. Maybe not perfectly-nobody ever does and that's not the point anyway-but you would have a reason to seek him. We give a halfhearted attempt at the spiritual disciplines when the only reason we have is that we "ought" to. But we'll find a way to make it work when we are convinced we're history if we don't. Time with God each day is not about academic study or getting through a certain amount of Scripture or any of that. It's about connecting with God. We've got to keep those lines of communication open, so use whatever helps. Sometimes I'll listen to music; other times I'll read Scripture or a passage from a book; often I will journal; maybe I'll go for a run; then there are days when all I need is silence and solitude and the rising sun. The point is simply to do whatever brings me back to my heart and the heart of God. The discipline, by the way, is never the point. The whole point of a "devotional life" is connecting with God. This is our primary antidote to the counterfeits the world holds out to us.

Warning about Dan Savage

Today I saw and scary video on youtube of a man named Dan Savage and he was talking to high school students about gay marriage and he was radical. Please take time to talk to your children about the issue because there are people like him that will twist the word of God and attack Christians and what is most alarming is that he was allowed a platform to talk to students. I pray that God touches his heart and that he is led to see the truth, and that our school officials will have discernment and not allow false teachers influence our young.

when things get tought

Thank God for being able to see all that you have not yet been. You have had the vision, but you are not yet to the reality of it by any means. It is when we are in the valley, where we prove whether we will be the choice ones, that most of us turn back. We are not quite prepared for the bumps and bruises that must come if we are going to be turned into the shape of the vision. We have seen what we are not, and what God wants us to be, but are we willing to be battered into the shape of the vision to be used by God? The beatings will always come in the most common, everyday ways and through common, everyday people. There are times when we do know what God’s purpose is; whether we will let the vision be turned into actual character depends on us, not on God. If we prefer to relax on the mountaintop and live in the memory of the vision, then we will be of no real use in the ordinary things of which human life is made. We have to learn to live in reliance upon what we saw in the vision, not simply live in ecstatic delight and conscious reflection upon God. This means living the realities of our lives in the light of the vision until the truth of the vision is actually realized in us. Every bit of our training is in that direction. Learn to thank God for making His demands known. Our little “I am” always sulks and pouts when God says do. Let your little “I am” be shriveled up in God’s wrath and indignation–”I AM WHO I AM . . . has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14). He must dominate. Isn’t it piercing to realize that God not only knows where we live, but also knows the gutters into which we crawl! He will hunt us down as fast as a flash of lightning. No human being knows human beings as God does.

from Mark

Dear Friends, This weekend is set aside for the men of a young church, River Oaks Community Church, St. Augustine, FL. The men will go through Epic. Each man attending needs your prayer support. This young church (ROCC) has already impacted the oldest historical U.S. city and one of the most spiritually embattled communities in America, St. Augustine, FL. Talk about strong-holds. There are many different nations and cultures that have flown their flag over St. Augustine. The ROCC church is literally an outpost. It is a privilege to have this weekend to encourage each man as together the men of ROCC seek to have their "Band of Brothers" raise God's banner in St. Augustine once again. The ROCC men need your prayers as God prepares their hearts for so much more then they could dream or imagine. The men are seeking God about how they individualy and as a church should move, lead, serve and further the Kingdom of God at home and in their community. They seek clarity and light ! We ask for your prayer to stand with us and with the men from the River Oaks Community Church in St. Augustine as we gather outside of Gainesville, FL at Tom's House to listen carefully to Jesus Christ and see the Larger Story that God is inviting men into. But there are distractions and spirits attempting to dissuade men from arriving at this strategic beach head of forgiveness where men will land Friday evening through Saturday evening. And yes there are strong-holds to bind, thank you for confronting them with us. We are taking several passes on this before the men arrive. After writing this email to you, men here in Largo, FL are meeting at local International House of Prayer (iHop) to pray. Thank you for joining us where ever you are located. This mission is orientation to the gospel, to listening carefully and to our larger story. So the men together would see The Road Before Them. My heart is stirred by a noble theme, as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer. Psalm 45:1 Please remember that their are families and a church outpost to pray for too. In 1 Thessalonians chp 2 Paul wanted to go and do more but was prevented by Satan. We too (this weekend's team is Jan, Brian, Tom and I) want to do all that God intends. So as you pray please stand against anything that would prevent us from serving and bringing everything for the ROCC men. Father, we bring the work of Jesus Christ and his shed blood over this Epic event, over the ROCC men, over the Wildmen Team, over Tom's House and over the teaching. May men listen carefully to Jesus has he comes, and minister thru your Holy Spirit. For the ROCC men, I pray too that; God has been preparing them for their whole life for this weekend". May everyone this weekend have eyes to see and ears to hear what God has written on their hearts. And for each of our dear praying friends, for you, May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts! Love Always, Mark Woods www.wildmenministry.com PS please also continue to cover in prayer the Ransomed Heart team through Monday specifically against the enemy's retaliation for their excellent Kingdom work last weekend - Thank you !

False Reverence This motive—reverence for God—is a slippery one. This lets in a great deal of the clutter that gets between us and God, because it seems like the proper thing to do. “Papa, I come to you this morning” has a totally different feel than “Almighty God and Everlasting Father.” Even if you do not start out that way, addressing God with a coat-and-tie formality you would never have wanted between you and your dad will end up starching the relationship. “Papa” is what Jesus gave us. “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ . . . Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father’” (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6). The point is not the words; the point is the fruit, their effect. Stained-glass language reflects a view of what Jesus is like; it shapes our perceptions of him and, therefore, our experience of him. Whatever the term may be, just ask yourself: Does this sound like his actual personality? Does this capture his playfulness, infuriating the Pharisees; his humanity, generosity, and scandalous freedom? Does this sound like the Jesus at Cana, at dinner with “sinners,” on the beach with the boys? These ways of speaking about Jesus perpetuate distorted views of his personality and keep Jesus at a distance, the polar opposite of the intimacy his entire life was committed to. It makes it hard to love him. This stuff actually gets in the way of loving Jesus. Listen—you can honor him, respect him, insist that others do, and never actually love Jesus. This is not what he wanted. False reverence is a choice veil of the religious fog. It will bring a shroud between your heart and his.

Let's Major in God

Let's Major in God David just showed up this morning. He clocked out of sheep watching to deliver bread and cheese to his brothers on the battle-front. That’s where David hears Goliath defying God,. . . . Read the ?rst words he spoke, not just in the battle, but in the Bible: “David asked the men standing near him, ‘What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?’” (1 Sam. 17:26 niv). David shows up discussing God. The soldiers mentioned nothing about him, the brothers never spoke his name, but David takes one step onto the stage and raises the subject of the living God. . . . No one else discusses God. David discusses no one else but God. . . . David sees what others don’t and refuses to see what others do. All eyes, except David’s, fall on the brutal, hate-breathing hulk. . . . The people know his taunts, demands, size, and strut. They have majored in Goliath. David majors in God. He sees the giant, mind you; he just sees God more so. Look carefully at David’s battle cry: “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel” (1 Sam. 17:45). — origiginally printed in Facing Your Giants Lord God, train us to walk on your path. Teach us to see you in situations that are dangerous and difficult. Like David, when we are surrounded by overwhelming challenges may our thoughts and words turn first to you. Rather than discuss the problem, remind us to discuss you. May our first thought in the morning and our last thought at night be centered on you. Rather than worry about the impossibilities, let us major in your mighty power. When we am tempted to look at the giants in our lives, we will choose to look at you, amen. Let the God of my salvation be exalted! Psalm 18:46 We walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7

Hebrews

Hebrews 12:11 How happy are tested Christians, later. There is no deeper calm than that which follows the storm. Who has not rejoiced in clear shinings after rain? Victorious banquets are for well-accomplished soldiers. After killing the lion we eat the honey; after climbing the Hill Difficulty,1 we sit down in the arbor to rest; after traversing the Valley of Humiliation, after fighting with Apollyon, the shining one appears, with the healing branch from the tree of life. Our sorrows, like the passing hulls of the ships upon the sea, leave a silver line of holy light behind them "later." It is peace, sweet, deep peace, that follows the horrible turmoil that once reigned in our tormented, guilty souls. Consider, then, the happy condition of a Christian! He has his best things last, and therefore in this world he receives his worst things first. But even his worst things are "later" good things, hard plowings yielding joyful harvests. Even now he grows rich by his losses, he rises by his falls, he lives by dying, and he becomes full by being emptied; if, then, his grievous afflictions yield him so much peaceable fruit in this life, what will be the full vintage of joy "later" in heaven? If his dark nights are as bright as the world's days, what shall his days be? If even his starlight is more splendid than the sun, what must his sunlight be? If he can sing in a dungeon, how sweetly will he sing in heaven! If he can praise the Lord in the fires, how will he extol Him before the eternal throne! If evil be good to him now, what will the overflowing goodness of God be to him then? Oh, blessed "later"! Who would not be a Christian? Who would not bear the present cross for the crown that comes afterwards? But here is work for patience, for the rest is not for today, nor the triumph for the present, but "later." Wait, my soul, and let patience have her perfect work. 1Pilgrim's Progress

What do you want

What Do You Want?
05-11-2012 10:22:30 AM


Sit with that question just a minute; did you immediately dismiss it as not being important? I am sure some of my more materialistic readers might have said a boat or a car, but I think it boils down to one thing, most of us desire to be loved. So how do we solve the problem of not feeling worthy of love itself. Imagination and dreaming are two of the best elixirs in learning how to love you. Without them self-pity and codependency reign in your life. We must have dreams. Attaching yourself to someone else's dreams only deepen the roots of unhappiness and unworthiness. We have to dig deeper into the question, "what do you want?"

Music is a huge part of my life and one of the things that helps open my mind to dreaming and desires. One day while listening to the song Watch Over You by Alterbridge, a haunting lyric caught me off guard. The lyric goes like this, "How can you love someone, and not yourself?" You can't!

So what are the answers to these questions for you?

What do you want from your spouse?
What do you want from your children? Your family?
What do you want from your career?
What is the meaning of your life?
Is your life turning out like you hoped?
What do you want from God?

Quit asking everyone what they need from you. This may sound selfish, but I promise if you are running on an empty tank, and only loving others from a heart of obligation, then you are not really loving them at all.
To truly begin to receive from life you must take the time to wrestle with these questions. You see love is an action, and the best show of love you can do for yourself is to act on your dreams and desires. There will be times this will feel really tough, and you will hit roadblocks and failures, but they are just a part of the process of loving yourself. If you can love yourself through failure you can love yourself through anything.

So, what do you want?

Recent Blogs:
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Peepholes
Apology

We still need your help with our cause to build a water well in Africa for Paul. If you haven't heard the story read the link below.
Water for Paul-The Power of Story

Prayer Request from news story

This morning on the radio I heard this story and as a parent my heart went out to Andy. He is a brother that needs our prayers here is his story:

Tuesday afternoon my 24-year old daughter Aimee suffered a laceration to her calf when a zip-line broke near Carrollton, GA. The ER at Tanner Medical treated and released her with 22 staples in her calf. Aimee is a student at West Georgia University, where she is in the process of completing her Master’s Degree. She remained in Carrollton, despite my efforts to get her to return to Snellville where her mother and I could supervise her recovery.

Wednesday, Aimee complained of severe pain (the doctors only advised her to take Motrin and Tylenol) so she went back to the ER to get a prescription for Darvocett. This alleviated her symptoms until she complained of additional pain on Thursday. Aimee went to the doctor and received a prescription for antibiotics and posted a clean MRI report. Again, she was treated and released.

Friday morning Aimee was pale and weak, so a friend carried her to Tanner Medical immediately. Upon arrival, the ER physician diagnosed her with necrotizing fasciitis in her damaged leg. The fasciitis had spread beyond the injured area to her hip and thigh. The surgeons advised me that they wanted to try to save her leg, but at this point saving her life took precedence. They removed all of the infected tissue and advised that she would have limited, if any use of her leg. They also called for a life flight to the JMS Burn Center in Augusta, which has the most advanced infection care unit in the state.

Upon arrival at JMS, Aimee was once again rushed into surgery and the doctors completed a high-hip amputation of her left leg. They were also forced to remove tissue from her abdomen. As if this wasn’t enough, Aimee arrested when they moved her from the operating table, but they were able to successfully resuscitate her. The doctors say that Aimee’s probability of surviving the night is bleak. All we can do and all we have done is pray.

I type this factual progression of Aimee’s condition as a way to better cope with what is without a doubt the most horrific situation that a parent can possibly imagine. We take so much for granted in life, but I never imagined that one of my daughters would face this most unlikely of situations. I hope and pray that when you read this that the news we receive at sunrise will be positive. At this point, no news is good news, but all I know to do is hope and pray for the best. I only ask that you all do the same.

God bless.

Andy

please visit his facebook page: Believe and pray for a miracle to happen for Aimee Copeland

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