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Do it anyway . . .
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May 19, 2006 12:05 pm
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If you are kind,
People may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful,
You will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank,
People may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building,
Someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness,
They may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today,
People will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have,
And it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis,
It is between you and God;
It never was between you and them anyway.
Author Unknown
How can we not praise Him - Marilyn
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When God Whispers Your Name
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May 19, 2006 11:48 am
1079 Views
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When God Whispers Your Name
It's quiet. It's early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming. In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met. For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day's demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I'm free to choose. And so I do:
I choose love...No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. Today I will love God and what God loves.
I choose joy... I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical... the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.
I choose peace... I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.
I choose patience... I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.
I choose kindness... I will be kind to the poor for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me. I choose goodness...I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess
before I will accuse.
I choose goodness... I choose faithfulness... Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My spouse will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their parent will not come home.
I choose gentleness... Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.
I choose self-control... I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give
thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day is done, I will rest my head on my pillow and listen... for the whisper of my name.
Unknown Author
How can we not praise Him - Marilyn
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Allow God's love to find you ...
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May 18, 2006 2:46 pm
1019 Views
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I want to talk to you a little about salvation today. The Lord showed me that salvation is when you allow God’s love to find you!! Looking back – can you see that? The textbook definition says to save, deliver, make whole, preserve safe from danger. To save is to give eternal life through Christ – to bring someone safely into His Kingdom. Save also means to be found. I don’t know about you but that touched my heart – you know like in the parable of the sheep in Luke 15:1-24 where the shepherd boy went out to find the one lost, forgotten lamb – that is how Jesus looks for you and me – really!! I would like you to see that salvation is a process and that your altar experience when you accepted the Lord into your heart as savior is just the beginning of that process.
Sozo is the Greek word for salvation. The basic meaning of this Greek word is to rescue from peril, to protect, to keep alive – it involves the preservation of life both physical and spiritual – and this includes healing and deliverance and rescue from impending peril or death. Here are some scriptures to back this up. Healing is shown in Matt 9:21-22 – where Jesus heals the woman with the issue of blood and in Mark 10:51-52 where Jesus restores sight to the blind man. Deliverance is shown in Luke 8:26-39 where Jesus sends a legion of demons into a herd of pigs out of a mad man from Gadarenes. Rescue from peril and death is shown in Matt 14:29-31 when Jesus saves Peter while walking on the water and in Matt 8:23-37 where Jesus calms the storm and saves the ship carrying the apostles. Matt 1:21 says “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins.” The Word speaks for itself!
How can we not praise Him - Marilyn
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The Lord is my light and salvation ...
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May 18, 2006 2:39 pm
1042 Views
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Psalm 27:1-9 (NLT): “The Lord is my light and my salvation--so why should I be afraid? The Lord protects me from danger--so why should I tremble? When evil people come to destroy me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. . . . The one thing I ask of the Lord--the thing I seek most--is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord's perfections and meditating in His Temple. For He will conceal me there when troubles come; He will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. Then I will hold my head high, above my enemies who surround me. At His Tabernacle I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music . . . Don't leave me now; don't abandon me, O God of my salvation!” What an awesome promise to stand on!!
How can we not praise Him - Marilyn
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Refiner of Silver
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May 17, 2006 9:32 am
1108 Views
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I ran across this today and thought I would share it with you all:
Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."
This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.
That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.
As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."
She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.
The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy - when I see my image in it."
If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.
Author Unknown
How can we not praise Him - Marilyn
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A few nuggets . . .
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May 16, 2006 11:27 am
1023 Views
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A few nuggets from "Journey of Desire" by John Eldredge:
Page 206 - "Simply unplug from all the clamor, and make room for eternity in your life."
Page 208 - "God is speaking to us more often than we imagine. These are the treasures we must hide in our own hearts . . . for the dark hours that may come."
Page 177 - "All the other desires find their place as we give God his place. That is why the psalmist urges us, "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Ps 37:4). Only as we truly delight in God is it safe to give us our desires, for then they are not likely to become idols. And by our delighting in God, he heals our false desires as our souls come true in the light of their Maker."
How can we not praise Him - Marilyn
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Grace
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May 14, 2006 5:49 pm
Mood: grateful,
1090 Views
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More from David Jeremiah's book "Captured by Grace - No One is Beyond the Reach of a Loving God":
Page 171:
"Grace changes people as nothing else can do. It cleanses the sins of the past. It enables righteousness in the present. And one thing it does for certain: it constantly surprises us. For the essence of grace is surprise. There is nothing shocking about giving people exactly what they deserve. Grace subverts the rules and gives people what they don’t deserve. It is motivated by the warmth of love rather than by cold calculation. Therefore, grace is always doing something we didn’t expect.”
Page 21:
“Such grace can come only from God. It is the gift unsought, unmerited, unlimited. For no matter what we have done, no matter the depth of our transgression, the darkness of our hearts – grace overrules them all. God pursues us relentlessly, He will not give us up, and once He has captured us, He won’t let us go.”
How can we not praise Him - Marilyn
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Manna
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May 12, 2006 10:52 am
1039 Views
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You all have heard of manna – you know the bread of life that God rained down from heaven during the Children of Israel’s 40 year trip through the wilderness to Canaan – the land of milk and honey. Yes, that manna!! Did you know that this manna was rained from heaven on a daily basis and had to be gathered on a daily basis or it would rot if held for more than one day? Did you know that this manna was small and round and white and tasted like wafers made of honey and provided all the necessary nourishment to sustain life? Did you know that manna was placed in a golden pot within the Ark of the Covenant along with Aaron’s rod and the tablets the Ten Commandments were written on? If you don’t believe me just check Exodus chapter 16 and Hebrews 9:4 in the Holy Bible – I’m not kidding you – check it out for yourself.
Well, I have another question for you – did you know that manna is a type and shadow of our precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Really!! I will show you in John 6. John 6:35 says “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that cometh to me shall never thirst.” And it is repeated in verse 48-49 “I am the bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.” And verse 51 says “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world”
Can you see that Jesus is our daily provision? Isn’t that awesome? We can depend on Him to “daily” provide for “all” we need. You know ‘new every morning’ – just like His mercies – manna was also new every morning in Exodus 16:14-15. Are you getting it? Do you see that the manna from the Old Testament was complete nourishment for our physical needs but in the New Testament that Jesus “the Bread of Life (manna)” is complete nourishment for our deepest spiritual needs, our deepest hunger? It’s really just as simple as asking Jesus to come into your life as Lord and Savior and then asking Him to provide for not only your physical needs but your spiritual needs as well. He won’t turn you away if you do this with a sincere heart. Try it you might like it!!!!!!!
How can we not praise Him - Marilyn
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"Captured by Grace"
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May 11, 2006 1:06 pm
1019 Views
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Sharing with you from David Jeremiah's book "Captured by Grace" - page 133.
"Think of it this way. When you have a big problem, ask yourself, "How big is the problem?" Then ask yourself, "How big is God?" I tremendously doubt the time will ever come when you find that the problem is the larger of the two. Kenneth Wuest says it this way:
There is enough grace in God's heart of love to save and keep saved for time and eternity, every sinner that ever has or ever will live, and then enough left over to save a million more universes full of sinners, were there such, and then some more. There is enough grace available to give every saint constant victory over sin, and then some more. There is enough grace to meet and cope with all the sorrows, heartaches, difficulties, temptations, testings, and trails of human existence, and more added to that. God's salvation is an oversize salvation. It is shock proof, stain proof, unbreakable, all-sufficient. It is equal to every emergency, for it flows from the heart of an infinite God freely bestowed and righteously given through the all-sufficient sacrifice of our Lord on the Cross. Salvation is all of grace. Trust God's grace. It is superabounding grace."
How can we not praise Him - Marilyn
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"At An Inconvenient Time"
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May 9, 2006 9:49 am
Mood: peaceful,
1009 Views
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I just received this article and it's just too good not to share - I pray that you are also blessed by it!
Francis Frangipane: "At An Inconvenient Time"
The Lord has multitudes who believe in Him, but only a minority who truly worship Him. True worshipers find their fulfillment in adoring God. The fragrance of their worship rises, not only during the scheduled times of church services, but also during inconvenient times.
A true worshiper will rise early before work or school; they're up before the household is, so they can be alone with God. Instead of being frustrated by delays, they transform difficulties and setbacks into opportunities to magnify God. You might see one of these worshipers sitting in the car next to you during a traffic jam, singing along with Christian music in their car.
A True Worshiper has Learned the Secret of Worshiping God At Inconvenient Times
I, too, find the Lord leading me to worship Him during inconvenient times. I might be alone writing or working on some important project, when something awakens in my spirit. I become aware that the presence of the Lord is near. Yet, He isn't commanding me to worship, He's inviting me. The time of worship may be as little as 10 or 15 minutes, or it might be much longer. Regardless, I turn from what I am doing, pick up my guitar, and begin to worship Him.
Frankly, I am not a good musician; I only know a few chords. Yet as I worship, I know the King of Heaven is actually pleased with my offering. He has granted me an audience, and in some mysterious way, He causes me to feel that the sound of my worship is the only thing He hears as I'm singing.
The Invitation
I, for one, desire my worship to become all-consuming. Yet, I confess that a primary obstacle I must overcome, is the inconvenient timing of His invitation. It seems like He actually waits until I am focused on some important project--something He actually wants me to complete. Sometimes it might be late at night as I am almost asleep, when the opportunity to worship draws near.
Yet, the very fact that I have responded, in spite of the "inconvenience," actually refines and sweetens my worship. Indeed, when I worship in our Sunday service, I admit I can be carried by the sound of the music and the participation of others around me. I am in an atmosphere of worship, so my praise may actually be something imparted to me by others and not purely my own. However, when He comes at an inconvenient time, my response reaffirms that my worship is real, and that God truly is first in my life.
What is also a great pleasure to me (given such short notice), is that He does not expect a large production from me. As wonderful as Sunday worship services are, He is not looking for a professional song service, just something real from my heart.
Another blessing is that my wife will often hear me worshiping and without fail, she will join me. As I worship, I'll soon notice a voice singing alongside me in the background. She's as absorbed as I am in the presence of God. It doesn't matter what she was doing, she loves to bow before God and that, too, sweetens our worship.
Prayer and Worship
There is a difference between prayer and worship. Prayer is an appeal to God based on our needs and the needs of our world. The world is filled with people, each with heartfelt and urgent requests that are welcomed by our Father in Heaven, and they are each heard in the throne room of light. However, worship is not the articulation of our need; it is the consummation of our love. It is what we offer to God regardless of the status of our needs.
Recall the Gospel account of the ten leprous men who cried to Jesus for healing. After the Lord answered their prayers and healed them, they all went their way. One, however, stopped and turned "back, glorifying God with a loud voice. . . he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him" (Luke 17:11-19). Full of gratitude to Christ, this man returned to bow in worship before God. You see, many people will pray, multitudes will find answers, but few will return to Him in worship.
Beloved, if worship flows genuinely from our hearts, the Lord will repeatedly invite us into His presence. His invitation will approach the doorstep of our souls quietly. It will come disguised as a simple desire to love Him. If we follow this desire, it will lead into the presence of God.
As we worship Him, He will grant us inner strength and peace. As we come with thanksgiving, He will refresh us with His love and joy. Let us delight in the privilege of becoming true worshipers of God, even when the opportunity comes at an inconvenient time.
Francis Frangipane Ministries
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- "is a place to come to when you've been damaged or beaten by the storms of life - it's a place of rest, refuge, and restoration - for a time - to receive healing or repair damages, and rest - in the Father's arms - no camping out here indefinitely - it will soon be time to get back out there and be about the Father's business. Yes, you can minister broken but how much more and better can you serve if you are restored and whole?" 
