YOU TOOK MY SPACE AT CHURCH

This should wake us up.
One day, a man went to visit a church, He got there early, parked his car and got out. Another car pulled up near the driver got out and said, "I always park there!

You took my place!"

The visitor went inside for Sunday School, found an empty seat and sat down A young lady from the church approached him and stated, "That's my seat! You took my place!" The visitor was somewhat distressed by this rude welcome, but said nothing.

After Sunday School, the visitor went into the sanctuary and sat down. Another member walked up to him and said, “That's where I always sit! You took my place!" The visitor was even more troubled by this treatment, but still He said nothing.

Later as the congregation was praying for Christ to dwell among them, the visitor stood up, and his appearance began to change. Horrible scars became visible on his hands and on his sandaled feet. Someone from the congregation noticed him and called out, "What happened to you?" The visitor replied, as his hat became a crown of thorns, and a tear fell from his eye, "I took your place.."

From Beth, one of my daughter in law. Internet

BUT RUTH SAID:

Ruth 1:16-17
Entreat me not to leave you,
Or to turn back from following after you;
For wherever you go, I will go;
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people,
And your God, my God.
Where you die, I will die,
And there will I be buried.
The Lord do so to me, and more also,
If anything but death parts you and me.

And Naomi said to her two daughter-in-laws, "Go, return
each to her mother's house. The Lord deal kindly with you,
as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant
that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband."
So she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.

Ruth 1:8-9

As the rest of the story goes, Orpah did go back to her
people but Ruth stayed with Naomi, not willing to leave
her alone. God blessed her in a magnificent way!

Often, when the noise and chaos of our surroundings gets
to overwhelming proportions, I remember a book I once read
about a family whose three daughters had drowned while
playing together on an iced-over pond.

The mother, when hearing people innocently complain, would
think of how much she would give to have her home, now
painfully neat and quiet, again filled with the noise and
chaos that comes with the presence of children.

My prayer immediately becomes: "Lord, help me to deal with
our precious children not in frustration but in Godly love,
and accept that a little mess and noise always comes with
the territory!"

God Bless You!
Annie
mailto:annie@gophercentral.com
Email Annie

WHO DO YOU BLAME?

I Pet 2:1; Colossians 3:8, 12-14, 25

Who do we blame for all the troubles in our lives? Past and present and probably the future as well? How easy it is to believe every thing one person says, not taking into consideration that there is always two sides to every story. It does take 2 people to make a mess of things It is never just one persons fault but yet we can't seem to let go of the fact that the one is always right. Which, of course, means the other is always wrong. Is that how you feel?

Sometimes it is so hard to remember that we have our faults. It is so easy to what others do wrong but it seems that we can't see beyond our nose with it come to laying the blame. It seems we feel we are blameless. I'm not. I see only black and white, there is no gray area for me. It is either right or wrong. No in between. Oh yes, I am set in my ways all right. That was the way I was raised.

rECj wrote once that we should take a pen and paper and take a long, hard, good look at ourselves and write down the good and bad. That's not easy to do. Why? Because we don't want to see us for what we really are. A sinner saved by the Grace of God. Nothing more, nothing less. There are like Jesus said many that cry Lord, Lord. His answer is depart from me ye workers of iniquities. I never knew you. Anyway, I did as she asked, this is what I came up with,
I love God
I love my children and grandchildren
I love to cook and bake
I love to wash clothes
I am good at keeping secrets
Yep, that's it. Now, as to the bad in me. Well, we just don't have the room or time for all them. I say what I mean and mean what I say. Once I think I am right there is no turning back for me. But, you know I don't have a problem with admitting I used to place the blame on others as well. Not anymore. I left the path that I was not raised to follow. No one made me do it. I choose to do so. I even blamed God for many years for taking my daddy when I was 3 years old. I have been shown by God that it was for my own good that He took daddy. No more blame there.

My brother in law says that I shouldn't be so subtle which is saying that I am too out spoken. Oh yea I am. If I think it I usually say it. Which is not always the right way to do. Then I have to go repent. I sometimes wonder how God has time for anyone else. I take up so much of His time asking for forgiveness. He grants it to me. If only it was that easy with people.

Please, lets just a minute the next time we catch ourselves saying or doing something to blame others, to look at us and see what part we played in the misery we find ourselves. Also, remember the very thing you blame or see fault in others will come home to roost and you will exactly how they felt. Believe it or not. It is up to ya.

Let’s don't be afraid to be the first to say, "I'm sorry or please forgive me." But, only if we are sincere. It really don't matter who was wrong, we are still guilty for our part in the miseries that surround us. I know I am to blame for all those around me.

Jesus is Love, He commanded us to love. Love as He does and He will be happy with us. That is what is important. Living for Him.

God's blessings to each of you,

LJG/rECj

I SEE DAYLIGHT-I'M GONNA MAKE IT AFTER ALL

song on radio}

Joshua 6:1-26 (King James Version)

I did not get the name of that song, nor the name of the singers. The song did though get me to thinking of the joy we have when we do see that answer we have believed for. The light has finally dawned and we can see that which we have believed for. We can shout for what the Lord has done.

I had to think on that a bit. If I pray and believe then why do I not shout for joy that He is answering my request! The Bible tells us that we are to believe and we shall receive. Ask, believing.

Last night I ran into a problem and called my dear LJG, she did not hesitate for a moment, saying I can do that. Well on the phone together she tried and nothing happened, she was getting blocked, but we knew it should work and we did not stop. Finally at last the miracle that we knew was suppose to happen happened. We believed from the start that it would happen. When problems arose we both were saying NO, this is going to work. And it did.

The entire time we were working on the problem we were in agreement that yes it will work, in fact if anything the more things rose against us the more excited we became that it would work.

God brought this to my attention. He said “You never doubted for a moment, even when it didn’t look possible”. We were excited in spite of things looking like it wouldn’t happen. That is the way we need to be in every request we put before the Lord. We held onto the YES that it was going to work.

We enjoy seeing the light, but our faith is believing when there is no light. God is not going to answer us in a way that is easy to the eye. He wants us to know, to sit back and say that had to be the Lord.

I think of the walls of Jericho. God could have spoke and those walls would have come down. It was in faith that those men walked for 7 days. It was in faith that they shouted and all came down. They did not have the light, they only had the promise, and then the promise of what. They were told only to walk, and they walked.

Recj/LJG

SUNDAY EDITORIAL

PLEASE THINK OF OTHERS

I miss so much having the computer at home. I can go in early to work and use the computer room there, but the children see me and want to come in the room. I have gone to the library and it seems that someone with heavy perfume wants to sit beside me. And that is my column for the day.

Ladies and Gentlemen would you please stop pouring on the cologne? Have you ever heard ‘a little dab will do ya?” Maybe we were born in the wrong day and time, but honestly it is the old as well as the young. We were brought up that a lady should leave a faint scent after she had walked by.

Nowadays you can smell someone coming before you see them. We use perfume, we like to smell nice, but please could you down play it a little. It is bad when we start sneezing and you don’t realize it is you. There was this one lady at an old job that laughed because of my allergies. No, it is not allergies it is you I really wanted to say to her.

It is same with food. We really do not want to go to work and smell your pig feet, nor do we really want to watch you eat them. The same goes for tripe, and pickles. There are just some things that you should do at home.

While we are at it, let’s talk about the music you listen to in your car, or in your front yard across the street from our homes. We really do not listen to that kind of music, but we agree you have a right to listen to what makes you happy. Now maybe we are crazy but why should we have to listen to your choice of music? Turn it down! I have often wondered what my neighbors would do if I sat the speakers up in front yard and pumped the volume up on Bach, or some good church music.

Which leads me to those cell phones. It took a long time for both of us to get one, in fact somebody else bought both of ours. There is only one person who has a song that I like to hear and it is crazy, it is actually about the swiggly line in your eye. The point is we do not want to listen to 4 minutes of music especially music that we would never listen to begin with. That is why we hang up. And why do you set your phones to ring to music, loudly. We admit there have been a few times we have forgotten to put the thing on vibrate, but unless you are at home or in your car please turn it off.

There were bad things going on when we were young many years ago. The thing is people did those things in their house not in the front yard or down the street. So listen to your music, wear an entire bottle of cologne, just do it in your home so it doesn’t bother us.

God Bless Indeed
Recj/LJG

SATURDAY EDITORIAL

PRAYER BASICS

Every activity in life has basic rules that must be followed before success can be achieved. For example, if you want to play the game of baseball, you would not use the rules that govern the game of football. You can’t get to first base, let alone make a home run without a bat. You’ll just stand at home plate watching the ball whiz by and strike out every time.

The same principle is true when it comes to prayer. There are basic rules that must be followed in order to have a winning prayer life. Without them, you will continually strike out and never achieve God’s will for your life.

Prayer has been defined as “communication with God.” Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus demonstrated the importance of staying in constant communication with His Father. Because prayer was His lifestyle, Jesus always knew where He was going and what He would say and do when He got there. Through His example, we know that the very first rule about prayer is that we need to do it!

Hebrews 5:7 in the Amplified Bible says, “In the days of His flesh {Jesus} offered up definite, special petitions {for that which He not only wanted but needed} and supplications with strong crying and tears to Him Who was {always} able to save Him {out} from death, and He was heard because of His reverence toward God {His godly fear, His piety; in that He shrank from the horrors of separation from the bright presence of the Father}”

Now, if the matchless Son of God offered up “definite, special petitions” for what he “not only wanted but needed” shouldn’t we follow His example and do the same? Notice that the Word doesn’t say that Jesus’ prayer was heard because He was the Son of God. It says that His prayer was heard because of His reverence toward God.

Jesus said, “…The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do; for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise…I do nothing of Myself; but as my Father hath taught Me. I speak these things. And He that sent Me is with Me; the Father hath not left Me alone, for I do always those things that please Him” {John 5:19, 8:28-29}

While talking with a friend about the importance of prayer, I said, “It’s not that God won’t, it’s that we don’t” Why? Because the devil convinces us that God won’t answer our prayers, so we don’t even bother to pray. How many victories were never won because we failed to go to God for help in the time of need? Realize today that it is not that God won’t, but rather that we don’t.

Excerpt from the Covenant by Cathy Duplantis

CHEWING, SWALLOWING, AND DIGESTING

God made us, so He knows what’s best for us. That’s why He gave us a Bible. Every book and chapter of the Bible are God-breathed messages to you to help you out in life. That’s why it is so important to read it!

Some people think that they’re a mature Christian because they’ve been in church for so many years. But maturity comes by how much of the Word you receive and apply in your life; not just by how much you hear or read. There are a lot of people who’ve heard Bible teachings for forty years and are still babies when it comes to the things of God. They don’t ever let it digest and become a part of their daily living.

Sunday sermons are like food that they put in their mouth, chew a little bit, and then spit out once they hit the door. The never swallow it. Others may swallow it and then throw it up after a few days! Those are some bulimic Christian babies! They never give the Word a chance to digest before they’re sticking their fingers down their throat, vomiting up what they heard. Consequently, their lives never really change.

That’s how you get theologians who know so much about the Bible, but are as lost as a goose in the fog, when it comes to really knowing God. That’s how the Pharisees you read about in the Bible were. Jesus called them “snakes, hypocrites, and vipers” for a reason. They were religious, but they’d lost the spirit of the message, or maybe they never had it! Either way, they weren’t digesting anything they heard.

Excerpt from the Covenant by Jesse Duplantis

CHRISTIAN MEDITATION

Have you ever heard of meditating? Other religions do it all the time. To get some clarity, they might chant something in another language or use some words that don’t mean much, but give them something to concentrate on while they’re sitting there on the floor being quiet and breathing. It’s a lot of huffing, puffing, and relaxing to calm the mind and body.

That’s not the kind of meditating I’m talking about.

Christian mediation doesn’t concentrate on the physical body as much, and it isn’t about deep breathing and repeating some mantra to relax. The focus is on the actual words, and those words are God’s Words. The Bible says that God’s word is a living thing.

It’s active.
It’s powerful.
And it has the power to change circumstances.

Christian meditation will calm your mind and emotions down. Your body will naturally respond to it, but is focus is on renewing your mind to what God’s word says. It’s about focusing your mind, will, and emotions on the living, active, and powerful Scriptures. And you can do it anywhere or anyway you want.

I meditate on Word while I’m jogging. Sometimes I just talk to God, but a lot of times I’ll run over a certain Scripture or series of Scriptures in my mind while I’m exercising. The exercise cleans out my body; the meditation clears my head and feeds my spirit with truth.

I always tell people that setting aside a portion of time in your day just to pray and meditate on God’s Word is a good thing to do. But if you don’t have a portion of time to set aside for this, just start wherever you are. If all you have for is meditation on a few Scriptures during your morning commute, do it. If you can pray and meditate on a Scripture while your cutting your grass, washing your dishes, doing your laundry, or sitting in traffic, do it then. Thinking about God’s Word will help you to clear out the mental and emotional static so you can hear God’s voice more clearly. What you focus your attention on always makes a difference in your life.

Excerpt from the Covenant by Jesse Duplantis

DIFFERENT STROKES/DIFFERENT FOLKS

Remember we spoke of being outspoken? Let us look closer at this person. When we think of someone outspoken in the world, we think hard, fierce, and severe even. Look at the same person saved and pliable and what do we see? We see someone that is sensitive and caring, while speaking the truth they do not try to hurt the feelings of others. This person is able to accept others opinions and allow others to speak and teach them. This person has become pliable, they know that is not them, but the strength of God that is doing the speaking.

All are not called to preach, nor teach. It takes many different people to make up a body. In fixing a minor repair it might be nice to have a jack-of-all-trades, but in building a home that will stand it is best to hire an individual that is a specialist in one area. That means you need a plumber, a mason, an architect, do not forget the land has to be prepared, lines for drainage dug, the list goes on.

All this is needed so that the house can be built properly. Now we both would love to have a home built, but neither of us is capable of building a home. We cannot build a house. We have said it before and will say it again, not everyone is called to do everything. Just because you think you can do it, does not mean you should be doing it.

Pray and seek the Lord. We promise if you do that He will let you know what you are suppose to be doing. We can think of many great men and women of Christ that were called to do things and said Lord I am not able. God gave them the ability to do what He wanted them to do. We can name people that have a talent in one area, but God sent them on another path.

The important thing to remember here is that whatever God has in mind for you to do, He will empower you to finish what He started.

God Bless Indeed
Recj/LJ

BREAKING OUR WILL

God will use many ways to break down a person’s self will. God wants us to come to a place where we do not live by our own will, but by the mercy of God.

God created us with our different personalities. If we are outspoken, we are to be outspoken under the wisdom of God. But if we need to be broke from our outer man, God can use many ways to break that hold on us. God will allow things to come against us, until we see that we ‘live by the mercies of God.’

Have you ever thought Sister So and So or Brother Anyone always seems to have it easy? We are sure you have heard the expression, ‘favor ain’t fair?’ Favor does not seem to be fair but it is always what is needed.

The Spirit deals with different people in different ways and at different speeds. Some receive relentless strikes, others He deals with for a time and then gives a period of rest. The one thing that is the same is He always scourges those whom He loves. It may hit different spots but the goal is the same.

John 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Here we go back to the garden. A plant can look full and beautiful, producing fruit. The gardener knows that by cutting that plant to the ground, the plant will come back even stronger. How much more so the plant that has vines of weeds tangled up in it. It is fruitful to the plant to remove not only the vine but sometime even the branches the vine is wrapped around.

We have to become pliable, this is the mark of a broken man. A broken man is pliable before God. Think of a house with all its support beams removed, there is nothing physical to hold up the house. When we are speaking of man when those fleshly supports are removed then and only then can we let go and let God be the supporting factor in our lives.

We ask a question here that we ourselves have experienced. Have you ever gone through something and know that you failed, and in knowing that you failed you know you will have to go through it again? Well, we have news for you, God loves you so much that when He gives you a “TEST” if you fail, He will give you the same “TEST” again. Yes, He will give it to you until you pass. He will do this until we come to a place where we will not dare disobey the Lord.

The more we experience God’s ‘Tests’ the more pliable we become. The more God carries out the breaking work in us the quicker we will be mellowed. The quicker we become mellowed, the quicker we will be pliable for Him to shape this clay into what He intended it to be.

God Bless Indeed
Recj/LJG

SAVED NOT SPIRITUAL

There is a big difference between being saved and being spiritual. We are not talking about a show of being a “Christian.” We are talking about walking the walk, talking the talk, and living the life of a Christian. You must have the Spirit and live a spiritual life.

In 1 Corinthians 2 and 3 Paul’s emphasis is on being spiritual. Paul shows us three kinds of men. First is the soulish man, he is not saved and cannot understand the Bible. Second we have the fleshy man. He is saved but walks according to his own flesh. He does not walk according to the Spirit of God. His understanding of the Bible is limited, he receives revelation from others not directly from God. Third is the spiritual man, he has the Spirit of God. He operates under the power of the living Spirit and walks according to the principle of the Spirit.

It is when we grow past the flesh and step into the spiritual man that we can become strong in the Lord, then we are saved and spiritual. Many find this path to be long, others seem to go straight from one to the other. To get to the spiritual life we have to get ourselves into the Word of God, the closer we get the more provisions we receive. The greater our knowledge of God and the closer our relationship is with Him. It is then that we have revelation from God not from man.

I thank God for the people of God that have given me and still give me revelations from Him. We will never be so strong in the Lord that we will not get revelations from others. With our own spiritual growth though, we know when those revelations are from God as a confirmation, a blessing, Word of Knowledge, or even when they are not from God. Yes there will be times when that word you receive is not from God, it is the spiritual man that knows truth when they hear it.

Being saved is wonderful, being saved and living a spiritual life is even better.

God Bless Indeed
Recj/LJG

FATHER'S DAY

Father Figure
By Pastor Marvin Moss

Throughout the New Testament, Jesus continuously reminds us that He is not functioning in or under His will, but He is doing the will of His father who is in heaven. Even in His most agonizing moment in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus keeps us focused on the connection that has been established and maintained between Him and His father, God. We do not read where Jesus disobeyed His father. We do not read where Jesus disrespected His father. We do not read where Jesus denied knowing His father. This was indeed the perfect relationship--this was the perfect connection.


As men, we find ourselves caught in the trap of trying to meet the daily demands of life on our own. In the dark and difficult times, we lose focus. We lose the connection, and sometimes we lose our very purpose for being. We are then faced with the challenge of refocusing, reconnecting, and returning to our purpose and call to be kings and priests, leaders in our homes, communities and churches. The good news is that through prayer and fasting, study and meditation, worship and fellowship, the temple is rebuilt; the spirit is renewed; and the fellowship is restored. Fundamentally, through our faith and obedience, men and women can experience the same relationship that Jesus had with God, our Father.

As earthly fathers, we strive for a perfect relationship and a perfect connection with our children. Despite our best efforts, sometimes we miss the mark. Many of us grew up with fathers who were absent from the home, in many cases because they were working multiple jobs to sustain the family. Our fathers may not have been there physically, but we had “clothes on our backs” and “houses over our heads.” Then there are fathers who were such disciplinarians that we may have respected (and in some cases feared) them more than having a loving relationship. For those of you who’ve had those experiences- just be thankful that your Father made sure you were out of trouble and safe.

If you now find yourself in a position as a father, uncle, guardian or mentor, take the time to take time for your child. If your dad wasn’t always around for whatever reason-- so be it. Now you can make the difference. Be the father figure God has called you to be.

Circumstances and trials arise that we cannot ignore. Through it all, we must exhibit much patience, love, understanding, and a solid spiritual foundation. It is the solid spiritual foundation that fathers have with God that will enable us to be in relationship with our children and other children. Each year in June, we celebrate fathers and let them know how special they are. Father’s Day is also a time of reflection and recommitment for those of us who are fathers to our own children and to children whose father is not present.

Fathers, as we celebrate, reflect and reconnect, we must remember that our homes, our communities, our churches are dependent upon us to continue to do the will of our Father in heaven who has sent us. Let this be your year to rebuild, renew, and be restored. Go a little farther this year. Testify and encourage another brother! Happy Father’s Day!

Scripture Of The Day: "Going a little farther, He fell with His face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” - Matt. 26:39 (NIV)

SUNDAY EDITORIAL

BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

I sit here and look out the back door and see a beautiful sight. The property behind me is being cleared. No longer will the woods come up to within 20 feet of the backdoor.

Wait, where will all my birds go? Thoughts begin to race through my head of the snakes that came out when they cleared the ten feet for the fence to be put up. And what is going to go up back there? Who might I ask to find out whom this property belongs to, and what do they intend to do with it? Is the park next door going to be enlarged meaning I will have baseballs flying toward the house, and people hollering for each play that is made? Could it be they are building more apartments, which will mean people in the back yard on the other side of the fence?

I know I am not to worry (Matthew 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof) and I really am not. But suddenly the grass doesn’t look so pretty on the other side. Not that there is grass, nor a tree, there is nothing. It was not a week ago that I wondered why they did not cut it. Now I wish they hadn’t.

The grass is always greener when you are not the one that has to take care of it. This is true about so much in life. We might like something you have but we do not want to pay the price you had to pay to get there. We will pay our own price and have what the Lord gives us.

God Bless Indeed
Recj/LJG

SATURDAY EDITORIAL

GETTING A HEALTHY SOUL

It isn’t healthy to vomit. It doesn’t do your soul a bit of good. The best thing is to hear the Word, chew on it, swallow it, and let it down on the inside of you so that you can do it! Every Christian really does want to do the right thing. They just get confused within themselves. When their untrained mind takes over, they spit up whatever Word doesn’t fit their mind’s criteria. This isn’t healthy.

First, it’s important to know that the “real you” is the combination of your spirit and soul. The Bible says nothing can separate this but the living Word of God. The real you is encased in a flesh body. Salvation happens when your soul (which is your mind, will, and emotions) decides to accept Jesus as your Redeemer. Then God’s Holy Spirit moves in and re-births your spirit so that you can hear God’s voice.

The spirit part of you has no problem with the things of God. It’s your soulish part (mind, will, and emotions) that you’re re-training when you read the Bible. Your mind, will, and emotions are what you use to make decisions in everyday life. Your potential in life is so great, but if your mind is messed up, you aren’t going anywhere! Nothing works out when your decision in life are guided by a messed up mind, will and an out-of-whack emotional state. The teachings of Jesus help you straighten out your mind, will, and emotions so you can live how God wants you to---in peace, joy, and love.

Jesus’ teachings are right there; ready to help you out in life. So, eat that Word! Swallow it down, even if it doesn’t taste so good sometimes. And as you eat it, swallow it; and digest it, you’ll see that it’s a better life. Listen, I understand that it’s not easy. People think that easy and better mean the same thing. They don’t. Sometimes what’s easy isn’t what’s best. Sometimes it’s harder to do what’s best.

I know some of those Scriptures are hard to hear. Take for instance the Scripture in Matthew 5:44, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you…”

Let’s just face it, sometimes you just want to knock the fire out of somebody! It’s hard to bless somebody who is cussing you out. It’s hard to do good to those that hate you. And when they are acting like idiots, who wants to pray for them? But you’re the better person for it, even if it’s tough. It is like a bad tasting vegetable. It stinks and it doesn’t taste good, but it’s the best one for your body.

Don’t ask me why that’s the way it is, it just is. Like food is nutritious to your body, the teachings of the Bible are nutritious to the soul. Your mind, will, and emotions become a whole lot healthier when you’ve been applying what you read in the Bible. Plus, you start hearing God’s voice a lot easier, too!

Excerpt from the Covenant by Jesse Duplantis

CONVERSATION WITH A DEAD MAN

Have you ever noticed that when you talk to some unbelievers it is as if we were talking to a dead man? Well, that is exactly what we are doing. No matter the wisdom or eloquence we might or might not have, if we are talking to the dead, nothing will be received from us.

Most unbelievers want us to explain in scientific terms, they want to analysis or hear reasoning that will satisfy their brain. Unless a man has been born again, the Bible will remain a mystery to him. Education has nothing to do with it.

John 6:55-63 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Once we become a new creature in Christ we understand that His flesh is true food, and His blood is true drink. Our very life is from His flesh and blood, He is indeed our food. To have an understanding of the Bible we must do it in the Spirit.

Job 11:7 Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?

No one can find God through research. Yes we said it, a person cannot find God through research. You can take the most learned college professor you can find and if his spirit is not of the Lord’s he can do all the research he wants and he is not going to get answers that will explain the true Word of God. Now if you take the Spirit of God and a person of God is using that Spirit to their research then you will have what we {we meaning those that are saved} have.

Do you ever stop to think how all these different beliefs came into being? Let us ask this, do you remember reading the Bible before you were saved? Do you see the difference since you are saved? There you have your answer. People who did not have the Spirit of God read, studied and said this is what this means. Dead men interpreting the Bible.

Have you ever listened to a man give a long list of his training to be a preacher, but you get nothing out of what he says, again, dead man walking. We honestly believe that if all the dead pastors were removed that more than half the buildings would be empty. Take the ones that know the truth but called themselves and another half would be empty.

The world is full of dead men/women walking. What the eyes see, what the ears hear, what is spoken of from a man’s own thoughts, these are men’s word. Not God’s Word. Spiritual things can only be communicated to spiritual men.

Again stop and look at your own life. Many were witnessed to many times, it is only when your heart has been opened to receive God that you hear and desire to have a relationship with the Lord.

The dead can study all they want, unless they open their heart and receive Christ, they will remain ‘Dead Men Walking.’

God Bless Indeed
Recj/LJG

TWELVE PROTOCOLS OF THE PALACE

Following is a copy of the ‘The Twelve Protocols of the Palace’ by Tommy Tenney. It was this that inspired us to write the past twelve days.

1. Never underestimate the potential of one encounter.
2. Seek the heart of the King, not the splendor of His Kingdom.
3. One day of favor can be worth more than a lifetime of labor.
4. Worship is the protocol that protects the King and qualities the visitor.
5. Influence flows from intimacy, and access comes from relationship.
6. If you know what the King favors, you become a favorite.
7. If your enemy is the King’s enemy, then your battle is the King’s battle.
8. Favor is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
9. The deeper you go into the palace, the fewer the people, but the greater the provision.
10. When the enemy plots your demise, the King is planning your reward.
11. Favor can restore in a day what was stolen over a lifetime.
12. One night with the King changes everything.

May God Bless you Indeed
Recj/LJG

ONE NIGHT WITH YOU

Do you remember that song? ‘One night with you, is all I am waiting for.’

Well, I am here to tell you: One night with the King changes everything. And it does not have to be a night. It can be anytime, day or night, 24/7. Yes, time spent with the King changes everything.

There have been times when the only thing that changes is you now have peace that passes all understanding. You will though see and feel change.

Going into the house of the Lord, does not mean going into a building. It means going into the presence of the Lord. Spending time with Him and Him alone.

One night with the Lord, refreshes you, strengthens you, it changes you.

One night with the King changes everything!

God Bless Indeed
Recj/LJG

FAVOR RESTORES

Favor can restore in a day what was stolen over a lifetime. Yes it can, for you and for us. There are something’s we are sure that you do not want restored in your life, us neither.

Job 42:10 And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.

When though? The Lord’s time frame is not like ours. But His time is always on time, never late.

2 Peter 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

There is a true story about a couple’s car that was stolen. They had been praying for money to fix their car that needed many repairs they could not afford. They began praying for the man that stole their car. The power of God so moved on this man that he not only returned their car, he upgraded everything about it, including a new paint job.

God is not a half stepping God. He is an all the way God. Favor from God is the best favor of all, never late but always on time.

God Bless Indeed
Recj/LJG

REWARD NOT DEMISE

When the enemy plots your demise, the King is planning your reward. LJG and I laugh when we get attacked, because we know the closer our reward the madder the enemy gets. So when things go wrong we will stop and say I am getting blessed.

The enemy watches Christians, he wants us to take our eyes off the Lord. If we get focused on something negative in our life’s and start worrying about the things of the world, then he knows our eyes are off the Lord. If our eyes are off the Lord then we might miss our blessing. OUCH!

The enemy does not want us to be rewarded. Let me tell you something. When you were out there in the world doing your thing the enemy did not watch you like he is now. He didn’t have to, you were doing a good enough job keeping yourself away from the Lord. When you turn your life over to the Lord is when he starts working on you, he wants you to fail. The enemy will do whatever he can to get you to take your eyes off the Lord.

Remember the harder the trails the bigger the reward. Keep those eyes on Jesus. All things work together for the good of the Lord.

God Bless Indeed
Recj/LJG

SUNDAY EDITORIAL

FLUTTERING OVER MANKIND

Suddenly, more understanding started to come, and I knew that was how salvation happened, too. Before a person gets saved, their life is void. The Holy Spirit is on the outside of them, fluttering over them, waiting for the command to enter and re-create “a new creature” in Christ Jesus. It was a revelation of how the Holy Spirit brings light into the life of a new believer.

I understand how salvation would look in the natural in the spirit realm. In my mind’s eye, I saw the Holy Spirit fluttering on top of a man’s head, waiting for Jehovah to in essence say, “Light be.” In the natural, the man is reaching out to God, believing in his heart and confessing with his mouth that Jesus is Lord. He’s doing it by faith because he sees nothing, and he may feel nothing.

But in the spirit realm, the instant he releases his faith, it all starts happening instantaneously; the blood of Jesus comes gushing in and washes away the man’s sin; the Father watches and accepts the sacrifice Jesus made on behalf of the man. He watches as the man becomes a clean vessel. He signals to the Holy Spirit, Who moves from fluttering to inhabiting, and bam! The Holy Spirit flows from his head to his feet, re-creating the man with His very presence. He is filled with light on the inside, instantly becoming linked to God as family, and is a brand new, born again son of God. Glory!

I just want to let you know something about the Holy Spirit. If you’ve got a family member that is spiritually lost, it is just their tough luck they are related to you! Deuteronomy 7:9 reminds us that God is a faithful God who keeps His covenant and you’ve got that promise down to a thousand generations of your family. And you can’t live that long!

All you have to do is accept that and say, “God, I know You said that all Your promises are yea and amen, which means yes and so be it!” Then, pray for God to surround them with people who know God. Pray that God sends them someone they can personally relate to, to show them the love of Jesus without being threatening. In you heart, you know that the Holy Spirit is the One who does the work. As you pray, the Holy Spirit is fluttering around that lost one, waiting for them to call on the name of Jesus, so He can get His command from God to move in!

Excerpt from the Covenant by Jesse Duplantis

SATURDAY EDITORIAL

On the plane that day, I opened to the first page of the first book and started reading to myself.

In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth. And the earth as without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there as light. And God saw the light, that it was good and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament and it was so. And god called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. And God said, Let waters under the Heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called He Seas: and God say that it was good. Genesis 1:1-10

I read that, and I was remembering my study of the original text of that passage. The interpreters of the English Bible wrote that God said, “Let there be light,” but the original Hebrew is more accurately translated to a simple, “Light be!”

Now, that wasn’t the creation of the sun. That came later. Original light was God releasing Himself into nothing. And out of nothing, He would hang something called the earth. So it’s God Who is light. First John 1:5 says, “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (NKJV). I remembered that in Him there is no darkness,”…no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17).

I thought, God releases Himself into nothing, and out of Him, everything I see, touch, smell and eat begins to come into being. But first He has to release Himself because He is the Creator.

I’m just sitting in my window seat contemplating that. Now, I can’t even count how many times I’ve read this passage, but I decided to read it again. Suddenly the passage leaped off the page at me, and God began to talk to my mind about His creative power and how the Holy Spirit moved over the deep, doing exactly what God said to do. The Hebrew text really translates, “fluttered.” So He was fluttering there over the deep, and when God spoke, He moved and things got done! “Wow, Glory!”

Except from the Covenant by Jesse Duplantis
(to be continued)

DEEP PROVISIONS

The deeper you go into the palace, the fewer the people, but the greater the provision.

Have you ever looked at pictures of a palace? There are guards at the front, and usually a big central meeting room where any and all can gather. It is only with permission that you can go into the deeper rooms where the family rooms are located. In the family rooms are where the most provisions are, food clothing, and personal items. Only family is allowed, it is not open to the public.

In the temples there was a big outer area, and then the rooms became smaller until you reached the Holy of Holy’s Only one person at a time could enter in.

We can enter into this room because Jesus died for us giving us entry there. It is in this room that there is the greatest provision. The closer we are to the Lord the greater the provisions we have access to.

Lord we pray that all will enter into Your Holy of Holy’s, and receive the provisions that you have for us.

God Bless Indeed
Recj/LJG

PREPARATION EQUALS OPPORTUNITY

Favor is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. When we are prepared for any opportunity that comes alone in our life’s we can and will see favor in action.

We do not walk into the kitchen and say I will bake a cake without making preparations. To begin with we make sure our bills are paid so we can use the oven. We make sure the ingredients have been purchased, and we have the proper pans. Now when opportunity presents itself, in that we have time, now we are ready to bake.

By preparing ourselves with the Word of God, when an opportunity presents itself then we can have favor. Again when my daughter was able to stop me from going through the windshield that was favor.

Favor can present itself in many ways, the thing is to prepare your life to have favor in it. How do we prepare? By praying and staying in the Word of God. When the opportunity rises, be it good or bad, favor will step in and take care of the situation.

God Bless Indeed
Recj/LJG

NOT MY ENEMY

If your enemy is the King’s enemy, then your battle is the King’s battle.

Let’s go back to school again. Do you remember the class bully? Yeah we all had one. They were mean to everyone, always picking fights on little children, until one day someone stood up to him. Then we all looked to this one kid, as long as he was around, the bully left us alone. This kid usually liked this because we would give him the extra candy or cake in our lunches. It was nice to have someone have our back.

Proverbs 10:13 In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found; but a rod for the back of him that is void of understanding.

When we belong to the Lord, those that come against us have a battle not with us but with the Lord.

‘Would you rather me hit you, or God?’ This is a saying that I have said before. See I am not going to try to fight you, I am going to pray for you. But the point is this if I hit you, you will hit back. If God hits you, well it is not going to be nice. Now don’t misunderstand God does not go around hitting people with His fist. No, but when we give our battles to the Lord, He takes care of them. We do not have to go out and fight, we hold our banners high and stand.

God Bless Indeed
Recj/LJG

A FAVORITE OF THE KING

If you do what the King favors, you become a favorite. A favorite of the King. We can’t get better than that, can we?

Were you ever a teacher pet? It is not easy, the teacher must know that you are good, listen and obey the rules. You do not have to be the smartest kid in class. By letting the teacher know that they can rely on you they call on you when they need a job done right.

When the Lord knows that He can call on you and you will answer, He will call on you. When He knows that you will do what He asks, He will call on you. In this way you become a favorite.

Doing the will of God makes you a favorite. Knowing what makes the Lord happy makes you a favorite. Don’t ever think that He has only one. He has many, but isn’t it nice to know you are one of them?

God Bless Indeed
Recj/LJG

INTIMACY {IN-TO-ME-SEE}

In To Me See Lord, into me look, into me be!

Influence flows from intimacy, and access comes from relationship. Our influence with those around us comes from the intimacy we have with them, to do this we must have a relationship. It is no different with the relationship we desire to have with the Lord.

The influence of the Lord in our life’s comes directly from the relationship we have with Him, and the intimacy we have with Him.

We have stated before that our thoughts and opinions about many things have changed now that I have a relationship with the Lord. Because we look at things through His eyes and not the worldly eyes of who we were, we now know that those opinions were based on our own selfish views of how we thought things should be. Having a relationship with the Lord we want our life’s to line up with Him and not the world.

In the 70’ many thought it was not wrong to get high and share love. How easy it is to look back and see now the life’s that have been destroyed behind doing your own thing.

We do not want to do our own thing anymore. We want to do the will of our Father. That has come about by having a relationship with Him with intimacy.

God Bless Indeed
Recj/LJG

SUNDAY EDITORIAL

May I Say!

HOW DO YOU TREAT THE POOR?

Hear this, O ye that sallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail.
Amos 8:4

God is speaking of the exploitation of the poor. I feel it is important for us to realize how God feels about the poor of this world. I have experienced being poor. My dad died when I was fourteen, and it was up to me to support my mother and sister. I had to secure a special permit to get a job. Then, after I was converted and felt called to the ministry, some folk took an interest in me and helped me get through school.

In the days of Amos, God accuses them of even making “the poor of the land to fail.”
That is, the poor were brought don to such a low poverty level that they never could escape from it. The poor always suffer more acutely in a godless nation – I don’t think that statement can be successfully contradicted.

Saying, when will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? And the Sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit? Amos 8:5

God knew what as in their hearts. “The new moon” and “the Sabbath” were holy days on which business as not transacted. God is saying that even hen the rich went to the temple to praise God, they ere so greedy and covetous that they were thinking about business the next day and how they could make more money by cheating their customers. They not only practiced their sin during the week, but they carried it into the temple. What a picture this gives us of Israel in that day – and of modern man as well.

That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; yea, and sell the refuse of the wheat? Amos 8:6

The poor even had to sell themselves into slavery. That was permitted in that land under the Mosaic system. They would buy the needy for a pair of shoes – that’s how cheap they were! And they would sell the poor the refuse of the wheat. That means they got the “seconds,” the leftovers which an honest dealer throws away.

It is no accident that the Lord Jesus, when He was here on earth, sat and watched how the people gave in the temple. Was that His business? Yes. And He is interested in how much we give to Him and how much we keep for ourselves.

Maybe the reason I love this man Amos so much is that he talks my language. He as a poor man himself, and he says the thing, that I understand. You see, Amos is explaining why Israel was like a basket of summer fruit. The goodness of Israel was just a perishable and just as soon deteriorated as summer fruit. One evidence of this was the way they treated the poor.

---From Edited Messages on Amos
by Dr. J. Vernon McGee

SATURDAY EDITORIAL

THE BIBLE IS THE CORNERSTONE
UPON WHICH ALL DOCTRINE RESTS

From the time you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior until you safely arrive at your home in heave, God’s Word should be the most important thing in your life. The Bible is the cornerstone upon which all church doctrine rests. Without it, we are like ships without sails, unable to navigate through life’s treacherous waters. The Bible is our moral compass, which should direct the affairs of our lives.

For to long, men have denied God’s sacred word, skirted its truths and discarded it as an outdated history book that has lost its validity in a morally bankrupt world. Even great institutions of higher learning, once renowned for their religious training, have been consumed by the new wave of liberal theology.

Former President Theodore Roosevelt once said, “A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.” But too many of us have been faithful to feed our minds while starving our spirits. We are always learning but have yet to come to the knowledge of the truth. Then there are those among us who don’t even desire to take the time to study the Bible. Being weak, they lack any real zeal to devour and digest God’s Word.

The ultimate result of our negligence of the Scriptures can be found in the parable of the sower. The Word was sown four times, but the results were discouraging---only one type of soil possessed the ability to produce a harvest. Three out of four were unable to sustain the seed of the Word. (See Matthew 13:18-23; Mark 4:3-8). No wonder the Bible has little effect in many people’s lives; so often it is merely collecting dust on a bookshelf or coffee table!

Once you are born again in Christ, The Bible should take the place of every other book, newspaper or periodical. Why? Because you will find eternity in its treasured pages!

The Lord placed so much importance on His Word that the psalmist declared, “For thou hast magnified they word above all they name” (Ps. 138:2).

From the book by Rod Parsley, Ancient Wells

WORSHIP QUALIFIES

Worship is the protocol that protects the King and qualifies the visitor. To go before the President, or a King or Queen there are standards of protocol that must be followed. By following this protocol they are protected.

Our proper protocol to go before the Lord is worship, this opens up the door for us to enter into His presence. Sin cannot enter into the presence of the Lord, by worship we clear the way to enter His presence.

It qualifies us by making us worthy to enter His presence. Our very praise to Him is our permission slip to go before Him.

Many people think of worship as going to church. Anyone can go sit in a service and not worship the Lord. Worship is lifting up the Lord, be it a church service or you along in your back yard.

By being saved we are qualified to go to the Lord, e can enter into, we have the protocol to be with Him.

God Bless Indeed
Recj/LJG

ONE DAY

If you could have any one thing in this world, what would it be? Consider this: One day of favor can be worth more that a lifetime of labor.

Have you ever watched the work that goes into planting? The ground has to be cleared, tilled, fertilized, and then planted. Weeks of backbreaking labor and still when you look all you see is soil. It is not for weeks sometime until you see any fruit of your labor, and then months before that fruit is ready to harvest. Now comes the harvesting, the putting up, drying, canning. This thought is only for a season, before it is time to plant again.

One day of favor. I hope you can look back in your life and see many favors that God has handed down to you. Just two days ago a friend went to pay my phone bill for the month, favor stepped in and it was paid for two months. She didn’t, no one else did, but it showed up paid for two months. I was supposed to have to pay a second deposit on my lights, favor stepped in no deposit. These are small things in God’s eyes. A big one happened last year when daughter size 1 kept Mom size 20 from going through the windshield of the car. If favor had not stepped in two cars would have ran over me, after I went through the windshield. No way, she should not have been able to do that, favor

Favor shows itself in many ways. We thank God for it.

God Bless Indeed
Recj/LJG

SEEK HIS HEART

Seek the heart of the King, not the splendor of His kingdom. Solomon sought after the heart of God, because he did not ask for wealth, it as added to him. 1 Kings 3:9 & 13 Give therefore they servant, an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this they so great a people? 13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honor; so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all they days.

If even we seek after His heart, we shall have all the splendor and more. God says that He shall supply all our needs according to His riches and glory. If there is a lack, it is usually a want that we have brought on ourselves. God does not say He shall supply all our wants.

By seeking after His heart and doing His will, He shall supply all that is needed for us to do His will. We are not to and should not ever do something in return for something we want God to do for us. God is not in the bartering business.

Does He not provide for the birds and the flowers? Psalm 104:10-12 He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills. 11 They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst. 12 By them shall the fols of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches. The splendor we see from the Lord might not be what you are looking for, it is all around you, it is for you to open your eyes and see what is before you.

God Bless Indeed
Recj/LJG

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE

Never underestimate the potential of one encounter. One encounter in our life’s can change our entire life. The greatest encounter we have in our lives is our personal meeting with the Lord. Asking Him, the Almighty to come into our life’s and remain in our life’s. Giving over to Him, all that we are and all that we will ever be. Mistakes and all, past and future.

We are not to underestimate His Power nor His Might in our lives. This one encounter will remain with us no matter what path we take in life. We can wander from the path that He has laid down for us, and still He never leaves us nor forsakes us. When we call on Him He shall be there.

It is never Him that goes His own way, it is us that turn from His way, One encounter, that is all it took for our lives to change from right to wrong. With Him we are right and being right we have righteousness. Right standing with Him our Father, the maker of all in Heaven and on Earth.

Never underestimate the power of this one encounter.

God Bless Indeed
Recj/LJG