There Is Always A Reason

The old man sat in his gas station on a cold Christmas Eve. He hadn't been anywhere in years since his wife had passed away. It was just another day to him. He didn't hate Christmas, just couldn't find a reason to celebrate. He was sitting there looking at the snow that had been falling for the last hour and wondering what it was all about when the door opened and a homeless man stepped through.

Instead of throwing the man out, Old George as he was known by his customers, told the man to come and sit by the heater and warm up. "Thank you, but I don't mean to intrude," said the stranger. "I see you're busy, I'll just go."

"Not without something hot in your belly." George said.

He turned and opened a wide mouth Thermos and handed it to the stranger. "It ain't much, but it's hot and tasty. Stew ... Made it myself. When you're done, there's coffee and it's fresh."

Just at that moment he heard the "ding" of the driveway bell. "Excuse me, be right back," George said. There in the driveway was an old '53 Chevy. Steam was rolling out of the front... The driver was panicked. "Mister can you help me!" said the driver, with a deep Spanish accent. "My wife is with child and my car is broken." George opened the hood. It was bad. The block looked cracked from the cold, the car was dead.

"You ain't going in this thing," George said as he turned away.

"But Mister, please help ..." The door of the office closed behind George as he went inside. He went to the office wall and got the keys to his old truck, and went back outside. He walked around the building, opened the garage, started the truck and drove it around to where the couple was waiting. "Here, take my truck," he said. "She ain't the best thing you ever looked at, but she runs real good."

George helped put the woman in the truck and watched as it sped off into the night. He turned and walked back inside the office. "Glad I gave 'em the truck, their tires were shot too. That 'ol truck has brand new ." George thought he was talking to the stranger, but the man had gone. The Thermos was on the desk, empty, with a used coffee cup beside it. "Well, at least he got something in his belly," George thought.

George went back outside to see if the old Chevy would start. It cranked slowly, but it started. He pulled it into the garage where the truck had been. He thought he would tinker with it for something to do. Christmas Eve meant no customers. He discovered the block hadn't cracked, it was just the bottom hose on the radiator. "Well, shoot, I can fix this," he said to himself. So he put a new one on.

"Those tires ain't gonna get 'em through the winter either." He took the snow treads off of his wife's old Lincoln. They were like new and he wasn't going to drive the car anyway.

As he was working, he heard shots being fired. He ran outside and beside a police car an officer lay on the cold ground. Bleeding from the left shoulder, the officer moaned, "Please help me."

George helped the officer inside as he remembered the training he had received in the Army as a medic. He knew the wound needed attention. "Pressure to stop the bleeding," he thought. The uniform company had been there that morning and had left clean shop towels. He used those and duct tape to bind the wound. "Hey, they say duct tape can fix anythin'," he said, trying to make the policeman feel at ease.

"Something for pain," George thought. All he had was the pills he used for his back. "These ought to work." He put some water in a cup and gave the policeman the pills. "You hang in there, I'm going to get you an ambulance."

The phone was dead. "Maybe I can get one of your buddies on that there talk box out in your car." He went out only to find that a bullet had gone into the dashboard destroying the two way radio.

He went back in to find the policeman sitting up. "Thanks," said the officer. "You could have left me there. The guy that shot me is still in the area."

George sat down beside him, "I would never leave an injured man in the Army and I ain't gonna leave you." George pulled back the bandage to check for bleeding. "Looks worse than what it is. Bullet passed right through 'ya. Good thing it missed the important stuff though. I think with time you’re gonna be right as rain."

George got up and poured a cup of coffee. "How do you take it?" he asked.

"None for me," said the officer...

"Oh, yer gonna drink this. Best in the city. Too bad I ain't got no donuts." The officer laughed and winced at the same time.

The front door of the office flew open. In burst a young man with a gun. "Give me all your cash! Do it now!" the young man yelled. His hand was shaking and George could tell that he had never done anything like this before.

"That's the guy that shot me!" exclaimed the officer.

"Son, why are you doing this?" asked George, "You need to put the cannon away. Somebody else might get hurt."

The young man was confused. "Shut up old man, or I'll shoot you, too. Now give me the cash!"

The cop was reaching for his gun. "Put that thing away," George said to the cop, "we got one too many in here now."

He turned his attention to the young man. "Son, it's Christmas Eve. If you need money, well then, here. It ain't much but it's all I got. Now put that pea shooter away."

George pulled $150 out of his pocket and handed it to the young man, reaching for the barrel of the gun at the same time. The young man released his grip on the gun, fell to his knees and began to cry. "I'm not very good at this am I? All I wanted was to buy something for my wife and son," he went on. "I've lost my job, my rent is due, my car got repossessed last week."

George handed the gun to the cop. "Son, we all get in a bit of squeeze now and then. The road gets hard sometimes, but we make it through the best we can."

He got the young man to his feet, and sat him down on a chair across from the cop. "Sometimes we do stupid things." George handed the young man a cup of coffee. "Bein' stupid is one of the things that makes us human. Comin' in here with a gun ain't the answer. Now sit there and get warm and we'll sort this thing out."

The young man had stopped crying. He looked over to the cop. "Sorry I shot you. It just went off. I'm sorry officer."

"Shut up and drink your coffee” the cop said.

George could hear the sounds of sirens outside. A police car and an ambulance skidded to a halt. Two cops came through the door, guns drawn. "Chuck! You ok?" one of the cops asked the wounded officer.

"Not bad for a guy who took a bullet. How did you find me?"

"GPS locator in the car. Best thing since sliced bread. Who did this?" the other cop asked as he approached the young man.

Chuck answered him, "I don't know. The guy ran off into the dark. Just dropped his gun and ran."

George and the young man both looked puzzled at each other.

"That guy work here?" the wounded cop continued.

"Yep," George said, "just hired him this morning. Boy lost his job."

The paramedics came in and loaded Chuck onto the stretcher. The young man leaned over the wounded cop and whispered, "Why?"

Chuck just said, "Merry Christmas boy ... and you too, George, and thanks for everything."

"Well, looks like you got one doozy of a break there. That ought to solve some of your problems."

George went into the back room and came out with a box. He pulled out a ring box. "Here you go, something for the little woman. I don't think Martha would mind. She said it would come in handy some day."

The young man looked inside to see the biggest diamond ring he ever saw. "I can't take this," said the young man. "It means something to you."

"And now it means something to you," replied George. "I got my memories. That's all I need."

George reached into the box again. An airplane, a car and a truck appeared next. They were toys that the oil company had left for him to sell. "Here's something for that little man of yours."

The young man began to cry again as he handed back the $150 that the old man had handed him earlier.

"And what are you supposed to buy Christmas dinner with? You keep that too," George said. "Now git home to your family."

The young man turned with tears streaming down his face. "I'll be here in the morning for work, if that job offer is still good."

"Nope; I'm closed Christmas day," George said. "See ya the day after."

George turned around to find that the stranger had returned. "Where'd you come from? I thought you left?"

"I have been here. I have always been here," said the stranger. "You say you don't celebrate Christmas. Why?"

"Well, after my wife passed away, I just couldn't see what all the bother was. Puttin' up a tree and all seemed a waste of a good pine tree. Bakin' cookies like I used to with Martha just wasn't the same by myself and besides I was gettin' a little chubby."

The stranger put his hand on George's shoulder. "But you do celebrate the holiday, George. You gave me food and drink and warmed me when I was cold and hungry. The woman with child will bear a son and he will become a great doctor.

The policeman you helped will go on to save 19 people from being killed by terrorists. The young man who tried to rob you will make you a rich man and not take any for himself. "That is the spirit of the season and you keep it as good as any man."

George was taken aback by all this stranger had said. "And how do you know all this?" asked the old man.

"Trust me, George. I have the inside track on this sort of thing. And when your days are done you will be with Martha again."

The stranger moved toward the door. "If you will excuse me, George, I have to go now. I have to go home where there is a big celebration planned."

George watched as the old leather jacket and the torn pants that the stranger was wearing turned into a white robe. A golden light began to fill the room.

"You see, George ... it's My birthday. Merry Christmas."

George fell to his knees and replied, "Happy Birthday, Lord Jesus"

This story is better than any greeting card.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND GOD BLESS!

Now clear the lump from your throat, blow your nose, and give this to someone who may need a reminder about the Spirit of Christmas.

Someone sent this to me years ago through email and I loved it so much I kept so I thought I would share it with you this year. 

Arthor unknown

What's In A Name

John 8:58

Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

I was so touched by a book I borrowed from my daughter that I thought I would share a little of it with everyone.  I’m going to go over a few of the names that we call on in the midst of trouble in this issue of the banner, I hope to encourage and show you the love of Jesus and power we poses when we speak His name.

As we walk through this life there are dangers and troubles on every side and we know that it so close to the time of His coming. When we face these troubles and we have nowhere else to turn we call on the one that has promised to walk by our side, the one that caught Peter by the hand to pull him from the raging sea, the one that walked in the fiery furnace with the three Hebrew children, the one that guided the stone for David’s sling to the center of Goliath’s forehead, the one that closed the mouths of the lions for Daniel. He is the same one that died for all of us; He loves us so much that He gave everything He had so that we might live.

Immanuel

In Matthew when Joseph had decided to divorce Mary quietly the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name of Jesus, because he will save His people from their sins.” God also confirmed this prophecy through Isaiah (7:14) when he spoke of the virgin and He shall be called Immanuel meaning God with us.

Our sins had made it impossible for us to come to him so God took this outrageous step of making himself susceptible to sorrow, with temptation and vulnerable to sin’s disruptive power. So remember this next you feeling a bit discouraged all alone, or feel as though you can go no further. Jesus is still Immanuel – he is still God with us.

Light of the World

John spoke of Jesus as the light that vanquishes the darkness brought on by sin – a darkness that ends in death. In John 8:12 it states that when we believe in Him we are moved from darkness to light meaning from death to life. God was so determined to draw us into His light that He spent nine months in the darkness of the womb in order to become one of us.

Many times we get so caught up in the things of this world that we forget that we are waiting for Jesus to return to this world. We plan for the future of our children, for our retirement, or even our next vacation which means whatever you’re waiting for is what you’re living for. So let’s continue to take care of our daily tasks but let’s also remember that Jesus is coming back soon.

Prince of Peace

In Ephesians 2:14 it says that He Himself is our peace, so when we call upon Him we are calling to the one that is the source of our peace. In Mark 5:34 it connects healing with peace when Jesus told the woman He just healed to go in peace.

In Isaiah and Zachariah spoke of the child that will bring peace to God’s people and Jesus said “Peace upon you,” when He appeared unto the disciples after His resurrection. Do we really understand just how hideous the crucifixion really was? He was beaten and ridiculed then nailed to crossbeams with very thick nails and slowly tortured to death in full view of the public. The holes from the nails in His hands and feet are so big they are still there and these wounds are our peace.

No matter what we have done or chaotic our life may become we can still have peace; this is why we are able to go through such turmoil and still have a smile on our face. Let us forgive for we are forgiven and allow the prince of peace to rule our heart.

Christ, Messiah

Messiah is what the Christians called Jesus, Christ means “The Anointed One,” He is the one called and empowered to destroy our enemies and put an end to our troubles. He is the one calling us back to God through His love. Jesus wants to save us it doesn’t mean that He will insulate us from suffering and death. Being in Christ, the anointed one means we are to draw our strength from Him in order to reproduce the patterns of His life; with Him and in Him; we too will suffer, die, and rise.

In Matthew 16: 15 – 23 we read about when Jesus asked His disciples “Whom do you say that I am,” Peter did not hesitate when he answered him saying, “Thou art Christ, the son of the living God.” Jesus lets him know that only God could have revealed that information to Him. It is through our weaknesses we are able to trust and know he is there to strengthen and carry us through these troubled times. So when we pray let’s remember once again that we can do all things through the anointed one who strengthens us.

Word

God has always been able to reveal himself to us but the clearest and compelling revelation of who God is – of His holiness, love, and power. Jesus is one with the Father; he communicated God’s heart and mind through His teachings, miracles, suffering, death, and resurrection. Our destiny depends on well we listen; remember you calling on the one that calls us from death to life.

In John 1 we read about how in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God. In verse 14 it states that the word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus was brought here to give us chance to be saved from the awful gulfs of sin. He brought God to us and made a living example for us to follow. In John 14: 9 – 10 it talks about Jesus reaction when Philip asks to see the Father; Jesus told him if you have seen me you have seen the father which is in heaven. I can understand why Jesus asks Philip, “Do you not know me?” the word also says my children know my voice.

The Lion and The Lamb

John saw Jesus as both lion and lamb; through His death and resurrection becomes the ultimate victor and conqueror. When we call upon the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, we are calling upon the one with the power to banish all fear, who watches over us with His fierce protecting love, and the judge of the living and the dead. At one point Peter says that the devil is a roaring lion and he is warning us that he is constantly on the prowl looking to devour us but when Jesus went into the earth He took the keys to death, hell, and the grave; so the devil may be on the prowl but he has no teeth.

Fortunately God has given us His son to be both lion and lamb. As the lamb He took the brunt of God’s wrath when He went to the cross so that we could experience God’s mercy. As the lion He stands in judgment on all who persist in opposing God. Whoever accepts God mercy is freed from His wrath but whoever rejects God’s mercy remains under wrath. Revelation reveals the risen Christ as the mightiest of all victors; he is the lion of the tribe of Judah. When Moses spoke with God in the wilderness at the burning burn he had asked God to reveal his name.

Today as we thank Him for going to the extreme of the cross in order to help us to stop resisting the God who made us. We must remember that one day we will be judged according to how well we have responded to His grace and obeyed His word, allowing it to shape our lives.

I Am

In Jesus we have the richest and vivid picture imaginable; it is no longer big God and little you, instead he bends toward us, sharing our weakness and shouldering our burdens. Through his perfect offering of his life he becomes our way back to the father. He is the loving God who will never abandon us, but will be present with us always, leading us to eternal life.

God did not describe himself as the Living God, the Almighty God, the Everlasting God, or God the Creator. He simply instructed Moses to tell them that “I Am” has sent me to you. Basically the Lord was revealing himself as the God who has always existed and also the God that is always present with His people.

In the garden when Judas brought the soldiers to arrest Jesus he knew why they came so Jesus took control of the situation by asking the soldiers whom they were searching for, and these men that were armed with torches and weapons simply collapsed when Jesus identified himself by saying, “It is I.” When Jesus spoke those words it was translated into “I AM,” his enemies fell to the ground because these men could not stand in the presence of God.

When we stand united with God we are able to experience the God – Blessed Life, which produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self – control (Galatians 5:22 – 23), for we are called to bear fruit that will last. The greatest promise we have is this, “I am the resurrection and the life and those who believe in him shall live even through death. Without this promise all the other promises would expire upon our death but here he takes all the way.

Although these are not just names but titles that through time God, Jesus, and man have used them for a purpose and each name or title carries a powerful meaning behind each one. These are only a few but I wanted to show that when we call upon Jesus during a crisis or prayer when we are searching for an answer He is always there to give us the peace and strength we are seeking. When we speak and stand on the scriptures God has given us in the Bible we have the power beyond measure to fight against the wiles of the devil, just by speaking the name of Jesus, Satan will flee for he know he has no power. At times the devil will attempt to destroy us by reminding us of our past then we must remind him of his future, remember he cannot win.

He is all these things and more – the Almighty, the Everlasting God, the One who is the great I AM!!!!

Written By: Karen ReNee

I used many statements and passes from the book written Ann Spangler called “Praying the Names of Jesus”.

Making It Personal

II Timothy 1:13 – 14 hold on to the words God has spoken in faith and in love; faith is the law and love is the motive which is in Christ. Translate and then meditate meaning to hold fast to the salvation of sound words that good thing that is committed unto thee which dwells in us.

I want to talk about things that effects how we are to fight Satan and his attempts to trip us up so that we fail in our daily walk in the Lord.  The first thing to consider is sitting on your problems; the obstacles that he makes are to be kept under our feet and should be used as a pulpit to proclaim the Name of Lord and that the good news is…

We win!

If you have a problem you have a pulpit which is to be used to bring every thought into captivity through the obedience of Jesus Christ. Do not elevate your problems but sit on them by using Satan’s own strategy against him instead; to help you understand what I mean think about how the Lord tells us to take that first step toward release, peace, redemption, and love, we are able to do this when we come to the altar for prayer. If you stay in your seat and do not move then the Lord cannot help you. When you do not sit on your problems you are telling Him that you are trusting in Him to keep them under your feet where they belong.

Have you ever thought to inject a Holy thought into Satan’s mind when he tries to inject an evil thought into your mind? You see if you take the thought he is trying to put in your mind and make it a holy thought you will confuse him. He does not have any sense because he has no faith, he can only believe in what he can see and hear. One of the biggest things you can use against him is to doubt your doubts – if you doubt your doubts you won’t be a doubter anymore because your doubts have been doubted because you’ve learned to doubt your doubts. When he comes a knocking telling you to doubt what the good Lord has promised in your life then just turn right around and tell him you doubt that and he will be completely confused because we are told not to doubt and he will not know how to argue with you on your doubting his doubt thought.

Let’s go a step further – Micah 7:7 tells us that we need to wait for the God of my soundness because even though we are going through some rough battles in our life and the devil may be trying to trip you but if we can just realize who is in front of us, who is behind us, and all around us. We the people need to forget the things that are behind us, reach out to things that are before us, and continue to press toward the high calling of God in Jesus Christ meaning in his anointing the messiah.

The past never sees the future, so rejoice in the very thought of restoration. The future is your reservoir of gladness because God had us on his mind way before we were born. Psalms 107:2 says let the redeemed of the Lord say so, this verse was written many years before Jesus died on the cross which is how we are redeemed and now when we get in a battle we don’t have to participate, we can go to the end because we have already won. We are more than a conqueror, if God be for us who can be against us.

I remember a time when I was a child my little brother and I was running from some bullies in our neighborhood because they said they were going to beat us up. As we were running my brother was in front of me and we were cutting across an empty lot hoping to get home faster. As we ran across this lot my brother decided to look behind him to see where they were and as he turned back around he ran slap into a tree. He fell to ground and I had to pull him up so we could still keep going. This means don’t look where you’ve been but look to the new realm you are reaching for because even though we may fall but we will arise and we can continue in the way the Lord wants us to walk in, don’t give up because it ain’t over till it’s over.

We are in the last quarter of the ball game with only three minutes of the game left. Soon God will line the devil up on the yard line and kick him over the goal into the fire. We will hear the angels shout “Touchdown.” We may have fallen but we will arise and go forth because we have something that the devil cannot see to change it to something he can see.

II Corinthians 4:18 speaks about looking at the things that are not seen as it also says in Hebrews 11:1 now faith is… not is faith now. The devil is a flesh worker not a faith worker because he cannot see faith. Faith without works is dead therefore he cannot tempt you in the spirit because he is dead; he can only tempt you in the flesh because that’s all he’s got. If we will crucify our flesh daily and not just on Sunday morning you will have him defeated all the days of your life on this earth. I heard a preacher say that the devil is seriously on the limits of retardation because he cannot see or find our faith. Walking in faith and living through faith will allow you to walk right past the devil and he won’t even know you’re there. Faith is what’s all around us and the devil can’t see through unseen stuff.

Keeping the whole armour of God on will foul the devil into thinking you are God. Our faith is eternal and we can foul the devil by using the things he cannot see; keep our shield of faith up and he will not be able to find us. The verse in Micah was written in the old covenant and if we fell it is generally because we took off our helmet or laid down our shield and tried to fight on our own merits. This is also how we fight for our loved ones that are not in church yet, we use things that you cannot see to fight the things that you can see; every time we get back up we will be stronger than before.

Know and possess the promises God has made; stop making his promises into questions. God can do all things and he will hear you. God feels that one soul is worth more than any amount of money but he will make the devil give it to God’s people. Quit fighting for something that has already been won. In verse 15 it says that our light affliction is for only a moment and not a lifetime; don’t stretch a moment into a lifetime. When you tell the devil no you will shake his foundation; tell him to get behind you because he can defile your view of direction. God’s people is obligated to show others that are blinded by the devil and show them that God loves them and they don’t have to live that way.

Faith makes speaking possible; faith is a creator because everything you see, do, touch, and feel has been created by faith.  If you don’t speak faith you’re not creating anything; faith gives you something to say. In I John 5 it says that faith is the victory that over comes the world because faith is a creator; faith creates an answer when there seems to be none, you can’t see it and it changes things you can see. God is the object of faith and his word is the ground upon which faith rests; confidence, peace and assurance are its fruits of living by faith because it is a lifestyle not just a movement.

Don’t try to impress the world just be who you are in Jesus and remember to never ask will God hear me. Our struggles are little so do not dwell on them and rejoice in the reservoir of gladness. Remember that things that are not seen will change things that are seen and the Bible is full of what we use which the devil cannot see. Everything in the Bible is for our welfare for it is written for you, by you, around you, and through you. When you stand on the word of God and keep him as a personal thing, he signifies knowledge, he signifies acquaintance. My God means election, my God means selection, when you have went out of the court of holies and went into the holy of holies, now it’s personal.

Written by: Karen ReNee

God's Promise of Blessings

Psalms 89:34 – My covenant I will not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.

I have never written this type of paper before and I’m not even sure if I can put it on paper as the Lord has shown me but I have to try because our blessings and understandings depend on it. The subject I feel I must try to explain is something no one seems to want to speak about or listen to either. Our funds are something that we deal with every single day but when we can apply the proper order pertaining to God’s Holy Word we can prosper even in this economy that we face today. So grab your Bible and let’s see what the word says about our prosperity.

You see there are four steps in giving; three of these are given to God and one is given to man and God has a proper order of the giving, when you mix them up you change the rate of return or exchange. Do not put your trust in this future but put your trust in the now because God wants to bless you now. When we keep his word in the proper order God will continue to bless us; it is similar to building a house, you do not put the walls up before you put down the foundation or the house will not stand in the midst of the storm.

Tithes:

I want to start with reading Malachi 3:8 – 12; the Lord tells us that we are robbing him of the tithes that we owe him and when we do this we have cursed ourselves and our future generations. It says to bring our tithes into the storehouse and the storehouse is your home church. When we pay our tithes there will always be food on our table and the windows of heaven will open and he will pour out a blessing that we cannot contain or even imagine. When we do this then the Lord is bound to hold up to his promise. It goes on to say that he will rebuke the devourer, Satan, and will not be able to destroy our fruits of our field. The last thing the Lord says here is that all nations will call you blessed.

The motivation for tithing is obedience and is given to God; it is an invisible law that will bring us into the blessings as it says in Isaiah 1:19 but we must be willing and obedient. Most folks struggle with tithes but God wants to bring us into the realm of prosperity as it says in Deuteronomy 30:19 we can choose between life and death, blessing and cursing: choose life and blessing so that you and your future generations can live too. Again he says obey and we will prosper; for it is through obedience that are able to be blessed going in, blessed going out, blessed in the field, and blessed in the city.

Our responsibility of tithing does not just include giving but it also involves receiving; some may say that it is easier to give than receive for many it is equally difficult in some ways. In Genesis 1:28 it shows us that tithes is a divine connector to the blessing. Multiply, meaning always increasing, subdue or control your environment or it will control you. We should not be living in the recession of today but we should be living in the blessing system. Our tithing is the way for recession or depression to bypass us because we should be living under the open windows of heaven. Remember it is God’s job to rebuke the devourer for our sake not us (Malachi 3:11) for he is trying to protect our future.

First Fruits:

The motivation for your first fruits is generosity; your first fruits will show God you are not in love with money. In Proverbs 3:9 – 10 the Lord says to honor him with your increase. Your first fruit is when you get a raise or an increase in funds that will show up on every check for a year or more; it is separate from your tithes which is 10% of your check but your first fruits is the amount over what you usually received before the raise. It is not your whole paycheck or a bonus that you receive after the first fruits and you only give this amount on the first paycheck it appears not every paycheck. Doing this shows God of your gratitude of the extra blessing he has given to you.

You also have a choice as to where you bring your first fruits, you can bring it to your home church, you can bring it to your pastor of your church, or you can give it to a minister. Your first fruits is an expression of your love to God’s Holy Word and it only has to be done once a year for the rest of the checks are to do as you wish. God does not want your raise he only asks for the first fruits and by doing this he will bring you more and God knows you are not in love with money. For when our roots are Holy then our branches will be Holy as it says in Romans 11:16. Remember God wants us to prosper for it says in III John 1:2 to be in health as our soul prospers and it also says in Luke 16:10 he that is faithful in the least is faithful in much.

Alms:

            The motivation for alms giving is sympathy and compassion; it is the only one that is given to mankind not to God. Alms are given in secrecy to help protect the person’s dignity in their time of crisis as it says in Matthew 6:1 – 4. We should help the poor when we can but it must be done in secret, for when we tell what we are doing we are destroying the return that God would give to us if we do it in secret. You see when ministers and other folks tell what they are generally does move the people to give through sympathy and compassion but the return is shut down because it was not done in secret. The return rate on giving in alms is reimbursement as it says in Proverbs 19:17 which means you will only receive back what you have given because it was given to man.

            Sometimes we think we are helping when we take a portion of our tithes and give them to man which in turn turns your tithes to alms. This action causes a domino effect for the Lord must now shut the window of heaven and he cannot rebuke the devourer for your sake and you can only get back what you gave. Remember that your alms can only bring back the amount you gave but the return of tithes is being (Malachi 3:10 – 12) blessed in the city, rebuking the devourer for your sake, and the open windows of heaven to poor out a blessing that you cannot contain.

The Seed:

            The motivation for our seed or the offering is faith and the reward for it is given to God as it says in Mark 4:3 – 8. Our seed or offering giving is the only way that the 30, 60, and 100 fold harvest is received, for this is our future. The fold is not given on our tithes, our first fruits, or our alms. The seed begins at 11% because the first 10% belongs to the Lord which means that anything you give to God above your tithes (the 10%) is your seed. Our seed is the surest way to stop poverty in our life; it is the quickest way to total debt cancellation. Our seed must also be put in fertile soil for it to accomplish the purpose in our life that we wish to reach as it says in Romans 4:17 we must name our seed and to call things as though they were not as they seem. We are setting things up for our future generations as well as for now. We want our children to live and accomplish more than we did as a child and God feels the same way for his children.

            In Luke 6:38 it says to give and it will be given unto you in the same measure you give; Satan will attempt to work on your sympathy to get you to change the order of exchange and return by taking a portion of your tithes for alms or a seed which will change and can stop the return all together and will close the windows of heaven because God is bound by his Holy Word to do so. A seed can be many things; it can be in the form of funds or an item of any sort. You may take your brother to dinner, or take dinner to a sick friend. It may be an outfit or purse that you wish to give. It may also be mowing your neighbor’s yard and all this is done just because…

            The main thing to remember here is that it all starts with the proper tithing, it should be the first thing that you do. To start God’s promise to open the window of heaven that you may be blessed in the city, blessed in the field, blessed going in, and blessed going out. Follow the proper order of giving according to God’s Holy Word and we too can become debt free in the midst of a depression of this current economy situation.

            God has shown me so much in the last couple of months and I’m so excited about putting all this into action because my children need a future while we dwell here upon this earth and we wait for His return. I was raised in church yet I’m still learning and growing in His Holy Word. At first I was angry at myself because all these years I thought I understood about giving but now I realize that if we understood everything at one time our minds would not be able to contain it all, but he shows us something and then He gives us a chance to put it work and follow God’s Holy Word.

            I did not do this on my own; there were several ministers on television and in the church that gave me thoughts and references. I do not remember everyone’s name that helped me with this paper but I want to thank them all for the help and contribution that each one gave me. The main two were my Pastor Farrell Rogers and one of my favorite ministers on television Jesse Duplantis. Now we all know the proper order of giving according to God’s Holy Word, so let’s apply it to our lives and we will not have to participate in the depression and bad economy of this world and neither will our children.

Composed by: Karen ReNee

Freedom

            As the Israelites woke up one morning they thought it would be just like all the other days. They were sitting on a mountain and the Philistines were sitting on another mountain. In the valley between them were a man, but not just any man; this man was about 9 feet tall. His armour weighed about 150 pounds, his spearhead weighed 20 pounds, and it took two men to carry his shield. This man, whose name was Goliath would come to the valley and call unto the Israelites. He would challenge them each morning, wanting them to choose a man to fight him feeling very sure that none of the Israelites could beat him so he taunted them relentlessly. He did this continuously for forty days, but no one had the faith to step forward, everyone was very afraid.

            One day David was bringing some food to his brothers, who were there in the fight, and while he was there Goliath came out and began the challenge once again and as David stood there listening to this man challenge and defile the name of God he could not understand why his brothers or anyone else would not step forward and fight this man. David did not see him as a giant but as an enemy who dared to challenge and try to defy the armies of the living God.

            Even though David was only a boy of about 12 years of age he wanted to accept the challenge, but the king didn’t think he could fight and beat this giant because he was only a young boy. After much persuasion David convinced King Saul to let him fight. King Saul tried to dress David in his armour, but it was too big, the armor was made for Saul not David. David could not move for it was too heavy for him and he told Saul that this was not his armor.

            David started for the valley with his staff in his hand on the way he picked up 5 smooth stones in the brook as he crossed onto the other shore. When Goliath realized that they sent over just a young boy and was only carrying a staff, he cursed and mocked him for he was so sure that the battle would be won quite quickly.

            As David stepped forward he pulled out one of the stones from his bag. He called unto the giant. You come to me with spear and a sword but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defiled.

            When he let go of the sling, God guided that stone to the only place Goliath did not have protected by armour. He hit him in the forehead, but it not only hit hard, the stone sank into his skull thereby killing him instantly. David then used the enemy’s sword to cut off his head. 

            We have heard this story many times, even as children but have you really thought about what David was doing. He was just crazy enough to believe that if he believed, God would deliver them out of the hands of the Philistines. This was Israel’s Independence Day, the battle was won, and they were free from the Philistines.

            America fought for freedom in 1776, and we have had to fight again over the years in our history; we now have the freedom to worship God each and every day but how long will we be able to worship freely. The freedom to raise our hands in praise, to pray for the sick, whether it is in church, on the street corner, or even in the middle of Wal-Mart. To know when we lay down to sleep at night we can rest in peace that if he returns tonight we will be there to meet him.

            I’m just as proud to be a Christian as I am an American for we are a blessed people and a blessed nation. Every day I fall more in Love with my Jesus because even though he knew I would fail him he loves me. And I look forward to the day when He splits the Eastern skies to carry us all away. The cross and the flag they go together. Remember what this country was founded on, Freedom of Worship, so let’s pull ourselves off the bench, raise our hands, and shout with a loud voice, “I’m free I’m free, praise the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings because He died just for me.

                                                                                    Written by: Karen ReNee

My Father’s Hand

          Our father’s hand has a very important role in the family. He is our strength, our strong pillar, and our guide. He is responsible for our future, our inheritance. He teaches us to stand on our own feet, to take responsibility for our actions, to learn how to be the loving and caring parent to our own children. When we are born we inherit different things from our parents; hair, eyes, nose, hands, and also part of their personality. God takes all these parts and then He creates a brand new person.

            When our earthly father dies we also receive an inheritance, there are times that it includes money, land, items, and all his personal effects, but it also includes spiritual things. When we get the Holy Ghost we then have a covenant with our father in heaven, and we then pass this covenant onto our children. It could be preachers, singers, teachers, organizers, and many other gifts.

            If you check your family tree you’ll find when grandma & grandpa pass away someone else in the family general begin to do the same work as they did. My father was a minister & teacher for 33 years and when he died he passed these onto his 4 heirs. Now my sister preached & taught the same way he did till Jesus chose to take her home too.

            Our father in heaven does the same thing; we also have an inheritance with God the father. When we get the Holy Ghost we began a journey like we never thought we could have in our lifetime. When we do something wrong, he corrects us and when we do something right, he rewards us. It’s never ending, always learning, always growing.

            When I was a teenager I received the Holy Ghost and for a long time I had thought it is suppose to be big God and little me. I was afraid of God, of what he might do to me if I made a mistake. I was afraid to try and do something for him. I never spoke to anyone about him; I didn’t want to open my mouth when I sang because I didn’t want anyone to hear me. But over the years of praying and studying, and talking to the Lord himself I realized just how much I was wrong. He is a very loving father with a gentle touch. One touch of his hand can change everything, the blind man could see, the dead was raised, water was changed to wine, demons were extracted from men, leprosy was cleansed, peace was exchanged, and the list goes on from the beginning of time. As his children we have a chance to do this every single day, in song, in preaching, in singing, in teaching, and even in the smile we carry on our very own face. We are a blessed generation and it’s time we claim our inheritance in God.

            In Luke 15 it talks about the prodigal son. He tried to step back and even tried to run from his inheritance, but when he came to his senses he returned home hoping he could at least be a servant in his father’s home. But his father saw him afar off, and greeted him with open arms, I‘m even sure that every day his father would look for him hoping he would return home to his father and his inheritance. Our father in heaven does the same thing. You cannot run from your inheritance or from the work He has chosen that no one but you can do and no one can do it for us.

            When our earthly father dies, all the family gathers together to read a will. It is a promise that we will receive certain items and the law will stand by you. In Acts 10 it is called the Promised Land, we have a promised inheritance. In Hebrews 11 it is called the holy land, in Zechariah 2 it is called the Lord’s land, in Isaiah 8 it is called Beulah Land, and we all want to go to this wonderful land one day.

            My father’s 20th anniversary of his death was this past May and I still miss him very much but I will see him again, for he is waiting for me at the heavenly gates with my baby brother Glenn and my sister Susan, passing the time with the prophet Paul and my great grandfather, whom everyone called Cyclone Young. When my father died I began to rely on my father in heaven even more than before. God is now my pillar, my strength, my faith, my helper, my teacher, and when I need Him I can feel His gentle touch on my shoulder.

            He promised He would never forsake us and we need to continue standing on that promise. We can all have this, we just need to ask. He wants to be there when you need Him but you have got to stand on His promises. That’s right all of them not just one. It is time we claim our inheritance from our father in heaven, it is time we come together and open up the will and read what is for us. It is called the Holy Bible. Step into the promises and the works He has made just for His heirs, the children of God. His arms and His heart is open, so without any more delay step up and claim your promises today.

                                                            Written by:  Karen ReNee  

His Words of Promise

In our “bootstrap” society, where you tough it up and do it on your own and take pride in being a rugged individualist, the one thing that seems to escape us is being before God on our knees – being before God, aware that we are helpless and allowing him to assist us.

            Can you say to Jesus, “This burden’s too heavy for me? I want you to help me, please, carry this burden for me. I cannot do it any longer.” He says if you will come to Him, if you will allow Him to carry that burden with you, His promise is that you will receive rest.

            Surrendering our life to Christ means going to Him and saying, “I’m yours; use me however you want to.” Once you’ve done this, you can begin to seek His will for your life. God chose Jesus' earthly father not only because he was to marry the mother of Jesus but because of his profession. A carpenter will take materials and make things that are beautiful to the eyes of man. Jesus will take a person with no hope and will make them a beautiful soul in the eyes of God. He can only do this with someone who wants to be remolded.

            So we then go to the word for strength and comfort, and when we do, the words pierce us like a surgeon’s scalpel, both cutting and healing us at the same time. The word of God cuts to the very place where thoughts and attitudes come together, at the juncture of soul and spirit, providing a healing that can be obtained in no other way on earth. The Bible was provided as a road-map for us so that we might be able to see Jesus Christ. If you want to grow in the Word of God, you must become a person with a chisel and quarry the Word – look, explore, seek. Let His Word become your Word, and you will grow.

            The words of a carpenter, promising rest, are so compelling because of our endless desire and quest to find rest – not just rest in the body, but to rest the heart, to find peace, to finally settle down in a field fertile with contentment. Do you know where to find rest? Where you find the ability to sleep at night? By living in the promises of the Father who made you.

            When Jesus healed the woman in Matthew 9, he told her that her faith had made her well. He was also saying to her, “You’re very special to me, daughter. I know you’ve been rejected by society, but your Father has not forgotten you." Our savior says the same to us when we need His helping hand.

            When Jesus and His disciples saw a blind man while walking down the road. The disciples asked, “Jesus, who sinned?” Jesus answered, “No one sinned.” Then Jesus healed the man. And He eternally answered that our pain is not a result of our sin. God is not so small that He would zap us for making a mistake. This passage teaches us the opposite: Jesus is alive and He cares for our pain. We are serving a God who says that even when we are under pressure and feel like nothing is going right, He is waiting for us, to embrace us whether we succeed or fail.

            We’ve got to decide that we are going to stand on these promises even though there is destruction all around us. When Jesus was sleeping in the bottom of the ship even though the storm was raging and shaking the ship to and fro. The disciples thought for sure they were going to perish, even then they did not realize who was actually riding through the storm with them. He promised that he would never leave or forsake us. If He said it, that settles it and we should believe it, for He cannot lie.

            I challenge you to rediscover the Bible in your own life... to regain the hunger and same enthusiasm you felt when you first heard the name of Jesus! Once we’re honest with ourselves about who we are, then God can begin to remold our hearts... in total surrender. This is the Word of Promise; He offers it to each and every one of us. It is up to us what we do with the promise He has to offer.

                                                                                                                     Written by:  Karen ReNee