Light

Written by A.W. Towzer. This is a beautiful Prayer...

"Father, I want to know Thee, but my coward heart fears to give up its toys. I cannot part with them without inward bleeding, and I do not try to hide from Thee the terror of the parting. I come trembling, but 1 do come. Please root from my heart all those things which 1 have cherished so long and which have become a very part of my living self, so that Thou mayest enter avid dwell there without a rival. Then shalt Thou make the place of Thy feet glorious. Then shall my heart have no need of the sun to shine in it, for Thyself wilt be the light of it, and there shall be no night there. In Jesus' Name, Amen."

Revelation 22:1-5
The River of Life

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants^c will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

-Hannah

http://vimeo.com/54620146

"Brightly colored sunsets and starry heavens, majestic mountains and shining seas, and fragrant field and fresh-cut flowers are not even half as beautiful as a soul who is serving Jesus out of love, through the wear and tear of an ordinary, unpoetic life."

-Frederick William Faber

 

 

The Living God

I was thinking about the titles of the people of today and in the bible that people have called the Lord. To name a few, He is called {God of sight, Almighty God, Everlasting God, our Peace, shepherd, our healer, hiding place, shield, Rock of my strength, redeemer, deliverer, the Living God, faithful...}
 
 
In the book of Job, God allows satan to wreak havoc on Job's life to try and prove that Job praised God only because his life was Good and abundant. God allowed satan to take everything of Job's away. God allowed this because he knew Job's heart and he knew that in the end He would be glorified and indeed Job did praise God until the end of his days.
 At the end of Job, it says,

^"12 The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. ¹³ And he also had seven sons and three daughters. ¹⁴ The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. ¹⁵ Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.

¹⁶ After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. ¹⁷ And so Job died, an old man and full of years."
 

All around me are hearts going through things i couldn't even imagine. As human beings and followers of the Lord we will go through trials. There is no doubt that things will happen out of our control in this life. But we are called to trust his path for us, to follow and have faith in Him. Just like God allowing that to happen to Job, I believe everything that happens to us passes through God's loving hands first. I do believe these things happen so He may be glorified in us and in the end everyone can proclaim, "May the name of the Lord be praised." As I was thinking about the names of God...[ Healer. Deliverer. Faithful. Shield. Hiding place. Our peace] ... I thought about what it must have taken first for Him to be called that. To be healed you must first me broken and hurt. To be delivered someone must first be in chains in body or soul. To be shielded, a person must first been put on the enemy lines in need of a protector. A miracle wouldn't exist unless there was a situation so utterly impossible to be solved or fixed that it was something only God could do.  He could not be called the latter without the prior happening. I've realized all of these trails are meant to build us up for him and for us to be able to call him faithful and glorify him. I am learning that trials aren't simply a burden that we have to get through, but hidden blessings that we must TRUST GOD THROUGH (and pray like mad through), that he is working out ALL things, and trust Him until He gets the victory (and he will) and we get to call him HEALER, REDEEMER, and THE GOD OF MIRACLES.

“But He knows the way I take; When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

- Job 23:10

 

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been  called
according to his purpose."   -Romans 8:28

 

 

 “As for me, I know that amy 1Redeemer lives, And 2at the last He will take His stand on the 3earth.

-Job 19:25

 

But I trust in your unfailing love;

my heart rejoices in your salvation.

I will sing to the Lord,

for he has been good to me.

 

May the name of the Lord be Praised.

ARE YOU JESUS?

From my Grandmother


A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago . They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner. In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly-missed boarding.

ALL BUT ONE!!! He paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his feelings and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned.

He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor.

He was glad he did.

The 16-year-old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her; no one stopping and no one to care for her plight.

The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.

When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, "Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?"

She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, "I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly."

As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him,
"Mister...." He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes.

She continued, "Are you Jesus?"

He stopped in mid-stride ... and he wondered.

He gently went back and said, "No, I am nothing like Jesus - He is good, kind, caring, loving, and would never have bumped into your display in the first place."

The girl gently nodded: "I only asked because I prayed for Jesus to help me gather the apples. He sent you to help me, so you are like Him - only He knows who will do His will. Thank you for hearing His call, Mister."

Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul:"Are you Jesus?"

Do people mistake you for Jesus?

That's our destiny, is it not?

To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that is blind to His love, life and grace.

If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and actasHe would. Knowing Him is more than simply quoting scripture and going to church. It'sactually living the Word as life unfolds day to day.

You are theapple of His eyeeven though we, too, have been bruised by a fall. He stopped what He was doing and picked up you and me on a hill called Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit.

from my Grandmother...

GROCERY LIST

 Louise Redden, a poorly dressed lady with a look of defeat on her face, walked into a grocery store..

She approached the owner of the store in a most humble manner and asked if he would let her charge a few groceries..

She softly explained that her husband was very ill and unable to work, they had seven children and they needed food.

John Longhouse, the grocer, scoffed at her and requested that she leave his store at once.

Visualizing the family needs, she said: 'Please, sir! I will bring you the money just as soon as I can.'

John told her he could not give her credit, since she did not have a charge account at his store.

Standing beside the counter was a customer who overheard the conversation between the two The customer walked forward and told the grocer that he would stand good for whatever she needed for her family. The grocer said in a very reluctant voice, 'Do you have a grocery list?'

Louise replied, 'Yes sir.' 'O..K' he said, 'put your grocery list on the scales and whatever your grocery list weighs, I will give you that amount in groceries.'

Louise hesitated a moment with a bowed head, then she reached into her purse and took out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it. She then laid the piece of paper on the scale carefully with her head still bowed.

The eyes of the grocer and the customer showed amazement when the scales went down and stayed down..

The grocer, staring at the scales, turned slowly to the customer and said begrudgingly, 'I can't believe it.'

The customer smiled and the grocer started putting the groceries on the other side of the scales. The scale did not balance so he continued to put more and more groceries on them until the scales would hold no more.

The grocer stood there in utter disgust. Finally, he grabbed the piece of paper from the scales and looked at it with greater amazement.

It was not a grocery list, it was a prayer, which said:

'Dear Lord, you know my needs and I am leaving this in your hands.'

The grocer gave her the groceries that he had
gathered and stood in stunned silence.

Louise thanked him and left the store. The other customer handed a fifty-dollar bill to the grocer and said; 'It was worth every penny of it.

Only God Knows how to

handle your needs but He can. He see's you.. He Loves you

October 5

from Streams......
 
 
Some time later the brook dried up.(1 Kings 17:7)

The education of our faith is incomplete if we have yet to learn that God’s providence works through loss, that there is a ministry to us through failure and the fading of things, and that He gives the gift of emptiness. It is, in fact, the material insecurities of life that cause our lives to be spiritually established.

The dwindling brook at the Kerith Ravine, where Elijah sat deep in thought, is a true picture of each of our lives. “Some time later the brook dried up”—this is the history of our yesterdays, and a prophecy of our tomorrows.

One way or the other, we must all learn the difference between trusting in the gift and trusting in the Giver. The gift may last for a season, but the Giver is the only eternal love.

The Kerith Ravine was a difficult problem for Elijah until he arrived at Zarephath, and suddenly everything became as clear as daylight to him. God’s hard instructions are never His last words to us, for the woe, the waste, and the tears of life belong to its interlude, not its finale.

If the Lord had led Elijah directly to Zarephath, he would have missed something that helped to make him a wiser prophet and a better man—living by faith at Kerith. And whenever our earthly stream or any other outer resource has dried up, it has been allowed so we may learn that our hope and help are in God, who made heaven and earth.

F. B. Meyer

Unwavering Faithfulness

God calls us to live a  life of faith. What is faith? (Hebrews 11:1) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. God calls us to live victoriously through fatih in Him. We go through storms and may lose faith, or wonder where He is. But the storm is where we grow and not an end, but something we go THROUGH. and you will get through.

It's so easy to have faith and trust the Lord when his blessings are right in front of us. Faith is not judged by circumstances, but regardless of them. It's when we feel we are in the dark that our true faith is revealed, grown and developed. We must not waver in our faith or constant thankfuless just because the blessings are unseen by us at that moment. We must thank God for HIS unwavering faithfulness regardless of our own feelings. The truth is that He Remains faithful...There was a woman who prayed 10 years for her wayward son until he was saved. Imagine how she felt on that 9th year. Why not thank Him and praise him NOW no matter what the circumstance, because your light may be right around the corner.

You will never know your level of genuine faith until it is tested in a fierce storm. If you're ever going to "be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power" (eph 6:10), your strength will be born during a storm.

Prayer

No one accomplishes so much in so little time as when he or she is praying.

Had it Coming

So this past year I remember telling my mother that I think God was slowly preparing me to speak - my biggest fear. I started getting that sense back when I kept getting called on stage...one being blue man Group performance for 15 minutes, almost having to go up on stage in front of thousands at a christian concert tour, and then having to visit youth groups in another town to give a testimony in hopes to raise support for a homeless ministry I am involved with. This summer I took a summer internship, and after taking the job was suprised to find out I had to speak for 2 sunday services, something i've never done before (or wanted to do)  but I knew full well that the Lord had been slowly trying to get me to that point. I can't say that He didn't warn me. On Tuesday morning I woke up, and out of nowhere I remembered that there was a big chance I was supposed to be born without vocal chords for some reason or another. I thought about how my physical ability to speak was truely a gift from God and how I wasn't taking advantage of that. Instead, it has been a fear of mine, and I tried to avoid speaking in front of groups of people at all costs. So sure enough, that evening, I get a call from someone asking me to be the guest speaker for a Junior High FCA. Again, I had this coming for me. So of course I said yes and am asking the Lord to give me the words and to give me peace. To others this may be such an easy thing to stand in front of a bunch of people and talk for half an hour about your topic of choice, but for me it's not that case. I have never been one who desires to all eyes on me. For example, I leave town to celebrate my birthday because I don't like the attention. But I do know that this isn't about me. It's about planting a seed in the lives of students, sharing my experiences with God and what I know of Him. I do know that God has given me more than I deserve and has always always always been faithful to me. The least I can do is be obedient to the small task He is asking me to do. I have definitly noticed that as we follow the Lord, he brings us our of our comfort zones and builds our character. I've had to face so many fears, and overcome insecurities as I've walked with him. My friend Brandon told me once that he thinks that sometimes God's gifts and callings He places on our lives are the things we are most afraid of. I think that may be true. I don't know what the Lord has up his sleeve but I do know that I must be obedient in this. God won't fail our obedience.

Coach Val

I absolutely loved this message by Coach Val the other morning and wanted to share


http://vimeo.com/49612967

..Thy Victory Singing..

Had to share what I read today. So Beautiful...from Streams in the Desert.

The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. (Psalm 51:17)

Those people God uses most to bring glory to Himself are those who are completely broken, for the sacrifice He accepts is a "broken and contrite heart." It was not until Jacob's natural strength was broken, when "his hip was wrenched" (Genesis 32:25) at Peniel, that he came to the point where God could clothe him with spiritual power. And it was not until Moses struck the rock at Horeb, breaking its surface, that cool "water [came] out of it for the people to drink" (Exodus 17:6).

It was not until Gideon's three hundred specially chosen soldiers "broke the jars that were in their hands" (Judges 7:19), which symbolized brokenness in their lives, that the hidden light of the torches shone forth, bringing terror to their enemies. It was once the poor widow broke the seal on her only remaining jar of oil and began to pour it that God miraculously multiplied it to pay her debts and thereby supplied her means of support. (See 2 Kings 4:1-7.)

It was not until Esther risked her life and broke through the strict laws of a heathen king's court that she obtained favor to rescue her people from death. (See Esther 4:16.)

It was once Jesus took "the five loaves . . . and broke them" (Luke 9:16) that the bread was multiplied to feed the five thousand. Through the very process of the loaves being broken, the miracle occurred. It was when Mary broke her beautiful "alabaster jar of very expensive perfume" (Matthew 26:7), destoying its future usefulness and value, that the wonderful fragrance filled the house. And it was when Jesus allowed His precious body to be broken by thorns, nails, and a spear that His inner life was poured out like an ocean of crystal-clear water, for thirsty sinners to drink and then live.

It is not until a beautiful kernal of corn is buried and broken in the earth by DEATH that its inner heart sprouts, producing hundreds of other seeds or kernals. And so it has always been, down through the history of plants, people, and all of spiritual life --- God uses BROKEN THINGS.

Those who have been gripped by the power of the Holy Spirit and are used for God's glory are those who have been broken in their finances, broken in their self-will, broken in their ambitions, broken in their lofty ideals, broken in their worldly reputation, broken in their desires, and often broken in their health. Yes, He uses those who are despised by the world and who seem totally hopeless and helpless, just as Isaiah said: "The lame will carry off plunder" (Isaiah 33:23).

 

 

O break my heart; but break it as a field
Is by the plough up-broken for the corn;
O break it as the buds, by green leaf seated,
Are, to unloose the golden blossom, torn;
Love would I offer unto Love's great Master,
Set free the odor, break the alabaster.

O break my heart; break it victorious God,
That life's eternal well may flash abroad;
O let it break as when the captive trees,
Breaking cold bonds, regain their liberties;
And as thought's sacred grove to life is springing,
Be joys, like birds, their hope, Thy victory singing.

--Thomas Toke Bunch

 

Han

You are I am

Jesus is..

My Forever Faithful

 

"Who Jesus Is" by Mother Teresa and Me

 

 

Jesus is the Word made Flesh.

Jesus is the Bread of Life.

Jesus is the Victim offered for our sins on the Cross.

Jesus is the Sacrifice offered

For the sins of the world and mine.

Jesus is the Word – to be spoken.

Jesus is the Truth – to be made know.

Jesus is the Way – to be walked.

Jesus is the Light – to be a guide.

Jesus is the Life – to be fully lived.

Jesus is the Hopeless - to be given a Hope and Future.

Jesus is the Love – to be loved.

Jesus is the Joy – to be shared.

Jesus is the Sacrifice – to be offered.

Jesus is the Peace – to be given.

Jesus is the Bread of Life – to be eaten.

Jesus is the Hungry – to be fed.

Jesus is the Thirsty – to be satisfied.

Jesus is the Naked – to be clothed.

Jesus is the Homeless – to be taken in.

Jesus is the Sick – to be healed.

Jesus is the Lonely – to be embraced.

Jesus is the Unwanted – to be cherished.

Jesus is the Feet – to be washed.

Jesus is the Beggar – to give him a smile.

Jesus is the Drunkard – to listen to him.

Jesus is the Little One – to have child-like faith.

Jesus is the Blind – to lead him.

Jesus is the Dumb – to speak for him.

Jesus is the Crippled – to walk with him.

Jesus is the Drug addict – to befriend him.

Jesus is the Prostitute – to rescued from harm.

Jesus is the Prisoner – to be visited.

Jesus is the Old – to be served.
Jesus is the Broken -- to be Restored.

 

 

To me –

Jesus is my Comfort.

Jesus is my Healer.

Jesus is my Life.

Jesus is my Forever Faithful.

Jesus is my Peace.
Jesus in my Guide.

Jesus is my All in All.
Jesus is my Everything.

Jesus is Where I Belong.

I am His.

Who He Says We Are...

SINCE I AM IN CHRIST, BY THE GRACE OF GOD …

Excerpts from
Victory Over The Darkness by Neil T. Anderson

I have been justified-completely forgiven and made righteous. (Romans 5:1)
I am free forever from condemnation. (Romans 8:1) 
I have been placed into Christ by Godʼs doing. (1 Corinthians 1:30)
 I have received the Spirit of God into my life that I might know the things freely given to me by God. (1 Corinthians 2:12)
I have been given the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16)
 I have been bought with a price; I am not my own; I belong to God. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
 I have been established, anointed and sealed by God in Christ, and I have been given the Holy Spirit as a pledge guaranteeing my inheritance to come.
(2 Corinthians 1:21; Ephesians 1:13-14)
 Since I have died, I no longer live for myself, but for Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)
I have been made righteous. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
 I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. The life I am now living is Christʼs life. (Galatians 2:20)
  I have been blessed with every spiritual blessing. (Ephesians 1:3)
I was chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and am without blame before Him. (Ephesians 1:4)
 I was predestined to be adopted as Godʼs son. (Ephesians 1:5)
 I have been redeemed and forgiven, and I am a recipient of His lavish grace. I have been made alive together with Christ. (Ephesians 1:6-8)
 I have been raised up and seated with Christ in heaven. (Ephesians 2:6)
 I have direct access to God through the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:18)
 I may approach God with boldness, freedom and confidence. Ephesians 3:12)
 I have been rescued from the domain of Satanʼs rule and transferred to the kingdom of Christ. (Colossians 1:13)
 I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins. The debt against me has been canceled. (Colossians 1:14)
 Christ Himself is in me. (Colossians 1:27)
 I am firmly rooted in Christ and am now being built in Him. (Colossians 2:7)
I have been spiritually circumcised. My old unregenerate nature has been removed. (Colossians 2:11)
 I have been made complete in Christ. (Colossians 2:10)
 I have been buried, raised and made alive with Christ. (Colossians 2:12-13)
 I died with Christ and I have been raised up with Christ. My life is now hidden with Christ in God. Christ is now my life. (Colossians 3:1-4)
I have been given a spirit of power, love and self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7)
 I have been saved and set apart according to Godʼs doing. (2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5)
 Because I am sanctified and am one with the Sanctifier, He is not ashamed to call me brother. (Hebrews 2:11)
 I have the right to come boldly before the throne of God to find mercy and grace in the time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
 I have been given exceedingly great and precious promises by God, by which I am a partaker of Godʼs divine nature. (2 Peter 1:4)

.

But you, Lord my God,
brought my life up from the pit.

 

 

In Jonah 2, Jonah's prayer when He was in the depths of this whale is such a good reminder for us. It says:

 

⁴ I said, ‘I have been banished
from your sight;
yet I will look againtoward your holy temple.’
⁵ The engulfing waters threatened me,^[b]
the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.
⁶ To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you, Lord my God,
brought my life up from the pit.

⁷ “When my life was ebbing away,
I remembered you, Lord,
and my prayer rose to you,
to your holy temple.

⁸ “Those who cling to worthless idols
turn away from God’s love for them.
⁹ But I, with shouts of grateful praise,
will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’”

¹⁰ And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

 

 

 My prayer is that we flee from those worthless idols and cling to God, the author and perfector of our faith. I am always reminded that God truely does hear our prayers in those mountain tops moments and also when we feel like we are in the dark depths that seem to last an eternity. As we pray they rise up to Him and his holy temple, and He hears us. When we feel this way, we always have to look back to Him who makes all things good, peaceful, joyous, and worth-while in this life. He will sustain you in your time of trouble and lift you out of it. He is who he says He is.


Micah 7:7
But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.

 

"Impossible"

o·be·di·ence

o·be·di·ence

/ōˈbēdēəns/

"The Biblical word for “obey” comes from the Greek “hupakou”which means to listen attentively; by implication to heed or conform to a command or authority. This word conveys the idea of actively following a command."


John 15:14 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (Jesus)

Galatians 5:13-14 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

 

2 John 1:6 And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.

Proverbs 13:13 Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded.


“I find the doing of the will of God leaves me no time for disputing about His plans.” ~ George Macdonald

Read more: http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/bible-verses-about-obedience-20-powerful-scriptures-quotes/#ixzz261GShXOh

Psalm 46

Streams in the Desert - September 7

 

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1).

The question often comes, “Why didn’t He help me sooner?” It is not His order. He must first adjust you to the trouble and cause you to learn your lesson from it. His promise is, “I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honour him.” He must be with you in the trouble first all day and all night. Then He will take you out of it. This will not come till you have stopped being restless and fretful about it and become calm and quiet. Then He will say, “It is enough.”

 

God uses trouble to teach His children precious lessons. They are intended to educate us. When their good work is done, a glorious recompense will come to us through them. There is a sweet joy and a real value in them. He does not regard them as difficulties but as opportunities.

–Selected.

 

Not always OUT of our troublous times,

And the struggles fierce and grim,

But IN–deeper IN–to our one sure rest,

The place of our peace, in Him.

–Annie Johnson Flint

 

We once heard a simple old coloured man say something that we have never forgotten: “When God tests you, it is a good time for you to test Him by putting His promises to the proof, and claiming from Him just as much as your trials have rendered necessary.”

There are two ways of getting out of a trial. One is to simply try to get rid of the trial, and be thankful when it is over. The other is to recognize the trial as a challenge from God to claim a larger blessing than we have ever had, and to hail it with delight as an opportunity of obtaining a larger measure of Divine grace. Thus even the adversary becomes an auxiliary, and the things that seem to be against us turn out to be for the furtherance of our way. Surely, this is to be more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

–A. B. Simpson

Find a Penny, Pick it Up

From Grandma..... You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk being good luck, gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time I've ever heard this twist on the story. Gives you something to think about. Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the home of her husband's employer. My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house. The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. Her husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely. As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant one evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment. Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts. Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny. He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up? Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She casually mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value. A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this? "Look at it," he said. "Read what it says." She read the words, " United States of America ." "No, not that. Read further." "One cent?" "No, keep reading." "In God we Trust?" "Yes!" "And?. . ." "And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin, I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him. Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray. I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!" When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, "In God We Trust," and had to laugh. "Yes, God, I get the message!" It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful! And, God is patient.

Spring Up Oh Well

On their behalf

Intercessory prayer is not only our responsibility but it should be our honor. We must pray for those who are in our lives because God has placed them there. Nehemiah prayed on behalf of his Jewish brothers and sisters who sinned against God, and we must do the same with not only our brothers and sisters in christ, but those who don't know the Love of our great God. We must pray from the ones we see who are what we might call unlovable and those who fill us with frustration or fear. We must instead ask and allow the Lord to fill us with compassion and a mouth that prays for mountains to move in their lives and claiming victory over the battles in their hearts and minds. Absolutely nothing is too big for our God.

{ [Col 4:12-13] [1 thess 1:2-3] [Eph 1:15-18] [ Neh 1:5-9..] }

love,
Han

The source

Let our work be produced by Faith, our labor prompted by Love, and our endurance inspired by Hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

 





(1 thess 1:3)
 

Love

Han

God's Word does not fail

From my Grandmother...

From the fullness of His grace we have
all received one blessing after another.
( John 1:16 *NIV )

Be joyful
always; pray continually; give thanks in all
circumstances, for this is God's will for you in
Christ Jesus. ( 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 )
; He will never leave you nor
forsake you." ( Deuteronomy 31:6 )

Give thanks to the
Lord, call on His name; make known among the
nations what he has done for you!
( 1 Chronicles 16:8 )

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God, and the fellowship of the
Holy Spirit be with you all now and always! Amen!
( 2 Corinthians 13:14 )

Sweeter is the cadence of the song we hear...

From Streams in the Desert Aug 11

"Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my salvation." (Hab. 3:17, 18.)

OBSERVE, I entreat you, how calamitous a circumstance is here supposed, and how heroic a faith is expressed. It is really as if he said, "Though I should be reduced to so great extremity as not to know where to find my necessary food, though I should look around about me on an empty house and a desolate field, and see the marks of the Divine scourge where I had once seen the fruits of God's bounty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord."

Methinks these words are worthy of being written as with a diamond on a rock forever. Oh, that by Divine grace they might be deeply engraven on each of our hearts! Concise as the form of speaking in the text is, it evidently implies or expresses the following particulars: That in the day of his distress he would fly to God; that he would maintain a holy composure of spirit under this dark dispensation, nay, that in the midst of all he would indulge in a sacred joy in God, and a cheerful expectation from Him. Heroic confidence! Illustrious faith! Unconquerable love! --- Doddridge.

Last night I heard a robin singing in the rain.

And the raindrop's patter made a sweet refrain,

Making all the sweeter the music of the strain.

So, I thought, when trouble comes, as trouble will,

Why should I stop singing? Just beyond the hill

It may be that sunshine floods the green world still.

He who faces the trouble with a heart of cheer

Makes the burden lighter. If there falls a tear,

Sweeter is the cadence in the song we hear.

I have learned your lesson, bird with dappled wing,

Listening to your music with its lilt of spring-

When the storm-cloud darkens, then's the TIME to sing.

─Eben E. Rexford. -

Sunday's service

This was my last official Sunday as an intern at this church. I was standing there during worship, and realized I was sitting in the very same seat that I had been in the first time I went to Crossbridge, the day before I met with Chris (shown in the video) and Joey to see if I would be a good fit for the ministry...Does time fly or what? This sunday was our Youth Sunday where Chris, our Youth and Student Pastor spoke, and our youth band led worship in the regular service. I loved the music and the teaching and am so thankful for what the Lord is doing in the ministry and all the things He has shown me through it. I am so thankful that the Lord knows better than I do of what I am capable of doing. This ministry has truly blessed me and grown me in ways that I never anticipated and I will be forever grateful.

Here's the message Chris preached on Sunday.

http://crossbridgecommunitychurch.com/cms3/index.php/sermons/video/106

Faithful

 ^"..if we are faithless, 

he remains faithful, 

for he cannot disown himself.."

Sometimes my life feels uncertain and my heart feels shaky, but then I remind myself I serve a God who is a solid rock, one who is always constant and forever faithful, and I MUST keep my eyes on HIM, not myself or my cicrumstances. That is where I find rest in my soul. God's character does not rely on our actions. God's character stays the same throughout all things, and Praise Him for that truth.


and of course I had to find a fitting song...

Our first response

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:4-7

I've started a study on Nehemiah and in the first chapter it goes through Nehemiah's prayer. What I love is that the first things he turns to after hearing news is turn to the Lord. It's a wonderful reminder that through everything we must make the choice to not turn to friends, resources, or relationships, but to God as our first response when trials happen. Here is his prayer:

“O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, ⁶ let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you. ⁷ We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. ⁸ “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, ⁹ but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’ ¹⁰ “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. ¹¹ O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”

God deserves our time and devotion of prayer with Him daily. God hears us and is so powerful.  As kelly Minter says in the Nehemiah study, "...but we must remind ourselves that we do not serve a human king with feet of clay, bound by the limitations of flesh and sin. He lives outside of time, beyond our limited strength, and holds all things in his hands."



HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA :O]

LOVE, Hannah

God Is Able

Today I woke up singing the single verse "Our God is Able",  and as Im thinking about the rest of the song, it's so encouraging and so true that God is truely able to do far more with and in our lives than we could ever imagine. If you're going through a valley, God will make a way to bring you through it and up to the mountaintops. If we continue to rely on God, trust in him, and follow His ways, he will guide our paths.

Two.

..Alittle ridiculous I know but  lately i kept thinking "Lord I just want someone to bring me some flowers", for no reason in particular other than the fact that I absolutely love getting flowers and having them around. So low and behold, I've gotten flowers within the span of a few days. A single rose given to be by a friend in efforts to help give a homeless man a meal, and my pretty little boquet of purple and green by my friend as a thank you after me watching her dog a few weeks ago. So unexpected but so thankful that the Lord would give me the little desires of my heart...and not just one time, but TWO. This made me think of the two bible verses "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart" (psalm 37:4) and where in ephesians 3:20 it calls him the one "who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine." Imagine the fact that these are just flowers. How much more can God answer the big (and actually relavent) desires of our hearts? This simple little thing is a reminder to me to that God sees ours hearts, knows our futures, loves us, and has got us in the palm of his hand.

Luke 12:27-31 :

“Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. "

"Remember, you are loved with an everlasting love and underneath are the everlasting arms." -Elisabeth Elliot

Love,
Hannah