http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcxOkht8w7c


Christmas is all about missions.  


Father asked His Son to go to a distant land.
God's Son said "Yes, Sir" and traveled to a much different culture to live among the people of that land.
He lived according to His Father's perfect desires.  

And was killed for it.

And He was killed for you.

The Son of the Heavenly Father was obedient unto death.
He now has a question for you:  "Will you go?"

Where is your mission field?
You have been called. Father God wants to use you so that others may know of this incredible gift we celebrate during Christmas.

People all around you are dying.  There is no life without Jesus.

Will you go?

They are waiting to hear.

Sunset - Cheung Chau Harbor in Hong Kong

From Sun Stand Still, by Steven Furtick

12 Audacious Faith Confessions

I am fully forgiven and free from all shame and condemnation    

[Rom 8:1-2; Ephesians 1:7-8; I John 1:9]

I act on audacious faith to change the world in my generation.

[Joshua 10:12-14; John 14:12]

I have no fear or anxiety; I trust in the Lord with all my heart.

[Prov 3:5-6; Phil 4:6-7; I Peter 5:7]

I am able to fulfill the calling God has placed on my life

[Ex 3:9-12; Ps 57:2; Col 1:24-29]

I am fully resourced to do everything God has called me to do.

[Deut 8:18; Luke 6:38; Phil 4:13]

I have no insecurity, because I see myself the way God sees me.

[Gen 1:26-27; Ps 139:13-16; Eph 5:25-27]

I am a faithful spouse [if you’re single, you can slip future in there] and a godly parent - our family is blessed.

[Deut 6:6-9; Eph 5:22-25; Col 3:18-19; I Peter 3:1-]

I am completely whole - physically, mentally, and emotionally

[Ps 103:1-5; Matt 8:16-17; 2 Corin 5:17; I peter 2:24]

 I am increasing in influence and favor for the Kingdom of God

[Gen 45:4-8; I Sam 2:26; Acts 2:37-47]

I am enabled to walk in the sacrificial love of Christ

[ 2 Thess 2:16-17; I John 3:16, 4:9-12]

 I have the wisdom of The Lord concerning every decision I make

[2 Chron 1:7-12; Prov 2:6; Ecc 2:26; James 1:5]

I am protected from all harm and evil in Jesus’ name

[Gen 50:20; Ps 3:1-3; 2 Thess 3:2-3]

This was our booth at the Spokane Missions Catalyst

We have taken the infinitely glorious Son of God, who endured the infinitely terrible wrath of God and who now reigns as the infinitely worthy Lord of all, and we have reduced Him to a poor, puny Savior who is just begging us to accept Him.  Pg 37 of Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream by David Platt

I have been too busy trying to act like an American and now I'm too busy.

Catching up here by throwing in some quotes from Questions of Life by Nicky Gumbel and Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit by Francis Chan and Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From The American Dream by David Platt.

I share them with you because they really speak to me and the way I am feeling now.

Here's one now:

C.S. Lewis pointed out that: 'A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher.' He would either be insane or else he would be 'the devil of Hell'. 'You must make your choice,' he writes. Either Jesus was, and is, the Son of God or else he was insane or evil but, C.S. Lewis goes on, 'let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.'

• From Questions of Life

We are The Rich

In America, the top 1% earn more than $380,000 per year. We are, however, among the richest nations on Earth. How much do you need to earn to be among the top 1% of the world?

$34,000.

That was the finding World Bank economist Branko Milanovic presented in his 2010 book The Haves and the Have-Nots. Going down the distribution ladder may be just as surprising. To be in the top half of the globe, you need to earn just $1,225 a year. For the top 20%, it's $5,000 per year. Enter the top 10% with $12,000 a year. To be included in the top 0.1% requires an annual income of $70,000.

From:

Attention, Protestors: You're Probably Part of the 1%

By Morgan Housel | Motley Fool – Fri, Oct 28, 2011

Radical Quotes

Every Christian needs to read Radical

Quotes from:

Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream by David Platt

Everything in all creation responds in obedience to the Creator . . . until we get to you and me.

We have the audacity to look God in the face and say, "No."

Where in the Bible is missions ever identified as an optional program in the church?

Jesus Himself has not merely called us to go to all nations; he has created us and commanded us to go to all nations.

God has designed our lives for a collision course with the world.

Blogging Books - yours, mine, ours

I encourage every American to read Hitler's Cross by Erwin W Lutzer.

Could something similar happen in the USA or your country?

Back cover: Hitler rejoiced that the Swastika was openly displayed in churches throughout Germany. Confused at first by their responsibilities, then deceived by their pride, many church leaders capitulated to the wave of nationalism that swept the Cross of Jesus Christ from its rightful place. Others did not - and paid the ultimate price for upholding the truth.

An excerpt:

In 1935 prayers ceased to be obligatory in schools; religious instruction was not yet exactly prohibited, but it was limited to those who had been licensed by the state. Thus the dogmas of Nazism were substituted for the doctrines of the Bible The schools taught their subjects through the eyes of the regime.

Since Germans had for centuries celebrated Christmas and Easter, Hitler had to reinterpret their meaning. Christmas was turned into a totally pagan festival; in fact, at least for the SS troops its date was changed to December 21, the date for winter solstice. Carols and Nativity plays were banned from the schools in 1938, and even the name Christmas was changed to "Yuletide." Crucifixes were eliminated from classrooms, and Easter was turned into a holiday that heralded the arrival of spring.

Driving in China

If you've spent any time in China recently, you'll find this interesting:

http://outside-in.typepad.com/outside_in/2011/08/top-ten-features-of-chinas-car-culture.html

That's My King - Do You Know Him

This is certainly worth another look.

It sure gets my batteries charged.

http://youtu.be/yzqTFNfeDnE

Chinese Jews Face Existential Questions

Divided and Diminished: In Eyes of Judaism as Well as Beijing, Tiny Kaifeng Community Isn't Quite Kosher

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904007304576496022880806338.html

So, you didn't know that there were Jews in China.

The King of All Kings

I could not keep myself from posting this again. It's such an inspiration to hear this.
Great is Our God

http://youtu.be/yzqTFNfeDnE

Pray for Norway

Please remember to pray for Norway.
The people need to know that God loves them during this time.
Pray that God will take this terrible tragedy and turn it to good - that the people of Norway will turn to Jesus and know His peace and His comfort during this time.

Think on This

Four Quick Points to Recall Each Day

It’s not about you

It’s all about honoring God’s name. You are requested to live such a life

EZ 20:9,13,14; Ps 106:8; I John 2:12

It’s none of your business

God to Job - Peter - the apostles - to you

when you realize and accept this fact then you can accept come what may

Heathens are going to act like heathens

People who don’t know and love Jesus should not be held to the same standard. If they do good, that’s a huge plus; if they do evil, they are following their natural inclination.

Rejoice anyway

Where is the Holy Spirit?

There is a big gap between what we read in Scripture about the Holy Spirit and how most believers and churches operate today. In many modern churches, you would be stunned by the apparent absence of the Spirit in any manifest way. And this, I believe, is the crux of the problem.

Francis Chan - Forgotten God; Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit.

What Happened to the Holy Spirit?

The benchmark of success in church services has become more about attendance than the movement of the Holy Spirit. The 'entertainment' model of church was largely adopted in the 1980s and '90s, and while it alleviated some of our boredom for a couple of hours a week, it filled our churches with self-focused consumers rather than self-sacrificing servants attuned to the Holy Spirit.

From Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit by Francis Chan

From time to time I plan to post quotes from Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream by David Platt

Here is one now"

I could not help but think that somewhere along the way we had missed what is radical about out faith and replaced it with what is comfortable. We were settling for a Christianity that revolves around catering to ourselves when the central message of Christianity is actually abandoning ourselves. Pg 7

For some reason my pictures on this post keep disappearing. Hope to get that worked out soon.

Quote from Victory Faith Fellowship pastor in Spokane this past Sunday.

"Why did the children want to go to Jesus? [Matthew 19:13-15]

"Children know when someone will be fun and they go to them."

Now, that's a good thought.

Pray for Nepal

PRAY FOR NEPAL

According to Joshua Project, about 90% of the people's groups in Nepal are unreached.

Pray for the Word to go forth in Nepal.

Trust completely in God

By the test of common sense, Jesus Christ’s statements may seem mad, but when you test them by the trial of faith, your findings will fill your spirit with the awesome fact that they are the very words of God.
Trust completely in God, and when He brings you to a new opportunity of adventure, offering it to you, see that you take it.
We act like pagans in a crisis— only one out of an entire crowd is daring enough to invest his faith in the character of God.
Os Chambers May 30 My Utmost for His highest

Ask God for India today.

We have been praying for Pakistan. India and Pakistan are linked in several ways, some good, some bad.

Pray for India.

It is a nation with many gods and the people try so hard to reach God to be acceptable. Jesus said, "Come unto Me." That is all that is needed. Pray for the 1 billion people in India to come to Jesus. He is reaching out to them.

Are the birth pangs getting closer and closer and becoming more intense?

Are you trying to do religion or are you seeking to be a disciple of Jesus?

Read what C.S. Lewis has to say about the difference:

For you are no longer simply thinking right or wrong; you are trying to catch the good infection from a Person. It is more like painting a portrait than like obeying a set of rules. And the odd thing is that while in one way it is much harder than keeping rules, in another way it is far easier.

The real Son of God is at your side. He is beginning to turn you into the same kind of thing as Himself. He is beginning to turn the tin soldier into a live man. The part of you that does not like it is the part that is still tin.

From C.S. Lewis in The Joyful Christian [‘Putting on Christ]

If MY People

If MY people
who are called by MY name
will humble themselves
and pray
and seek MY face
and turn from their wicked ways
then I will hear from Heaven,
and will forgive their sin
and heal their land.
II Chronicles 7:14

God to you:

Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance and the ends of the earth for Your possessions. Ps 2:8

So far we have asked God for
Chile, Haiti

North Korea, South Korea,

Thailand,

Afghanistan, Sudan, Nigeria, Yemen, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Bahrain, Iran, Jordan, Syria,

Israel, Japan, Hong Kong and Pakistan.

We have more work to do.
Thanks for your involvement in seeing Jesus lifted up in these countries.

New Births

Would you like to pray for another Chinese?
Good!
Pictured with us in Andy Jiang. He is a graduate student at U of Mary Hardin Baylor in Belton, TX. He is attending the Chinese church in Belton but has not accepted The Lord yet. He will return to Beijing for the summer before continuing his studies at UMHB in the fall. Pray for his salvation.


Our son Dave was up from Austin for a visit prior to our leaving the central Texas area.

What Can We Do?

Jesus told His disciples
GO
TEACH
MAKE DISCIPLES

[Matthew 28:19-20]

He told His disciples

You shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.

[Acts 1:8]

They went to Jerusalem.
They were having such a great time in Jerusalem that they stayed there.
After all, there was a much work to do there. They were seeing people being swept into The Kingdom by the thousands. Someone had to be there to teach and make disciples.

And that was happening and it was good and it was in obedience to Jesus
BUT
they were not going to Judea Samaria and the ends of the earth.

So
persecution came and then they suddenly remembered the other parts.
And the Good News spread as they were faithful to invest their time, energy, finances, lives into building The Kingdom of God.


The US has been the most blessed nation on earth for most of the years it has existed. It has certainly been the most powerful nation since WW II. We have had the power, the influence, the technology, the financial power to take the gospel around the world.
We have made many great strides in that

BUT
the job is still not done.

WHAT
are we doing to change this?

We need people prayers finances

Is persecution coming to America?

God gave us the wherewithal to do this job. We have not done it. We have chosen to spend almost all our time, energy, resources on ourselves while others go to hell, never having heard the name of a savior - Jesus - never knowing that there is a God who loves them so.
We revel in the fact that there is a God who loves us so; that there is a savior who willingly gave up His life that we might have life everlasting. And we should rejoice in that fact.

YET
Two/thirds of the world is dying without that knowledge. And what awaits them?

What are we doing to get the job done?

What is your church doing about this?

What are you doing about this?

Great is His faithfulness
May our loving Heavenly Father find us faithful to Him.

LeRoy

Pray for Pakistan

To keep updated on your prayers for Pakistan, please go to the site below:

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/04/23/pakistani-deprived-christian-community-say-theyre-persecuted/

Pakistan's Deprived Christian Community Say They Are Being Targeted for US Drone Strikes

The Job is Still Not Done

Where Did We Go Wrong?

Jesus told His disciples Go
We have hunkered down in churches.

Jesus told His disciples Teach
We want to be perpetual students

Jesus told His disciples Make Disciples
We've become sponges, asking for more

Jesus came to do His Father's will.
He trained His disciples. He told them, "I'm going to my Father and your Father."
As He was going He said, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Then He said Go, teach, make disciples.

The followers of Jesus were given a job to do. He gave them their assignment, and then He said, Wait.

And they did. Jesus told them And behold I send the promise of my father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.

And the power came upon them and they went out and thousands were born into the Kingdom of God. And those disciples went out, as the persecution intensified, and millions were born in The Kingdom.

If you know anything of Christian history, you know that The Word went forth in power and people were born into The Kingdom. The main thrust was into Europe and England and over to the US.
Now, retrace the disciple's steps and you'll find that the majority of those places in Europe have turned away from Jesus. It is almost as if Satan followed behind, finding chinks in the wall, until the people believed the liar. Now, according to reports, the United Kingdom, once one of the most prolific countries at sending out missionaries, is over 90% heathen. Only around 5% even attend church.

And what of America today?
If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. II Chronicles 7:14

This is the season of celebration.
This is the season of consecration.
This is the season of dedication

All for King Jesus who was obedient unto death.

It's Easter

It's time celebrate our King's victory over death.

Go to Feb 1, 2011 of this blog and watch THAT'S MY KING. It will encourage and bless you once again.

It sure encourages me.

Pray for Pakistan

Pray for Pakistan

Christians under increasing pressure in Pakistan

Bibles are being desecrated, churches attacked and human rights advocates threatened in Pakistan as Islamic extremists intensify pressure on the Christian community.

Christians are the second largest religious minority community in Pakistan, after Hindus. The total number of Christians in Pakistan is approximately 2,800,000 in 2008, or 1.6% of the population. Of these, approximately half are Roman Catholic and half Protestant.^[1] There also is a sizeable minority of the New Apostolic Church and other more older denominations such as the Nestorians and the Assyrians/Chaldeans who have resided in the region since ancient times. From Wikipedia

Where God Calls

The place where God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meets. Frederick Buechner

A Simple Explanation of Baseball

This is a game played by two teams, one out, the other in.
The one that's in sends players out one at a time to see if
they can get in before they get out. If they get out before
they get in, they come in, but it doesn't count. If they get
in before they get out, it does count.

When the ones out get three outs from the ones in before
they get in without being out, the team that's out comes in
and the team in goes out to get those going in out before
they get in without being out.

When both teams have been in and out nine times, the game is
over. The team with the most in without being out before
coming in wins unless the ones in are equal. In which case,
the last ones in go out to get the ones in out before they
get in without being out.

The game will end when each team has the same number of ins
out but one team has more in without being out before coming
in.

Received from Pastor Tim's Clean Laughs.

Pray for Hong Kong

Pray for Hong Kong
Hong Kong is an international city that has been open to the gospel since the Brits estalished this harbor in the mid 1800s, yet, the people remain heathen. Less than 10% of the people are Christian.
This is one of our homes.
God has blessed this city in many ways, and there are those who are being used by God in mighty ways there; but still most of the people here do not know Jesus as their savior.
The Brits handed over Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China on July 1, 1997.

Where Have You Been?

It's about time you got back here.
Just where have you been? I mean, really!

I know, I know. I agree completely; I'm a slacker.
Please be kind and forgiving.
We have been traveling - lots of miles - lots of different beds - lots of different kinds of food.
I promise to get back on the job
Meanwhile, keep praying that God will turn the tragedy in Japan to good and that He will do a mighty work.
Also, things in the Middle East continue to boil. So, keep praying for the folks there.

Pray for Japan
Pray for God to bring good from this tragedy and that the people of Japan will turn to Jesus. He alone is able to turn this to good.

Faith is.....

Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One Who is leading. My Utmost for His Highest, March 19,

One Reason To Keep Praying for ME

Here is one reason why we need to keep praying for the Middle East:

CAIRO{AP} – Thousands of Christians and Muslims clashed Tuesday, with one Christian man killed and scores wounded as anger rose over the burning of a church in a Cairo suburb.

It was the second burst of sectarian fighting in as many days and the latest in a string of violent protests over a variety of topics as simmering unrest continues nearly a month after mass protests led to the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak.

The violence erupted after Coptic Christians held protests in several locations in Cairo against perceived persecution by the country's Muslim majority.

The Christians have been angered by last week's burning by a Muslim mob of a church in a Cairo suburb. Egypt's military rulers have since pledged to rebuild the church and Prime Minister Essam Sharaf met Monday with the protesters outside the TV building. But the protesters said they wanted more steps to improve the status of Christians.

Reaching the World

One Faith
One Focus
One Country
One Week


We are called to pray.
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray ......


The world is a mess, has been a mess and will remain a mess until Jesus changes the hearts of the people

God is moving mightily in China, yet there are still over 1 billion people who walk in darkness in this land. That is 1 followed by 000000000. That is 1,000,000,000 more people than live in the US

So much of the world suffers under crippling poverty, looking to false gods to somehow bail them out.
Jesus said I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly. I am the way, the truth and the life

Without Jesus, there is no life. With Jesus, there is not only life everlasting, but there is the joyful, abundant overflowing life, right here right now.

Many people in other countries pray for America Let’s return the favor.


The Church of the Living God has been engaged in missions since Jesus said, ‘Go, make disciples, teach’. The Church has become even more engaged in reaching the lost for the past 2 centuries. Yet, the world stumbles on in darkness, suffering under demonic influence and looking for answers.

If we truly believe in the power of prayer, then we can make a difference


LeRoy

Trust God's Heart

"When you can't see God's hands working, you can trust His heart."
Allan Gray - pastor Spokane Deaf Church

English can be dangerous

For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION: Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

Will Texans Celebrate?

175 years old on March 2




Will Texans celebrate?

Usually this date passes by with little, if any notice.
Jane and I almost always celebrated Texas Independence Day when living overseas. We invited guests from a variety of states and countries. The usual question was 'What are you celebrating?' 'Did Texas really leave the Union?'
We found that many people thought we had made the whole thing up. We always had to include a history lesson in the celebration.
I wonder how many Texans ever realize the great sacrifice made in 1836 to set us free from Mexico.

We have a good friend who thinks we should actually celebrate on April 21. Do you know what happened on that day?

Feb 23 - Santa Anna and his troops arrived in San Antonio and quickly retook the town with little or no reistance. He then surrounded the Alamo.
Feb 24 - William B Travis sent a letter of appeal for help.
To the People of Texas & All Americans in the world.
I am besieged by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Anna. I have sustained a continual bombardment & connonade for 24 hours and have not lost a man.
I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism, & of everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid with all dispatch. The enemy is receiving reinforcements daily and will no doubt increase to three or four thousand in four or five days. If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible and die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor and that of his country.
Victory or Death
William Barret Travis

The Alamo fell on March 6, four days after Texas Independence was proclaimed.

Pray for Israel

As the turmoil continues in the Middle East, what is happening in Israel?

Almost every country around Israel is unstable with people being killed for demonstrating against the government. Usually, Israel gets blamed for anything and everything amiss in the Middle East.
We have been instructed by our Heavenly Father to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
People, governments, agencies have searched for peace in this area for centuries. The only way that true peace will ever come to this area is through the Prince of Peace. He is King Jesus.

Pray 'Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in this region on earth as it is in Heaven"

MIDEAST

• Tunisian prime minister announces resignation

  February 27, 2011

• Saudi intellectuals call for sweeping reforms

  February 27, 2011

• Hundreds protest Lebanon's 'sectarian' government

  February 27, 2011

• Protest marches jam Bahrain's capital

  February 27, 2011

• At Least 1 Dead as Anti-Government Protests Intensify in Oman

  February 27, 2011

• Libyan chaos stirs global panic over oil supplies

Turmoil in the Middle East

The nations of the ME are in turmoil.

Does that affect you?
Should you be praying?

The following is from Hong Kong's South China Morning Post:

Across the Middle East and North Africa, autocrats, dictators and monarchs are becoming more worried as the weeks pass. The long-standing rulers in Tunisia and Egypt have been forced from office by their people, while thousands have taken to the streets in Yemen, Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Bahrain, Jordan and Syria. Rulers watch, in a nightmare from which they cannot wake, as the dominoes tumble around them. And as the "revolution" spreads, Asia may not be immune.

Where are these countries headed? The fate of these countries, those around them {Israel} and possibly even our country, hangs in the balance.
Yes, we do need to be praying. Pray for Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Bahrain, Jordan and Syria
Pray for God's will to be done in these countries as it is in Heaven.

Ps 46
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble
Therefore we will not fear
Even though the earth be removed,
and though the mountains be carried
into the midst of the sea;
Though its waters roar and be troubled,
though the mountains shake with its swelling.

Be still and know that I am God
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.

In love, admiration and thankfulness for your faithfulness to pray.

LeRoy

Where shall the word be found
Where shall the word resound?
Not here, there is not enough silence. T.S. Eliot

Oswald Chambers

They said to Moses, ’You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die’ `—Exodus 20:19

We don’t consciously and deliberately disobey God— we simply don’t listen to Him. God has given His commands to us, but we pay no attention to them— not because of willful disobedience, but because we do not truly love and respect Him. “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Once we realize we have constantly been showing disrespect to God, we will be filled with shame and humiliation for ignoring Him.

The Krauss Family

That's My King........ Take Daily

From Sun Stand Still, by Steven Furtick

12 Audacious Faith Confessions

I am fully forgiven and free from all shame and condemnation
[Rom 8:1-2; Ephesians 1:7-8; I John 1:9]
I act on audacious faith to change the world in my generation.
[Joshua 10:12-14; John 14:12]
I have no fear or anxiety; I trust in the Lord with all my heart.
[Prov 3:5-6; Phil 4:6-7; I Peter 5:7]
I am able to fulfill the calling God has placed on my life
[Ex 3:9-12; Ps 57:2; Col 1:24-29]
I am fully resourced to do everything God has called me to do.
[Deut 8:18; Luke 6:38; Phil 4:13]
I have no insecurity, because I see myself the way God sees me.
[Gen 1:26-27; Ps 139:13-16; Eph 5:25-27]
I am a faithful spouse [if you’re single, you can slip future in there] and a godly parent - our family is blessed.
[Deut 6:6-9; Eph 5:22-25; Col 3:18-19; I Peter 3:1-]
I am completely whole - physically, mentally, and emotionally
[Ps 103:1-5; Matt 8:16-17; 2 Corin 5:17; I peter 2:24]
I am increasing in influence and favor for the Kingdom of God
[Gen 45:4-8; I Sam 2:26; Acts 2:37-47]
I am enabled to walk in the sacrificial love of Christ
[ 2 Thess 2:16-17; I John 3:16, 4:9-12]
I have the wisdom of The Lord concerning every decision I make
[2 Chron 1:7-12; Prov 2:6; Ecc 2:26; James 1:5]
I am protected from all harm and evil in Jesus’ name
[Gen 50:20; Ps 3:1-3; 2 Thess 3:2-3]

Ten Contradictory Commandments
for committed christians

1 People are illogical, unreasonable, self-centered --
LOVE THEM ANYWAY

2 If you do good, there will be those who accuse you of selfish and ulterior motives --
DO GOOD ANYWAY

3 Honesty and frankness will make you vulnerable to being hurt --
BE HONEST AND FRANK ANYWAY

4 If you break down the walls separating people from each other, you may be scorned and hated --
BREAK DOWN WALLS ANYWAY

5 Thge biggest people with the bigest ideas can be shot down by the smallest people with the smallest ideas --
THINK BIG ANYWAY

6 People say they favor underdogs, but actually they follow the top dogs --
FIGHT FOR THE UNDERDOGS ANYWAY

7 What may take years to build may be destroyed overnight --
BUILD ANYWAY

8 People really do need help, but if you try to help them, they may attack you --
HELP THEM ANWAY

9 If you stand for what is pure and clean and good in society, you may be laughed off the court --
STAND ANYWAY

10 Give to the world the best that you have. You may get kicked in the teeth --
BUT GIVE THE WORLD THE BEST YOU HAVE ANYWAY

by Howard Ferguson
a Christian high school teacher and coach

More wisdom from Will Rogers:

ABOUT GROWING OLDER...

First ~ Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.

Second ~ The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.

Third ~ Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me; I want people to know 'why' I look this way. I've traveled a long way, and some of the roads weren't paved.

Fourth ~ When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to youth, think of Algebra.

Fifth ~ You know you are getting old when everything either dries up or leaks.

Sixth ~ I don't know how I got over the hill without getting to the top.

Seventh ~ One of the many things no one tells you about aging is that it is such a nice change from being young.

Eighth ~ One must wait until evening to see how splendid the day has been.

Ninth ~ Being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable.

Tenth ~ Long ago, when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it was called witchcraft. Today it's called golf.


And, finally ~ If you don't learn to laugh at trouble, you won't have anything to laugh at when you are old.

Thanks for your prayers for Sudan during this important time there. See below for a bit more information.

The country for this week is also one that is split along Muslim/Christian lines but remains as one country. That is Nigeria.
The Northern half is Muslim. The Southern half is Christian.

Please pray for God to move mightily across Nigeria this week; that people will get a clear understanding of who Jesus is and will open their hearts to His great love.

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, the eighth most populous country in the world, and the most populous country in the world in which the majority of the population is black. [Wikipedia]
.
Pray for Nigeria.


All praise to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords - King Jesus

LeRoy



Voting: 9-15 January
To pass, there must be a 60% turnout, plus a straightforward majority in favour
Vote is a condition of the 2005 deal to end the two-decade north-south conflict
Most northerners are Arabic-speaking Muslims
Most southerners are Christian or follow traditional religions
Oil-rich Abyei area to hold separate vote on whether to join north or south
Referendum could divide Africa's largest country
Final result due 6 February or 14 February if there are appeals
South would become continent's newest nation on 9 July 2011
National anthem and flag chosen, but not new country's name

It's the Fourth Quarter

It’s the Fourth Quarter

[A little football analogy for you]

Players on the great teams take a deep breath and go harder to finish strong as the end of the game nears.
The great teams often win the game in the fourth quarter.
Coaches instill that thought in their teams in practice. They prepare them for that fourth quarter as they practice. That’s what they tell them as they run those wind sprints [and throw up] in August. “You need to be stronger than the other team. You need to have the stamina to rise up and overcome the opposition in that fourth quarter. We will win in the fourth quarter.”
That’s why you see many teams extend 4 fingers toward the sky as they change the clock to the fourth quarter.
My clock, and many of yours, has changed to the fourth quarter.

Just a brief aside for you younger folks. Whether you are in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd quarter, you need to be preparing yourself for the fourth quarter. It’s what you do today that will determine how strong you will be in the final years of your life. Be strong in The Lord.

As we play out the fourth quarter, what are we going to have to show for these latter years? Will these be our greater years? Will these be the years when we did our best whomping on the devil and helping increase the population in the Kingdom of God or will we just mosey off into the sunset?
I want to encourage you to ride hard; ask the Lord to use you in mighty ways; and believe for Him to do just that.



See that mountain reaching high above the treetops. I’ll meet you there. We’ll charge that mountain and take it for the Kingdom of God.
Great is His faithfulness.
Read The Book. You’ll find that God used lots of old dudes to do His deeds.

Charge on

LeRoy

FAITH
by John Greenleaf Whittier

Nothing before, nothing behind;
the steps of faith
fall on the seeming void, and find
the Rock beneath.

If you currently have money in the bank, in your wallet and a few coins in your purse, you are one of the 8 of the privileged few amongst the 100 people in the world.

Stop being self conscious, stop being a sanctified prig - Oswald Chambers

One Faith
One Focus
One Country
One Week


Do you believe that you can make an impact in these countries through your prayers?
I don't know if you keep up with international news or not, but if you do, you can see that there have been some things stirring in these countries that we have specifically brought before The Lord.
The prayers of a righteous man avails much.
That means that as we pray together for these countries we can bring in the Kingdom of God in distant lands.

Also, as we pray for countries, if The Lord really touches your heart for one of these countries, then stay with it; dig into the history, find more about the specifics that you can pray about. I believe God will use some of you in mighty ways for specific countries. But, also please stay with us as we pray to impact countries around the world.
This week we will praying for the Republic of Sudan.

May The Lord our God bless you as you challenge the liar in these countries.

One Faith
One Focus
One Country
One Week


The Islamic State of Afghanistan is our focus this week. It is an Asian landlocked country that has a history of violence from within and without. The nation of 28 million people is 99% Muslim. According to world statistics, it is the 2nd least developed country and one of the poorest. The Afghans are a proud people with a complex history of using arms to settle disputes. Pray that peace will be a desire of all the people of Afghanistan and they will look to the Prince of Peace to heal their nation.


Haiti and North Korea have come back in the news this week.

Thank you for your prayers for the Nations!

One Faith
One Focus
One Country
One Week


This week the country to pray for is Thailand.


Kingdom of Thailand, formerly Siam, is a constitutional monarchy. This Buddhist country has been in the news the past few years because of the political turmoil in the mainly Muslim south and the continued protests between the 'red shirts' and yellow shirts'. The nation faces severe economic problems because the unrest has hurt the tourism industry that accounts for much of the country's income. King Bhumibol Adulyadej is considered divine and has served as monarch since 1946.

Despite the country being open to the Gospel, there has been little impact. The country is 95% Buddhist.
Pray Christianity will begin to influence the people and the Christians serving in Thailand will have favor with the government.