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Genesis 21:1-7 The Birth of Isaac 1 Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac [1] to the son Sarah bore him. 4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 Sarah said, "God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me." 7 And she added, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age." The due date for your mortgage has come and gone. Repossession has already been scheduled for your automobile. You have lost your job due to down-sizing. Your credit rating is insufficient for the loan that you need. What does any of these things have to do with the promises that God has made to you concerning what He plans to do for you? Absolutely nothing! (Jeremiah 32:27) The God we serve is not limited by the things that limit us. I have spent many years trying to make sure that I did everything just right so that I could get, maintain, and keep material things. But, I have learned that being self-sufficient has kept me from seeing the Hand of God move on my behalf. I am not advocating poor bill-paying habits or being negligent in the area of stewardship, but I have seen that God meets me in the area of my lack when I am out of my own resources (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) . When my husband and I wanted to purchase a house, we knew that our credit history was not going to make it easy for us. But our situation was just right for God. Our real estate agent was a Christian, and she gave us a few houses to visit to see if we wanted to purchase them. About 1:00 a.m., the Lord woke her up and told her that He wanted her to take us to another house. It would end up being the house that we would purchase. When we got there, the house was exactly what we wanted. But then we were told that we needed finances that we just did not have at that time. So, we prayed, and wrote the check. Needless to say, the money was there by the time the check was sent to the bank. Further on, we were told that the government funds that were being given to us for settlement had been depleted, and we would need at least $5,000, in addition to other settlement costs. Needless to say, the money came to us in time for settlement. Still further along, we found out that the real estate agent who was selling the house (not our agent) pulled our credit report again, and called the bank to tell them that we did not meet credit standards. God stepped in, and had the loan officer rebuke him, and tell him to “Get off of their house!” Further still, (yes, the enemy is ruthless!) we found out that the sellers did not want to sell the house, and were going to pull it off of the market. But God touched the wife’s heart and gave me favor with her, and she sold it to us because she liked me. Praise God for favor! Still further along, we found out that the sellers were not ready to move, and we had to rent the house to them for 3 months. We agreed, but by the time it was time for them to move out, they waited until late, and then left without giving us the key! We had all of our things on the moving van, and had no place to put them. By God’s grace, one of our friends had been driving pass the house and noticed the name of the moving company. I called them, and they broke a policy and gave me the new address of the sellers! We went to their house to retrieve the key. God showed up, again. We faced opposition on every side. Satan did everything to keep us from getting the house, and the place where God would, eventually, order us to begin the Lighthouse Christian Fellowship. But, just because “God Said So”, the house was ours, and no earthly situation could change that Heavenly fact. If it looks like you are not going to get something that God promised you, or you are going to lose something that He has already given you, then take a deep breath and push (pray until something happens)! That is the only way to bring forth life when times are laborious. Sarah’s 90 year old body was touched by God so that she could give birth, and nurture the new life. Why did God wait so long to fulfill His promise to Abraham? God delayed because, He was waiting for the time when it would be impossible for anyone else, but He, to perform and fulfill the promise. Today, get excited when the enemy fights against you. He knows something that you may not know. He knows that you are about to get blessed “Because God Said So!” Psalm 37 2 Corinthians 1:19-21 Evangelist Kim Stewart   Every morning, I search the Word of God for something to sustain me throughout the day. And, in looking for something to post for "The Ray for Today", I usually try to find a verse that contains the current date. Sometimes, the Lord encourages me to break that little habit, and gives me a message from unexpected sources. This morning, I searched the scriptures, and did not find exactly what I needed to soothe my troubled soul. I searched looking for a Word from the Lord in any verse or chapter which included the number 14 (so that it would match today's date), but I did not find one. For you see, like many of you, I am standing at a crossroads, or facing a difficult decision. The Lord is requiring me to let go of a life-sustaining blessing in order to grab hold onto something that He needs me to pursue in order to promote His Eternal Life. What a difficult place to find oneself. Today, God spoke to me, but I did not find the answer in the Scriptures. As I read through the many forwarded emails that I receive on a daily basis, I ran across the one that is listed below. Pay special attention to item number 14. For in it, God has spoken to me concerning my situation. May you find the answer to your question in today's list of "Wise Things To Do", as well. -Evangelist Kim Stewart WISE THINGS TO DO 1. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully. 2. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as Important as any other. 3. Don't believe all you hear, spend all! you have or sleep all you want. 4. When you say, "I love you," mean it. 5. When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye. 6. Be engaged at least six months before you get married. 7. Believe in love at first sight. 8. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much. 9. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely. 10. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling. 11. Don't judge people by their relatives 12. Talk slowly but think quickly. 13. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?" 14. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk. 15. Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze. 16. When you lose, don't lose the lesson 17. Remember the! three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions. 18. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship. 19. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it. 20. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice. 21. Spend some time alone. 22. Remeber, a true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart. Genesis 12 The Call of Abram 1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. 2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." 4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Today, I must admit that I admire Abram for his obedience and faithfulness in answering the call of God. Even though, he did not obey right away, he, nonetheless obeyed. However, Abram did something that so many of us do. Abram obeyed God, partially. What does that mean? Well, that means that we do what God says, but not 100% how He says to do it. Abram was told to leave his country, his kindred, and his father's house because they were idol worshipers (Joshua 24:2), and God was calling Abram to father a holy nation. Sometimes, our present circumstances are not conducive to our destiny, so God must call us out. But many times, we hold onto some things that God has told us to leave behind, and then we feel burdened and weighed down. Abram brought Lot along on his new walk with God. And throughout his journey, Lot became a major factor and hindrance.
There is always a price to pay for disobedience, whether it is outright, or partial. Today, if you are hearing the Lord concerning a matter, obey Him to the fullest extent(Hebrews 4:7). The call of God to a life of total dependence upon Him is not easy to answer. In fact, it goes against everything that is easy. But the rewards are sure. Whatever He promised, He will deliver, for He cannot lie (Numbers 23:19). If you are on your Christian journey with the Lord, and your load begins to feel too heavy, it may not always be from the Lord,(Matthew 11:30), but it may be that you have a "Lot" on your plate, and it is time to sweep it off. -Evangelist Kim Stewart Psalm 62 A Calm Resolve to Wait for the Salvation of God To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. 1 Truly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation. 2He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved. 3How long will you attack a man? You shall be slain, all of you, Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence. 4They only consult to cast him down from his high position; They delight in lies; They bless with their mouth, But they curse inwardly.Selah 5My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him. 6He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. 7In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God. 8Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.Selah 9Surely men of low degree are a vapor, Men of high degree are a lie; If they are weighed on the scales, They are altogether lighter than vapor. 10Do not trust in oppression, Nor vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, Do not set your heart on them. 11God has spoken once, Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God. 12Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; For You render to each one according to his work. Donnie McClurkin sings a song entitled, “Stand”, where he sings, “After you’ve done all you can, you just stand.” There comes a time in every God-fearing person’s life when the enemy of our soul will launch a full, frontal attack on us (2 Timothy 3:12). Out of nowhere, comes those who will lie on us, try to cheat us, mar our reputations, and spend time devising wicked schemes to destroy us. When these times come, it feels that we will drown under the relentless flood of threats and persecution. But, my brother, or sister, in Christ, take courage today, and do as David did. King David resolved that during these times, it is best if we train our souls to wait quietly on the Lord’s salvation. In doing so, our feet and souls will find a secure resting place where we can weather the storm until our Lord has quieted the enemy. I have found that it has become more and more difficult to trust people in church, in the family, and on the job. As David wrote in verse 4, many people have double-tongues: they bless and curse you at the same time. Outwardly, they smile at you and praise you, but inwardly their hearts never stop devising plans to destroy you. David asks how long will they work so hard to pull a just man down? When will they cease from their plots of destruction and their constant backbiting? Then he answers his own questions. He recognizes that they are like vapors, and in time, they will be gone; they will be slain. Today, beloved of the Father, do not spend your time fretting about those who are scheming to destroy you. For, the Bible reminds us that power belongs to God. He has the final say in all situations concerning you. The fact is that you don’t even have to fight because the Lord stands in your place in the battle (Psalm 118:5-7) Simply cast your burdens upon Him (Psalm 55:22) and trust Him to bring it to pass. -Evangelist Kim Stewart This message is to the Lost and Found About a year after I accepted the Lord into my life, the church that I was attending at that time, had a soup kitchen, and by the favor of God, I was given the opportunity to coordinate it. During this time I was taking care of my "baby grands" by taking them to school and picking them up. I had shared with my granddaughter's teacher about the goodness of the Lord. It was easy to do because she was saved. I told her about the soup kitchen, and how God "turned those tables around", because some of the people I was now cooking for, used to be my companions when I was abusing drugs.In an effort to make contributions to the outreach, she would supply me with tracts to hand out to the members. Now, around this time, I was going through a rough season, and trying to get a grip on my life by putting things in the proper place -- in God’s Hands. My granddaughter had given me the envelope containing tracts from her teacher. When I received it, I looked at it, and said, "Oh. It’s the tracts," and laid it on the counter. Now mind you, when she would send me tracts, I would always read them right away. But this time, I didn’t even open the envelope because I was going through so much. Well, God has a way of reminding us of what is more important to Him. You see, I felt that my situation was more important to me at that time, so I didn’t want to let go of how I was feeling to read a tract-- But God! One of the Soup Kitchen patrons opened the envelope and read (or looked at) them and only partially put them back, so that one didn’t go back in the envelope. I pray that what the Lord had to say to me that day, which seems so long ago but is always with me, blesses you like it did me. IT MATTERS NOT It matters not if I've been hurt; It matters not at all, That sometimes from my weary eyes The scalding teardrops fall, What matters most- is if I've erred And not confessed the sin And through my lack- some needy soul Has failed to follow Him. It matters not if cherished friends; On whom I leaned in vain Have wounded me by word and deed And left me with my pain. What matters is - can I forgive Again, and again, and yet again? It's not "Have they been true,"but "Lord, have I been true to them?" T'will matter not when evening comes; How rough the road I trod; If only I have walked with Him And led some soul to God! For when I wake to be like Him, Who saved me by His Grace Earth's pain will vanish when I see One glimpse of His dear face! So my Brothers and Sisters when the bait of Satan, which is, "offense", comes along and you want to hang out with pity and have a party, remember the words of THE TRACT,... IT MATTERS NOT. All that matters is whether or not we are doing that which Jesus asked us to do in the Great Commission. Matthew 28:18-20 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[1] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Be blessed in the Lord Evangelist Sue Swinton Proverbs 27:11 Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart; then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt. Most people do not consider the fact that God has a heart. Most people never stop to think about how their actions affect God. More often than not, I have had people ask me questions about sin -- not because they were concerned about how God felt about it, but because they wanted to know how much they could commit before God's wrath poured upon them. If you are a parent, you know that one thing that infuriates you is when someone constantly accuses your child of wrongdoing. And even more humiliating is when the accusations are correct. Well, God is a Parent too. And hearing constant accusations against His children is just as frustrating to Him as it is to you. Revelations 12:10 tells us that Satan accuses the Brethren night and day before the throne of God. It was because of these constant accusations that Jesus had to die on the cross, and become our Advocate 1 John 2:1, who reminds God that atonement has already been made for our sins. But does knowing that all penalties have been paid for His children’s reckless behavior make it easier for Him to deal with Satan’s accusations? I doubt it. If you have a child whose actions have carried him or her into the courtroom, you get minimal solace in knowing that the court fees have been paid in full. But you would be more content in knowing that your child would never misbehave again. Why do we think that God is any different? Why do we frustrate grace by misusing it? We commit sin because we know that God is gracious, and will forgive us. But when will we mature to the point of realizing that though sin can be forgiven, it still grieves God (Ephesians 4:30)? Our text says that a wise son will bring joy to his parent’s heart, and allow him (or her) to answer anyone who comes to him in anger or hatred, or with accusations. He will be able to stand without shame and know that his child is wise and not guilty of any wrongdoing. Today, I encourage you to make God a proud Father. When His eyes go to and from throughout the whole earth looking for someone to bless (2 Chronicles 16:9), let it be you. Let His Heart find comfort before His enemy, Satan, as He is able to vouch for you as He did Job (Job 1:8). Remember, it is your job to live a life that shows why everyone ought to serve God. Let’s make Our Father proud. -Evangelist Kim Stewart  1 Corinthians 16:9 “For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” Halloween is a widely celebrated pagan holiday. On this day, it is common to hear several knocks on your front door. And when you open the door, costumed “youngsters” yell, “Trick or Treat!”. The idea is that you must give them a treat, or they may have an undesirable trick for you. In reality, you are not sure what awaits you when you open the door. Oftentimes, at my home, we opt not to open the door. But what do you do when God opens a door for you? Your spirit tells you that you ought to run right through it because every good gift and every perfect gift comes from God. But your flesh tells you to proceed with caution. Here is the problem - When God opens a door, you can expect that there are those who will try to play spiritual “tricks” on you, even though God desires to give you a treat. The tricksters’ goal is to hinder you from walking effectively in the new area that God has revealed to you. In our text, Paul says that a great door had been opened unto him, but there were many adversaries, or enemies. Paul had received the opportunity to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles, and there were those who spoke against him, and the Christian Way. In 2 Corinthians 1:8, Paul tells the church in Corinth, “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.” Paul found, that after walking through the door of opportunity that had been revealed by the Lord, his life was in jeopardy. There were many who opposed him and were not excited about his new opportunity as he was. When we follow Jesus’ leading, we can expect to “walk through the valley of the shadow of death”. The goal of survival is to realize that it is not actually the valley of death, but only the valley of death’s shadow. A shadow is cast from the original element. The shadow is not that element, itself. So, though it seems that you are going to die as you walk further on the new path, you will not die. You will actually find that you are walking closer to your destiny and God-ordained purpose. Recently, I left the most miserable job that I have ever held. Before working there, I had been employed on a job for thirteen years. One day, while in worship, the Lord told me that I did not trust Him. What a thing to hear while you are in worship! But that is what God said. When I asked Him what I was doing wrong, He told me that I had not moved out of my comfort zone in years. He told me that I could handle everything in my world without Him having to move on my behalf. He told me that I had become expert at my job duties, had earned the respect of upper management, and had created a safe haven for myself. Then He told me to do the unexpected. He told me to leave my job. That was unbelievable to me. He had just given me a 50% increase on my job within a two year period. I had been promoted as far as I could go. I had no need to leave that job. But God opened a door for me, and told me to walk through it in faith. When I told my employer that I was going to leave, I was offered raises and anything else that I could name. But I had to turn all of that down and walk through a door of uncertainty. When I took the new job, I had to take a demotion and accept a position that would have me driving highway – two things that I new would eventually kill me! But God told me to trust Him. After I had turned down all of the promotions and incentives, I received a phone call from my new employer. He told me, “The powers that be have changed your job description. You do not have to drive anywhere. You will work in the office.” Hallelujah! Only God could have changed my job description before I got there! But when I, in faith, turned down the raises, He moved on my behalf. Every step of faith that I took was answered by God with a miracle. Then, after I started on my new job, I knew instantly, that I would not be happy, but God told me to stay. He told me that I was uncomfortable because I was out of my comfort zone. People did not treat me the way I liked to be treated. I had no reputation there. And to top it all off, my job duties changed again. This time I became the “telephone help desk” service person. I went from being an Accounting Manager to a service desk technician as I followed the leading of the Lord. Surely, I was on a path that lead nowhere (so I thought). During my 16 months there, God humbled me and showed me how ugly some of my attitudes were. He told me that I thought too highly of myself and that as His servant, I needed to be able to go from “the guttermost to the uttermost” without missing a beat, or mumbling a word. He told me that if I was going to be His servant, I had to stop thinking that things were about me. After much prayer, begging for deliverance, and crying episodes, the Lord gave me Psalm 18. He told me that He was going to deliver me from the enemies who hated me on that job, and elevate me. Well, He kept His promise. God opened yet another door, and I was promoted out of that agency and was restored to my position as an Accounting Manager (with a nice raise too!). Praise God for His faithfulness. Though I thought that I would die, I did not. I lived. The door that God opened was a door that lead to a season of purging and repentance. Today, I have begun my journey through the door of my new job. And there are days when I am fearful because I have so much responsibility. But, when I am afraid, the Lord quietly speaks to my spirit to remind me that He is with me, and that if He opens a door, there are many treats, and I can be sure that He will protect me from all of the tricks of the enemy. Evangelist Kim Stewart July 15, 2004 Psalm 15 A psalm of David. 1 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? 2 He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart 3 and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, 4 who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD , who keeps his oath even when it hurts, 5 who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken. If you have ever dwelled in rental property, you know that you are at the mercy of the landlord. Before the key is handed over to you, the tenant, there is a list of rules by which you must abide, or else you will forfeit the agreement and be asked to leave. For instance, there may be a limit to how many persons you can have living with you in the property. Or there may be a neighborhood association that can dictate the amount of noise or activity that takes place on the property. If any of the landlord’s rules are violated, the agreement becomes null and void between the landlord and you, the renter. You will be evicted. Eviction is an act that simply states that you may no longer dwell in the property. In today’s text, King David goes to the Supreme LandLORD, and asks Him a question. He wants to know who is able to dwell in His sanctuary. He wants to know, what type of person qualifies to be a tenant of God. And the LORD replies with the following checklist: [ ] 1. One with whom God finds no fault, behaves properly, and does not lie. [ ] 2. One who does not speak evil of another person, hurt others, or backbite. [ ] 3. One who hates an evil person, but honors a Godly person. [ ] 4. One who keeps his promises, even when it will cause him or her personal loss. [ ] 5. One who lends without adding interest, and [ ] 6. One who cannot be paid to tell a lie on an innocent person. From these prerequisites, it would seem that the LORD is pretty strict about His tenants. And Proverbs 6:12-19 tells us why. It is because one who is guilty of such, is a bad credit risk. According to Proverbs 6:15, this person will be suddenly destroyed with no chance of surviving. Disaster and Destruction have a right to come where he is, and overtake him. What landlord do you know, that would want to attract such to his or her property? Not you, and not God. The second reason is that “birds of a feather, flock together”. You see, God will also be dwelling in His sanctuary, and if He allows another to be there, that person must have His Spirit and His ways. Otherwise, that person would die instantly in the Presence of Our Holy God. Most of us would like to think that we are qualified to dwell in God’s sanctuary. But as I wrote this checklist of items, I discovered that I am disqualified on at least one count. Then I began to wonder if there has ever been any person who was qualified. And according to Romans 3:23, the answer is, “No”. All have come short of God’s Holy requirements. So, the next question is, “Who, then, shall dwell with God?” And thanks to Jesus Christ, the answer is, “Those of us who have been washed in the Blood of the Lamb”. You see, Jesus stands as a character witness for us when we apply for housing with God. That is how God can forgive the fact that we are imperfect, and allow us to dwell with Him for an eternity. It is by the recommendation of the One who paid the price for our sin. Today, thank God that you do not have to be homeless. Jesus went to prepare a place for you so that you can be with Him forever in His Father’s House (John 14:1-7). Evangelist Kim Stewart July 14, 2004 Acts 14:8-10 In Lystra and Derbe 8In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. 9He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. How can you have the faith to do something that you have never done before? Today, someone is asking that very question. In our text, we see that Paul saw a lame man who had been lame from birth. And when he saw the man, he also saw that he had the faith to be healed. It is one thing to try to do something with which you are familiar. But it is totally different to believe God enough to do something totally new! The lame man had enough faith to walk, although he had no idea what walking was like. He had never put one foot in front of the other. But now, at Paul's command, he would do just that! Perhaps you are faced with making a decision to start a new career, move to a new city, walk in an unfamiliar calling, or step out on faith, and quit your job to go into full-time ministry. Whatever the case may be, if you are going to be successful, you must do as the lame man did - you must hear the Word. The text tells us that Paul observed that this man had faith after he had heard Paul speak. The way the man reacted to the Word must have let Paul know that this man had enough faith to do a new thing. According to Scripture, "Faith comes by hearing" (Romans 10:17). Your reaction to God's Voice determines whether you will go forward, or remain sitting in your current situation. Today, are you hearing God speak to you? Are you hearing God tell you to launch out into the deep and go beyond your usual boundaries? If so, then by faith, "leap and walk" into your blessing. God will not fail you. -Evangelist Kim Stewart Psalm 13 Trust in the Salvation of the LORD To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. 1 How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? 2How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? 3Consider and hear me, O LORD my God; Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death; 4Lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed against him"; Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved. 5But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. 6I will sing to the LORD, Because He has dealt bountifully with me. It is said that time heals wounds. And I find that this is true. Oftentimes, we feel that the cares of the world will overtake us, and consume us alive. But if we stop, take a deep breath, and consider that we are still able to breathe because the last trial did not kill us, we will realize that all that we needed was time. Time is something that no man can create or control. Without human intervention, seconds turn into minutes... minutes turn into hours... hours turn into days... days turn into weeks... weeks turn into months... months turn into years... And trials turn into memories that testify to God's ability to keep us through them all. In the span of Psalm 13, we see how David's issue turned into a thing of the past. In verses 1 - 4, we see that David is in great despair. His enemies seem to be over his head. He feels that God has even hidden his face from him. But by the time we get to verse 5, David begins to look towards a brighter day. He proclaims that his heart will be happy when the Lord saves him from his troubles. And, by verse 6, he begins to declare that God is worthy of praise because He has already made him victorious. Oh, how valuable is the gift of time! When I was younger, I was very suicidal. I was convinced that in time, my situations would only grow worse. So, I was determined to end my life before the next disaster came upon me. Now, I know that that "stinking thinking" was a lie from the enemy. His desire was to destroy me before God could deliver me, and be glorified in my situation. Today, if you are feeling desperate and feeling that tomorrow holds no promise of a brighter day for you, hold onto what the Lord told me when I was only twelve years old. He told me that "this too shall pass". And now that I have made it through many storms, I know that God always delivers His people, and you will also come to know this truth "as time goes by." Evangelist Kim Stewart Acts 6:8-15 Stephen Is Seized 8And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. 9Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. 10But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. 11Then they secretly instigated men who said, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." 12And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, 13and they set up false witnesses who said, "This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, 14for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us." 15And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel. Oftentimes, our hearts are crushed when we suffer persecution while serving God. But Stephen is a good example to us. Though there were those who were falsely accusing him, his countenance remained angelic. To those who looked upon him, he must have seemed to be a bizarre man. How could he be at peace when so many were against him? But Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit who filled him with a peace that surpassed human understanding (Philippians 4:6-8). Those who are called and anointed to work the works of the Kingdom of God can expect opposition (2 Timothy 3:12-13). We can expect false witnesses to rise with lying tongues. We can expect false friends to infiltrate our “camps”. We can expect Satan to send an arsenal to weary us. But the Word of God encourages us not to become weary in well doing. For in due season, we shall reap if we faint not (Galatians 6:9). Stephen was very close to the end of his life. He had been faithful to the call of Christ, and would die a martyr, and be stoned to death by the angry crowd. But during his ordeal, Stephen’s heart remained confident in the fact that his Redeemer was alive and would deliver him, in due time, to a reward that could not be tainted by his persecutors. Today if you are facing opposition while working in the Kingdom, be encouraged. Know that this is a war, and that from time to time, there are scrapes, and bruises, and even direct hits from the enemy. But faith will put out every arrow, every time (Ephesians 6:16), and allow your countenance to reflect God's glory. -Evangelist Kim Stewart June 16, 2004 Proverbs 16:33 33The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. We often rely on chance and luck when we are hoping for a positive outcome. But today’s text reminds us that even in the casting of lots, the outcome is still in God’s Hands. Casting lots is similar to flipping a coin. We believe that the one who wins is the lucky one. But, it is true that God is in charge of all things. Luck and chance have nothing to do with it. Look at these scriptures that tell of God’s sovereignty: Psalm 75:5-7 Proverbs 21:1 Psalm 119:91 Isaiah 45:7 Lamentations 3:37 Always remember, God is in control. Evangelist Kim Stewart Matthew 15:29-31 Jesus Heals Many 29Jesus went on from there and walked beside the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain and sat down there. 30And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, 31so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel. I remember the first time I heard the song, “He Aint Heavy…He’s My Brother”. It was a sweet song because it told of how one person was willing to carry the weight of another person that he considered to be his brother. And, Jesus showed this to be what God expects of us. In today’s text, we see that Jesus went up on a mountain, and the infirmed were brought to Him. Jesus often spoke in parables so that those who heard the earthly stories could gain heavenly knowledge. Today, Jesus illustrates yet another heavenly principle. He ascends a mountain and expects the infirmed to be brought to Him. What is Jesus illustrating? He could have healed them on the ground where it would have been easier for the infirmed to get to Him, but He goes out of their reach so that those with strength would have to bring them to Him. Jesus is showing us that it should be the same in the spirit. When we go to God in prayer, we are often burdened with our own cares, and the weight of our burdens seems to be more than we can carry. But Jesus shows us in this illustrative healing that He expects us to muster up enough strength to bring others with us in prayer. We are not only to lift our needs to Him, but we are also to bring others with us when we come. We are to bear one another's burdens (Matthew 8:17, Galatians 6:2) just as He did. Be sure to send us your prayer requests so that we can carry them to Him when we carry ours. - Evangelist Kim Stewart Proverbs 14:11 11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish. Oftentimes, many Christians forfeit their joy because they focus on their lack instead of on the blessings that they possess. We tend to compare our possessions to those of others, and begin to feel that we would be better off on the “other side of the fence”. But, at no time should a Christian compare anything that he or she possesses to others, and especially not to those who do not know Jesus as their personal Savior. In Psalm 37:16, the psalmist reminds us that “better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked.” This is because the wealth and possessions of the wicked will blow away like dross in the wind. And in today’s text, we see how better blessed the possessions of the righteous are when compared to those of the wicked. In our text, we see that a house belonging to a wicked person, a stable dwelling, will be destroyed, whereas, even a temporary dwelling place made of cloth (tent) that belongs to a righteous person will be protected, so that it will increase. It does not matter how much or how little God’s children possess. Whatever we have is under God’s protective covering. If you find yourself fretting today because you are dwelling on what you do not possess, take a praise break and thank God that what you do have is in His Hand, and will multiply in due season. -Evangelist Kim Stewart 1Peter 1:7-9 7 These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. In this first chapter of Peter, he is writing to all God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the lands of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, and the province of Asia and Bithynia to remind them that they were chosen long ago, and that the Spirit had made them holy. Because of their response to the Gospel, they have obeyed Jesus Christ, and are cleansed by the blood. Peter is also reminding them that their inheritance is safe in Heaven, with God, away from decay and change. What great hope Peter preached in the times of the children of God’s sufferings and trials. As Peter had to remind them in verse seven, trials come to purify our faith. As with most of us our faith comes after the fact By that statement, I mean that while we are waiting for God to answer our prayers, we go through fits of doubt and whining and complaining because He seems to be taking to long. I was going through these same symptoms one day, and then I heard God ask me, "Today, where is your faith?" You see, He only asks us to have faith for today because today is all we have to deal with. He deals with eternity, so I pray that after you read what He said to me, you will be encouraged and your faith for today be strengthened. God Bless You and keep the Faith. Evangelist Sue Swinton TODAY WHERE IS YOUR FAITH? What makes you stop and start to complain about mishaps in your life,and your day to day trails? What situation did you allow to cause you to forget to invite, include, or ask Me to come with you as you started your day? At what point in time did you forget all the things that I have done for you up to this point? What situation are you facing that makes it seem so hard for Me to handle? TODAY WHERE IS YOUR FAITH? What part of your situation can’t I fix? I ask again, if I did it before, can’t I do it again? I AM, the one who can’t fail. You are the one who, without Me, will fail. So I ask again, what situation are you in that I will fail in getting you through it? My word tells you that you have God-given faith, so if I have given you My kind of faith, ... TODAY WHERE IS YOUR FAITH? June 6, 2004 Micah 6:1-8 The LORD 's Case Against Israel 1 Listen to what the LORD says: "Stand up, plead your case before the mountains; let the hills hear what you have to say. 2 Hear, O mountains, the LORD's accusation; listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth. For the LORD has a case against his people; he is lodging a charge against Israel. 3 "My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me. 4 I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam. 5 My people, remember what Balak king of Moab counseled and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the LORD ." 6 With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. We go out of our way to find ways to please God when it is very simple that all He wants is for us to be like Him. Have you been doing “back flips” trying to win the favor of God? Have you been trying to please God with grandiose sacrifices? If so, you should know that obedience is better than sacrifice. Obedience says, “God, I will give you what you want, when you ask”. Sacrifice says, “God, I am giving you what I would rather not”, or "I have to give this to you because I have sinned." Which one would you prefer? —The one freely given, of course. God is no different. He would prefer that you freely give Him what He requests, and He has told you what that is: 1. Justice 2. Mercy 3. Humility Who wants a gift that is given out of habit or begrudgingly? – Not you, and surely not God. Rest in God, and know that He has already done all of the hard work. Now you can follow Him knowing that His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30). Evangelist Kim 1 John 4 :16-18 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. Does the thought of having to, one day, stand before God invoke fear or a sense of peace within you? The answer to that question will give you insight on your relationship with God. If you imagine yourself standing in front of a huge judge’s bench, while God peers over at you with a gavel in His Hand, then you may not really know God. However, if you imagine yourself resting your head upon His shoulders, while He lovingly smiles at you, then you may know God well enough to know Him as your Father and your Friend. When I was a child, I imagined that God was like an old grandfather who carried a big whip. I just knew that I was going to “get it one day!” But after I asked Jesus into my heart, I learned that God was not that way at all. (God is a God of war and He will release His wrath upon the disobedient, one day. But to His children, He is kind, merciful, and loving.) The Apostle John tells us that there is no fear in love because perfect love drives out fear. If you become afraid when you consider that, one day, you will stand before God, then today is the day for you to come to know Him as a loving Father. He is waiting for you to call on His name and ask for His forgiveness. If you are afraid of God, then you have not come to realize that Jesus took your punishment for you already. Jesus’ death on the cross conveyed the love of God towards you. If you have accepted Jesus’ sacrifice, then you have no reason to fear because fear is related to punishment, (see verse 18), and Jesus has already taken your punishment. Therefore, no punishment awaits you! If you cannot comprehend this, then you have yet to be made perfect. Becoming perfect does not mean that you do everything right. That would make you self-righteous. But becoming perfect means that you are in Christ Jesus— the One who is perfect. Today, I encourage you to invite Jesus into your heart. And once the Holy Spirit moves in, He will testify of Jesus and the love of God. You will come to realize in your spirit that you belong to God, and that He loves you. You will be made perfect. Evangelist Kim The Fall of Man 1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' " 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?" 10 He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." 11 And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" 12 The man said, "The woman you put here with me-she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." 13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." 14 So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring [1] and hers; he will crush [2] your head, and you will strike his heel." 16 To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." 17 To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." 20 Adam [3] named his wife Eve, [4] because she would become the mother of all the living. 21 The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 22 And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." 23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side [5] of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. It is amazing how we never seem to be satisfied. The LORD had given Adam and Eve all things to enjoy. But there was one thing that was off limits – The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The LORD had forewarned Adam that if he ate from it, he would surely die. Not, maybe die. But surely die. And from that point on, that one forbidden tree, probably became the object of desire. We call this forbidden fruit. And, for some reason, we believe that the forbidden fruit is sweeter than the “allowed fruit”. But what we must come to realize is that God loves us. And He has set up boundaries that will protect us from harm, and consequences that may be too costly for us to pay. Satan was able to seduce Eve by questioning whether or not God was telling her the whole truth. In verses 4-5, the serpent says, 4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." The way that the serpent presented the information to Eve, made it seem like God was holding back valuable information from her and Adam. He made it seem like there were blessings to be obtained that God was keeping for Himself. However, in actuality, God was protecting them from unnecessary knowledge – the knowledge of evil. After tapping into evil, the couple lost everything that God had freely given them. All of their blessings turned into cursed items. (Don't believe that your God-given gifts and blessings will have the same effect in forbidden territory. That's a lie from Satan. Don't leave your blessed place!) Tasting the forbidden fruit was not worth the cost that had to be paid. And not only did Adam, Eve, you, and I pay for that evil morsel of fruit, but God paid with the Life of His Son, Jesus. You see, if God says, “Thou shalt not”, then thou should not want to! Just like you would not want to ignore a road sign that says, “Danger!”, you should not ignore God’s warning signs in an effort to fulfill your lusts. Is your mouth watering for forbidden fruit today? If so, count the costs in advance. It is not worth it to take a chance that might cause you to lose everything that you already have. Hear God today, and please, back away from the forbidden fruit. -Evangelist Kim Jonah 2:8 "Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. There are so many people placing their trust in worthless things. For instance many trust in the lottery, themselves, or other people. Some people rely on networking and “brown-nosing” to get ahead in their careers. And still others rely on the fortunes of chance and luck. But Jonah, the prophet who ended up in a fish’s belly, came to realize that those who trust in anything other than God are missing out on many blessings. God is merciful, and gives grace in abundance. Grace simply means, God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense In other words, those of us who trust in Jesus have access to the riches of God through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ! God is pouring out blessings upon those who simply receive His Son, and allow Him to dwell in, and live through them. To trust in anything, or anyone else, is to close the door on your own blessings. Jonah had come to the realization that God was rich in grace after he had hit the bottom of a fish’s belly while running away from God. Are you running from God today? Have you hit the bottom of your circumstance? Do you believe that you have a better plan than what God has for your life? If so, let this be a wake-up call. There is no one who loves you more than God, and there is nothing more rewarding and beneficial than living in His will. I know that it can be frightening to hand everything over to a God that you cannot see. But, just seek out someone who has already done it, and ask him or her about the quality of life in Jesus. I am sure that you will receive a good report about the Good Shepherd who freely distributes grace in abundance. Evangelist Kim Stewart Jeremiah 29:4-14 4 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." 8 Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. 9 They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them," declares the LORD . 10 This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD , "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD , "and will bring you back from captivity. [2] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD , "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile." One of a parent’s favorite lines when his, or her, child(ren) has been disobedient is, “I brought you into this world, and I can take you out!” That line always made me laugh when Bill Cosby said it, but made me scared when my mother said it. For, though she was not abusive, I knew that I was truly at my mother’s mercy. And equally true is the fact that we are at God’s mercy. But when addressing His children, we see God saying the opposite of what our parents often said. It is more like He is saying, “I put you into this mess, and I can bring you out!” In today’s text, we see the LORD giving the prophet, Jeremiah, instructions to tell Israel that it is time to for them to be blessed. Their prior disobedience had forced God to discipline them by sending them into Babylonian exile. And now, after serving their sentence, they are being told to rebuild, to get married, and to prosper. How glorious it is to hear of blessings after a dry and bitter season! Why didn’t God just let them die at the hands of their capturers? Didn’t they deserve whatever they received? Well, yes they did. But our God is so longsuffering and faithful. He had made promises to Abraham, their forefather, that He was determined to fulfill. God had plans for them. In verse eleven, He tells them that He did not desire to harm them, but to bless them and to give them a future and a hope. Have you been disobedient? Are you currently in a dry and bitter season because of your own sinful actions? If so, take courage in the fact that God loves you. If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord, then you are a child of God. And God only chastises those whom He loves. He loves you, and would rather correct you now, than to let you continue to practice your dangerous habits. Call on Him, and repent. Turn from your disobedience, and allow God to bring you into your season of prosperity, blessings, and hope. He is waiting to hear from you, for He loves you – even today! Evangelist Kim Acts 28:11-16 Arrival at Rome 11After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island. It was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. 12We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. 13From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli. 14There we found some brothers who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. 15The brothers there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these men Paul thanked God and was encouraged. 16When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him. Oftentimes, we overlook one of the greatest blessings that God has ever given us—each other. If you have ever been in a place where you were the only person who loved Jesus, you know how lonely it can be. The room could have been filled with thousands of other people, but if there was no one to whom you could say, “Praise the Lord!”, it was as if you were all alone in the room. The Apostle Paul traveled many places to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And in his travels, he faced many enemies of Jesus. But when he arrived in Rome, he met up with Brethren in the Gospel. How refreshing to run into other Believers! Having other Believers on our jobs makes the atmosphere more bearable. Having other Believers in our families, increases the quality of life. And having other Believers as friends, turns any time of fellowship into a praise fest. Thank God that we do not have to walk this journey alone. After the time spent with other Believers, Paul was sent to live alone as a prisoner. The time that he spent with the other Believers prepared him for the lonely days ahead. Don't underestimate the power of your friendship. You are a blessing to the Body of Christ. Today, if you have been blessed with other Believers in your life, thank God for them, and then, thank them for accepting Jesus and coming into the fold. Because of their obedience to the Gospel, you don’t have to walk alone. Call one of them today and bless them for being a blessing to you! Evangelist Kim Stewart Matthew 14:27-29 Visit Evangelist Shanon Wright's Website for the Ray for Today Numbers 26:1-4; 63-65 The Second Census 1 After the plague the LORD said to Moses and Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, 2 "Take a census of the whole Israelite community by families-all those twenty years old or more who are able to serve in the army of Israel." 3 So on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, [1] Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them and said, 4 "Take a census of the men twenty years old or more, as the LORD commanded Moses." These were the Israelites who came out of Egypt: 63 These are the ones counted by Moses and Eleazar the priest when they counted the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho. 64 Not one of them was among those counted by Moses and Aaron the priest when they counted the Israelites in the Desert of Sinai. 65 For the LORD had told those Israelites they would surely die in the desert, and not one of them was left except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. The Lord God Almighty is God, and He never goes back on His Word. Just as His love is true, His judgment is sure. And the Israelites found that out in a devastating way. God had appeared to Moses and told him to go and get His people out of Egypt because He had heard their cry while they were in bondage (Exodus 3:6-8). God is the One who sent for them so that they could find rest from their labor. But on their way to the Promised Land, they began to doubt Him. They began to whine about the provisions, the leadership, the accommodations – sound familiar? And when God allowed them to spy out the land that He was going to give to them, they doubted His ability to take the land from their enemies and give it to them. Only two men believed God. They were Caleb and Joshua. And because of their faith, only Caleb and Joshua would live to see the Promised Land. God promised that all who said that they would die if they tried to obtain God’s promise, did just that. God made the Israelites wander in the wilderness for forty years just so that those without faith would die off. When Moses and Aaron took the second census of the people, only two names from the first census appeared – Caleb and Joshua. Only those with faith could enter into the land of rest that God had promised to all that He delivered from bondage. It is the same today. Many of us are missing out on God’s rest because we will not take Him at His Word (Hebrews 3:7-4:16). If you are doubting God’s love for you, and His ability to bring you to a place of rest, ask yourself this question: “Why would God send Jesus to go through all that He suffered to set me free if God was going to eventually abandon me?”. Did you come up with a good answer when you asked yourself that question? Probably not. I never have. The fact of the matter is that God’s work is finished. Jesus even declared it to be so from the cross (John 19:30). There is nothing left for God to do except guide you into the promises that He has prepared for you. You don't have to beg; you only have to obey. Remember, the Israelites did not have to beg God to bless them, because His intention was always to give them a land of their own where they could rest. Their problem was that they did not know how to obey Him in order to get there. When you hear His Voice, do not rebel. When you hear His promises, please believe Him. Do not grieve Him by doubting His Word. The rest that was available to the Israelites was a symbolic rest. It was only a land where they could rest from their enemies. But the rest that God promises you today is an eternal rest. You can experience rest from all of your worries, labor, and attempts at righteousness, simply by receiving Him and believing Him. Don’t die in your wilderness, like the Israelites, but come out and be counted in the number of the faithful, like Joshua and Caleb did. Evangelist Kim Stewart Compliment today's message, with the sermon entitled, "Jesus Loosed You to Lead You" by Minister Myra Anderson Isaiah 25:1 Praise to the LORD O LORD , you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago. Since becoming a Christian, the one thing that has presented constant challenges has been the battle with my faith during crises. In my heart, I knew that God would never leave me, but oftentimes, Satan would wage war with my mind. I did not overcome this battle until the Lord convinced me that everything that He allows in my life, works for my good, and for His purposes (Romans 8:28). I cannot look back and find one bad experience that did not, ultimately, work to the benefit of the Kingdom. Sometimes, my suffering led to personal character building (Hebrews 12:7-9). Sometimes, my suffering resulted in greater blessings (Mark 10:29-31). And sometimes, I suffered in order to be in the position to be a blessing to someone else (Philippians 1:29). Whatever the case, God has never wasted any pain in my life. After I analyzed this fact, I was able to see that God always has a plan (Jeremiah 29:11, Ephesians 2:1-7). The problem that we have to face is that God does not always tell us His plans in advance. This is where faith is required (2 Corinthians 5:7). We must trust Him even when we don’t know that He is up to something! If He allows it, He will use it for His Glory. And since He is the One who planned it, it will come to pass (Numbers 23:19). The psalmist declares in today’s verse that he will exalt and praise God for His faithfulness and the marvelous things that He had planned long ago. Long ago could mean many years, many decades, or many centuries prior. Long ago could even be the time before He founded the world! You see, God has a divine plan that He has been carrying out, and we have small parts in it. In His plan are seasons of blessings, as well as, seasons of suffering. Our job is to hold onto our faith, and trust that God is working things out for our good. Does God use pain to prosper us? Some would say,”NO”, because God is a loving God. But I have to say, “Yes”, because He allowed Jesus to suffer beyond what any of us will ever know, for the sake of salvation. Today, are you struggling with your faith? Do as the psalmist did, and begin to praise God for the plans that He made concerning you, before you were even born (See His call of Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:5). He has not forgotten you. Your season of fulfillment may be just around the corner. Remember, God always has a plan. Evangelist Kim Luke 24:1-12 The Resurrection 1On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' " 8Then they remembered his words. 9When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. 12Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened. How is it that those who walked and talked with Jesus, missed what He was saying? How is it that His faithful followers would go to a grave site looking for The One who promised to rise on the third day, and expect Him to still be there? And how is it that the disciples, upon hearing the testimony of the women, would consider their words to be nonsense? Weren’t they listening to Jesus? Didn’t they hear what He told them about His Passion? Didn’t they realize that His whole purpose for coming to the earth was to die for their sins and to rise again? How is it that they could still doubt Him after all that He had done in their presence? Weren’t the miracles convincing enough? Didn’t the Words that He spoke have the power to calm stormy seas and cast out demons? Didn’t the thief who hung beside Him pronounce Him to be the Son of God? Didn’t they, themselves, give up everything to follow Him because they believed in Him? How is it that we can read, study, and quote the Word of God, but not trust it? How is it that we can attend church service after church service, and walk out of those services and still live as if there were no God? Do not our hearts burn when the Word goes forth? Do not we rejoice when we hear the testimonies of those whom the Lord has blessed? Have not we experienced the touch of the Lord during an anointed prayer service? What happens to us that makes us lose faith in what we have seen and heard so soon after seeing and hearing it? Is it that we really don’t believe what we confess to be true? Beware! - Your actions will tell on you. The women in today’s text do a surprising thing. They go to the grave site to prepare Jesus’ body for burial, according to their custom. This action indicated that they had a lack of faith in the Word of God. For the living Word of God had said that He would rise again on the third day. Therefore, instead of taking spices to prepare Him for burial, they should have taken palms to praise God for His resurrection! But, their lack of faith dictated their actions. And to make matters worse, when they returned with the news, and shared the Gospel with the other disciples, (The Gospel is that Jesus died, was buried, and rose again, see 1 Corinthians 15:1-4), the disciples told them that their words were nonsense. Those who had been chosen to spread the Gospel, called it nonsense when they first heard it. Amazing, isn’t it? We oftentimes think that the Apostles were superhuman beings, but they were people just like us who needed the Holy Spirit to equip them for ministry (Acts 1:1-8; 2). And what makes it even more amazing is that they actually got to physically be with Jesus, whereas, our walk with Jesus is based on faith (John 20:29). Today, if you are struggling with your faith, I want to encourage you to do like Peter did. Run to the place where you last saw Jesus, and go from there. There has to be some time in your life where you knew that Jesus was there. If you feel that He has now died to your voice, your needs, and your desires, take a mental trip back to the place where you last saw Him, and examine the facts. Recall the promises that He made to you while you enjoyed fellowship with Him. Don’t sit amongst the nay-sayers, but get up, and look for Him! He is right there with you (Hebrews 13:5). While the others sat mocking the women, Peter, at least, went to see for himself. Although, he, too, indicated that He had not been fully trusting in Jesus' Words, he did go to see for Himself. As the children of God, we have to take the Word of God seriously. It sustains us in every situation. We cannot afford to go to church and hear a Word from the Lord, only to forget it a few days later. Receive the Word, and hide it in your heart. For you will need it along your journey so that you may know what you can expect from the Lord. Evangelist Kim Stewart Psalm 23:1-2 A psalm of David. 1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters I remember when I was a child during the hot and balmy summertime. We were not fortunate enough to have central air conditioning, and sometimes, not even a fan. So my mother, in her God-given wisdom, would make us lie down. She knew that we would be better off if we did not do too much moving around in the heat of the day. For, in doing so, we would suffer from heat exhaustion. Heat exhaustion is a condition that is caused by over-exposure to the heat, and results in dehydration. And, Mother knew that it would be best if we limited our activity during the hottest times of the day, and learned to be still until the coolness of the evening came. In verse two of our scripture text, we see that Jesus, our Shepherd, “makes us lie down”. He knows that if we get too anxious during the fiery trials (heat) that come our way, we will do much harm to ourselves. His desire is that we be still, and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10), and that everything is under His control. We also see that He leads us by safe water so that we can drink, and not dehydrate. Oh, what a wonderful Shepherd! He labors to ensure the health of the flock at all times. Yet, there are some of us sheep, who learn about the Shepherd’s love only through difficulties. A friend of mine called to tell me that her car had been repossessed. She stated that she had just finished praying hours earlier that the Lord would take care of her financial situation, and bring her out from under all of her debt. It seemed that everything was due at the same time, and she had next to none of the money to pay all of her bills. When she called, I told her to pray and ask the Lord to reveal to her why He allowed it to happen. Then, an hour later she called me and told me that when her family heard about her misfortune, they began to send her hundreds of dollars - no, not tens of dollars, but hundreds of dollars! Within hours, the Good Shepherd had answered her prayer. He had met all of her financial needs through the kindness of others. Had she not lost her car, and thus had a visible sign of her need, those who blessed her would not have known that she needed assistance. Now, she can lie down and rest because, though she suffered a temporary inconvenience, her bills have been paid. Today, I say to you, if you are facing the heat of your day, just lie down and be still. Tell the Shepherd about your troubles, and trust Him to bring you to a peaceful place where you can find rest. Evangelist Kim Stewart Proverbs 22:11 He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious will have the king for his friend. This is one of those days when it is good to know the Word of God. Your kindness is being rewarded with Jesus' friendship. Any weakness in body, soul, spirit, faith, ability, etc. is an infirmity. Jesus Heals Our Infirmities Luke 7 20When the men came to Jesus, they said, "John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, 'Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?' " 21At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. 22So he replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy[1] are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. 23Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me." In Luke 7:21 we find Jesus answering a question put to Him by the disciples of John the Baptist. They asked Him, “Are you the one or is there another to come?” Jesus, in that same hour, had done what had been prophesied concerning the Messiah. John is asking this question from his jail cell because he can’t understand why he is in jail, and why Jesus has not delivered him from this situation. John’s ability to reason with himself and encourage himself is beginning to fail. Doubt is setting in, and now the questioning of his faith in Jesus surfaces because the outcome of his ministry is not what he was expecting. It’s funny how we, like John the Baptist, proclaim that Jesus is the Savior and attest to His wonderful power to save and heal us. We testify of how He has answered every prayer, and then proclaim that all blessings result from those answered prayers. We go aimlessly along, forgetting that we are in a war (1 Peter 5:8), and we let our guard down. Then, the enemy throws darts (Ephesians 6:16)that penetrate our hearts, and as a result, we experience whatever poison the dart had attached to it. By poison I mean, depression, shame, guilt, judgment of others, etc. Or let’s just say, our ability to remember who God is to us. We lose our focus and start to look at the situations at hand. Then we start to question God because we don’t like where we have ended up. So we start to look at our problems, and not at our purpose– you know, the reason why God has placed us where we are. Our faith starts to get wobbly. We too, like John the Baptist, start to question God. We ask Him, “Is this what you wanted or where you wanted me to be, because it seems that the enemy is all up in here?” Believe me. I can identify with John the Baptist. About two months ago, I started a new job. And I tell you, God is an Awesome God! What is so awesome is not the job, but how I received this job. I was scheduled for an interview, and given a starting date as I was leaving the parking lot of the previous job, (talk about opening and closing doors). Now I’m still praising the Lord for His faithfulness and loving kindness towards me for allowing me to find employment so soon. After accepting the job, I realized that there was one thing about this job that was different from the others; and that was that I had to work on the weekends. I hadn’t worked on the weekends in two years so that I could attend worship services on Sundays. When I realized this, the enemy immediately rushed in to tell me that I had traded God for a job. On the previous job, I told them if I had to work on Sundays, I was going to have to quit because I wanted to be able to work in my Ministry. Now the only thing I could think of was that I let God down, and that I wasn’t doing anything right for Him. All I could think about was how I didn’t want to do this, and so on, and so on. Never once did I ask God what He wanted, and if this was His will. Then I started to feel a familiar presence–depression. I started seeing in myself, the traits of one who is depressed. I know them very well because for twenty years I lived out my life in a state of depression. But I thank God today because He delivered me from that, and so often the enemy tries to ride in on a dart that has been laced with that which we have been delivered from to see if it can find a crack to enter in. But the Word of God tells us that no weapon formed against us will prosper, and we have to believe that promise or the weapons will prosper (Isaiah 54:17). This is because it is our faith that gets us through and moves the hand of God in all situations (1 John 5:4). Normally, when feeling a little down, I could just put on my praise and worship tapes, and praise and worship would bring me out. But this time, it wasn’t working. It seemed as though I was drowning. My breathing would become laborous, and I would start to cry. I would hear myself saying, “ I don’t feel like going to the Women’s meeting at Church, or Going to Church at all”. But I remembered that Jesus is the Balm of Gilead. He is The Healer, and if I could get in His Presence, I would be alright because, in His Presence, there is fullness of Joy (Psalm 16:11). Well I’m here to tell you that it is true. And if you just press your way (Philippians 3:14)to the House of God where there are saints who know how to usher in the Presence of the Lord, you can be delivered from any attack of the enemy. You won’t leave the same way that you came, because when the praises go up, God does inhabit them (Psalm 22:3). And when He comes, He brings with Him all that you need to be healed and made whole. He delivers us from all forms of evil. Even the evil spirit has to go when God shows up (Mark 5:1-14 , Mark 16:17-18). Hallelujah!!! Thank You Jesus. So when times seem too hard to bare, and you are feeling sad and don’t know why, start praising the Lord. Get in His Presence because He does inhabit and encourage us on our way. Amen. Evangelist Sue Swinton Matthew 20:29-34 Two Blind Men Receive Sight 29As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!" 31The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!" 32Jesus stopped and called them. "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. 33"Lord," they answered, "we want our sight." 34Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him. You know that you need Him. You know that you want Him. There is something about the true Christians that you know, that makes them seem happier than you. They have told you that their peace and joy come from knowing Jesus Christ (Romans 14:17) They have even told you about some of the blessings they have received since they gave their lives to Him. But something keeps you from calling on Him, yourself. Could it be that you are listening to the “nay-sayers” in the crowd? Could it be that you are afraid of what your friends will say when you tell them that you have asked Jesus into your heart? If this describes you, then let me introduce you to the two blind men in our Scripture text. They had been living without sight, and had, probably, heard about the miracles that Jesus had been performing (John 20:29-31). Their blindness had brought them to a seat on the side of the road, where they were at the mercy of srangers. Oftentimes in Biblical days, this is where one would find beggars. And here is where we find the two blind men. But then, they heard something that could forever change their lives. They heard that The One who had been healing others, was now in their midst. They could not see Him, themselves, so they had to rely on the witness of others. And what the others were saying was true, Jesus was there. Out of desperation, the two men began to shout out for Him. However, those around them wanted them to be quiet. Thank God that they did not listen to them, because, Jesus heard their cries and answered them. He even asked them to tell Him their needs. And out of compassion, He granted their request. Had they listened to the crowd around them, they would have missed out on the blessing of their lives– to be granted sight by the Light of the World. Today, many people have been told about the Light that can give spiritual vision, however, they are listening to the crowd and not to the witnesses who testify of His goodness. Do you have your sight? Can you see what serving Jesus can do for you? Can you see that you need to call on Him right away before the opportunity passes you by? If so, ignore the voice of the crowd of people that would make you miss your blessing, and call on His name today (Acts 2:21, Romans 10:9-13). And don’t forget that after they saw Him, they followed Him (Luke 9:23). -Evangelist Kim Stewart To reinforce today's lesson, order the message entitled, "Oh Say, Can You See?" by Pastor Duane Stewart Psalm 19:14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. I recently learned that a person in a Christian leadership role devised a scheme that was acted out in the pulpit during a church service (Proverbs 6:16-18, Proverbs 24:8-9). His goal in acting out this charade was to publicly humiliate some of the visitors who were seated in the congregation. As he stood over his open Bible, he spoke words that seemed to agree with Scripture. But, all along, in his heart, he was plotting to hurt the people of God who had made the effort to come and fellowship with him and his congregation. Needless to say, some of the visitors were hurt, and some were exceedingly sorry for that leader because he had made a mockery of God’s pulpit, and will ultimately have to pay the price for wandering from his purpose. Unless he repents, it will cost him everything (Jeremiah 14:10-11, Ezekiel 13:21-23, Acts 8:21-23). So often, we have used our influence, position, and power for our own purposes. God forbid and be merciful unto us! When the Lord entrusts us with Holy things, we are to use them to Glorify Him, and not ourselves. During the service, there were those present who needed to hear what the Lord had to say to them (Romans 10:14); however, the speaker’s heart was not available to the Lord because it was already occupied with his personal schemes. How sad that an opportunity to edify turned into an opportunity to damnify. For this cause, many have refrained from attending church services. They hear the preacher say one thing, but they know that the preacher’s heart is far from the Truth of God’s Word. In today’s scripture passage, the Psalmist asks that both his words and his heart’s meditations be pleasing to God. That means that it is possible to say one thing, but mean another. May we become completely dedicated unto the Lord – our whole body, soul, and spirit. If you have been hurt by someone who said that they were an ambassador for Christ, please know that not all persons who claim to serve God are really representing God. Many are wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:15-17). Do not be deterred because of them, but continue to seek a place of worship where the Spirit of God is free to move and speak. The Bible says in Proverbs 19:11, “A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.” Wisdom is simply “knowing how to use what you know”. Today, please know that God loves you, and use that knowledge to your advantage. God would never publicly humiliate His obedient children. He is longsuffering and kind. It is His goodness that leads you to Him (Romans 2:4b), not His condemnation. For He did not send Jesus to condemn you (John 3:17), and no one speaking on His behalf is at liberty to do so, either. Their purpose is to turn your heart back to God (Malachi 4:5-6) that you may know and understand His love for you; and to feed you with His Word once you come back to God’s fold. Overlook the offense that took place, and pray for the offender. In doing so, you will be like the most High God who overlooked our sin and saw our need for His saving grace. Today, I also ask you to pray for the deliverance of all persons who are under the leadership of those who mock God (Psalm 28:3, Psalm 141:4). For mockers show themselves to be foolish, and say with their hearts, that there is no God (Psalm 53:1) who will avenge Himself against their wickedness. The day is coming, for vengeance is the Lord’s and He will repay (Romans 12:19, 1 Peter 4:17). Evangelist Kim Stewart To reinforce today's message, order the taped sermon entitled, What's In Your Heart?" by Evangelist Shanon Wright. Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. About a year ago, I was going through a personal struggle. And in my despair, I cried out to the Lord. I asked Him to deliver me from my enemy who seemed to be swallowing me whole. That same evening, I had a dream where the Lord showed me the face of my enemy. And then, the Lord showed me a mountain that stood as tall as a tower. This mountain was encircled by a winding road that lead to the top of the mountain. As my enemy followed me in his car, my car was pulled up into the mountain by an invisible force. As I looked over the side of the mountain, I saw my enemy looking for me. I had become invisible to him. Then I heard the voice of the Lord tell me that He had hidden me from my enemy (Psalm 32:7,Psalm 119:114). After I awoke, I knew that I had been delivered. Later that day, a member of my church came to me and told me that the Lord had her intercede for me the night before. She said that she had been up all night praying for me. God is so good! That enemy's power over me had been destroyed, and today I am still free. God hid me in The Cleft of The Rock. He was, and is, my strong tower. Find your hinding place in Him today. -Evangelist Kim Acts 17:10-13 10As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. 13When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, they went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. Do you know people who seem to pop up everywhere? It seems that they were born for the express purpose of interfering in your life. If so, know that the Apostle Paul also had this problem. Paul was a traveling missionary who considered himself to be a slave to the Gospel. He had completely sold himself to Jesus Christ for the purpose of spreading the Gospel. And on one of his many missionary journeys, Paul ran into some who did not believe the Gospel. This was not an unusual occurrence; but an expected one. That, however, was not the problem. The problem was that they followed him to his next point of destination, and began to wreak havoc there, also. And although, he found that his new audience was more receptive, he had to deal with the distractions of those who had proven to be his enemies from his previous journey. Are you dealing with a situation like this today? Have you wiped the dust off of your feet concerning people in your past who proved to be your enemies, only to find that they are trying to ruin new relationships and opportunities? If so, take heart. Do you know that God uses His enemies as His footstools? Do you know that what the enemy means for bad, God uses for good? Paul was escorted out of the city, while Timothy and Silas remained behind to nurture the new church of Berean believers. Paul is then forced to go to Athens where he finds very religious philosophers who have monuments erected to “the unknown God”. Paul takes this opportunity to introduce them to the Known and Ever-Revealing God who revealed Himself in the Person of Jesus Christ. It is a known fact that the Gospel was spread due to persecution. As people, we have a tendency to get comfortable, and fail to complete the journey that God has mapped out for us. Oftentimes, God will allow your enemies to arise in the form of agitating busybodies who push you into your destiny. Do not be afraid of them. Though they irritate you, they serve a divine purpose. God’s ways are not our ways, so we often get confused and frightened when we see what He allows to happen to us. But just look at a few examples of how Biblical Busybodies were used to help God’s people move toward their destiny, and you will soon find peace in your situation: Joseph's brothers sell him into slavery. This places him in the position to save a nation. Haman plots to kill the Jews, but is hanged himself. The Jews become as family to the King. Judas betrayed Jesus, and consequently had Him crucified. However, the crucifixion, and subsequent resurrection of Jesus purchased our salvation. Be blessed, Evangelist Kim Stewart Romans 16:17-18 17I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. Do you remember having to take medicine as a child? Yuck! It was a horrible experience. But in an effort to reduce the bitter taste, the adult who administered it would often add sugar. This practice was so popular that the fictitious character known as, Mary Poppins, became well-known for singing, “A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine Go Down”. I am not sure if the sugar reacted with the ingredients in the medicine in such a way that the potency of the medicine was reduced, but I know for a fact that it helped a whole lot with improving the taste of the medicine. Unfortunately, this practice has filtered over into the ministry of the Gospel. God’s Word has stood the test of time. No matter what the date on the calendar, God’s Word is a “right now” Word. And, at times, it can be bitter to swallow. But God’s Word was designed to be used for correction. If we break an arm or a leg, and we delay medical treatment, the break will begin to heal incorrectly. Then, the doctor will have to break the arm or leg again, and place it in a cast so that it can heal correctly. Ouch! There are three painful things mentioned here: 1. The original break You can compare the original break to sin. Sin is very ugly and causes us, and those around us, great pain. It is the breaking of ourselves away from God. If it is not dealt with in a timely manner, the sinner will believe that he is whole because he can function in an improperly healed capacity. But this is not so. Whenever Jesus healed someone, His purpose was two-fold. First, He healed, then He pronounced wholeness. Many of us just want the pain of our brokeness to disappear. Once we have medicated ourselves with alcohol, sex, spending sprees, food, etc, we believe that all is okay because we can’t feel any pain. But the truth is that we have healed in a broken state, and need God’s Word to break us again so that we can experience wholeness. 2. The second break performed by the doctor This is where step two comes in. Jesus is known as the Great Physician. By the Word of God being properly taught and preached, those who receive it and apply it to their lives will experience pain as they see their sinfulness in the light of God’s Word. If they are to be healed, they must submit to Doctor Jesus’ orders as written in the Bible. This can sometimes cause great pain and discomfort. For oftentimes, Jesus gives strict orders. He tells us to separate from those whom we have used to medicate our pain. This could be adulterous affairs, live-in partners, pornography, gambling, alcohol, parties, over-indulgences, and many other sinful practices. However, God’s Word is being prescribed so that you may be broken to be made whole. 3. The confinement of the cast Herein is the purpose of step three. In the natural, the doctor puts a cast on the body part that needs healing. So it is in the spiritual. God puts a cast on you by telling you to look not to the left or the right, but obey His every command. This is very confining. Your actions become limited by the Word of God. Many people take the cast off, and prefer to allow the broken bone to heal incorrectly, to remove the restraint. They are known as backsliders. They prefer to cancel all future appointments with the Great Physician (Jesus), and deal with their pain in their own way. However, when the Great Physician places the cast on us, He begins to be as a working limb for us. He knows that we are not used to the confinement, so He becomes our strength (or crutches) while we learn to walk during the healing process. When we refuse to take the medicine that God has prescribed for us at full-strength, and run to preachers and ministers who sweeten God’s Word with smooth words (sugar), we allow them to do a disservice to us. They are not giving us what we need in order to experience complete healing. They tell us it is okay to sin because “God knows your heart”. Some of them even have the nerve to tell us how to live, while they are living in sin, themselves. We call them "spiritual quacks". It is better to take the medicine as prescribed, (full-strength), than to take a sweeter version that will land your soul in a state of eternal decay (Hell). Remember, too much sugar will lead to decay (Mark 8:36)! Today, I encourage you to find a church, fellowship, or Bible study where the minister administers God’s Word in full-strength doses. You may become offended by the way it tastes, at first. But before you know it, you will be healed, whole, and blessed! Evangelist Kim John 15:18-25 The World Hates the Disciples 18"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.'[2] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. 22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. 23He who hates me hates my Father as well. 24If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without reason.' It is not easy being a Christian. And especially in this day and time when every person seems to do what is right in his or her own sight (2 Timothy 3:1-9). Sin is running rampant and is being celebrated. In fact, if you display an ounce of morality, you are labeled as being weird or old-fashioned. Jesus warned His disciples that this was to be expected. He told them that He had been hated, and so would they. And that has not changed. If you are a true representative of God on this earth today, you can expect to be alienated, talked about, disliked, excluded, and persecuted. If so, be at peace. For you can be sure that you are pleasing in God’s sight. For Jesus, Himself, stated that by speaking the truth and doing miracles in their presence, He made a clear case for their guilt. You see, people want to be able to say, “I didn’t know that”, when the Lord judges them for their sins. But they will not able to say that, in truth, because you have been a faithful witness who has told them about God’s holy standards, and has shown them how to live in the fear and admonition of the Lord. They hate you because you “turned the light on” when they prefer to live in the dark.(John 1:1-4, Psalm 88:12, John 3:19,Ephesians 5:11). If you are wondering if following Christ is worth all of the pain and suffering, please know that it is more than worth it. There will come a day when you will see the fruit and rewards of your labor. Don’t quit now! Continue to be living epistles (2 Corinthians 3:3) who testify of the life and holy requirements of our Holy God. Continue to fight like a good soldier, and be sure to arm yourself for the journey ahead. (1 Peter 4) Evangelist Kim To reinforce today's message, order the taped message entitled, "Guilty by Association" by Pastor Duane Stewart.  Zechariah 14:9 The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name. Some days, we just need to be reminded that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Believe, with your whole heart, and soul that this will soon come to pass, and then, spend the rest of the day imagining how happy you will be . . . -Evangelist Kim Stewart John 13:1-17 Jesus Washes His Disciples' Feet 1It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.[1] 2The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" 7Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." 8"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me." 9"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!" 10Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." 11For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. 12When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. 13"You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. There is no one sweeter than Jesus. Jesus, who was God (Isaiah 9:6), humbled Himself and served humanity (Philippians 2:5-7). Though He was Master, He became Servant. Though He was the Creator (John 1:1-3), He became part of His creation. And though He was sinless (2 Corinthians 5:20-21), He took on the sins of the world. Who could ask for a better God? There is no other like Him. It seems that every other god demands that their worshippers make sacrifices to please them, but Our God made the sacrifice, Himself, on our behalf. Out of His Love, He became the sacrifice, and the payment for our sin debt. And in today’s text, we see Him in a position of servitude unto His disciples, as He humbles Himself to wash their dirt-covered feet. During Biblical times, it was not unusual for travelers to travel many miles per day on sandal-covered feet. And Jesus used this opportunity to demonstrate a sermon on the importance of continual cleansing from sin. Peter, one of His disciples, objects to having Jesus wash his feet. And, I am sure that many of us would feel the same way. Such did John the Baptist when he was instructed to baptize Jesus (Luke 3:16, Matthew 3:13-14). When we think of Jesus humbling Himself before us, we are ashamed because He is worthy of the honor that He wishes to bestow upon us. But Jesus makes an important statement. He states that unless He is allowed to wash their feet, they have no part with Him. Symbolically, Jesus is saying that unless any who follow Him are continually cleansed by Him, they cannot be His. You see, many of us have accepted Jesus as our Savior, so in essence, “we have taken a bath”. But as we walk along our Christian journey, “our feet get dirty”. We make mistakes. We turn down the wrong roads. We think impure thoughts. We say unkind words. And the list goes on and on. When we do such things, we do not need to be saved again, as so many believe. We simply need to be refreshed -- forgiven. We need to allow the Savior to remove the filth of our journey from our feet. 1 John 1:9 says that if we confess our sins , He will forgive us and cleanse us. In addition, Jesus mandates us to do the same for one another. As ministers of the Gospel of Grace, we should wash the feet of weary sojourners who have walked down a few dirty roads. Remember, we are not to judge (Matthew 7:1) our brothers and sisters, but we are to humble ourselves, wash them with God’s Word, and restore them (Galatians 6:1-2) so that they can continue on the narrow road (Matthew 7:13-14) of righteousness. Today, if you find that your feet have gotten dirty, find peace in knowing that Jesus is willing and able to cleanse you of all unrighteousness so that He may call you one of His very own. Evangelist Kim Exodus 12:1-2 1The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2"This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. Have you ever been running late for an appointment or missed an important deadline? If so, you know how it feels to wish you had the power to set time according to your needs. We have become so busy, that if we run 15 minutes late, we will ruin our whole schedule. And we deal with God in the same manner. We have put Him on a schedule. We have penciled Him into our lives, and told Him when we expect to be blessed. But thank God that He is God, and knows the right time to show up. In today’s text, we see that God has shown up, and reset the clock. Not only has He reset the clock, but He has changed the calendar. If you read the entire account of the Exodus from Egypt, you will see that God sent the death angel to Egypt (Exodus 12). And in an effort to protect His people, He instructed them to put the blood of lambs over their doorposts, and to eat the lambs within their homes. This way, after the death angel had passed through, only those who were covered by the blood and filled with lamb would still be alive to escape the wrath of God’s death angel. (Sound familiar? The Bible tells us that the Blood of the Lamb is what cleanses us from sin and protects us from God’s wrath, and that we must eat the Lamb of God in order to be saved (John 6:53-55). The exodus is a foretaste of how it will be when God saves us from His wrath to come.) But along with the instructions, God told Moses and Aaron that He was making it New Year’s Day for them. It would be a new beginning—a new season! Isn’t God awesome? If the clock or calendar is not in line with His timing, He simply changes it. Today, if you feel that God is running late, and is about to miss an important deadline in your life, be of good courage. God is not limited by time, and will change the times to agree with His schedule when He shows up. In the meantime, ask Him for grace to fill in the gap between your need and His time of supply. You will be amazed at how He orchestrates things to fit His schedule. Remember, a thousand years is but one day with God (2 Peter 3:8), so if He tells you that He will be there in a minute, He may be talking about one of His minutes. Evangelist Kim Stewart To compliment today's message, order "When the Time is Right" by Evangelist Sue Swinton Ecclesiastes 11:5 As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. There are so many people who want Christians to prove that God exists. They will not believe our testimony of His existence unless we can show them some form of physical proof. But, I have found that God is a lot like the wind (John 3:8). I have never seen it, but I have seen where it has been. I have seen a kite blowing in the wind. I have seen the destruction that heavy winds leave behind, but I have never seen the wind. I have felt the wind blow gently across my skin, as well as, cut through my winter gloves to nip at my finger tips. But I have never seen the wind. Likewise, I have seen the after-effects of a visit from God. I have seen people who were dying with lung cancer, miraculously receive new lungs as the result of fervent prayer. I have seen drug addicts become instantaneously delivered after calling for His mercy. I have seen lives change at the mention of His name. I have heard my name called without hearing a sound, and then realized that Peace had entered the room with me. And within minutes, I knew things that no man had ever told me. Yet, I have never seen God. If you were to ask any sight-impaired person what they see, I am sure that they could tell you of many things that sighted persons take for granted, and overlook. I am sure that a sight-impaired person can see a broken heart and a lying tongue. We may overlook these things because we tend to wait for physical evidence. But everything cannot be experienced with our five senses. God is a Spirit and must be worshiped in spirit and truth (John 4:24). I have been pregnant three times, and I did not need to see the babies before I believed that they were there. I did not have to understand how their skin was forming, or how they knew to suck their thumbs while in my womb. I did not have to understand how the babies were created from minute cells, in order to appreciate them as living beings. And today, I say to you, that there are things that are true whether you understand them or not. GOD IS, whether you understand Him, or not. Today, I stand as a witness that God is Real! If you would learn to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7), you would be able to hear, feel, smell, and taste and see (Psalm 34:8)that the Lord is good! He desires to prove Himself to you today. Just look for Him by faith, and He will reveal Himself to you. -Evangelist Kim Stewart Hebrews 10:1-10 Christ's Sacrifice Once for All 1The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming--not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, 4because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; 6with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. 7Then I said, 'Here I am--it is written about me in the scroll-- I have come to do your will, O God.' "[1] 8First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made). 9Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. There seems to be an ever-growing number of reality shows on television today. Some I can watch, and others are just too gross (Like Fear Factor)! But, a few weeks ago, I saw one called, “The Swan”. The premise of this reality show is that the participants are chosen from a group of “ugly ducklings” who compete to see if their situations are worthy enough to gain them slots on the show. Once they have been chosen, they are handed over to doctors whose professions range from cosmetic surgery and dentistry to physical fitness training and mental health. At the end of three months, the one who has experienced the most dramatic improvement in all areas, is chosen as “The Swan”. It was amazing to see what they were able to accomplish with these women. After years of going through routines to cover their self-perceived “ugliness”, these women were made permanently beautiful through this three-month process. However, on the show that I watched, the outcome was a surprising one. The winner was not the one who had improved the most on the outside, but the one who had improved the most on the inside. At the end of the show, the most beautifully transformed woman came out looking like a Barbie Doll, but was told that she needed a psychological transformation in order to become truly beautiful. Likewise, in the Bible, we read that sin is ugly in the sight of God (Isaiah 59:2). To cover their sin, God instituted a system of daily and annual sacrifices where the blood of goats and bulls (and other animals) was poured out on the altar to atone for the sins of the people (Leviticus 17:11). This process symbolically transferred their sins to the animals, and the animals were killed in their place. The sacrifices allowed them to live another year, however, it did not change their habits (Hebrews 10:1-4). As you could imagine, it was a bloodbath! People would find themselves making sacrifices for the same sins over and over again. The offering of sacrifices covered their sins, but did not change their hearts. Religious people are the same. They go to church and practice certain traditions over and over again, but they are still evil in their hearts. “Churchified” on the outside - yet liars, cheaters, haters, and backbiters on the inside. But, God decided that He would have to host His own reality show. He decided that in order to turn a world full of “sin-ugly” ducklings into majestic, Holy Swans, He would have to go under the knife, and become a sacrifice, Himself. The Bible said that God tired of the sacrifices because they were continual reminders that sin was in the world. Just like we may hate our morning rituals of tucking fat in hidden places and covering acne blemishes with foundation, God hated it when they covered the same sins over and over again. So Jesus asked that the Father would prepare Him a body so that He could go under the knife and permanently remove our sins (Psalm 103:12). And over 2,000 years ago, He did just that. He was slain as the Lamb of God - the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world (John 1:29). And by offering Himself, He set aside the first system of sacrifices to establish the second system-- a system of grace. And because of that, “we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” What Jesus did on that cross changed us permanently. We have been transformed into “Holy Swans”. If you have accepted Jesus’ sacrifice as your own, then you are a beauty in God’s Sight. He no longer sees you as a sinner, but as His child (Romans 8:14-16). Wouldn’t it be wonderful if in the natural, we could make changes to our complexions, figures, attitudes, hair, etc that were permanent so that we would not have to cover them up everyday? Well, that is what God did for us in the spiritual. He has removed every blemish once and for all! This is why we can say, “Hallelujah!” Today, if you are someone who used to go to church, but got tired of being judged by others because you were not quite “as perfect” as they, then this is a day for you to rejoice. In God’s eyes, you are perfect. He made you to become perfect by His own work! You have been made holy by the HOLY ONE! Go back to church. You have every right to go to your Father’s House. Find a church, Bible Study, or fellowship where the Word of God is preached and taught in truth and liberty, and holy (Leviticus 20:7)living is encouraged. And do not be afraid of the word “Holy”. To be holy means that you will allow God’s Spirit to live through you. You don’t have to force yourself to do anything, you simply have to obey His leading, and let Him do everything. It is God’s job to perfect you after you ask Him to come into your heart (Psalm 138:8, Philippians 1:6). Do you want to be a swan today? Then repeat these words: Lord Jesus, Please come into my heart. I am a sinner who is tired of being ugly in your sight. I no longer want to try to hide my ugliness from you, but I expose my innermost secrets to You today, and ask you to give me a make-over. Please come into my heart and make me beautiful in your sight from the inside out. Amen. If you prayed the prayer, and meant it, send me an email and simply say, "I'm a swan now!". That way, I can keep you in my prayers as you grow more and more beautiful every day. If you have invited Jesus into your heart today, or some time in the past, be encouraged because YOU LOOK MARVELOUS! Do not let anyone tell you that you are not acceptable to God from this point on. There may be bad days ahead where your actions and attitudes are not pleasing to God, but God is merciful, compassionate (Lamentations 3:22-23), and gracious and will continue to work with you if you continue to remain in His care. It is His job to change you, and you can be sure that He will. I encourage you to join a Bible-based Christian fellowship or church as soon as possible, and allow your new beautiful self to be maintained by God’s Word (1 Peter 2:2). -Evangelist Kim 1 Corinthians 9:19-27 19Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. 22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. 24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. I meet many people who tell me that they go to church. This used to excite me because I thought that I had met a sister or brother-in Christ. But I have found, as a comedian once said, “Being in a church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than being in a McDonald’s makes you a hamburger.” The more time I spent around those particular “church people”, the more I realized that they had never allowed the precious Spirit of God to infiltrate their being. They were still hard and resistant to the molding Hand of God. They no more resembled God than they did a hamburger. In today’s text, Paul says that he became “all things to all men so that by all possible means” he “might save some.” Paul was God’s Chameleon. A chameleon is known for how it can blend into its environment. Paul was able to be like a Jew around Jews so that he could get into their crowds, and tell them about Jesus. Paul could be humble around the weak so that he could gain their trust and tell them about Jesus. And though Paul was free from the law, he respected the law while in the presence of those who were still under the law, so that he could get into their legal prison cells with them and give them the exit key – Jesus Christ. Many of us who truly are Christians are ineffective because we are full of self. We will not allow ourselves to be used by God. We want people to know us for who we are. The Christian’s work is two-fold. He is a Believer-Priest. As a Believer, he serves God through worship and obedience, and allows God to live His Life through him. And as a priest, he goes to the people on God’s behalf (witnessing of God's Goodness), and he goes to God on the peoples’ behalf (praying and interceding). Many of us stop at being Believers. We feel that we have gotten ours, and everyone else has theirs to get. This is not the nature of God. God has given His Church the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). It is our job to bring sinners to God so that they, too, can get grace to cleanse them from sins. But how can they know that God loves them if His ambassadors are not approachable enough to show them the way? Remember, as Christians, we represent God. And, some of the “Christians” that I have met, would “scare the daylights” out sinners, and Believers, too. Many of us simply want to go to church and let everyone else fend for themselves. The Bible says that our bodies are the temples of God (1 Corinthians 6:19). Whenever a true Believer shows up, he is as a walking church. Instead of introducing God to the people they meet, some introduce themselves. As Christians, we are to introduce Christ. We should not introduce our nasty attitudes, foul language, selfishness, jealousy, etc. Today, I encourage you to become a Godly chameleon. Allow the Lord to use you in any setting. Be as wise as serpents, but be as gentle as doves (Matthew 10:16). Stand strong for righteousness, but tolerate those who are struggling with it while you pray them to their place of victory. Love your enemies (Matthew 5:43-45). Be in the world, but don’t be of it (John 17:14-16). Blend in, but stand out and stand up for Jesus! I am not asking you to compromise Christ, I am asking you to crucify yourself for the sake of the Gospel, like the Apostle Paul learned to do. For by dying to self, you will bring many to life. -Evangelist Kim 1 Samuel 8 Israel Asks for a King 1 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. 3 But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice. 4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, "You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead [1] us, such as all the other nations have." 6 But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD . 7 And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do." 10 Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, "This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. 12 Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16 Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle [2] and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day." 19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." 21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD . 22 The LORD answered, "Listen to them and give them a king." Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Everyone go back to his town." As parents, we have been given the responsibility of raising our children in the fear of the Lord. Whether or not we know or serve the Lord, we were created to train them in the way that they should go. And in following God’s orders, we sometimes deny our children experiences that their peers are allowed to freely enjoy. For instance, I monitor what my children watch on television. I do not allow them to act older than they are. And I require them to be in Bible Study. These practices have made me to be as an ogre in their sight on more than a few occasions. I have even had one of them tell me that they wish they had a different mother. Ouch! Well, God knows how that feels too. After He had delivered Israel from slavery, brought them through the wilderness, delivered them from many enemies, and turned them into a nation, they had the audacity to ask Him to stop speaking to them with His Voice (Deuteronomy 18:15-16), and to give them a king instead of ruling them Himself. Instead of realizing that they were blessed by The Best, they wanted what the other nations had. They wanted a human leader instead of God. Some nerve, right? Well, if you are a Godly parent, I am sure that you also know what it feels like to be rejected by your children. You work hard, give them the best that you can afford, pray for them, expose them to the Word of God, plan for their futures, respect them, and love them, and they are willing to trade it all in for a pair of hot pants or the chance to date someone who is on your hit-list. They do not have a clue how valuable a God-fearing parent is in this day and time. And likewise, the Israelites did not understand how much God loved them and wanted to protect them from hidden dangers. If you are a parent struggling with feelings of inadequacy and rejection from your children, take heart today. I too have been cut in this area. But I found healing in God’s Word. Here are a few scriptures that helped me, and reminded me that I am on the right track. Psalm 34:11 Psalm 78:4-6 Proverbs 14:26 Proverbs 22:6 Proverbs 22:15 Proverbs 23:13 Proverbs 29:15 At the Israelites' request, Saul was chosen as Israel’s king, and he was a great disappointment. There is no substitute for a God-fearing parent or leader. Just know that you were chosen by God to parent the children that He sent to you (Psalm 127:3). And He knew exactly what He was doing when He selected you. Evangelist Kim 2 Corinthians 7:8-11 8Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it--I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while-- 9yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. 10Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 11See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. Have you ever been in a situation where you had to hurt someone’s feelings by telling them the truth? If you have, then you know how difficult this can be. Out of love and consideration, we prefer not to say things that may cause pain. But there are times when those we love need to hear the unadulterated truth (2 Timothy 4:2). In some cases, telling them the truth may save their lives, and clean your hands of their sin (Leviticus 19:17). I am the mother of three beautiful girls. And needless to say in this day and time, I have to watch and pray for their safety every day. Last evening, our family took part in our weekly family bowling night. My eleven-year-old, who looks like a sixteen-year-old, asked if she could leave the bowling alley, and sit in the car with the other girls who were older than she. I gave her permission to sit in the car. However, when I came out of the bowling alley, she was across the street, standing on a very “busy” corner with the older girls. As you could imagine, I was both angry and grateful at the same time. To her, it was nothing. But being a mother, all sorts of possible scenarios started flashing through my mind. I had to rebuke her for not being where I gave her permission to be, and then I had to suffer the consequences of the “silent treatment” for the rest of the evening. I was not sorry that I rebuked her, because that was done out of love. But just for a little while, it hurt my feelings that my daughter was upset with me. The Apostle Paul, the overseer of many churches, wrote in his second letter to the church in Corinth, that he was not sorry for the pain he had caused them by telling them the truth. His goal was to ensure that they would see the light and come to repentance for their sinful acts. Paul was more concerned with their eternal happiness than with their temporal happiness. Sometimes in ministry, we have to rebuke others using God’s Word (2 Timothy 3:16). Every time we share God’s Word in an effort to rebuke a wrongdoer, we run the risk of losing the respect or friendship of that person. The Bible says that God’s Word is designed to cut us (Hebrews 4:12), but it repairs us at the same time. If Godly rebuke is done in the spirit of humility, with the purpose of reconciling a sinner to God, or correcting an incorrect action or idea, then it is always appropriate (Proverbs 27:5). This morning, my daughter was speaking to me again. The sting of the rebuke had worn off; however, the corrective action of the rebuke should have brought about repentance and correction. I am sure that if this type of situation should present itself again, she will come to me and get permission before taking any actions. That was my intended goal (Proverbs 28:23). Today, if you are feeling alienated by someone whom you had to rebuke in love, let your heart be comforted in knowing that, though you will suffer persecution, (2 Timothy 3:11-13), this is the work that Jesus left you to do. I personally, do not believe that it will hurt any less when we experience alienation, but I do believe that Godly rebuke is always appropriate and effective if the person whom you rebuked is wise enough to receive correction (Proverbs 9:8,Ecclesiastes 7:5). Evangelist Kim Stewart To reinforce this message, order the taped sermon entitled, "Say What God Said Say" by Pastor Duane Stewart. Judges 6:11-16 13 "But sir," Gideon replied, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, 'Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian." 14 The LORD turned to him and said, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?" 15 "But Lord , [1] " Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family." 16 The LORD answered, "I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together." But God, who is full of mercy, loves us with an unimaginable and everlasting love Jeremiah 31:3). It is not His desire that we suffer. His desire is to dwell among us, but we keep putting Him out. The Bible tells us that our sins separate us from Him (Isaiah 59:1-3). And whenever we are separated from the One who loves us, He begins to search for a way to mend the broken ties. That brings us to today’s scripture text. Here we see the LORD speaking to a man named Gideon. Gideon is in the process of threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. Notice that God refers to Gideon as a mighty warrior, and tells him to go in the strength that he has. And Gideon responds to the LORD’s prophetic salutation by stating that he is the least of the least. In his mind, there is no way that he can do anything to deliver his people from the hand of their ravenous enemy. He feels that he and his people are too insignificant – too small. But, this is just the type of situation that God loves to use. God uses the foolish things to confuse intelligent people, and he uses weak people to show His strength (1 Corinthians 1:26-28). . You see, God wants to be glorified in situations that look hopeless. When a hopeless situation turns into a victory, God is glorified because everyone knows that there is no way that anyone else could have done it. No one will get the glory but He. That is why He empowered David to kill an 8 ft giant with nothing more than a sling shot (1 Samuel 17). Are you feeling insignificant today? Do you feel that you don’t have enough, or know enough to complete a task that God has placed in your care? If so, join the countless number of God’s servants who feel the same way – including me. But by faith, and through obedience, the Lord will walk us step by step into victory. Gideon was a mighty warrior because that is who God saw him to be. God saw the strength that Gideon had, and He knew that He, Himself, was that strength!(2 Corinthians 12:9-10) God doesn’t only see us in our present state. He sees our future, and He knows what gifts He has deposited in us. So, surely He knows what we can accomplish with what He has given us. Later, Gideon would be victorious with only a 300-man army, food, and trumpets (Judges 6-7). I tell you, God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). And we will never truly know Him until we stop relying on our own understanding and strength, and trust Him lead us into victory (Proverbs 3:5-6). Today, I encourage you, mighty warrior of God, to take courage. Present yourself to God as His faithful servant (Romans 12:1), and watch what He will accomplish using “little ole you”. -Evangelist Kim Stewart To reinforce today's message, order the sermon message entitled, "From Water to Warrior" by Minister Myra Anderson. Matthew 5:14-16 14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. In the creative acts of God (Genesis 1), we see that God used one word over and over again – the word, “Let”. Whenever He desired for something to come into existence in the earth, He simply said, “Let there be”, and it was. Likewise, Jesus told the disciples that we are to “Let our light” shine. By using the word, “Let” instead of “Make”, God is clearly stating that what He wants to be manifested is already in existence, but that which hinders it from being manifested must move out of the way, and “Let” the manifestation take place. When God wanted a sky, He told the waters to separate and let the sky come forth. When God wanted the ground to appear, He told the water to recede, and let the ground come forth. And when God wanted witnesses in the earth to attest to His Glory, He said, “Let your light so shine”. What does this mean? It means that the Light is in you if you are born again. If you have accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, and asked Him to come into your heart, He did just that (John 14:23, Romans 8:11). Now all you need do is cease from your own fleshly efforts (Romans 8:8-10, 1 Corinthians 1:29), move out of the Light's way, and “Let” Him shine through you (John 9:4-5, John 8:12). Today I encourage you to ask God’s Holy Spirit to have His way with you. Ask Him to make you a witness to God’s existence and glory by illuminating Jesus through you (John 15:26-27). Evangelist Kim Stewart 1 Thessalonians 4 The Coming of the Lord 13Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore encourage each other with these words. It is inevitable that a loved one will depart this life by way of death. For, Scripture says that there is a time to be born, and a time to die (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2). And one of the things that funeral directors are notorious for saying when carrying the bodies of departed loved ones to the grave site is that the grave is the final resting place. This is a hopeless thing to tell loved ones-- especially since is not true. According to Scripture, those who die, or fall asleep, in Jesus will rise again. When Jesus comes for those who have accepted Him as their Savior, the dead in Christ will rise first, and then those of us who are alive when He comes will be caught up to meet them. Physical death is only the separation of the soul and spirit from the body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). It is not the end of all life-- just physical life. Our physical bodies return to the earth from whence they came, but our “person” lives on (Ecclesiastes 12:7). And if we have accepted Jesus, it lives on in His Presence (2 Corinthians 5:8). Whenever someone loses a loved one, I encourage them with this passage of Scripture because it gives them something to look forward to. God does not mourn when His children die (Psalm 116:15). And neither should we. Though we miss our loved ones when they depart from this life, we must also rejoice in the fact that they have been delivered from their bodies into the Presence of the Lord if they knew Him as Lord and Savior. If you have recently lost a loved one, spend this time remembering all that they were allowed to accomplish during their time on earth. Draw from the lessons that they learned and taught you during the times that you shared with them. There is no need to mourn as those without hope. For in Jesus we have the great assurance that they shall rise again. Just be sure that you are also in Christ so that you can be caught up to meet them. Evangelist Kim Stewart 2 Peter 3:1-4, 8-9 God's Promise Is Not Slack: The Coming Day of the Lord 1 Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), 2that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us,[1] the apostles of the Lord and Savior, 3knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." 8But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us,[2] not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. Have you ever been running late for work or school, and you saw the bus that you needed sitting at a red light? You started running to catch it because you knew that this was the last bus that could get you to your destination on time. Then, just as you were approaching the door, the bus driver put his foot on the gas and drove the bus out of your reach. You knew that he saw you, and heard you yelling, “Hold that bus!”, but he still pulled off. All you needed were three more seconds of grace, and you would have made it. Reading this scenario arouses feelings of disgust because it would not have cost the bus driver anything to wait those additional three seconds. However, the bus driver lacked mercy and refused to grant three seconds of grace. Well, God is just the opposite. In our scripture text, we see that in the last days, the days just before Jesus returns, many people will begin to doubt that He will ever return because He has not come back yet. They will begin to do what seems right to themselves, and disregard the warnings of those who speak for the Lord (just like they ignored Noah’s warnings about the flood, Genesis 6-8). But the Bible says that God has plenty of time, and that His clock clicks to a different beat than ours. The Bible says that “with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day”. God has plenty of time because He is not bound by time as we are. He is omnipresent. He is everywhere at the same time - in the past, present, and future. But exactly what is keeping Him? Why is He taking so long to come back and deliver those of us who have believed and obeyed the Gospel? Well, the answer to that question lies in verse 9. It reads, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. “ You see, God knows how to keep His promises. And if He said that He will return for His own, then you can bet your life on the fact that He will return for His own. But He does not only want to return for those who are currently His own. He is waiting for those who may be “running late for the bus”. God is very patient and very merciful. His desire is that every man, woman, boy, and girl would come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ so that they may live in Eternity in His Presence. He does not desire that any should go to Hell. Many people believe that God sends people to Hell, but He does not. John 3:16-18 says that we are “condemned already”. God sent His Son to get us off of death row. So, you see, Jesus Christ is like a bus driver who pulls up at the prison gate. He sends the message that any death row inmates who want to be free, simply need to get on HIS bus. Once you are on HIS bus, you are free to leave with Him. And the best part about it is that Jesus is willing to sit in that parked bus for a very long time waiting for those who will believe Him, accept His offer of freedom, and come aboard. Some may want to step off of the bus because it has been sitting in the same place for so long. And some will peek at it from behind their prison bars, saying that the bus will never pull off, so they are better off where they are. Then there are those who think that they will be able to do what they want until they hear the engine starting, and then jump on the bus as it pulls off - (sorry, not so). But those who are on board when it pulls off, will be so happy that Jesus was willing to “Hold the Bus!” and wait for them. Don’t be fooled today. The bus will pull off someday soon. And I pray that you are on it with me. -Evangelist Kim Stewart Order the message entitled, "Will You Be Ready?" by Evangelist Shanon Wright to reinforce today's message. Psalm 1 1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. 4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. We often hear people say that someone is a “backslider”. That means that once upon a time, they walked closely with the Lord, but have backed away from Him. Psalm 1 lists the steps that backsliders take: First of all, they “walk in the counsel of the wicked “. Walking is an action word that denotes movement. They are still in motion, but are listening to what wicked people have to say. They are taking advice from people, such as, their best friend, a psychic, the horoscopes, or even a talk show host. Though this is a dangerous place, it is still a place where the person can turn around. They simply need to redirect their attention to God’s Word and His people for counsel instead of wicked people and “horror”scopes (Proverbs 1:5, Proverbs 12:15,witchcraft). Second, they have gone beyond the “walking” stage, and have begun to “stand in the way of sinners” . Standing denotes that they are no longer moving, but have assumed a position. This is a very dangerous place to be, but still there is a chance for them to hear God, and begin “walking” in the right direction – back to Him. To stand in the way of sinners is to find one's self agreeing with the ways of the world. Though the person once depended on the Word of God to be his or her life’s standard, he or she now stands in agreement with issues that God has declared to be abominable (Leviticus 18). People who once deemed the marriage bed to be honorable(Hebrews 13:4), now opt to “shack up” because talk show hosts and hostesses believe that it is best to “test the milk before buying the cow”. The Christian once agreed with God that homosexuality was not in God’s original plan, and is considered to be an abomination. Though God loves the homosexual, He considers homosexuality to be a sin that will be judged. Now, the Christian who is standing in the way with sinners can be found in parades and courtrooms fighting for the rights of homosexuals. This person has begun to compromise God’s Word, and is in danger of falling into a luke-warm state of existence (Revelation 3:15-17). (Please know that LCF loves every man, woman, boy, and girl, regardless of race, sexual orientation, or religious denomination. All are welcome to join us as we seek God and learn of His ways. We do not discriminate in any way, but we do speak the truth of God’s Word, whether it is convenient or not. It is not our intention to hurt anyone; however, God’s Word is designed to cut so that we may be healed (Hebrews 4:12) God’s Word cuts our emotions and desires away from our spirit so that we may, with our spirit (John 4:24), serve God instead of serving ourselves by appeasing our every desire). Then, finally, the Christian becomes a backslider when he decides to “sit in the seat of mockers”. Mockers are those who laugh at Christianity. They do not regard the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as having any significance. They are whom the Bible refers to as the disobedient (Ephesians 2:1-3). They disobey the Gospel’s call to accept Jesus as Savior, and will therefore be judged. Those who “sit” have found a final resting place. They are stating that “I am one of these whom I sit amongst”. They have no intention of standing again. The Bible says that God will give them over to a reprobate mind which is void of judgment (Romans 1:18-2:16). They could not accept Christ again if they wanted to because their mind has become incapable of seeing the need for a Savior. In order to come back, they would have to crucify Christ all over again. God forbid! (Hebrews 6:4-8) Where are you today? Do you have on rollerskates that are rolling you in the wrong direction? Are you still walking? If so, be sure that you are walking toward God, and not away from Him. Are you standing still? Then, my brother, my sister, “Get to steppin’!” 1 John 1:9 still has the power to work for you. However, if you are one who has found yourself sitting down on God, and are now an unbeliever, then you are probably only reading this message out of curiosity. You may even be laughing as you read this–feeling that this is just the writings of another “Jesus Freak”. My heart aches for you because you have thrown away the best gift that anyone could ever have given - free salvation through Jesus Christ. I pray that this message catches you in time so that you may stop backsliding. In fact, if while reading this message, you felt a pull on your heart to confess and repent, then it is not too late for you. Your heart still responds to God’s call. It would be awful, after having tasted the wonders of salvation, to end up in the lake of fire for an eternity.(Revelation 21:1-8; 23-27;1 Corinthians 6:8-10) My prayers are with you as you determine where you are today. -Evangelist Kim Stewart Jeremiah 30 Restoration of Israel 1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD : 2 "This is what the LORD , the God of Israel, says: 'Write in a book all the words I have spoken to you. 3 The days are coming,' declares the LORD , 'when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity [1] and restore them to the land I gave their forefathers to possess,' says the LORD ." 4 These are the words the LORD spoke concerning Israel and Judah: 5 "This is what the LORD says: " 'Cries of fear are heard- terror, not peace.6 Ask and see:Can a man bear children? Then why do I see every strong man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor, every face turned deathly pale? 7 How awful that day will be! None will be like it. It will be a time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be saved out of it. 8 " 'In that day,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'I will break the yoke off their necks and will tear off their bonds; no longer will foreigners enslave them. 9 Instead, they will serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them. 10 " 'So do not fear, O Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, O Israel,' declares the LORD .'I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid. 11 I am with you and will save you,'declares the LORD . 'Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only with justice; I will not let you go entirely unpunished.' 12 "This is what the LORD says: " 'Your wound is incurable, your injury beyond healing. 13 There is no one to plead your cause, no remedy for your sore, no healing for you. 14 All your allies have forgotten you; they care nothing for you.I have struck you as an enemy would and punished you as would the cruel, because your guilt is so great and your sins so many. 15 Why do you cry out over your wound, your pain that has no cure? Because of your great guilt and many sins I have done these things to you.16 " 'But all who devour you will be devoured; all your enemies will go into exile. Those who plunder you will be plundered; all who make spoil of you I will despoil. 17 But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,' declares the LORD, because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.' 18 "This is what the LORD says: " 'I will restore the fortunes of Jacob's tents and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt on her ruins, and the palace will stand in its proper place.19 From them will come songs of thanksgiving and the sound of rejoicing.I will add to their numbers, and they will not be decreased; I will bring them honor, and they will not be disdained. 20 Their children will be as in days of old, and their community will be established before me; I will punish all who oppress them. 21 Their leader will be one of their own; their ruler will arise from among them. I will bring him near and he will come close to me, for who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?' declares the LORD .22 " 'So you will be my people, and I will be your God.' " 23 See, the storm of the LORD will burst out in wrath, a driving wind swirling down on the heads of the wicked. 24 The fierce anger of the LORD will not turn back until he fully accomplishes the purposes of his heart. In days to come you will understand this. I remember how when I was a child, my mother would punish me by forcing me to go outside and play. It sounds strange, but I was an introvert, and preferred to do quiet things like read a book, or write a story. But there were times when I would get “above myself” and do things that merited a spanking; such as playing with matches. I could tell that my mother did not enjoy being the disciplinarian. It looked as if she suffered more than I did, from the few, (I was a quick learner), spankings that I received. Afterwards, I would always catch her crying as she saw the hand prints that her spankings left on my little thighs. [Although Momma’s tough love helped to mold me into who I am today, she would go to jail for it in today’s times, so don’t try this at home. If you do, consider this a disclaimer statement just in case you get caught (smile)]. I saw that Momma was “caught between a rock and a hard place”. She had to love me with all of her heart, while simultaneously, insuring that I grew to be a benefit to society. What a task. Love + Discipline = Tough Love! God was faced with this situation, as well. In our text, we read that God had to allow His disobedient children to be taken into slavery by their enemies as punishment. He said that He had to do this because of the magnitude of their sin. But, He also said that He would be the one to love them back to good health and wholeness, and that He would destroy anybody who hurt them. That sounds a lot like Momma. My mother would inflict necessary pain, but dare anyone else to touch a hair on my head. After my spankings, I could go to Momma and be loved back to happiness. And not only that, I had learned a valuable lesson that probably saved my life. I believe that God allows us to have children so that we can understand how He feels about us. In today’s society, parenthood is a strange looking animal. But at its roots, parenthood is very special in God’s eyes. It allows us to be to our children as God is to us. For instance, our children are created after our image and likeness, and likewise, we are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26). If our children become lost, we will shake the globe until we find them. God does the same, at any cost (Luke 15). If our children ask for something, we get it for them. God does the same (Matthew 7:9-11). If our children are afraid, we comfort them. God does the same (Isaiah 12:1). And when we need correction, our parents discipline us out of love. God does the same (Hebrews 12:7-9). Today, if you are being chastised by the Lord, please know that it is not because He hates you. It is just the opposite. It is because He loves you (Proverbs 13:24). He knows the plans that He has for you Jeremiah 29:11, and you are probably doing everything in your power to mess them up. We are just like children, in that respect. Be encouraged. Learn your lesson quickly so that you can get out of “time out” sooner. Repent of your sins and find that God’s grace is waiting for you so that God can love you back to wholeness (1 John 1:9). It may seem strange to you to realize that God would let you suffer, but “In days to come you will understand this.” - Evangelist Kim Stewart Deuteronomy 29:1-6 Renewal of the Covenant 1 These are the terms of the covenant the LORD commanded Moses to make with the Israelites in Moab, in addition to the covenant he had made with them at Horeb. 2 Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them: Your eyes have seen all that the LORD did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials and to all his land. 3 With your own eyes you saw those great trials, those miraculous signs and great wonders. 4 But to this day the LORD has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear. 5 During the forty years that I led you through the desert, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet. 6 You ate no bread and drank no wine or other fermented drink. I did this so that you might know that I am the LORD your God. Today, someone sent an email to me that read: Subject: Over 30 People over 30 should be dead. Here's why ............ According to today's regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who were kids in the 40's, 50's, 60's, or even maybe the early 70's probably shouldn't have survived. Our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paint. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets, ... and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets. (Not to mention the risks we took hitchhiking.) As children, we would ride in cars with no seatbelts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pickup truck on a warm day was always a special treat. We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle. Horrors! We ate cupcakes, bread and butter, and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outside playing. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle, and no one actually died from this. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then rode down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem. We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the street lights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. NO CELL PHONES!!!!! Unthinkable! We did not have Play Stations, Nintendo 64, X-Boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, video tape movies, surround sound, personal cell phones, personal computers, or Internet chat rooms. We had friends! We went outside and found them. We played dodge ball, and sometimes, the ball would really hurt. We fell out of trees, got cut and broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. They were accidents. No one was to blame but us. Remember accidents? We had fights and punched each other and got black and blue and learned to get over it. We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and ate worms, and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes, nor did the worms live inside us forever. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's home and knocked on the door, or rang the bell or just walked in and talked to them. Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Some students weren't as smart as others, so they failed a grade and were held back to repeat the same grade. Horrors! Tests were not adjusted for any reason. Our actions were our own. Consequences were expected. The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law. Imagine that! This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers and problem solvers and Inventors-- ever. The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all. Those over thirty grew up as kids, before lawyers and government regulated our lives, for our own good!!!!! While reading this message, I began to shake my head in amazement, while, simultaneously chuckling. I remember doing some of the things that were mentioned, and I survived! Today, as I watch the news, I see that everything from French fries to red nail polish can give us cancer. But “back in the day”, we lived without all of the fears of today, and somehow, we made it. How did we make it? In today’s scripture passage, Moses reminds the Israelites of what they had just survived during the past forty years. Because of unbelief, those who had originally been promised the Promised Land, failed to make it in. God allowed the Israelites to wander in the desert for forty years until the old generation died off. Only the new generation would be able to grab hold of God’s promised blessings. But, there were no Sam’s Clubs, Targets, Macys’, or Seven-dollar clothing stores in the wilderness. So, how did they survive? Well, according to Moses, it was God who took care of them. They did not outgrow their shoes. And their clothes were always in style. Yet, they failed to see the magnificence of God’s ability to provide for His people. Today, maybe you are struggling with your faith due to lack or difficulties in your life. I know that there are days when I get discouraged. But I have to do as Moses did. I have to look back and see what God has already brought me through. I personally have survived, multiple suicide attempts, alcoholic and drug-addicted parents, a difficult marriage, demonic attacks, hateful coworkers, lying friends, sickness, poverty, and the list goes on and on. But, most people would not know that I have ever suffered anything if they were to meet me. This is because, “my shoes and clothes are not worn out”. What? you ask. When the Israelites came out of their wilderness experience, they did not look like they had just been through forty years of drama. Their shoes and clothes were not worn out. They were kept by God, and so was I. Today, if you are going through a wilderness experience where it seems that you have been walking around in a daze for a long time, be encouraged. God will sustain you if you but trust Him. He will lead you to your promised land soon. Don’t be like some of the Israelites. The problem with some of those who came out with Moses was that they still could not see God’s love for them. They could not see how He had been keeping them. They focused on their lack instead of focusing on the miraculous provisions of God. Look around you and take note of what you DO HAVE instead of focusing on what you do not have. It is then, that you will be able to see God. He is right there with you. If you but trust Him, He will bring you through “fully clothed”, and in your right mind (2 timothy 1:7). But you must be willing to praise Him for every good and perfect gift (James 1:17) that He provides during your walk through the wilderness. Be blessed today (Matthew 6:25-34)! -Evangelist Kim Stewart 04/28/04 Matthew 28:11-15 “11 Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and showed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. 12 And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, 13 Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. 14 And if this come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him, and secure you. 15 So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.” Money is a necessary resource. It allows you to exchange it for goods needed to keep a roof over your head, clothing on your back, and food in your stomach. Some people have more than they need, while some people barely have enough to make ends meet. But no matter what your social status may be, you need money to maintain daily living. Some will say that money is evil and that it’s not needed. But that is not accurate or Biblical. The Bible says the love of money causes the evil, not the money itself (1 Timothy 6:10). Why is this true? It’s because people become so obsessed and consumed with getting it, that they will do whatever it takes to acquire it for themselves. They will compromise what they believe, deny God, turn to violence, lie, steal, cheat and murder for the sake of money. Money will cause you to turn on your friends and family, betray a trust, take a bribe and gamble with your life. Money can buy a lie, but it could never buy the truth-- simply because the truth is not for sale. People have committed perjury for the sake of money, endangering their lives and the lives of others. You could never put a price tag on the truth because it's value is far beyond any amount of money. We find in the account of the resurrection of Jesus Christ that the chief priests and elders paid the soldiers who had been standing guard at the tomb. They received money to lie about what had happened to Jesus’ body. Not only were they paid to lie, but they were also instructed on what to say concerning the events surrounding Jesus' resurrection. If people had discovered that Jesus had really risen from the dead, it would have caused a great commotion in the land. People would have been turning away from all the false gods that they were serving, and the traditions of men that they were following, to seek the teachings of Christ for their lives. The soldiers had fallen asleep on post and could have been killed for this inappropriate behavior, but they were given an opportunity to redeem themselves by lying about what had really happened to Jesus. They were instructed to say that His disciples came and took His body out of the tomb during the night while they slept. They were willing to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31) by lying against the truth of the power of Almighty God, concerning the resurrection. If the governor had gotten wind of the incident, the soldiers still could have been killed-- even after receiving all that money from the chief priests and elders. They assured the soldiers that they would handle the governor if necessary, and secure their livelihood. After all the money that had been paid out, and all the lies that had been told, they still could not cover up the truth that Jesus had really risen from the dead. Because when He got up, He was seen again by His disciples (Acts 1:1-4). When the word of His resurrection became public, it spread like wildflowers. Money could not deny the fact that Jesus did what He said He would (John 2:18-22)-- He rose from the dead. Some people have been paid to lie about your resurrection also. You have been risen from the dead and you live a new life in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). But the word on the street is that somebody stole your body. The real you is not you at all, you’re still dead, but your friends have hidden you. The enemy thinks you’re still dead cause they helped to kill you and then watched you die. The drugs, alcohol, fornication, perverseness, jealousy and envy killed you. There is no way you could have come back to life after that. They made sure of it with all the beatings you were given, the ridicule you suffered, and the torture of your body. But the truth of the matter is that you were resurrected in Christ(Romans 6), and you now live a new life of hope and faith. The things that money can’t buy could only come from Jesus. So don’t you buy into the lie about yourself! You have been raised from the dead. You are different, powerful, determined and, most assuredly, alive. What money can’t buy is the truth that God has risen you from the dead. Praise Him for His goodness and His mighty acts of love. -Minister Myra Anderson 04/27/04 Psalm 27:1-6 “1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. 4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple. 5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. 6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.” Remember the times when life was just so overwhelming that you needed a place to hide from all your troubles and cares? It seemed like one problem after another began to arise; which left you frustrated and confused. You may have said to yourself, “I need a break; I just need to get away for a while from everything and everybody.” If you were given the opportunity to get away, it was temporary because no sooner than you returned, you were confronted by the enemies of your peace and contentment. Or, maybe, they found out where you were hiding and came to where you were. People spend a numerous amount of time, hiding from others-- even hiding from disturbing situations. But rarely do they hide from the enemy (Satan). At times, we are left wide open to his tricks, schemes and attacks. By the time we realize that we are exposed to Satan, he has already unleashed his attacks and crippled us (1 Peter 5:8). Satan cripples us with blindness and confusion causing us to stumble repeatedly, and aimlessly grope around in the dark. When you become surrounded and engrossed with darkness, your ability to see your way has been obstructed. If you walk into a pitch-black room where there are no signs of light, you must first allow your eyes to become adjusted to the dark before you can effectively maneuver your way around. That means that, the illumination that previously existed, has decreased ins strength, or ceased to exist, altogether. This causes you to artificially project images based on limited visibility in your new surroundings. The Bible always offers a word of encouragement and provides guidance to all who take heed to its message. Know that no matter what your situation or circumstance, your fears, or the number of your enemies, God provides a safe resting place in Himself for you to run and dwell. The psalmist declared that the LORD is your Light (John 8:12). This means that He is your ever-shining lantern to be used as a guide in aiding you to clearly see your way. He is the ultimate brightness that supercedes your darkness (John 1:5). God is the comprehension in every revelation and the wisdom in all knowledge. It does not matter what is the depth of your darkness, only the brightness of your light. God is your source of illumination, which makes it unnecessary to force sight by artificial projection. He is also your salvation (Exodus 15:2), the one who delivers you from the snare of the enemy. As He delivered Moses and the Israelites from the hands of the Egyptians (Exodus 14),He also delivers you from the hands of your enemies and the conquerors of your soul(Psalm 18). With God so graciously providing light and salvation, who would even think about fearing his enemies? You can confidently say that God is your protecting shield Who blocks the enemy’s view of you and hinders his ability to reach you. No matter what, or who, comes up against you, you can have confident assurance that God has it all under control. So there’s no need to worry or fear(Psalm 3:5-7). When He, Who is your Protector and Deliverer, provides refuge for you, it causes you to desire to be in His presence (Psalm 16:11) even more-- longing to be wherever He is, needing to seek His guidance, and desiring to accept His love. You will come to know that He wants you to come to Him in times of trouble so that He can protect you and teach you how to be strong and fearless. God secures a secret place for you to hide in Him where nothing or no one can come and get you. This place is known as the tabernacle of the LORD. It’s a sacred place, a sanctuary not a church. The place where God dwells and only few can enter. The devil has no access to this place; nor do self-righteousness, self-centeredness, self-gratification, and the like. In this place, God is the center of attraction. It’s a place of genuine worship that is distinctive from the church. The secret tabernacle is the place where you become broken before God-- surrendering your will to His will, and forsaking your desires for His desires. This is where you meet Him in His fullness in order to receive strength, power and direction to defeat the enemy. Here is where you are placed high above your enemy so that you can look down upon him and see all that he consists of-- not just the part he reveals. Have you entered your place of worship where God is waiting to meet you? Remember, don’t try to carry your own ideas and agenda in this place because they are not welcome. The secret tabernacle is also the place of Spiritual Warfare-- where all the battles against your enemies are won. Why don’t you surrender all that you think you know about God’s dwelling place in order to learn the truth about hiding in the tabernacle of God? This is the place where you are required to minister unto Him. -Minister Myra Anderson 04/26/04 Isaiah 26:12-14 Do you remember the last time that you had peace of mind? Some may say, "When all is well in my life, then I am at peace. But when there seems to be conflict and confusion going on, I can’t seem to find the peace that I desire." Well, let me be the first to tell you that peace is not the absence of conflict. You can be at peace and have peace when all hell is breaking loose in your life. True peace can only come from God. So if you do not possess it, you are not living according to your inheritance rights as a Child of God. The Bible declares that God authorizes peace for you, but it is totally up to you whether or not you receive it. It’s already been made available, and you can have total access to it. However, you must first decide whether God will be the only God in your life. Isaiah 26:3 says that He will keep you in perfect peace but, this is a conditional promise based on how you relate to Him. It’s amazing how we so desire the benefits that God has made available to us, but we do not desire God. You cannot have one without the other. It is a package deal. If you seek the benefits without God, then you will be trying to make things happen for yourself. If you seek God, and Him alone, then the benefits will come as an added bonus (Matthew 6:33). The individual who receives the peace of God, understands that he previously had other gods who had control over him, but they did not give him the peace that he desired. Anything that is in your life that causes you to take your eyes off of God and not focus on who He is, is simply another god that has been placed before the true God. You will never acquire true peace without the Peacemaker. Choosing God to be first in your life makes all the difference in the world. He secures your peace, joy and happiness. It is only when the real God shows up in your life that you realize that everything else is just a cheap imitation of the Real thing. If you want the peace of God that passes all understanding, then you have to kill the other gods in your life and acknowledge the fact that they are dead and will never rise again. When God shows up, everything else becomes null and void. When His love touches your heart, you will do whatever it takes to be with Him continually, and to experience the peace that He offers to you. With God, it’s "satisfaction guaranteed" in every situation-- great or small. So choose God as your one and only God today; for He makes the difference. -Minister Myra Anderson “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.” Exodus 25:8 When God spoke to Moses concerning the building of the sanctuary as written in Exodus 25:1-7, He gave him specific instructions as to how it should be made. As we read this, we can clearly see that Moses did not propose to build a tabernacle, design it the way he wanted, and THEN invite God to come and dwell in it. Unlike the sanctuaries of today, this one was designed and orchestrated by God Himself. Wherever you go in the world today, you will see many sanctuaries that have been built with human hands. Some are large, with breath-taking designs. And, then there are small, beautiful sanctuaries where people go to meet God. The only problem is that most of these sanctuaries are not sacred and clean enough to be God's dwelling place (Psalm 5:3-5). They may have occasional visits from God every now and then, but they are not holy enough for Him to live in. God is calling us to build a sanctuary unto Him that He has specifically designed. He wants a place that will represent who He is and His love towards mankind. The type of sanctuary that God is looking for today is not in a physical building, but in the heart of man (1 Corinthians 3:15-17). He wants to live inside of you on a daily basis. His desire is to be the first one you see and communicate with in the morning, and the last one you talk to each night before you go to bed. Notice that the people of God were not able to build the sanctuary without first giving an offering unto God. The offering had to be one that they willingly gave in order for it to be accepted by Him. In giving an offering to God, you are simply saying that you desire to give God what you possess. Once you give God what you have, then you ultimately make room in your life for something new. You make space for Him to come and dwell. God’s desire is not just to lead His people from one place to another, but He truly desires to dwell among them. He wants a place in man’s heart where He can come and live forever; a place that has been totally set apart for Him to do whatever He desires. This has to be a holy, uncontaminated place where you can go and meet God and commune with Him. This is a place of peace and sweet fellowship where the enemy is not welcome or allowed access. Do you possess such a place for God? Everyone has the capacity to possess this sanctuary. But it must, first, be given to God willingly as an offering so that He can design it according to His pattern. All you need to do is to make your heart Christ’s home today. This is the dwelling place that He desires so that He may come and abide with you forever. Remember that God wants a Sanctuary today, and He desires that the Sanctuary be you. Why don’t you invite Him to come into your heart and dwell with you forever-- not just visit from time to time? May you surrender your heart to Christ today so that He can make it His eternal dwelling place. To enhance this message I suggest that you read, “My Heart-Christ's Home” by Robert Boyd Munger -Minister Myra Anderson Joshua 24:15 14” Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your father’s served on the other side of the River and Egypt. Serve the Lord! 15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” As we go through this life, there are many choices that we will have to make along the way. There will be some bad as well as some good choices. Whether good or bad, the choice will have to be made and the choice will have to be yours. In this chapter, Joshua has confronted the people of Isreal. He is reminding them of where they have been and where they are now. To compare the differences and to choose what lifestyle they would rather live. He is not persuading them nor is he intimidating them to make this choice. He is simply asking them to think back over their lives and to choose the god that best blesses them. Joshua reminded the people of the choices that were made by their fathers and how much trouble was brought upon the nation because of the choices that were made by them. He reminded them of the covenant that was made to their forefathers by God and how each time, because of their disobedience,they failed Him. Now Joshua has come to the conclusion, that in order to receive what was promised to them from the God of their forefathers, then they must return to the God of their forefathers. They must reverence Him as their fathers had done and they must trust Him to do what He said that He would do. They must serve Him and Him only. Joshua let’s them know that the choice is theirs. If they feel that choosing the God of their fathers was not for them, fine. But they needed to make a choice. His decision, as the leader of his house was to serve the Lord, the true God. We are confronted with that same choice today. We too, must choose the god that we feel, best blesses us. Whether it be the god of the lottery, the god of the club, the god- my vehicle, the god - my house, or the god- my spouse. Whatever god we trust in that we feel, best blesses us, is the god that we serve. Choices are not always easy, but they are necessary. Sometimes they are a matter of life and death. That’s why we are asked to make a choice when it comes to where we want to spend eternity. John says, “That whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life”(3:16 ) Life or Death, the choice is yours. Then Matthew says, That no man can serve two masters, you’ll hate one and love the other.” (6:24 ) Which one do you love? The choice is yours. God does not intend to force anyone to love or to serve Him.(Mat. 16:24) He knows that if you love Him freely, you will serve Him freely. What He does want us to do is "think." Think of His goodness and what He’s already done.(Mat. 27:32-28:6 ) Think of how He has always been there for you.(Psalm 27:2 ) Think of the promises that He has made and see if He has ever gone back on any of them.(I John 1:9 ) Think of His blessings that He gives to you and see if you deserve them. Think of His mercy and ask yourself if you warrant it.(Lam. 3:22 ) Think ! Then choose. The choice is yours. Isreal was not presented with anything new, and neither are we. They had heard of God for many generations, from their fathers, mothers, grandmothers, aunts, uncles……..etc. .(Rom. 1:20 )It is the same today.(Ecc. 1:9 ) We too have been exposed to hearing about God. All Joshua wanted them to do was to search their hearts, be truthful, and make a choice. The choice IS yours. The most important choice that you will ever make in your life. Search your heart, be truthful, an make a choice. Whom will your serve? This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children my live. 04/23/04 (Leviticus 23:22) People have so many opinions about God. Some actually believe that He only blesses “good” people. Some believe that unless they go to church, God will not look upon them. Still others believe that God must not consider them because they are less fortunate. But the truth is that you are on God’s mind, no matter how or where you are living (Proverbs 15:3). While it is true that our sins separate us from God, it is not true that God does not love and think about those of us who are sinners. When God instructed the Israelites on how to conduct sacred feasts and assemblies, He remembered some special people - those who were strangers (outside of fellowship with Him), and those who were poor. What a gracious God! While planning the various celebrations that were to take place between He and His people, He gave a command to leave some blessings behind for those who did not know Him, and for those who were less fortunate (Psalm 68:9-10). When I visualize God’s people during harvest time, I see them with large baskets all over the field. I see them bending over to pick handfuls of their harvest, while making sure to leave some behind, as instructed. And that which they leave behind forms a trail that leads right to God’s Heart. The Bible says in Romans 2:4b that the goodness of God leads us to repentance. Because God is kind to the “alien” and the “poor”, they should follow the trail of His kindness right to His Heart, and accept His salvation in the Person of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:9 ). That is why it is so important for those of us who know the Lord, to properly represent Him. When God blesses us with ministry gifts or temporal blessings, we should be sure to “drop” some in the presence of unbelievers, and those who are less fortunate (Matthew 5:16). It is God’s kindness and love that will draw them in. Jesus told us that if He is lifted up, He will draw all men to Himself (John 12:31-33). Well, He was lifted up and hung on the cross for our sins. And every Christian should live a life that testifies to that. Notice that Leviticus 23:22 ends with God’s signature, “I am the LORD your God”. In other words, since we belong to God, we must represent Him in the earth, and do as He does (consider the poor). And just in case anyone wants to know who is responsible for the blessings that have been left for the stranger, or sinner, and the poor, we are to give God the glory and tell them that “The LORD, my God” is His name. To the sinner man (stranger): Know that God loves you and awaits your cry unto Him. Call upon Him today, and seek His forgiveness for your sins (Isaiah 1:17-19). He has taken care of you in your sin, now allow Him to bless you abundantly with His salvation. To the poor: Know that God has not forsaken you. He desires that you come to Him so that He can be your Provider. God does not forsake the righteous (Psalm 37:24-26). To the Child of God: Be a Godly representative. Allow the Lord to express Himself through you. Do not hoard all blessings unto yourself. But recognize that you have been blessed to be a blessing (Matthew 10:7-8). Do not overlook the blessings that have been left just for you. Follow the path that leads to God's Heart today! -Evangelist Kim Stewart Luke 22:21 “But he was my friend.” “But she was my coworker.” “I thought that he loved me.” “I thought she came to help me.” “I thought that they were on my side.” Have you ever said these words after being hurt by one close to you? If so, you can relate to how Jesus felt while eating the Last Supper with His disciples. There were many who followed Him, but only twelve were chosen to walk closely with Him. And of the twelve, one by the name of Judas, was assigned to betray Him so that He could, eventually be sentenced to death, and die upon the cross. The psalmist, David, said that it would not be so painful when we are betrayed if our betrayer was not a familiar friend, or even, one who went to God’s House with us (Psalm 41 , Psalm 55). Although it hurts, we are able to endure betrayal and grief from those whom we do not consider to be close friends, close acquaintances, or comrades. But when one, who is suppose to be walking with us, betrays us, we are cut to the very core of our being. In today’s text, Jesus is sitting at the table with His disciples, eating their last fellowship meal. As He continues to reveal Kingdom truths to them, He looks upon the table, and sees the hand of His betrayer – on the same table as His own. The hand that carried the money bag would soon receive money as payment for betraying Him. The hand that was anointed to heal and deliver in Jesus’ name would soon point Jesus out to those who would come to kill Him. Likewise, the hand that you may have held during prayer in a worship service may have later been used to dial the telephone and begin a conversation with someone that ruined your reputation. The hand that punched the same time clock that you punched at work, may have later been used to stab you in the back amongst your coworkers or peers. Or, the hand that you took in marriage may have later been used to bruise your body during an episode of domestic violence. Oh, God! How do we deal with the pain that comes when a helping hand becomes a hurting hand? Believe it or not, the first step in healing is forgiveness. Unless you are able to come to a place where you forgive those that hurt you, you will forever be bound by that hurt (Mark 11:24-26) . It will be as fresh in twenty years as it was the day that it happened. The Bible tells us that we wrestle against spirits, not people (Ephesians 6:11-13). When Jesus was being ridiculed and beaten, He asked that the Father forgive them because they did not know what they were doing (Luke 23:33-35). People do not know what they are doing when they mistreat God’s people. They do not know the consequences that they will, ultimately, face (1 Chronicles 16:21-23). Therefore, you should pray that God does not pass judgment on them before they can receive His forgiveness, by grace. Remember, we have been given the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:17-19). It is our job to pray for our enemies and those who misuse us (Matthew 5:43-45). I know that this sounds like an impossible task. And of yourself, you cannot do it. But if you pray, and ask the Holy Spirit to enable you, He will, and you will experience peace like a river. And finally, trust God. Do not believe for one minute that the enemies of God’s people will not receive payment for their evil. Vengeance is the Lord’s, and He will repay (Romans 12:18-20) on your behalf. However, God is better able to identify the true enemy, and He knows how to handle him. Today, ask the Lord to allow you to see people as He sees them. You will begin to see people in a different light. He will allow you to look beyond their faults so that you may minister to their needs. In doing so, you will have the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:1-18). Evangelist Kim Stewart Acts 21 17When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers received us warmly. 18The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. 19Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: "You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. 21They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. Have you ever ministered to someone who was steeped in traditions and customs? What a difficult task it can be to get them to see that they are free in Jesus. The Apostle Paul understood what it is like. He was a Jew, but he had to preach the Gospel of grace to those who were entangled in the customs and traditions that were placed upon his people under the law. These customs and traditions were as a “veil” over the faces of his people, and hindered his Jewish brethren from seeing the grace of God in the Person of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 3:14). Paul had a powerful ministry that changed lives. But one of the things that he was well known for, was the way he promoted grace, and demoted traditions as a way to salvation (Colossians 2:20-23). This was viewed as an insult, and caused him to be imprisoned and beaten many times. Traditions and customs often serve as security blankets for those who want to please God. They feel that somehow, they are gaining God’s favor by following rituals and rules. However, the Bible says that the traditions of men have made God’s Word of no effect (Matthew 15:6). In other words, traditions make it difficult for people to experience God’s love and forgiveness because they, like soldiers, are sticking to a stiff regiment of “touch not” and “taste not”. If only men would remove the yoke of bondage placed on them by the rules and regulations of men, and experience the liberty (Galatians 2:4) that Christ died to give them, they would see that Jesus’ yoke truly is easy, and that His burdens are light (Matthew 11:28-30) when compared to man’s customs and laws. One way that satan keeps people from serving God is through the traditions of men. Paul was a Jew, zealous for Jewish traditions to the point that he killed Christians because he believed that they were sinning against God’s commandments (Galatians 1:13-20). But Jesus appeared to him, personally, and taught him that his actions were wrong (Acts 9:1-18). After Paul saw “the Light” he was able to really serve God. Paul went from being religious to having a relationship with Christ. Relying on the law, strict traditions, and customs will never bring anyone to a relationship with Christ. For His desire is that all would allow His Spirit to take residence in them so that He can live His Life through them. For this is the only hope that we have of ever seeing Glory (Colossians 1:26-28). When Jesus was walking the earth, He continually showed people what the Father’s ultimate goal was for their lives. When He healed on the Sabbath, He was ridiculed for breaking the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-13). Tradition prohibited anyone from working on the Sabbath. But Jesus showed them that it was more important to the Father that men be used by God than that men obey strict laws. Jesus also ate without following the strict hand-washing rituals of the time. When questioned, He replied that it is not the dirt that goes into our mouths that defile us, but it is what comes out of our mouths that defile us (Matthew 15:1-20). The laws and rules were guidelines that showed us our need for a savior (Galatians 3:23-25). They should have lead us right to Christ. But instead, many rely on them for righteousness. It is only in Christ that we are made righteous. Isaiah 64:6 tells us that the best that we can offer God of ourselves is as filthy rags. That means that we can keep all of the traditions perfectly, and they will still be nothing more than dust cloths when compared to the work that Jesus did on our behalf. Today, if you are up against traditions and customs while sharing the Gospel, do not be dismayed. With love, share the Gospel - the good news that One has already fulfilled the law. Do not be judgmental, because many people are only practicing what they have been taught. By your good conversation, show them the better way that is in Christ Jesus. Allow them to see that there is liberty in Christ (Galatians 2:4). God said that His Word always does what it was sent out to do (Isaiah 55:11). So, though you may not be the one to see it come to pass, those who hear it and believe will be saved. And, if you are depending on church traditions and customs, please know that they cannot grant you access into the Kingdom of God. All traditions and customs are not bad, but just be sure that the ones that you are following are ordained by God, and are allowing you to be a living sacrifice that God can freely use. If your traditions and customs are not allowing the grace of God to flow freely in your life so that others are drawn to Christ, then your traditions and customs are a hindrance to God’s Work and will for your life. Be blessed today, but most of all, be free in Christ! -Evangelist Kim Stewart Order the message entitled, "From Pretense to Practice" to enhance today's word of encouragement. Jeremiah 20 14 ¶¶ Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed. 15 Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad. 16 And let that man be as the cities which the LORD overthrew, and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noontide; 17 Because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me. 18 Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame? Very early in my childhood, I began to have suicidal tendencies. The generational curses of alcoholism and drug abuse eventually destroyed my family, and my parents separated. My siblings and I were left unguarded, and we suffered much. Throughout this period of my life, I began to try to find ways to die. I attempted suicide many times, but was never successful. I had visited church with my grandfather as a child, but had never really come to know the Lord. I did not believe that I was on His mind. After all, in my opinion, no good God would let innocent children suffer, right? I would continue to be depressed and suicidal for many years. But one day when I was about 12 or 13 years old, I heard the Lord call me by name. I was walking past the bathroom in our apartment, and I heard Him bid me to come and talk to Him. I entered the bathroom, knelt on my knees, and began to cry out to Him. I asked Him why He had let me and my family suffer so. He placed a Word in my spirit that day that would give me the strength to continue to live. He said, “All things come to an end. This pain that you are feeling will pass.” God did not stop the pain, but He comforted me in it, and gave me a Word to help me endure. Since that time, God has allowed me to go through many painful seasons. But, now that I have accepted His Son, Jesus, as my Savior, God’s strength rises up in me to handle anything that comes (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). There are night seasons, but throughout those times, I find comfort in what the Lord told me when I was a child. Today, I realize that I had to go through those seasons in order to become a vessel that God can use. Jeremiah was also called by God before he was even born from his mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5)! He is known as the “weeping prophet” because he was charged with foretelling God’s impending judgment against Jerusalem. Because of his calling, Jeremiah had become an outcast, and one who was hated by all who enjoyed their sin. In verses, 14-18, he began to be sorry that he was ever born, because serving God had brought grief to his life. Maybe you can identify with Jeremiah today. Maybe you chose to obey God, and it has cost you your family, your friends, possessions, or your life as you once knew it. If so, take courage. You have joined an elite group of those who suffer for Christ (1 Peter 4:12-14). God loves you, and has not forgotten you. He knows your name, and has chosen you to represent Him in the earth. Remember Matthew 19:28-30 promises those who have forsaken all to follow Christ that it will be rewarded abundantly. Delight yourself in God’s promises today, and be encouraged. -Evangelist Kim Stewart For further encouragement while you are "Going Through" order the dual sermon message by Pastor Duane & Evangelist Kim Stewart, entitled "Sifted to Rise/ Are You Really Prepared?" "A man's own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the LORD” (Proverbs 19:3) Isn’t it amazing how people often blame God when things go wrong in their lives? Somehow, they feel that if God is who He says He is, then bad things will not happen to them. Well, the fact of the matter is that God is exactly who He says that He is, and He has no problem proving Himself. But why should He have to prove Himself to those who are disobedient? Why should He have to constantly rescue those who willfully choose to go their own way? Proverbs 19:3 tells us that our own folly, or lack of prudence and good sense, is what ruins our lives. It is not God’s failure to provide, or to direct our lives that leads us to ruin. God says in Jeremiah 29:11 that He knows the plans that He has for us. He has plans to prosper us and to give us a hope and a future. But our sins have led us in the opposite direction (Isaiah 59:1-3). When the nation of Israel began to sin against God, He told them that if they turned to Him from their sinful ways, and sought His Face, He would hear them and heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:13-15). God is the same today as He was yesterday (Hebrews 13:8). And, He will be the same tomorrow - faithful and able to do anything but fail. Today, if you have strayed away from the will of God for your life, or if you have never actually given your life to Him, I encourage you to call on the name of Jesus, and turn from your folly. Though your choices have caused the damage in your life, God is willing to do the repairs. Evangelist Kim Stewart (I Samuel 18:4) Jonathan is considered as a type of Christ in how he related to David, loving him as his own soul. The Bible declares that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David. This simply means that his life was bound or attached to the life of David. He connected himself unselfishly by choice. Because of the great love that Jonathan possessed for the stranger whom he had just met, he was able to give up his royal robe, his garments and all that he possessed to become a servant to the one who should be serving him. Remember that he was the son of a king. Jonathan placed the honor that had been granted him by his father onto his friend. Does this sound familiar to you? Well it should, because that is exactly what Jesus Christ did on our behalf. To know anything about Jesus is to know that His Love is genuine and unselfish. Jesus draws us to Himself by the love that He lavishes upon us. His love is deep, penetrating, consuming, binding, and sacrificial. He, like Jonathan, has taken off His royal garments and given them to His friends and placed Himself in a position of servitude. Jesus loves us and He wants to make a binding agreement (covenant) with us. The terms of the covenant were sealed with His Blood, which was shed on our behalf, and the only requirement that we have is to receive the unselfish love that He has provided to us. Unselfish love says that I will dwell with you for as long as you allow me to be there. May you be as unselfish in your love to Jesus as He has been, and continues to be with you. -Minister Myra Anderson (Jeremiah 17:5-6) I remember receiving an email that told of a man who became shipwrecked. As he floated in the vast ocean, he began to speak to himself and remind himself that God was faithful, and would deliver Him. As he floated in the ocean with only the safety of a tiny plank of wood, a small boat came zooming by. The captain of the boat called out to him, and offered to throw him a lifeline. The weary castaway declined the invitation. After the boat went out of view, he reminded himself that God would send help, and he continued to encourage himself. Then another offer for help arrived, which he also declined. Finally, a helicopter came and offered to lower a ladder to him. He also declined this rescue effort. Finally, the castaway dies in the bitter cold waters of the vast ocean. When he arrives in Heaven, he asks God why He did not send help. God gently tells him that He did. Then He reminds the man that among what He sent were a boat and a helicopter. But because the man had a preconceived notion as to how his help should come, he could not recognize it when it came. We must ultimately come to the knowledge that trusting in anyone other than God, is a dangerous practice. This also includes trusting in self and self’s intellect, plans, skills, connections, jobs, resources, etc. We must whole-heartedly make it our determination to trust in God’s leading and provisions. Oftentimes, we overlook our blessings because they come in packages other than what we expect, or desire. We ask God for spouses, but if they are not what we are looking for, we do not see them as gifts from God when He sends them. Sometimes, our spouses come to us as diamonds in the rough, but we are not willing to endure the refining processes that they must go through. We ask God for a closer walk with Him, but because we are expecting to be lifted immediately into the third Heaven by a whirlwind, we do not recognize the processes that God is using in our lives as the processes that will lead us to that closer walk with Him. The castaway in the story was expecting God to deliver him, but because deliverance did not look like what he thought it should, he could not see it as his blessing, and he died alone in the ocean. Is that you today? Are you turning away from the Lord because you feel that your plans are better than His? Are you trusting in people, or money, or power for your strength and provisions, instead of simply seeking God for His plan for your life? Have you created, and begun to believe in your own god? If so, the Bible says that you “will be like a bush in the wastelands.” You will dry up and die in a desert place because God is the only source of Life. If your eyes are upon people, places, and things, and not upon God, you “will not see prosperity when it comes”. You see, God is faithful, and He will keep His promises. He gives good and perfect gifts. If He says it, He means it. So, prosperity WILL come, but you will not be able to identify it because your trust is not in the God who sent it. Jesus said in John 3:3, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” When we read this, we often think that Jesus is talking about us not being able to go to Heaven unless we are saved. But the truth is, the Kingdom of God is also among men, and is within those who are trusting in Jesus. The Kingdom of God is where Jesus reigns as King Supreme. That place ought to be in every man’s spirit, heart, and mind. If you are not trusting in Jesus, you cannot see what God’s children can see. You cannot see what God is dangling right in front of your eyes. You will never be able to see God’s provisions, or understand his undying love for you. Today, trust in Jesus, alone. You will not be disappointed, for He always comes to our rescue when we are upon the stormy seas of life. Evangelist Kim Stewart I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. (Psalm 16 :7-8) Do you remember being afraid of the "Boogy Man" when you were a child? All was well as long as it was daytime, but as soon as it became dark, it seemed that the slightest noise frightened you. During the daytime, you were not shaken by those noises because you could see that there was nothing to fear. But at night, your vision was impaired, and you became afraid of what could possibly overtake you. That is how it is when dealing with spiritual matters. During the day seasons of our walk with Jesus, we tend not to fear because we can see our way. But as soon as the path becomes dark, and our steps are uncertain, we begin to be afraid. Fear is nothing more than a failure of faith. Why is it that darkness brings faith failures? Isn't God the same God at night as He is during the day? Doesn't the Bible say that He does not sleep? He is right there with you in the dark. If this is true, you need not worry about what is taking place in the dark seasons of your life. God can see everything, and has promised to direct your steps. King David said that he hid God's Word in his heart so that he would not sin. As children of God, we should expect night seasons every now and then. Therefore, we must do as David did, and hide God's Word in our hearts during the day seasons. That way, when dark times come, and we are tempted to go off course when fear overtakes us, we can just look into our hearts and find a Word to sustain us until the Light reappears. As Christians, we are not supposed to rely on what we can see and understand, but we are to walk by faith. -Evangelist Kim Stewart Have you ever traveled with someone who did not know where they were going? And, not only did they not know where they were going, but they did not know how to read a road map. This may have made you feel fearful and overwhelmed because you were at the mercy of someone who did not know the way. But when speaking of the LORD, the Bible says that He knows the plans He has for you. Not only does He know where He is taking you, but He knows the way to that place. Romans 8:28 (NIV) promises you "...that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose". And Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) says,"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." So even though it may seem that your life is taking unplanned turns, and you are traveling on a few bumby, off-street roads, you can rest assured that our God knows exactly where He is taking you. Fret not, for He has no plans to harm you, but only to prosper and bless you. Some of the roads that He takes you through may seem dark and winding. And some may seem like they are all down hill. But be confident that you will arrive safely to your point of destination if you simply take your hands off of "the wheel" and trust Him to deliver you there. Click Here to enter her website.  Oftentimes my heart aches for those who gave their lives to Christ, only to end up in the prisons of the self-righteous. If you are angered when you see a new convert come into the liberty of Christ, only to be bound by rules and traditions, then today's message is for you. For Jesus, Himself, spoke clearly on this subject, and you can be sure that what He said then, still applies to the modern-day Pharisees. Or, If Jesus' description reminds you of your church leader, then I encourage you to seek God for direction and deliverance. Matthew 23 Evangelist Kim Stewart | S.O.S. - Supplications of the Saints | Over the Horizon | The Roman Road to Salvation | From the Desk of the Superintendent | TugBoat Times Youth Pages | From the Sheepfold | Holy Humor | |
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