The Link We all Need

Linking the world to a New Life in Christ, one soul at a time. I was thrilled to hear and meet Dr Manny Fernandez, the current Chariman of World Link Ministries on Sunday July 31, 2011. His passion to see people come to Christ and to return to Christ inspired me. Just like the stories Jesus tells us all in Luke 15, I pray that on this day that my son will be restored according to God's will. The great JOY of finding the lost sheep, the excitement of the lost coin recovered, and the MIRACLE of the prodigal son who comes back home! Dr Manny wrote this story about a man he met in his travels named Alberto. Manny wrote: "Alberto was horribly lost in the depths of vice, the pride of life, and the rotten fruit of his bad friendships. I was on visitation when I met him; there was nothing that seemed special about the encounter for either of us. Alberto listened politely to what I had to say and even agreed to my dropping by for a visit whenever I was in the neighborhood. Shortly after the visit I found out that his nickname was “Wobbly” because he was notorious for his drinking. Just one week after the visit, his wife Martha surprised me by calling my cell phone. Martha was very upset. Alberto had left with his friends and she knew that this would mean another chapter of heavy drinking and bad consequences. Her outrage was even greater because Alberto had talked of a new beginning after I had visited him. Supposedly things were going to change! Martha was desperate because she had truly believed that this would be the new life she had hoped for. She asked me to please help her and Alberto! She wanted me to go across town and break up the party! That was audacious, bold, and unorthodox all at once. But it also would demonstrate that we were serious about a new life in Christ. So I went. My mission was clear: I was going to be the party pooper! It wasn’t hard to find the party house, the loud music gave it away. When I showed up at the door, all of the gaiety turned to embarrassment. I was as out of place as a bull in a china shop. The music stopped; the silence was suddenly deafening. Alberto announced to his drinking buddies, “I’d better go home now.” The meaningful chat that followed was not patronizing: it really was a painful recognition on his part that he had so quickly gone back on all his good intentions. Talking about becoming a spiritual leader for his family was far more awkward for him. He felt utterly unworthy. But Alberto was a very serious-minded individual. The experience touched him deeply and transformed him completely. He received Jesus as His Savior and he began a journey down the path of “the straight and narrow.” He was at every meeting we held, and we disciple him for ministry. In time he became the most dependable leader we had. His situation at work also improved and he became a supervisor." ~ WOW what an inspiring TRUE TALE of redemption by the simple telling, using plain yet vivid words, of how life without Christ is like a heart, or a bucket with a hole in it. Not much use! When we embrace God's plan to adopt us through Jesus Christ, and then use us for His glory, our life brightens with HOPE that our life does have meaning! Within the WORLD LINK MINISTRIES blog section Manny tells another story about the simple definition of a bucket list. According to the dictionaries Manny consulted: "it is a list of goals and experiences a person wants to enjoy before he or she kicks the bucket"!! WOW! Manny looked at a list of 1,000 ideas of what to put on your "bucket list" He was not surprised that most lists have no "eternal achievements" mentioned. Not even in the "spiritual ideas." According to the scripture Manny was studying regarding the condition of mans heart: "The heart condition that "ignores, spurns, rejects" a GOD AGENDA is known as Hardening of the heart or Sclerokardia! Sounds similar to a hardening of the arteries, otherwise known as arteriosclerosis." Another story Manny then shared: "I was reminded of a 77 year old who approached me in Cuba because he had been a hero in the Bay of Pigs Battle, but all the medals he had were only "tin junk." He wanted something to take with him to eternity! He asked if he could plant churches with us. My dilemma was whether he was serious or just wanted retirement pay?! Thankfully I gave him a chance… He planted 4 churches in the next four years. His eternal bucket was overflowing. More importantly, he kicked the bucket at 81, and his expressed regret was that he started so late. What is on your bucket list? Make the Lord smile with the contents!"

FLAWLESS AUTHORITY

When the occasion arises that we need to know which way to go, we are wise to ask for direction. When we are lost we must trust the authority of Whom we inquire. Having been wrong before, we are skitterish on our own, and perhaps we delay our first step. Like babes we yearn to be picked up and carried across the great abyss that looms before us. Our Father reminds us of His love, and His care for generations of those who followed His advice. He arranged to have His word, His will and His way recorded in one book that we may learn of His provision for our ancestors, that we may recognize, trust, believe and obey the voice of our Shepherd. Jesus said with flawless authority “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and My sheep know Me— just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father—and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to My voice, and there shall be one flock and one Shepherd. The reason My Father loves Me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from My Father.” (John 10:11-18) God SPOKE and created the heavens and the earth and every thing in it. God is a communicator. Man does not know who penned the book of Hebrews as God’s Final Word: His Son. "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom also He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So He became as much superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is superior to theirs." Scholars think that the book of Hebrews came into being in order to pronounce that Jesus is superior to all else. That He sustains all things by His word. The early Jews who were persecuted for their faith in Jesus as the Messiah were falling away. The book of Hebrews is a sermon full of God's flawless authority in Whom we should turn to when our faith is challenged. We are instructed through progressive revelation to only WORSHIP JESUS, not angels, not man, not statues, nor any created thing. While in prison in Patmos, John wrote down what he saw and heard. "Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people, His bride) Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” At this I (John) fell at his feet to worship him. But he (the angel) said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.” Revelation 19:6-10

JUICY FRUIT

The Holy Spirit gives our faith the JUICE it needs to attract others to taste the freedom we enjoy in Christ. Nobody comes to Christ if the Holy Spirit doesn't bring about a conviction. We cannot argue anyone into the Kingdom of God. Good arguments require listening and offering another point of view. REMEMBER: Within each breath; He that is "in" thee, is greater than he who is in the world. By faith in the unseen, we are constantly filled with the Holy Spirit. He does not depart from us. It is our conscious choice to be aware of His ongoing presence, grace and mercy. The Holy Spirit lives within us, and He lives out through us, with or without our conscious awareness. We feel His prick of conviction when we are out step with God's way and will. We are satisfied by the Holy Spirit when we are obedient. We quench His leading when we disobey. We grieve the Holy Spirit when we do something the Holy Spirit is not leading us to do. So, if we're not satisfied we are quenching or grieving the Spirit ~ but He is still holy, He is still in our midst, and His mission is to teach us God's way and bring Jesus glory. Pray to have your awareness of Him increase. Prayer unleashes the power of God.

"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15, NIV).

Summer 2011

"My heart is not proud, LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content." PSALM 131 ~ For this moment I put my hope in the LORD both now and forevermore. The best intentions, on our own, always fail to meet our promises to God or our hopeful outcome. But with the Lord all things are possible because God said in His living Word "I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh." Ezekiel 11:19 ~ Halleluiah! LORD thank You for the NEW LIFE, for the indwelling Holy Spirit that responds to our earnest prayers, for a heart made of flesh that FEELS a holy compassion for the broken and needy, and a heart that loves You Lord above all else! Our New Years resolutions are fragile, that is, they are easily broken. With childlike faith we call on our Lord Jesus ~ With a genuine desire to be "changed" by God we bow and earnestly pray these New Summer prayers and TRUST that they ascend to the throne of God, that God hears our crys, our requests like music to His ears! We have faith that He will respond to prayers that match His will for us, in His timing, in His holy ways. We acknowledge His ministering angels and trust that they are always in motion. 2011 shall be more like heaven as we PRAY for our Father's mercy, grace and helps. Lord may our MINDS and HEARTS be stayed on Thee! Lord we bow before Thee in reverence and PRAY these requests alone and thank You for Your loving ear ~ Dear heavenly Father, our most gracious King I thank You for the priviledge of asking for More Devotion- Lord Jesus, I rededicate myself afresh to You today. I want You to take my life this coming season and use it for Your glory. "Take my heart and let it be consecrated Lord to Thee." More Pure- I pray You will keep me from sin, from anything that would bring dishonor to Your Name. More Growth- Keep me in tune and willing to be taught by the Holy Spirit. Give me Your discernment. Help me progress, increase my faith Lord, please keep me from becoming complacent and stagnant. Take me out of my comfort zone. More Christ-centered-Fill my mind with holy words, "He must increase; I must decrease." All glory is His, Lord help me not to touch it. More Prayerful- Teach me to make every decision a matter of prayer. I dread the thought of leaning on my own understanding or doing things "my way". I am not mother Teresa Lord and I know that I must not compete for your love, mercy or grace ~ for I have been set apart with specific gifts to implement. Show me clearly Lord in Your Word and by the doors that open wide ~ where I am to go, and how I can effectively and winsomely share Your love, and the good news of the gospel. More Holy-Separate- May I die to the world and even to the approval or blame of loved ones or friends. Lord give me grace enough to step back and encourage others with words that come from You. More Edifying- Keep me from gossip and criticism of others. Rather, help me to speak what is edifying and profitable. Give me apt words to speak to those You bring before me.More Evangelistic- Lead me to needy souls. May I become a friend of sinners, as You are. Give me tears and compassion for the perishing. Let me be the needle in Your great tapestry of love. More Kind and Patient- Lord Jesus, keep me from becoming cold, bitter, or cynical in spite of anything that may happen to me in this life. More Disciplined with money- Guide me in my stewardship of money. Help me to be a good steward of everything you have entrusted to me, including time. More Self-Controlled- Help me to remember moment by moment that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. May this tremendous truth influence all of my behavior. More Expectant- And Lord Jesus I pray that this may be the year of Your return. I long to see Your face and fall at Your feet in worship. During this coming season, may the blessed hope of Your return stay fresh in my heart, disengaging me from anything that would hold me here...Even so Lord Jesus, come quickly! AMEN and HALLELUIAH!

NOTHING WITHELD

Our Almighty God, our Lord Jesus, inspired Prophets by the Holy Spirit to make Himself known to us long ago. Our Father does NOT withhold the truth from us. "You who call yourselves citizens of the holy city and claim to rely on the God of Israel — the LORD Almighty is His name: I foretold the former things long ago, My mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass. For I knew how stubborn you were; your neck muscles were iron, your forehead was bronze. Therefore I told you these things long ago; before they happened I announced them to you so that you could not say, ‘My images brought them about; my wooden image and metal god ordained them.’ You have heard these things; look at them all. Will you not admit them?" ISAIAH 48:3-6 ~ On my knees I take it, take it ~ dropping my resistance, dropping my pride, dropping it low and surrendering all to You oh Lord who sits on the highest sovereign throne! Lord Jesus I admit my sin of stubbornness, my unyielding stiff neck of iron that avoided a communion, a conference of listening and obedience to You. Forgive me Lord Jesus for my idolatry of music, and the Internet to mingle and meet a man of God. Forgive me for the idle time spent online to pacify my desire for a mate, and to be recognized for any accomplishment. Forgive my lack of trust in You, and for my impatience. ~ “From now on I will tell you of new things, of hidden things unknown to you. They are created now, and not long ago; you have not heard of them before today. So you cannot say, ‘Yes, I knew of them.’ You have neither heard nor understood; from of old your ears have not been open. Well do I know how treacherous you are; you were called a rebel from birth. For my own name’s sake I delay my wrath; for the sake of My praise I hold it back from you, so as not to destroy you completely. See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield My glory to another." ISAIAH 48:6-11 ~ AMAZING that in the year 2011 ~ that my eyes and ears have been opened to see and to hear what the Spirit spoke 200 years before Jesus was born, and 26 years after I was spiritually reborn. “Listen to Me, Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am He; I am the first and I am the last. My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and My right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up together." ISAIAH 48:12-13 ~ Listen to God the Father Barbara, whom the Lord has called, God is the first and the last to be praised for He laid the foundations of the earth and by His right hand He spread out the stars of the universe. “Come near me and listen to this: “From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret; at the time it happens, I am there.” And now the Sovereign LORD has sent Me, endowed with His Spirit. This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea." ISAIAH 48:16-19 ~ My Lord calls me by name, 'Barbara come near to Me and listen to this! From the first announcement in Genesis - your Father kept NO SECRETS. At the time it happens, at the first of all creation, during the age of time - the Father, Son and Holy Spirit was there! NOW that my Lord God sent Jesus to earth as a man, to walk and talk with us, to experience every emotion; including fear, jealousy, rejection, and every temptation ~ so that today Barbara would KNOW HIS compassion and LOVE for her. Like Jesus submitted to death on a cross, so too Barbara dies to herself. Jesus told His disciples that He must go so that God would send the Counselor to comfort and guide us. His promised ETERNAL HOLY SPIRIT lives inside Barbara ~ to teach her what is best for her and to direct Barbara in the WAY to go. God gave her the Old Testament as a witness to disobedience, and to compel her to obey that she may have PEACE like a river in this day ~ 2011 years after Jesus ~ My God is an AWESOME GOD, He reigns on heaven and earth ~ and again I bow to the cross and submit my life, hopes and dreams to Christ as His willing servant. AMEN

COMMUNION

JESUS shared communion at a wedding and turned water into wine. The communion of saints is the relationship that, according to the belief of Christians, exists between them as people made holy by God's deposit of the Holy Spirit when they accept Jesus as their Savior. Indwelt by the Person of the Holy Spirit, this relationship is understood to be eternal as it puts them in communion with those believers who have gone past death to be "at home with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8). Since the word rendered in English as "saints" can mean not only "holy people" but also "holy things", the term communion of saints also applies to the sharing by members of the Church in the holy things of faith, sacraments especially the holy communion covenant. In a special way the term communion is applied to sharing in the holy sacrament of partaking of the consecrated bread and wine, an action seen as entering into a particularly close relationship with Christ.. "The Lord's Supper" is the term used in 1 Corinthians 11:20. Most denominations use the term the Lord's Supper, especially among Baptist groups, who generally avoid using the term "Communion" in order to keep a singular purpose in the Lord's Supper ~ Remembering Jesus.The term Communion is derived from Latin communio (sharing in common). In Greek the like term is KOINONIA which could apply to the fellowship of life in marriage, to a spiritual relationship with a god such as Zeus, to common fellowship between believers of Christ, to a community or society. In the Bible, the Greek term κοινωνία (koinonia) is an exclusively New Testament term, appearing nowhere in the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament known as the Septuagint. As a noun it is found in 43 verses of the New Testament. "Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." 2 Peter 1:2-4. ~"We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ." 1 John 1:3. The basic meaning of the term communion is an especially close relationship with God, as individuals or as a Church, with God and with other Christians. ~ Holy Father, Your Word likens us to being Your bride. "I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of His righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." ISAIAH 61:10 "My love for You is more pleasing than wine, therefore we submit to You as our heavenly Husband. "How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much more pleasing is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your perfume more than any spice!" SONG OF SOLOMON 4:10 Lord Jesus we come together to honor You and ask the Holy Spirit to do His work in us. We thank You Lord God Almighty that Your banner over us is pure love and we each celebrate the plan You have for us individually! Thank You for Your lavish love and for all that You accomplished on the cross. Thank You for inviting us to Your banquet table, for the bounty before us and for the grace, mercy and Spirit showered on us. AMEN ~ 1 CORINTHIANS 11:23-33 "The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup." MATTHEW 6 "“This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from the evil one.’ AMEN ~ Lord forgive us for ever doubting or resisting You. JOHN 6:28-35 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.” Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." AMEN

SIGNIFICANT DREAMS

MAN or WOMAN without a dream shall perish! OH my goodness Lord! In a DREAM God speaks to souls atuned to His voice and visions for us and without that, we PERISH! An ANGEL/Spirit revealed to Joseph, in a dream (Matthew 1:20;2:13-19) An ANGEL/Spirit revealed to Cornelius, in a dream (Acts 10:3,30-32) ~ GOD warns Abimelech in a dream (Genesis 20:3-7) GIDEON had a dream about righteousness (1 Kings 3:5;9:2) ~ JACOB given Joseph's prophetic dream concerning (GEN 37:9-11) ~ JOSEPH, husband of Mary warned in a dream to escape (MATT 2:13-15)and again Joesph was warned to return to Nazareth (MATT 2:19-23) ~ KINE's dream (GEN 41:2-7,26-30) ~ MESHACH assists Daniel in interpreting dream (Daniel 2:17-23) ~ Joseph's dream(GEN 37:9). If a God sent dream is intended to WARN us or to GUIDE us, we will be awakened, we will remember and we will have the CLARITY of GOD about what the dream means for us. Do I dream? Yes. Do I remember all dreams? No. Must I concern myself with my day dreaming? Yes ~ dreams from God can be a flash of insight given with my eyes wide open! Watching God unfurl the twirl of a tiny tidepool, witnessing God give flight to butterflys and birds, and paying attention to the breeze of His peace that unclutters my mind, this day was and is a SIGNIFICANT dream that He unfolds gently as I walk and talk with Him! His Angel, the Holy Spirit is there in my awakened stare, ever rare, He is always aware, even if I sleep. AMEN

Send His Love

Jesus is here now, He and the Father are One, and we are One with Him. His physical presence is the Holy Spirit which is inside each soul who believes He forgave all past, present and future sins. TRUTH: Jesus loves all who accept Him as Lord of all. His love, humility, selflessness, peace, wisdom is available to all. "Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." Consult the divine Holy Spirit within, Who is Jesus incarnate within each devoted believer of His eternal being, kingdom, and Lordship over and above all who have ever walked this earth. Bring Him your guilt, your worry, your doubts, your fears, your anger and He will wash you with His peace. Listen for His still small voice. "Be still and know that I am God" Read His love letter to you, the book of truth, the bible. When you have the bible open, you have opened your heart and mind to hear His eternal, still small voice.
The Holy Spirit cannot be seen, but He is heard by those who listen. He guides those who ask "Which way do I walk?" He will teach and console those who seek Him. "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33 ~ Jesus called us back to Him, His eternal love heals our broken thinking. His Holy Spirit is a Person sent to be in us, that we would surrender all to Him and obey His will that we extend the fruit of His spirit. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control." Galatians 5:22 - The living, transforming Word of God is for His children to savor. Let us come and lay down our burdens and trust that He will never leave or forsake us. ~ Psalm 23 "The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
FOREVER." AMEN

Contantly Filled

The initial filling of the Holy Spirit occurs the moment we receive Jesus Christ as our Saviour.
1 Corin 12:13 - "Some of us are Jews, and other are Gentiles. Some of us are slaves and others are free. But God's Spirit baptized each of us and made us part of the Body of Christ. Now we each drink from that same Spirit." God's Spirit, baptized each of us, He drenched us, He filled us, He indwelt the slaves, the Jews, the Gentiles with His Holy Spirit --- and NOW in 2011, those that received Jesus Christ drink from that same Holy Spirit. The living water that satisfies all thirst. We are filled by the same ever present, always with us, indwelt presence of the Holy Spirit, the fountain of Truth, the sure Way, the beacon of Light that is the same as Jesus. Jesus assures His disciples in John 14:15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you ANOTHER (Greek meaning another; exactly the same as Jesus) Counselor to be with you forever ---the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be IN you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long the world will not see Me anymore, but you will see Me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you. Whoever has My commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me. He who loves Me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show Myself to him." Jesus continues to comfort those disciples that He walked beside, who He had shown miracles and tells them in John 14:25 "All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." He knew His disciples were troubled and afraid of losing the presence, the teaching of their visible Lord Jesus. He was teaching them that when He physically departs, that another, exactly like Him, the Counselor will teach them and remind them of the truth. Jesus says in John 15:9-18 "As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you. Now remain IN My love. IF you obey my commands, you will remain IN my love, just as I have obeyed My Father's commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that My joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from My Father, I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you to go and bear fruit --- fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in My name. This is My command: Love each other." ASK the HOLY SPIRIT to fill you, to change you, to teach you, to heal you, to lead you. Ephesians 1:13 "And you also were included in Christ when you HEARD the Word of Truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having BELIEVED, you were marked in Him with a SEAL, the promised Holy Spirit." Being filled with the Holy Spirit is continuous ONLY as we pray to be forgiven. Sin grieves the Holy Spirit. As the Holy Spirit is a holy person, He must depart from you to grieve the loss of fellowship with you. Being holy He cannot co-exist within us where the blemish of sin spreads to infect our minds, our bodies, our souls. To be constantly FILLED with the Holy Spirit, we must constantly PRAY to be forgiven the oops of a lie, our dreaded gossip, our lustful thoughts, our sloth, our gluttony. Jesus directs us in Luke 11:9 "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? If you then, though you are evil, know how to GIVE GOOD GIFTS to children, how much MORE will your Father in heaven GIVE the HOLY SPIRIT to those who ASK HIM!" OBSERVE in the WORD: It is okay to ASK. Our heavenly Father gives us an everlasting GOOD GIFT of the Holy Spirit. God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit work together to encourage us, to comfort us, to guide us, to teach us, to lead us, to bless us. During a meal with His disciples Jesus instructed in the book of Acts chapters 1 through 8 "For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit…..(8) but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses….(15) In those days Peter stood up among the believers a group numbering about a hundred and twenty….(1:7) "But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you."….THE TRUTH is GOOD - because Jesus left the disciples and the Father sent the Holy Spirit --- NOW the number of believers in 2011 has grown way past 120 million! After Abram's father Terah died, God PROMISED to bless ABRAM and make him great. At the age of 75, God called Abram to leave his home in UR with his barren wife Sarai and trust God to lead him to the land God would show him. "The Lord appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." Genesis 12:7 ~ "Then the word of the Lord came to him: 'This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." ~ "Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness." Genesis 15:4-6 ~ "Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, 'Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety? - Then God said, "YES, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish My convenant with him as an EVERLASTING covenant for his descendants after him." Genesis 17:17-20 ~ Though Abraham demonstrated his faith through his obedience, it was his BELIEF in the Lord, not his actions that made Abraham right with God. When God asked Abraham to sacrifice the son he waited 100 years for, Abraham did not hesitate. For God knows our hearts and Abrahams heart was pure, transparent and honest, he LAUGHED at the thought of being a 100 year old dad! Through Abraham's family tree, Jesus Christ was born to save humanity. Through Christ, by CHOICE ~ people can have a personal relationship with God and be blessed beyond measure ~ Because God promised, because God said so! When we BELIEVED in our heart that Jesus is Lord, immediately the Holy Spirit fills us with His power, wisdom and strength to do that which would be impossible without Him. Our great commission is to touch every nation and fulfill God's will, that none should perish! AMEN

LIVING FOREVER

BUDGET CUTS and God's provision, His word ~ The Agenda items for May 17, 2011 include budget MAJOR INCOME cuts for employees of the City of Stockton. The new City Manager is FAIR as he honestly shows us the numbers. INCOME cuts for the police Depart will be enforced by Jul 1, 2011. ONE CHRIST MINDED OFFICER SHARED: Kim and I live a pretty simple life, I moved into an apartment and I have one car. My biggest expense financing one kid through nursing school. In short, should all the cuts be imposed, we will no longer be able to pay all of our bills. Anger, frustration, worry, and an overpowering sense that this isn't right filled me. In 8 months I turn 50 and can retire. After 25 years of loyal service this ONE council meeting will change all our plans for retirement and beyond. THE GOOD NEWS: A still small voice calmed my emotions. "Worry NOT" The ever present Holy Spirit comforted me when I turned to Him. Scripture says to be thankful in all things. It doesn't say just when things are great or going your way, but all things. I was ashamed and humbled and I cried out in prayer. Prayer is the first thing I should have done and not the last.

I turned all of this over to the Lord and prayed that His will be done. If His will means that I lose everything, then so be it. That is easy to say and I would be lying if I said there is still not an internal battle going on inside myself, but when I feel the battle raging, I immediately go to prayer and scripture. Evil is real and satan and his minions are doing everything they can to exploit situations like these. Satan is definitely prowling the earth seeking those he can devour. Satan is running rampant in TV programming, in all the FACTS the news delivers, he is an effective tormentor. God works all for His glory and it is all part of His plan. As my faith is tested, admittedly, I have had a pretty easy life and have not wanted for much. If this is part of my trial, then praise God that He deems me worthy to face this with His help. Life on this earth is a blip in light of eternity and it doesn't matter how low I am forced down while I live this life. My life with Jesus in eternity will be glorious and there will be no city manager, president or congressman that can change my destiny. God found me worthy enough to go to a cross and suffer the worst kind of death. I will live forever surrounded by love. I will forever have the privilege of being in the presence and worshiping my Lord and Savior. Praise God and remember that He is sovereign. He can do what He wants, when He wants. Do not get discouraged, but stay on your knees giving glory to the only One who is truly worthy. LIVING forever gives us REAL HOPE knowing that "this too shall pass"

His Love Endures

Prior to the cross, Jesus endured hours of agonizing physical and emotional torture. It was not until that culminating pain of separation from God that the heart of Jesus broke, and He cried out. Jesus took upon Himself every sin, every pagan inclination, and all that is unholy in creation, and he died for it. For Jesus, the greatest hurt was the momentary abandonment from God, his Father. It happened because God, in his holiness, cannot look upon sin. When Jesus became the embodiment of sin, he was rejected. He was abandoned. He was ditched. If you can identify with that feeling, you’re not alone. But I’ve got great news for you. Jesus’ separation from God—and ours—was bridged immediately the moment that sin-debt was paid. He was instantly restored to full correctedness with his Father. It’s absolutely mind-boggling: we too are instantly awarded full family membership the moment we confess our sin and receive the forgiveness for which Jesus died.That means we will never be abandoned by him. We will never be a throwaway from him. We will never be rejected by him. We’ll never be ditched by him. We didn’t get left by him. He chose us. He loves us and will never leave us." —Marilyn Meberg

God said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."— Hebrews 13:5 THE WORD of GOD is to be TRUSTED as the TRUTH, always! CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE THEN CLICK AGAIN TO ENLARGE!