Base Camp

Not everyone with an arsenal shirt plays for arsenal...

2010-03-06T22:36:00.002+11:00

A friend of mine wrote this the other day and i just had to share it with you so please read and enjoy.

gabriel

Not everyone with an arsenal shirt plays for arsenal..

I was in my room last night getting ready for bed. The dish at my flat got cut last week so it was Z.B.C and me. I had just finished watching a popular televangelist on Z.B.C and if you know me you would know that I don't really like the dudes who talk about how their faith has made them rich when in actual fact it's their poor congregation that has made them rich, but this time I chose to listen. So after watching this dude preach for about 10 minutes I decided to go to bed cause I just wasn't following anymore. I walked into my room and looked at my beautiful white arsenal football shirt that I got for christmas and God just gave me this line... Not everyone with an arsenal shirt plays for arsenal. I pondered on that for a little bit then it hit me. Not everyone who says Lord, Lord is with Jesus. I don't know Arsene Wenger ( the arsenal manager) from a bar of soap but I still roll around in my arsenal top claiming to be with arsenal but you can't base your decision to support arsenal on my football skills. You have to base it on the actual arsenal players on the pitch. At the end of the day there's about 30 players who get paid by arsenal football club and the rest of us are just fans. The same story with us and God. The true players are in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation everyone else awaits to know who we were in the scope of things. I guess what I'm trying to say is that Jesus clearly says that there are dudes that can heal in His name, cast out demons in His name that won't make the cut. Real talk is so many people don't follow God cause they saw a supporter say things or do things the wrong way. I guess we should just choose to live our lives in such a way that we will know at the end of the day that we were with Jesus because we have the grass burns, sweat on our faces and have had the life changing team talks in the changing room with Him. That at the end of the day He will say Rob, of course I know you, don't be silly! Remember all those times we did this and all the times I shaped and moulded you?? Come over here and give me a hug kid!

By

Rob Chifokoyo

thought of the day...

2010-01-10T13:47:00.004+11:00

The Value of Integrity

SOMETIMES IT'S HARD to sell people on the value of integrity...

From all outward appearances, it doesn't "pay" to be honest.

There were certainly times in the life of Joseph when he must have been tempted
to say, "What good has it ever done to me to walk the straight path?" Here was
a young man who remained committed to integrity no matter what the cost. Sold
into slavery by his own brothers, he was eventually falsely accused and thrown
into a dungeon before finally being vindicated by the Lord.

When Joseph ran from the crude seduction of Potiphar's wife, he wasn't just
running from a woman. He was running from anything that would abort God's
purposes in his life.

Do you remember what he told that adulteress (probably again and again)? "How
then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" (Gen. 39:9).

He chose God's way. He chose to see God's purposes fulfilled in his life rather
than fulfilling a passing fleshly fancy. He feared losing God's blessing upon
his life. That's why he didn't walk or stroll out of that woman's presence, he
RAN.

THOUGHT: Integrity says, what I am in public, I am also in private. Integrity
is what you do when you're alone, and no one's eye is upon you but the Lord's.

this is a call

2010-01-06T02:31:00.000+11:00

She fooled all of her friends into thinking she's so strong
But she still sleeps with the light on
And she acts like it's all right on, as she smiles again
And her mother lies there sick with cancer
And her friends don't understand her
She's a question without answers
Who feels like falling apart.
She knows, she's so much more than worthless
She needs to find a purpose,
She wonders what she did to deserve this

She's calling out to you
This is a call, this is a call out
Cause everytime I fall down, I reach out to you
And I'm losing all control now
And my hazard signs are all out
I'm asking you to show me what this life is all about

And he tells everyone a story,
Cause he thinks his life is boring
And he fights so you won't ignore him,
Cause that's his biggest fear
And he cries, but you'll rarely see him do it
And he loves but he's scared to use it
So he hides behind the music
Cause he likes it that way
And he knows, he's so much more than worthless
He needs to find the surface
Cause he's starting to get nervous

He's calling out to you
This is a call, this is a call out
Cause everytime I fall down, I reach out to you
And I'm losing all control now
And my hazard signs are all out
I'm asking you to show me what this life is all about

Have you ever felt this way before
Cause I don't wanna hide here anymore
Take me to a place where nothing's wrong
And thanks for coming, shut the door
And they say some one out there sees us,
Well if you're real, then save me Jesus
Cause I've been this way for far too long
I wasn't meant to feel alone

I'm calling out to you
This is a call, this is a call out
Cause everytime I fall down, I reach out to you
And I'm losing all control now
And my hazard signs are all out
I'm asking you to show me what this life is all about
Show me what this life is all about
Show me what this life is all about

by
thousand foot krutch

NEVER TOO LATE

2009-12-21T23:29:00.002+11:00

Katharine Hepburn once said, "Life is hard. After all, it kills you." And
it can kill you early if you don't figure out how to change. Let me
explain.

The expression "turning over a new leaf" refers to turning pages of a
book. Just as the plot of a novel changes from page to page, people, too,
can change their lives. Indeed they have to if they are to live well.

I enjoy reading about ancient cultures. And it occurs to me that most of
the old civilizations are gone. Some have left little behind except ruins
and rubble. What happened? Where are the people, their music and ideas?
Why are they nothing more today than a collection of stones visited by
tourists and curious historians?

The answer, of course, is not the same the world over. But Arnold Toynbee,
in his work "THE STUDY OF HISTORY" (1987), says that the great lesson of
history is this: civilizations that changed when confronted with
challenges thrived. Those that did not change died. In other words, when
life got hard, it killed off those who didn't make needed changes. The key
to survival is often about "change."

And what about us? What about you and me? It's good to accept ourselves as
we are, but when an unhealthy attitude or a destructive behavior gets in
the way, when we wish we could change something about ourselves, we had
better change. People who embrace change thrive; those who resist it die.

If you have been waiting for a sign to make that needed change, this may
be it. I am convinced that it is never too late to be the person you might
have been. It's never too late to be happy. It's never too late to do
something different or to do something better. It's never too late to
change a habit. It's never too late to live.

Begin making that necessary change today. Then tomorrow, and every
tomorrow thereafter, can truly be different.

KEEP ON SWINGING

2009-12-13T22:24:00.001+11:00

They say that opportunity only knocks once. But temptation seems to
pound on my door forever. Even opening up and letting it in doesn't
seem to make it go away. More temptations come along and the beating
goes on.

Those temptations that cause me the most problems are those that
pull me away from being my best self. So I can relate to the Swiss
woman who was served dinner on a domestic American flight. She
opened up her dessert - a delicious looking piece of chocolate
cake - and immediately sprinkled a generous layer of salt and pepper
over it. A shocked flight attendant exclaimed, "Oh! It's not
necessary to do that!"

"But it is," the woman replied, smiling. "It keeps me from eating
it."

She found a way to drive temptation away from her doorstep, at least
for a while.

The most persistent temptations in my life are distractions that
keep me from doing what is in my best interest.

I forgo some much-needed exercise because I "just don't feel like
it" today. Have you ever felt like that?

You may want to quit that reading group, that difficult class or
those music lessons. It's easy to become distracted and get
discouraged.

Or maybe we say we just "can't find the time" to spend with those
closest to us, such as family. We may want to do these things; it's
just that sometimes we need a nudge.

Something baseball great Hank Aaron once said can help out here. "My
motto was to keep swinging," he said. "Whether I was in a slump or
feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do
was to keep swinging."

Sometimes we just need to keep swinging. And if we tell ourselves
that all we need to do today is to take one more swing, that may be
enough. We can always take one more swing. And who knows -- today we
might hit a home run.

gabriel wenyika

NEW School prayer:

2009-11-14T21:22:00.003+11:00

This was written by a 15 yr. old School Kid in Ohio: What have we
become? A New Pledge of Allegiance (TOTALLY AWESOME!) Since the
Pledge of Allegiance & The Lords Prayer are not allowed in
schools anymore because the word 'God' is mentioned... A Kid in
Ohio wrote the attached....

NEW School prayer:

Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.

If Scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now...

Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That's no offense; it's a freedom thing..
The law is specific, the law is precise..
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.

For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith at all.
In silence alone we must meditate,
God's name is prohibited by the state.

We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks...
We can carry smut, but not the Bible.
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.

We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.
It's 'inappropriate' to teach right from wrong,
We're taught that such 'judgments' do not belong.

We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.

It's scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school's a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot; My soul please take!
Amen

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat". R. Eastman

Wet Pants

2009-08-23T16:37:00.005+10:00

Come with me to a third grade classroom

.....There is a nine-year-old kid sitting at his desk and all of a sudden, there is a puddle between his feet and the front

of his pants are wet. He thinks his heart is going to stop because he cannot
possibly imagine how this has happened. It's never happened before, and he knows
that when the boys find out he will never hear the end of it. When the girls find
out, they'll never speak to him again as long as he lives.

The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head down and prays this
prayer, 'Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes from now
I'm dead meat.'

He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in her eyes that
says he has been discovered.

As the teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named Susie is carrying a goldfish
bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in front of the teacher and inexplicably
dumps the bowl of water in the boy's lap

The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself, 'Thank you,
Lord! Thank you, Lord!'

Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is the object
of sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him gym shorts to put on
while his pants dry out. All the other children are on their hands and knees
cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy is wonderful. But as life would have it,
the ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to someone else - Susie.

She tries to help, but they tell her to get out. You've done enough, you klutz!'

Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy walks over
to Susie and whispers, 'You did that on purpose, didn't you?'

Susie whispers back, 'I wet my pants once too.'

May God help us see the opportunities that are always around us to do good...

Remember.....Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than
standing in your garage makes you a car.

Each and everyone one of us is going through tough times right now, but God is
getting ready to bless you in a way that only He can.... Keep the faith.

This prayer is powerful, and prayer is one of the best gifts we receive. There is
no cost but a lot of rewards. Let's continue to pray for one another.

"Father,
Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy. Where there is self-doubt, release
a renewed confidence through Your grace. Where there is need, I ask you to fulfill
their needs.
Amen."

The Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R. Eastman
"Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn". Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
tell the problem how Great the Lord is!
Put God first, be happy at last

CALL OF DUTY

2009-08-23T15:57:00.003+10:00

Early one morning, a mother went in to wake up her son. "Wake up, son. It's time
to go to school!"

"But why, Mom? I don't want to go."

"Give me two reasons why you don't want to go."

"Well, the kids hate me for one, and the teachers hate me, too!"

"Oh, that's no reason not to go to school. Come on now and get ready."

"Give me two reasons why I should go to school."

"Well, for one, you're 52 years old. And for another, you're the principal!"

Sometimes we have to do things even when we don't feel like doing them! It's called
having a sense of duty. I think perhaps the concept of duty has taken some abuse in
the church. We sometimes talk about the importance of doing things for God because
we want to, not because we have to. And I would wholeheartedly agree with that. But
if we only serve God when we really "feel" like it, our service would be minimal
indeed. Sometimes the feelings aren't there, and we need to continue to serve knowing
that it is the "right" thing to do.

It shouldn't bother us to think that way because we do many other things in life
for the same reason.

Alan Smith writes that, "I am a father of three children. When each of
those babies entered my home, I loved them. And I provided for their needs because
I loved them. But, I can honestly say that there were many times I got up in the
middle of night to meet their needs when I didn't "feel" like it. There were times
when I got out of bed exhausted and irritable, and the only reason I got up was
because I had a responsibility as a father to meet their needs. The love is always
there, but sometimes it is a sense of duty that drives you to do what needs to be
done. "

The same thing is true in our Christian walk. When you get "exhausted and irritable"
in your service to Christ, when you don't "feel" like doing what you know needs to be
done, may a sense of responsibility, a sense of duty, drive you to continue to remain
faithful.

"And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when
he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'? But will he not
rather say to him, 'Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me
till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink'? Does he thank
that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So
likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say,
'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.' "
(Luke 17:7-10)

Say a Prayer if you dare.

2009-08-23T15:26:00.000+10:00

From: Liberty Counsel <alert@libertyaction.org>

Tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. in the federal court serving Northern Florida, the
first of three defendants charged with illegally praying (or merely
encouraging prayer) over a meal will face Judge Casey Rodgers.

Michelle Winkler, a Santa Rosa County clerical assistant asked her husband
to bless a meal at a privately sponsored "Employee of the Year" banquet
held at a rented, off-campus facility well after school hours. But the
prying eyes of the ACLU took note, and Michelle now faces stiff fines and
censure!

Mrs. Winkler is charged with civil contempt, but her school's principal,
Frank Lay, and its athletic director, Robert Freeman, face CRIMINAL
charges before the same judge on September 17.

Although the potential penalties are not as severe in Michelle's case,
the core issues are much the same. This historic battle begins tomorrow
in Pensacola!

We have spread the word of the ACLU's outrageous attempt to criminalize
Christianity in America in every way we can. We have appeared on the Fox
News Channel, CNN, and scores of other national broadcast outlets, and
will continue doing so.

We were on Fox News discussing Michelle's plight again just this morning.
But now I need your help in two very important ways:

ACTION ITEM ONE: Please pray! There's a reason the ACLU doesn't want
prayer in public places - they can't make headway on their secular,
statist agenda when we pray! And Michelle Winkler needs prayers from
brothers and sisters across America to stand strong tomorrow. Just
imagine being in her place!

ACTION ITEM TWO: Tell as many Christian friends as possible about this
pivotal battle for the soul of our Nation, and ask them to join you in
prayer! Even if you've already done some forwarding (and thank you so
much for that), please do even more today! This call to prayer must get
out to a much wider audience!

I cannot emphasize strongly enough what a crucially important group of
cases this is! The future of American law and our precious freedom of
religious expression literally hang in the balance in this small Florida
Panhandle community.

You can learn more about this historic battle and help Liberty Counsel
stand up to the bullies of the ACLU by going here:
http://www.libertyaction.org/r.asp?U=20953&CID=281&RID=15453583

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat". R. Eastman
"Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn". Adrian Rogers
Do your best, bring out the best in others,
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
tell the problem how Great the Lord is!
Put God first, be happy at last!

THE SNEEZE

2009-07-03T23:04:00.002+10:00

They walked in tandem, each of the ninety-two students filing into the already crowded auditorium. With their rich maroon gowns flowing ... and the traditional caps, they looked almost .. as grown up as they felt.
Dads swallowed hard behind broad smiles, and Moms freely brushed away tears.

This class would NOT pray during the commencements----not by choice, but because of a recent court ruling prohibiting it.

The principal and several students were careful to stay within the guidelines allowed by the ruling. They gave inspirational and challenging speeches, but no one mentioned divine guidance and no one asked for blessings on the graduates or their families.

The speeches were nice, but they were routine....until the final speech received a standing ovation.

A solitary student walked proudly to the microphone. He stood still and silent for just a moment, and then, it happened.

All 92 students, every single one of them, suddenly SNEEZED!!!!

The student on stage.. simply looked at the audience and said,
'GOD BLESS YOU, each and every one of you!' And he walked off stage...

The audience exploded into applause. This graduating class had found a unique way to invoke God's blessing on their future with or without the court's approval.

This is a true story; it happened at the University of Maryland .

Carl's Garden

2009-06-20T20:03:00.001+10:00

Carl was a quiet man. He didn't talk much. He would always greet you with a big
smile and a firm handshake. Even after living in our neighborhood for over 50
years, no one could really say they knew him very well. Before his retirement,
he took the bus to work each morning. The lone sight of him walking down the
street often worried us.

He had a slight limp from a bullet wound received in WWII. Watching him, we
worried that although he had survived WWII, he may not make it through our
changing uptown neighborhood with its ever-increasing random violence, gangs,
and drug activity. When he saw the flyer at our local church asking for
volunteers for caring for the gardens behind the minister's residence, he
responded in his characteristically unassuming manner. Without fanfare, he
just signed up.

He was well into his 87th year when the very thing we had always feared
finally happened. He was just finishing his watering for the day when three
gang members approached him. Ignoring their attempt to intimidate him, he
simply asked, "Would you like a drink from the hose?" The tallest and
toughest-looking of the three said, "Yeah, sure," with a malevolent little
smile.

As Carl offered the hose to him, the other two grabbed Carl's arm, throwing
him down. As the hose snaked crazily over the ground, dousing everything in
its way, Carl's assailants stole his retirement watch and his wallet, and
then fled. Carl tried to get himself up, but he had been thrown down on
his bad leg. He lay there trying to gather himself as the minister came
running to help him.

Although the minister had witnessed the attack from his window, he couldn't
get there fast enough to stop it. "Carl, are you okay? Are you hurt?" the
minister kept asking as he helped Carl to his feet. Carl just passed a
hand over his brow and sighed, shaking his head. "Just some punk kids. I
hope they'll wise-up someday."

His wet clothes clung to his slight frame as he bent to pick up the hose.
He adjusted the nozzle again and started to water. Confused and a little
concerned, the minister asked, "Carl, what are you doing?" "I've got to
finish my watering. It's been very dry lately," came the calm reply.
Satisfying himself that Carl really was all right, the minister could
only marvel. Carl was a man from a different time and place.

A few weeks later the three returned. Just as before their threat was
unchallenged. Carl again offered them a drink from his hose. This time
they didn't rob him. They wrenched the hose from his hand and drenched
him head to foot in the icy water.

When they had finished their humiliation of him, they sauntered off down
the street, throwing catcalls and curses, falling over one another
laughing at the hilarity of what they had just done.. Carl just watched
them. Then he turned toward the warmth giving sun, picked up his hose,
and went on with his watering.

The summer was quickly fading into fall. Carl was doing some tilling when
he was startled by the sudden approach of someone behind him. He stumbled
and fell into some evergreen branches. As he struggled to regain his
footing, he turned to see the tall leader of his summer tormentors reaching
down for him. He braced himself for the expected attack.

"Don't worry old man, I'm not gonna hurt you this time." The young man
spoke softly, still offering the tattooed and scarred hand to Carl. As he
helped Carl get up, the man pulled a crumpled bag from his pocket and
handed it to Carl.

"What's this?" Carl asked.

"It's your stuff," the man explained. "It's your stuff back. Even the money
in your wallet."

"I don't understand," Carl said. "Why would you help me now?"

The man shifted his feet, seeming embarrassed and ill at ease. "I learned
something from you," he said. "I ran with that gang and hurt people like
you. We picked you because you were old and we knew we could do it .. But
every time we came and did something to you, instead of yelling and
fighting back, you tried to give us a drink. You didn't hate us for hating
you. You kept showing love against our hate."

He stopped for a moment. "I couldn't sleep after we stole your stuff, so
here it is back." He paused for another awkward moment, not knowing what
more there was to say. "That bag's my way of saying thanks for
straightening me out, I guess." And with that, he walked off down the street.

Carl looked down at the sack in his hands and gingerly opened it. He took out
his retirement watch and put it back on his wrist. Opening his wallet, he
checked for his wedding photo. He gazed for a moment at the young bride
that still smiled back at him from all those years ago..

He died one cold day after Christmas that winter. Many people attended his
funeral in spite of the weather. In particular, the minister noticed a tall
young man that he didn't know sitting quietly in a distant corner of the
church. The minister spoke of Carl's garden as a lesson in life. In a
voice made thick with unshed tears, he said, "Do your best and make your
garden as beautiful as you can. We will never forget Carl and his garden."

The following spring another flyer went up. It read: "Person needed to care
for Carl's garden." The flyer went unnoticed by the busy parishioners
until one day when a knock was heard at the minister's office door.

Opening the door, the minister saw a pair of scarred and tattooed hands
holding the flyer. "I believe this is my job, if you'll have me," the
young man said.

The minister recognized him as the same young man who had returned the
stolen watch and wallet to Carl. He knew that Carl's kindness had turned
this man's life around. As the minister handed him the keys to the garden
shed, he said, "Yes, go take care of Carl's garden and honor him."

The man went to work and, over the next several years, he tended the
flowers and vegetables just as Carl had done. During that time, he went
to college, got married, and became a prominent member of the community.
But he never forgot his promise to Carl's memory and kept the garden as
beautiful as he thought Carl would have kept it.

One day he approached the new minister and told him that he couldn't care
for the garden any longer. He explained with a shy and happy smile, "My
wife just had a baby boy last night, and she's bringing him home on
Saturday."

"Well, congratulations!" said the minister, as he was handed the garden
shed keys. "That's wonderful! What's the baby's name?"

"Carl," he replied.

That's the whole gospel message simply stated.

With thanks to TOM & MARY

THE BLESSING OF THORNS

2009-06-20T19:41:00.002+10:00

Sandra felt as low as the heels of her shoes as she pushed against a November
gust and the florist shop door.

Her life had been easy, like a spring breeze. Then in the fourth month of her
second pregnancy, a minor automobile accident stole that from her.

During this Thanksgiving week she would have delivered a son. She grieved over
her loss. As if that weren't enough, her husband's company threatened a
transfer. Then her sister, whose holiday visit she coveted, called saying she
could not come for the holiday.

Then Sandra's friend infuriated her by suggesting her grief was a God-given
path to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who suffer.
She has no idea what I'm feeling, thought Sandra with a shudder.

Thanksgiving? Thankful for what? She wondered. For a careless driver whose
truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended her? For an airbag that saved
her life but took that of her child?

"Good afternoon, can I help you?" The shop clerk's approach startled her.

I....I need an arrangement," stammered Sandra.

"For Thanksgiving? Do you want beautiful but ordinary, or would you like to
challenge the day with a customer favorite I call the Thanksgiving "Special?"
asked the shop clerk. "I'm convinced that flowers tell stories," she
continued. "Are you looking for something that conveys 'gratitude' this
thanksgiving?"

"Not exactly!" Sandra blurted out. "In the last five months, everything that
could go wrong has gone wrong."

Sandra regretted her outburst, and was surprised when the shop clerk said,
"I have the perfect arrangement for you."

Just then the shop door's small bell rang, and the shop clerk said, "Hi,
Barbara...let me get your order." She politely excused herself and walked
toward a small workroom, then quickly reappeared, carrying an arrangement
of greenery, bows, and long-stemmed thorny roses. Except the ends of the
rose stems were neatly snipped: there were no flowers.

"Want this in a box?" asked the clerk.

Sandra watched for the customer's response. Was this a joke? Who would want
rose stems with no flowers! She waited for laughter, but neither woman
laughed.

"Yes, please," Barbara, replied with an appreciative smile. "You'd think
after three years of getting the special, I wouldn't be so moved by its
significance, but I can feel it right here, all over again," she said as
she gently tapped her chest. And she left with her order.

"Uh," stammered Sandra, "that lady just left with, uh....she just left with
no flowers!

"Right, said the clerk, "I cut off the flowers. That's the Special. I call
it the Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet."

"Oh, come on, you can't tell me someone is willing to pay for that!"
exclaimed Sandra.

"Barbara came into the shop three years ago feeling much like you feel today,"
explained the clerk. "She thought she had very little to be thankful for. She
had lost her father to cancer, the family business was failing, her son was
into drugs, and she was facing major surgery."

"That same year I had lost my husband," continued the clerk, "and for the first
time in my life, had just spent the holidays alone. I had no children, no
husband, no family nearby, and too great a debt to allow any travel."

"So what did you do?" asked Sandra.

"I learned to be thankful for thorns," answered the clerk quietly. "I've
always thanked God for the good things in my life and never questioned the
good things that happened to me, but when bad stuff hit, did I ever ask
questions! It took time for me to learn that dark times are important. I
have always enjoyed the 'flowers' of life, but it took thorns to show me
the beauty of God's comfort. You know, the Bible says that God comforts us
when we're afflicted, and from His consolation we learn to comfort others."

Sandra sucked in her breath as she thought about the very thing her friend
had tried to tell her. "I guess the truth is I don't want comfort. I've lost
a baby and I'm angry with God."

Just then someone else walked in the shop. "Hey, Phil!" shouted the clerk to
the balding, rotund man.

"My wife sent me in to get our usual Thanksgiving Special....12 thorny,
long-stemmed stems!" laughed Phil as the clerk handed him a tissue-wrapped
arrangement from the refrigerator.

"Those are for your wife?" asked Sandra incredulously. "Do you mind me
asking why she wants something that looks like that?"

"No...I'm glad you asked," Phil replied. "Four years ago my wife and I
nearly divorced. After forty years, we were in a real mess, but with the
Lord's grace and guidance, we slogged through problem after problem. He
rescued our marriage. Jenny here (the clerk) told me she kept a vase of
rose stems to remind her of what she learned from "thorny" times, and
that was good enough for me. I took home some of those stems. My wife and I
decided to label each one for a specific "problem" and give thanks for what
that problem taught us."

As Phil paid the clerk, he said to Sandra, "I highly recommend the Special!"

"I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life." Sandra said.
"It's all too...fresh."

"Well," the clerk replied carefully, "my experience has shown me that thorns
make roses more precious. We treasure God's providential care more during
trouble than at any other time. Remember, it was a crown of thorns that
Jesus wore so we might know His love. Don't resent the thorns."

Tears rolled down Sandra's cheeks. For the first time since the accident,
she loosened her grip on resentment. "I'll take those twelve long-stemmed
thorns, please," she managed to choke out.

"I hoped you would," said the clerk gently. "I'll have them ready in a
minute."

"Thank you. What do I owe you?"

"Nothing. Nothing but a promise to allow God to heal your heart. The first
year's arrangement is always on me." The clerk smiled and handed a card to
Sandra. "I'll attach this card to your arrangement, but maybe you would
like to read it first."

It read: "My God, I have never thanked You for my thorns. I have thanked
You a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me
the glory of the cross I bear; teach me the value of my thorns. Show me
that I have climbed closer to You along the path of pain. Show me that,
through my tears, the colors of Your rainbow look much more brilliant."

Praise Him for your roses; thank him for your thorns!

Gabriel Wenyika

Embracing Imperfection

2009-05-22T20:37:00.003+10:00

When I was a little, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage, and extremely burned toast in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his toast, smile at my mom, and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember Watching him smear butter and jelly on that toast and eat every bite!

When I got Up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad For burning the toast. And I'll never forget what he said: 'Baby, I love burned toast.' Later that night, I went to say good night to Dad and I asked him if He really liked his toast burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, 'gaby, your Mom put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides-a little burnt toast never hurt anyone!' You know, life is full of imperfect things.....and imperfect people. I'm not the best housekeeper or cook.

What I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each other's faults - and choosing to celebrate each other's differences - is the one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship. And that's my prayer for you today. That you will learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life and lay them at the feet of GOD. Because in the end, He's the only One who will be able to give you a relationship where burnt toast isn't a deal-breaker! We could extend this to any relationship in fact - as understanding is the base of any relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship!! "

WAITING ON GOD

2009-05-15T15:21:00.000+10:00

Waiting on God is where a lot of us are in our lives right now. We wait for healing (emotionally and physically). We wait for our relationship to improve, we wait for a job, we wait for some indication of what God would like us to be doing with our lives or where he would like us to be in this world. We wait for help, we wait to help others, we wait for our life to change in such a way as to find fulfillment, joy or happiness. But the bottom line is that we wait.

The question which perhaps we need to consider is "How do we wait on God?" Here are some new suggestions from God's word. You may remember reading the passage from Psalm 27:14 which says, "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD."[1] There are some interesting points which you might not have thought of before in reading this passage.

In this passage, David tells us how to wait. He said, "Wait on the Lord, be of good courage". The Hebrew word for courage here has this definition: "to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm,"[2]
This "courage" then carries the idea of waiting with commitment. It is having made up our minds to dig in our heels and stand fast in our belief in God and his power over the universe, no matter what. There will be no circumstances, no difficulty which is going to change the way we believe in our all powerful God.

If we understand this concept, then perhaps we need to ask ourselves, "What am I willing to put up with", "what am I willing to suffer", "for how long am I willing to wait for my answer or my deliverance" and most important, "What if I never receive my answer or deliverance in this life?"

Think about the message found in Hebrews 11. You most likely are familiar with verses 1-3 which read: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible."[3]

Then in Hebrews 11:4-11 we see a list of people who waited on God. People like Able, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Sarah. But notice especially verse 13 which says; "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth."
You see, these folks discovered the key to waiting with commitment! They never received that for which they were waiting, but they realized that the earth was not really their home. They realized who was really in control.
[1] KJV
[2] Strong's Dictionary of the New Testament.
[3] NIV

$20

2009-02-22T20:35:00.002+11:00

Sometimes we just need to be reminded! A well-known speaker started off his seminar
by: holding up a $20.00 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this
$20 bill?"

Hands started going up.

He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this. He
proceeded to crumple up the $20 dollar bill. He then asked, "Who still wants it?"

Still the hands were up in the air.

Well, he replied, "What if I do this?" and he dropped it on the ground and started
to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty.
"Now, who still wants it?"

Still the hands went into the air.

My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson.

No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease
in value. It was still worth $20.

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the
decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are
worthless.

But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value.

Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who
LOVE you. The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHO
WE ARE and WHOSE WE ARE.

You are special - Don't EVER forget it...And remember, amateurs built the ark...

professionals built the Titanic

Entertaining Angels

2008-10-31T23:07:00.002+11:00

One stormy night many years ago, an elderly man and his wife entered the
lobby of a small hotel in Philadelphia. Trying to get out of the rain,
the couple approached the front desk hoping to get some shelter for the
night.

"Could you possibly give us a room here?" the husband asked. The clerk, a
friendly man with a winning smile, looked at the couple and explained
that there were three conventions in town.

"All of our rooms are taken," the clerk said. "But I can't send a nice
couple like you out into the rain at one o'clock in the morning. Would
you perhaps be willing to sleep in my room? It's not exactly a suite, but
it will be good enough to make you folks comfortable for the night."

When the couple declined, the young man pressed on. "Don't worry about
me; I'll make out just fine," the clerk told them. So the couple agreed.

As he paid his bill the next morning, the elderly man said to the clerk,
"You are the kind of manager who should be the boss of the best hotel in
the United States. Maybe someday I'll build one for you."

The clerk looked at them and smiled. The three of them had a good laugh.

As they drove away, the elderly couple agreed that the helpful clerk was
indeed exceptional, as finding people who are both friendly and helpful
isn't easy.

Two years passed. The clerk had almost forgotten the incident when he
received a letter from the old man. It recalled that stormy night and
enclosed a round-trip ticket to New York, asking the young man to pay
them a visit.

The old man met him in New York, and led him to the corner of Fifth
Avenue and 34th Street. He then pointed to a great new building there, a
palace of reddish stone, with turrets and watchtowers thrusting up to the
sky.

"That," said the older man, "is the hotel I have just built for you to
manage."

"You must be joking," the young man said.

"I can assure you I am not," said the older man, a sly smile playing
around his mouth.

The older man's name was William Waldorf Astor, and the magnificent
structure was the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

The young clerk who became its first manager was George C. Boldt. This
young clerk never foresaw the turn of events that would lead him to
become the manager of one of the world's most glamorous hotels.

The Bible says that we are not to turn our backs on those who are in
need, for we might be entertaining angels.

Life is more accurately measured by the lives you touch than the things
you acquire...

gabz...

Be Careful What You Wish For....

2008-09-05T23:27:00.002+10:00

There was a man walking alone along a beach. He came across a bottle witha cork in it. The man picked up the bottle and pulled out the cork. A loudroar followed and a genie appeared. The genie said to the man, "I'm a littletired today and I can only give you two wishes." The man said "That's OK, two is enough. First, I would like one-billiondollars in a Swiss bank account." Poof - The genie handed the man a paper and said "Here's the number toyour account." Next the man said, "Second, I would like to be irresistible to women." Poof - the genie turned him into a box of chocolates.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Also, Be Sure of What You Work For And How You Work For It.

Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only onereceives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. Athletesexercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a crown thatwill not last, but we to get an incorruptable one. So I do not runaimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; but I punish my bodyand enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should notbe disqualified. I Cor 9:24-27

Flawed but Fruitful ~ A little Chinese Wisdom.

2008-09-05T23:09:00.002+10:00

A house servant had two large pots. One hung on each end of a pole thathe carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the crackedpot arrived only half full. The other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.

For two years the servant delivered each day only one-and-a-half pots full of water to his master's house. The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, but the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable over accomplishing only half of what it hadbeen made to do.fter two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, the cracked pot spoke to the servant one day by the stream."I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.""What are you ashamed of?" asked the bearer.

"For these past two years I have been able to deliver only half my loadbecause this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you don't get full value fromyour work."The servant said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path." As they went up the hill,The cracked pot noticed the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path.

When they reached the house, the servant said to the pot, "Did you notice the flowers grew only on your side of the path, not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've wateredthem. For two years I have been able to pick beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table.

"Each of us has flaws. But if we allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to grace his Father's table."If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving,you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spiteof it all. And so today I still have a dream." Martin Luther King, Jr.

rite of passage

2008-08-20T19:29:00.002+10:00

Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of Passage? His fathertakes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone. He is required tosit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of themorning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once hesurvives the night, he is a MAN. He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own.

The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kindsof noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human mightdo him harms. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he satstoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could becomea man! Finally, after a horrific night the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold.It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm.

We, too, are never alone. Even when we don't know it, God is watching over us,sitting on the stump beside us. When trouble comes, all we have to do is reachout to Him. Just because we can't see HIM, doesn't mean He is not there."For we walk by faith, not by sight."

MAN SUES BIBLE PUBLISHER OVER VERSES CONDEMNING HOMOSEXUALITY

2008-08-11T00:43:00.003+10:00

In a legal action guaranteed to shock most Americans, a gay man is suing a major publisher of Bibles claiming certain verses caused him "emotional distress." He's suing for $70 million. Bradley LaShawn Fowler, a 39-year old self-avowed homosexual from Canton, Michigan, seeks $60 million from Zondervan, a major publisher of religious books, and an additional $10 million from Thomas Nelson Publishing in his lawsuits filed in the federal court for the Eastern District of Michigan. While observers believe Fowler is being backed by an anti-Christian or pro-gay group, according to The Grand Rapids Press (in Michigan), the plaintiff Fowler is representing himself in the legal proceedings. "I believe this self-representation business is a sham. I suspect some big-money organization or a wealthy benefactor is providing the finances for this obscene abuse of the legal system and the US Constitution's 'separation of church and state' tradition. Are Christians really going to allow some gay activist and a black-robed lawyer to decide how the Bible is written?" asks political strategist Mike Baker.

Fowler claims that King James Bibles published by Zondervan disparages homosexuals as sinners. He said he filed his lawsuits against Bible publishers because they are instrumental in having his family turn against him. Fowler is also claiming the Bible verses cause him physical discomfort and that he suffers mental distress as a result of those scriptures. "The intent of the publisher was to design a religious, sacred document to reflect an individual opinion or a group's conclusion to cause me or anyone who is a homosexual to endure verbal abuse, discrimination, episodes of hate, and physical violence ... including murder," Fowler wrote in his self-styled legal brief. "This whole lawsuit is making a mockery of the Holy Bible and a blatant attempt by the homosexual community to take away the rights of Bible-believing Christians in the United States. Past cases against Christians and their beliefs has shown that court actions infringing on their beliefs and practices is even easier than taking away candy from a baby," Baker warns.

"The Muslim religion also condemns homosexuality. If Mr. Fowler was to sue the publishers of the Koran, would the Muslims sit silently by? Salman Rushdie wrote a book titled The Satanic Verses that offended the muslims back in 1988, and he's still in hiding today. In a Christian Nation, they tolerate Gay Pride Parades. Make a mockery of the Christian Bible, and all you can expect from the religious leadership is 'we'll pray on it', said Baker." "A good example of Christians tolerating blasphemy is an artwork made famous back in 1987 by Andres Serrano, titled; "Piss Christ," and voting for spineless weenies and the lesser of two evils is why America is at the doorstep of destruction," added Lorraine Tillman.

"My fear is that Christians -- bishops, pastors, and church-goers -- will silently accept the decision of a black-robed lawyer who may or may not have his own religious agenda. Too often religious leaders have failed to motivate their churches to take action when their rights are being violated by oppressive anti-religious forces inside and outside our government," said Baker. By the way added Baker, "one of the books published by Thomas Nelson Publishing is Judge Andrew Napolitano's 'A Nation of Sheep.'" In a recently released statement, a Zondervan spokesperson wrote: "Zondervan doesn't translate the Bible or own the copyright for any of the translations. Instead [our] company relies on the scholarly judgment of credible translation committees."

Meanwhile, U.S. District Judge Julian Abele Cook, Jr., who will hear Fowler's case against Thomas Nelson, said that he "has some very genuine concerns about the nature and efficacy of [the plaintiff's] claims." Christian observers such as Jane Martin believe such statements only encourage these types of lawsuits. "This case just may go a lot further than it deserves, thanks to a liberal judge who believes his word is sacrosanct," she said. While the denizens of America's newsrooms appear to be ignoring this latest religious controversy, the gay press is keeping their eyes on the case and spinning the story to benefit their worldview. While Fowler claims he alone is involved in the Zondervan and Thomas Nelson Publishing lawsuits, some conservatives believe he is being secretly backed by a group or individual with "deep pockets" and an interest in attacking Christianity.

"This guy Fowler isn't telling us the full story. I'd bet the farm someone with millions of dollars to spare is backing him financially in a move to actually alter what Christians believe is 'the word of God,'" claims Mike Baker. Zondervan is a subsidiary of the publishing giant HarperCollins and specializes in evangelical books and audiotapes. Its books and products are sold in over 60 countries and it's a member of The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. "We're an international Christian communications company with a heart for helping people find and follow Jesus Christ by inspiring them with relevant biblical and spiritual resources. We do this through our best-selling, award-winning, and life-changing products," according to their mission statement. The other target of Fowler's lawsuit is Thomas Nelson, Inc., located in Nashville, TN. Nelson is one of the oldest publishing houses in the US, being established in 1798. As with Zondervan, the company specializes in Bibles, Christian non-fiction and fiction books, audiotapes and other religious products.

The judge hearing the Fowler lawsuit, Julian Abele Cook, was appointed to the federal bench during the Carter Administration in 1978. According to a source in Washington, DC, Cook is "to the left" on most issues including so-called discrimination cases. In fact, besides being a federal judge, Cook has served as a chairman or vice-chairman of several civil liberties organizations and panels and he has close ties to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

"If people believe this lawsuit will disappear, they are sadly mistaken. Judge Cook is considered an activist judge who has a personal agenda when it comes to so-called discrimination cases. And the homosexual plaintiff against Zondervan and Thomas Nelson is claiming the Bible discriminates against gays and lesbians. This case is not going away any time soon," warns Baker.

to walk or not to walk

2008-07-03T22:01:00.003+10:00

I don't know if you ever thought about it, but trying something is not the hardest thing you can do. However, deciding to do something IS the hardest thing you can do. Once we make the decision the actions follow almost of their own accord, but up to that point there is a terrible struggle which takes place inside of us. For some of us there is a dark storm cloud of indecision hanging over us. We struggle back and forth about some decisions, knowing that we don't have all the needed information to make an educated decision. We don't feel safe deciding, we don't trust in the unknown factors in this life.

What's the problem, we make decisions all day long every day don't we? From the time we get out of bed to the time we climb back in at night we make decisions. What makes some decisions harder than others? It's that we don't have all of the information; we don't know all of the answers in advance. We don't know if we will succeed or fail, go broke or get rich, be happy or be miserable.

What we are really saying by our indecision is that we want life to come with some kind of guarantee or warranty, and it just does not. Duke Ellington said, "Every intersection in the road of life is an opportunity to make a decision". You know that you cannot drive very far down any road without coming to an intersection and life is no different

At some point each of us have to make decision, whether hard or easy and get on with our life. What are you afraid of? Are you afraid of making a mistake? Edward John Phelps said, "The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything!"

Let me encourage you not to be shackled with indecision! Indecision will keep you locked up and unable to move just as surely as if you were chained in a cell. At some point in your life you must begin to trust God. You make the best decision you can based on the information you have (however incomplete) and go ahead and try!

The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:28, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." (NLT) Paul also reminds the church in Corinth that, "we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7)

So what is it going to be, try or not try, walk or not walk, decide or live in indecision? What great thing can you accomplish for the Lord if only you will take the chance and try!

I chose to try and perhaps make a mistake because: "The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything

My hobby has been collecting dust.....

2008-05-28T13:12:00.002+10:00

Wow, its been such a long time since i sent am email or wrote anything that this all seems new to me again. Life for better or for worse seemed to have got the better of me for a while that i had lost touch with myself for a little while. But no more. i was given this life to live it and live it to the full and that's what i mean to do. Yes this is a group mail and for the most part you may be a little lost and confused as to what I'm talking about or trying to say. but don't worry, I'm back and I'm going to be OK. For those of you out there close enough to me to know the of the dark night that i am coming out of, thank you for being you and being the shoulder i needed to cry on.......

In the mist of all the madness of my life of late i have not wrote as much as i would like. My little hobby of writing and sharing stores has been lost in the craziness but now is found again Where ever you are at right now, i hope this story gives you a little hope to keep on keeping on. there is a light at the end of the tunnel, just hold on for one more day.....

Life Lessons

The man slowly looked up. This was a woman clearly accustomed to the finer thingsof life. Her coat was new. She looked like that she had never missed a meal in herlife. His first thought was that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many othershad done before."Leave me alone," he growled.To his amazement, the woman continued standing. She was smiling -- her even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows. "Are you hungry?" she asked.

No," he answered sarcastically. "I've just come from dining with the president.Now go away."The woman's smile became even broader. Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand underhis arm. "What are you doing, lady?" the man asked angrily. "I said to leave mealone."Just then a policeman came up. "Is there any problem, ma'am?" he asked."No problem here, officer," the woman answered. "I'm just trying to get this man tohis feet. Will you help me?"The officer scratched his head. "That's old Jack. He's been a fixture around herefor a couple of years. What do you want with him?""See that cafeteria over there?" she asked. "I'm going to get him something to eatand get him out of the cold for awhile.""Are you crazy, lady?" the homeless man resisted. "I don't want to go in there!" Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up "Let me go, officer.I didn't do anything.""This is a good deal for you, Jack," the officer answered. "Don't blow it."

Finally, and with some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got Jack intothe cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner.It was the middle of the morning, so most of the breakfast crowd had already leftand the lunch bunch had not yet arrived. The manager strode across the cafeteriaand stood by his table."What's going on here, officer?" he asked. "What is all this Is this man in trouble?""This lady brought this man in here to be fed," the policeman answered."Not in here!" the manager replied angrily. "Having a person like that here isbad for business."Old Jack smiled a toothless grin. "See, lady. I told you so. Now if you'll letme go. I didn't want to come here in the first place."

The woman turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled. "Sir, are you familiar withEddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street?""Of course I am," the manager answered impatiently. "They hold their weeklymeetings in one of my banquet rooms.""And do you make a goodly amount of money providing food at these weeklymeetings?""What business is that of yours?""I, sir, am Penelope Eddy, president and CEO of the company.""Oh."The woman smiled again. "I thought that might make a difference."She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a giggle. "Would you like to joinus in a cup of coffee and a meal, officer?""No thanks, ma'am," the officer replied. "I'm on duty.""Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to go?""Yes, ma'am. That would be very nice."The cafeteria manager turned on his heel "I'll get your coffee for you rightaway, officer."The officer watched him walk away. "You certainly put him in his place," he said."That was not my intent. Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this."

She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest. She stared at himintently. "Jack, do you remember me?"Old Jack searched her face with his old , rheumy eyes "I think so -- I mean youdo look familiar.""I'm a little older perhaps," she said. "Maybe I've even filled out more than inmy younger days when you worked here, and I came through that very door, coldand hungry."Ma'am?" the officer said questioningly. He couldn't believe that such amagnificently turned out woman could ever have been hungry."I was just out of college," the woman began. "I had come to the city lookingfor a job, but I couldn't find anything. Finally I was down to my last few centsand had been kicked out of my apartment.I walked the streets for days. It was February and I was cold and nearly starving.I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I could get something to eat."Jack lit up with a smile. "Now I remember," he said. & quote; "I was behind theserving counter. You came up and asked me if you could work for something to eat.I said that it was against company policy.""I know," the woman continued. "Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwichthat I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a cornertable and enjoy it. I was afraid that you would get into trouble. Then, when I looked over, I saw you put the price of my food in the cash register I knew thenthat everything would be all right.""So you started your own business?" Old Jack said.

I got a job that very afternoon. I worked my way up. Eventually I started my ownbusiness, that, with the help of God, prospered." She opened her purse and pulledout a business card. "When you are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to aMr. Lyons. He's the personnel director of my company.I'll go talk to him now and I'm certain he'll find something for you to do aroundthe office." She smiled. "I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live until youget on your feet. If you ever need anything, my door is always opened to you."There were tears in the old man's eyes. "How can I ever thank you? " he said."Don't thank me," the woman answered. "To God goes the glory. Thank Jesus. Heled me to you."Outside the cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the entrance before going their separate ways. "Thank you for all your help, officer," she said."On the contrary, Ms. Eddy," he answered. "Thank you. I saw a miracle today,something that I will never forget. And.......and thank you for the coffee."

If you have missed knowing me, you have missed nothing.If you have missed some of my emails, you might have missed a laugh.But, if you have missed knowing my LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST,you have missed everything in the world!.......gabz

the cross

2008-03-25T18:17:00.000+11:00

"For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become therighteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesusour Lord.” Romans 6:23 The cross of Jesus Christ is the signature symbol of the central event in the history ofcivilization. Yet, today we depict the cross as common. Jewelers pound it into all sortsof finery so we can staple crosses to our ears and wear them around our necks.Merchandisers manufacture this symbol of unlimited atonement into fuzzy things for ourrearview mirrors or decorations for our gardens. From teacups to T-shirts, people haveused the cross to corner the market on crassness. Department stores hawk chocolate-covered crosses for Holy Week. Baseball players and businessmen cross themselves beforea big moment. The cross itself has become big business, but it was never intended tobe some lucky trinket. This is profanity in the truest sense. Is it any surprise wehave lost the wonder of what happened on Calvary?he resurrection of Christ was the event that accomplished salvation and verified Christ'svictory over death, but it was the cross of Jesus Christ that showed us the grace of God.Everything that God wants us to know about Himself comes together in those crossbeams. Our entire purpose in life is to elevate the Cross. Think on Jesus Christ there. In yourmind's eye, picture Him stretched out against the sky. What's He doing up there? Answer:He's subbing for you and me. He's taking God's wrath for your sin. He's satisfying thejust demands of a holy God. He's paying the price that God's holiness requires so thatyou and I can be forgiven. In the place where our blood should have stained the ground,Jesus hung as our substitute.You can't understand the Gospel until you understand this idea of substitution. Jesus’death was in the place of every person who has ever lived. I am in that line. You aretoo. Each of us deserves to die in payment for our own sin, but Jesus stepped in andtook that penalty for each of us.

Two Choices

2008-02-26T14:23:00.003+11:00

What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line, there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the same choice?

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?'

The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued. 'I believe, that when a child like Shay, physically and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.'

Then he told the following story:

Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' Shay's father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.'

Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. His Father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in his heart. The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game. Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball ... the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.

All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the way Shay'

Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third! Shay, run to third!' As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!' Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.

'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'. Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.

If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message. Well, the person who sent you this believes that we all can make a difference. We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural order of things.' So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?

A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them You now have two choices:

1. Delete

2. Forward

May your day, be a Shay Day

Gabriel K Wenyika

2008-02-25T09:20:00.001+11:00

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you willdrink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the bodymore than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather intobarns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Andwhich of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? . . . But seekfirst the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6: 25-27, 33

How often do you wake up in the middle of the night with burdens on your heart that keepyou from going back to sleep? It happened to me last night. The clock said, 4:10 a.m. and I was wide awake. Baggage from yesterday and worries about tomorrow weighed heavily on my mind. What Jesussaid in Matthew 6:34 is true. “Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrowwill be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Do you start the day thinking, “I don’t have enough on my mind today. I’m going to borrowtrouble from tomorrow and make up some new problems”? Yeah, me neither. The word troublemeans adverse circumstances, problems, hardship. And for certain, each day has enough ofits own. Jesus says in effect, “Let’s compartmentalize here. You can’t carry the weight of the past-that’s what forgiveness is for. You can’t carry all the uncertainties of the future-that’swhat faith is for; you must focus on today. Let’s deal with what we can.” We weren’t made for anxiety.

The manufacturer’s specifications do not allow for worry.It’s no different than if someone poured sugar in your gas tank or introduced a virus toyour computer. Worry does that to the human spirit. When you gather up in your mind on aregular basis a list of all the unknowns of the future and repeatedly review and extra-polate, the uncertainties become so large that it will crush you. Everything gets sidewayswhen you’re on the anxiety program.You were not fashioned for fear. You were not wired for worry. You were made to live today-“Sufficient for the day is its own trouble”-to focus on thethings that you can affect, to work on the things that you can improve that are right infront of you.You and I have limited capacity. We can’t carry yesterday or our imagined tomorrow.

We’ve got to trust the Lord today, from one day’s 4 a.m. to the next.

Gabriel Wenyika

2008-02-15T15:33:00.002+11:00

Once upon a time there was a bunch of tiny frogs who arranged a running competition. The goal was to reach the top of a very high tower. A big crowd had gathered around thetower to see the race and cheer on the contestants.... The race began.... Honestly: No one in the crowd really believed that the tiny frogs would reach the top ofthe tower. You heard statements such as: "Oh, WAY too difficult!!" "They will NEVER makeit to the top." "Not a chance that they will succeed. The tower is too high!" The tiny frogs began collapsing.

One by one except for those, who in a fresh tempo,were climbing higher and higher. The crowd continued to yell, "It is too difficult!!!No one will make it!" More tiny frogs got tired and gave up but ONE continued higher and higher and higher, this one wouldn't give up! At the end everyone else had given up climbing the tower. Except for the one tiny frog who,after a big effort, was the only one who reached the top! THEN all of the other tiny frogs naturally wanted to know how this one frog managed to do it? A contestant asked the tiny frog how he had found the strength to succeed and reach the goal? It turned out that the winner was DEAF!!!!

The wisdom of this story is: Never listen to other people's tendencies to be negative orpessimistic because they take your most wonderful dreams and wishes away from you, the onesyou have in your heart! Always think of the power words have because everything you hear and read will affect youractions! Therefore: ALWAYS be POSITIVE! And above all: Be DEAF when people tell YOU that you cannot fulfill your dreams!

To The World You Might Be One Person; But To One Person You Might Be the World.

If you fall down 10 times, Stand up 11 times

2008-01-14T10:26:00.000+11:00

Today I would like to share a very powerful, inspiring story which has appeared in Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul and Reader's Digest. It is a deeply moving reminder never to hold back on expressing love.

"We love, because God first loved us." 1 John 4:19

Some 14 years ago, I stood watching my university students file into the classroom for our opening session in the theology of faith. That was the day I first saw Tommy. He was combing his hair, which hung six inches below his shoulders. My quick judgment wrote him off as strange -- very strange.

Tommy turned out to be my biggest challenge. He constantly objected to, or smirked at the possibility of an unconditionally loving God. When he turned in his final exam at the end of the course, he asked in a slightly cynical tone, "Do you think I'll ever find God?"

"No," I said emphatically.

"Oh," he responded. "I thought that was the product you were pushing."
I let him get five steps from the door and then called out. "I don't think you'll ever find him, but I am certain he will find you." Tommy shrugged and left. I felt slightly disappointed that he had missed my clever line.

Later I heard that Tommy had graduated, and I was grateful for that. Then came a sad report: Tommy had terminal cancer. Before I could search him out, he came to me. When he walked into my office, his body was badly wasted, and his long hair had fallen out because of the chemotherapy. But, his eyes were bright and his voice, for the first time, was firm.

"Tommy! I've thought about you so often. I heard you were very sick," I blurted out.

"Oh, yes, very sick. I have cancer. It's a matter of weeks."

"Can you talk about it?"

"Sure. What would you like to know?"

"What's it like to be only 24 and know that you're dying?"

"It could be worse," he told me, "like being 50 and thinking that drinking booze, seducing women and making money are the real 'biggies' in life." Then, he told me why he had come.

"It was something you said to me on the last day of class. I asked if you thought I would ever find God and you said no, which surprised me. Then you said, 'But, he will find you.' I thought about that a lot, even though my search for God was hardly intense at that time."

"But, when the doctors removed a lump from my body and told me that it was malignant, I got serious about locating God. And when the malignancy spread into my vital organs, I really began banging against the bronze doors of heaven. But, nothing happened. Well, one day I woke up, and instead of my desperate attempts to get some kind of message, I just quit. I decided I didn't really care about God, an afterlife, or anything like that."

"I decided to spend what time I had left doing something more important. I thought about you and something else you had said: 'The essential sadness is to go through life without loving. But, it would be almost equally sad to leave this world without ever telling those you loved that you loved them.'

So, I began with the hardest one...my Dad."
Tommy's father had been reading the newspaper when his son approached him.

"Dad, I would like to talk with you."

"Well, talk."

"I mean, it's really important."
The newspaper came down three slow inches. "What is it?"

"Dad, I love you. I just wanted you to know that."
Tommy smiled at me as he recounted the moment.

"The newspaper fluttered to the floor. Then, my father did two things I couldn't remember him doing before. He cried and he hugged me. And then, we talked all night, even though he had to go to work the next morning."

"It was easier with my mother and little brother," Tommy continued.

"They cried with me, and we hugged one another, and shared the thing we had been keeping secret for so many years. I was only sorry that I had waited so long. Here I was, in the shadow of death, and I was just beginning to open up to all the people I had actually been close to."

"Then one day, I turned around and God was there. He didn't come to me when I pleaded with him. Apparently he does things in his own way and at his own hour. The important thing is that you were right. He found me even after I stopped looking for him."

"Tommy," I practically gasped, "I think you are saying something much more universal than you realize. You are saying that the surest way to find God is not by making him a private possession or an instant consolation in time of need, but rather by opening to love."

"Tommy," I added, "could I ask you a favor? Would you come to my theology-of-faith course and tell my students what you just told me?"

Though we scheduled a date, he never made it. Of course, his life was not really ended by his death, only changed. He made the great step from faith into vision. He found a life far more beautiful than the eye of humanity has ever seen, or the mind ever imagined.
Before he died, we talked one last time. "I'm not going to make it to your class," he said.

"I know, Tommy."

"Will you tell them for me? Will you . . . tell the whole world for me?"

"I will, Tommy. I'll tell them."
by: John Powell

Immanue.....................by Max Lucado

2008-01-05T20:44:00.000+11:00

The King walked over and reached for the book. He turned it toward Lucifer and commanded, "Come, Deceiver, read the name of the One who will call your bluff. Read the name of the One who will storm your gates."

Satan rose slowly off his haunches. Like a wary wolf, he walked a wide circle toward the desk until he stood before the volume and read the word: "Immanuel?" he muttered to himself, then spoke in a tone of disbelief. "God with us?"

For the first time the hooded head turned squarely toward the face of the Father. "No. Not even You would do that. Not even You would go so far." "You've never believed me, Satan." "But Immanuel? The plan is bizarre! You don't know what it's like on Earth! You don't know how dark I've made it. It's putrid. It's evil. It's..."

"IT IS MINE," proclaimed the King. "AND I WILL RECLAIM WHAT IS MINE. I WILL BECOME FLESH. I WILL FEEL WHAT MY CREATURES FEEL. I WILL SEE WHAT THEY SEE."

"But what of their sin?" "I will bring mercy." "What of their death?" "I will give life." Satan stood speechless. God spoke, "I love my children. Love does not take away the beloved's freedom. But love takes away fear. And Immanuel will leave behind a tribe of fearless children. They will not fear you or your hell." Satan stepped back at the thought. His retort was childish. "Th-th-they will too!"

"I will take away all sin. I will take away death. Without sin and without death, you have no power." Around and around in a circle Satan paced, clenching and unclenching his wiry fingers.

When he finally stopped, he asked a question that even I was thinking. "Why? Why would You do this?"

The Father's voice was deep and soft.

"Because I love them."

THE TOP TEN PREDICTIONS FOR 2008

2008-01-02T18:16:00.000+11:00

THE TOP TEN PREDICTIONS FOR 2008

1. The Bible will still have all the answers.

2. Prayer will still work.

3. The Holy Spirit will still move.

4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.

5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.

6. There will still be singing of praise to God.

7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.

8. There will still be room at the Cross.

9. Jesus will still love you.

10. Jesus will still save the lost. God whispers in your soul and speaks to your mind. Sometimes when you don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at you. It's your choice: Listen to the whisper, or wait for the brick.

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.

"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat." Richard Eastman

Do your best, bring out the best in others,

Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,

tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

The Christmas Scout

2007-12-27T14:02:00.000+11:00

In spite of the fun and laughter, 13-year-old Frank Wilson was not happy. It was true he had received all the presents he wanted. And he enjoyed the traditional Christmas Eve reunions with relatives for the purpose of exchanging gifts and good wishes. But, Frank was not happy because this was his first Christmas without his brother, Steve, who during the year, had been killed by a reckless driver. Frank missed his brother and the close companionship they had together. Frank said good-bye to his relatives and explained to his parents that he was leaving a little early to see a friend; and from there he could walk home. Since it was cold outside, Frank put on his new plaid jacket. It was his FAVORITE gift. He placed the other presents on his new sled. Then Frank headed out, hoping to find the patrol leader of his Boy Scout troop. Frank always felt understood by him. Though rich in wisdom, he lived in the Flats, the section of town where most of the poor lived, and his patrol leader did odd jobs to help support his family. To Frank's disappointment, his friend was not at home.

As Frank hiked down the street toward home, he caught glimpses of trees and decorations in many of the small houses. Then, through one front window, he glimpsed a shabby room with limp stockings hanging over an empty fireplace. A woman was seated nearby... weeping. The stockings reminded him of the way he and his brother had always hung theirs side by side. The next morning, they would be bursting with presents. A sudden thought struck Frank, he had not done his "good deed" for the day. Before the impulse passed, he knocked on the door. "Yes?" the sad voice of the woman asked. "May I come in?" asked Frank. "You are very welcome," she said, seeing his sled full of gifts, and assuming he was making a collection, "but I have no food or gifts for you. I have nothing for my own children." "That's not why I am here," Frank replied. "Please choose whatever presents you would like for your children from the sled." "Why, God bless you!" the amazed woman answered gratefully. She selected some candies, a game, the toy airplane and a puzzle. When she took the Scout flashlight, Frank almost cried out. Finally, the stockings were full. "Won't you tell me your name?" she asked, as Frank was leaving. "Just call me the Christmas Scout," he replied.

The visit left Frank touched, and with an unexpected flicker of joy in his heart. He understood that his sorrow was not the only sorrow in the world. Before he left the Flats, he had given away the remainder of his gifts. The plaid jacket had gone to a shivering boy. Now Frank trudged homeward, cold and uneasy. How could he explain to his parents that he had given his presents away? "Where are your presents, son?" asked his father as Frank entered the house. Frank answered, "I gave them away." "The airplane from Aunt Susan? Your coat from Grandma? Your flashlight? We thought you were happy with your gifts." "I was... very happy," the boy answered quietly. "But Frank, how could you be so impulsive?" his mother asked. "How will we explain to the relatives who spent so much time and gave so much love shopping for you?" His father was firm. "You made your choice, Frank. We cannot afford any more presents." With his brother gone, and his family disappointed in him, Frank suddenly felt dreadfully alone. He had not expected a reward for his generosity, for he knew that a good deed always should be its own reward. It would be tarnished otherwise. So he did not want his gifts back; however he wondered if he would ever again truly recapture joy in his life. He thought he had this evening, but it had been fleeting. Frank thought of his brother, and sobbed himself to sleep. The next morning, he came downstairs to find his parents listening to Christmas music on the radio. Then the announcer spoke: "Merry Christmas, everybody! The nicest Christmas story we have this morning comes from the Flats. A crippled boy down there has a new sled this morning, another youngster has a fine plaid jacket, and several families report that their children were made happy last night by gifts from a teenage boy who simply called himself the Christmas Scout. No one could identify him, but the children of the Flats claim that the Christmas Scout was a personal representative of old Santa Claus himself."

Frank felt his father's arms go around his shoulders, and he saw his mother smiling through her tears. "Why didn't you tell us? We didn't understand. We are so proud of you, son." The carols came over the air again filling the room with music: "...Praises sing to God the King, and peace to men on Earth." The Christmas Scout's sacrifice gives us a little peek at the sacrifice of the Father when He gave up His Best, His Son to be born to die to pay for our sins on the cross, to save His needy people from their sinful poverty of righteousness. "I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive'." Acts 20:35 "But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." Matthew 6:3-4 (NIV)

By: Sam Bogan

gabriel wenyika

TWO BABES IN A MANGER

2007-12-21T21:14:00.001+11:00

TWO BABES IN A MANGER

In 1994, two Americans answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics (based on biblical principles) in the Russian public schools. They were invited to teach at prisons, businesses, the fire and police departments and a large orphanage. About 100 boys and girls who had been abandoned, abused, and left in the care of a government-run program were in the orphanage.

They relate the following story in their own words: It was nearing the holiday season, 1994, time for our orphans to hear, for the first time, the traditional story of Christmas. We told them about Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room in the inn, the couple went to a stable, where the baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger. Throughout the story, the children and orphanage staff sat in amazement as they listened. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word. Completing the story, we gave the children three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manger. Each child was given a small paper square, cut from yellow napkins I had brought with me. No colored paper was available in the city. Following instructions, the children tore the paper and carefully laid strips in the manger for straw. Small squares of flannel (cut from a worn-out nightgown an American lady was throwing away as she left Russia ), were used for the baby's blanket. A doll- like baby was cut from tan felt we had brought from the United States.

The orphans were busy assembling their manger as I walked among them to see if they needed any help. All went well until I got to one table where little Misha sat. He looked to be about 6-years-old and had finished his project. As I looked at the little boy's manger, I was startled to see not one, but two babies in the manger. Quickly, I called for the translator to ask the lad why there were two babies in the manger. Crossing his arms in front of him and looking at this completed ma nger scene, the child began to repeat the story very seriously. For such a young boy, who had only heard the Christmas story once, he related the happenings accurately -- until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger. Then Misha started to ad-lib. He made up his own ending to the story as he said, "And when Mary laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay. I told him I have no mamma and I have no papa, so I don't have any place to stay. Then Jesus told me I could stay with Him. But I told him I couldn't, because I didn't have a gift to give Him like everybody else did. But I wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. I thought maybe if I kept Him warm, that would be a good gift." So I asked Jesus, 'If I keep You warm, will that be a good enough gift?' And Jesus told me, 'If you keep Me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever gave Me.' So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and He told me I could stay with Him' -- for always."

As little Misha finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed. The little orphan had found someone who would never abandon nor abuse him, someone who would stay with him -- for always. And the Americans? They had learned the lesson they had come there to teach -- that it is not what you have in your life, but Who you have in your life that really counts. We all should give thanks for the people that "keep us"- in life - and for all of God's many blessings to us: freedom from want, life, love, togetherness, and for the enduring love of Jesus Christ, the one person who keeps us warm and safe for always.

gabriel wenyika

Enlarging Your Territory

2007-11-29T14:07:00.000+11:00

Enlarging Your Territory

by Os Hillman ...

"Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my territory!...."

- 1 Chronicles 4:10

He is mentioned only once in a brief description in the Old Testament, yet what he says and what his life bespeaks could fill volumes. He was a man whom God saw as worthy of a request that had significant consequences for him and his family. His name was Jabez. Here is how the Scripture describes him: Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I gave birth to him in pain." Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let Your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request (1 Chronicles 4:9-10).

When you think of territory, you probably think of land or some area in which you have dominion. Jesus often spoke about giving responsibility based on what we do with the little things first. Jabez must have been a very responsible person. God describes him as honorable. Jabez must have understood what it really means to be blessed by God. He was a man who knew what it meant to press into God and ask for God's favor with passion. God saw the heart of this man and gave him his request. His borders were enlarged! He lived a life free from pain. Imagine that! The only reason God will enlarge a person's territory is that He knows that person will use it responsibly. He will steward what is given in light of God's Kingdom.

God truly wants to increase our territory to have greater influence in the world around us. That territory can mean personal influence and/or physical territories. It is rare to have a life without pain. Pain is often necessary to mold us and shape us. This is the only exception I have seen in Scripture. Jabez must have been quite a man with incredible integrity and purity of heart. Are you this kind of person? Can God enlarge your territory and entrust you to use it for His purposes? Ask God today to enlarge your territory. Ask Him to make you the kind of man or woman who is worthy of such trust.

Don't stop making pancakes

2007-11-09T11:27:00.000+11:00

Six -year-old Brandon decided one Saturday morning to fix his parents pancakes He found a big bowl and spoon, pulled a chair to the counter, opened the cupboard and pulled out the heavy flour canister, spilling it on the floor. He scooped some of the flour into the bowl with his hands, mixed in most of a cup of milk and added some sugar, leaving a floury trail on the floor which by now had a few tracks left by his kitten.

Brandon was covered with flour and getting frustrated. He wanted this to be something very good for Mom and Dad, but it was getting very bad. He didn't know what to do next, whether to put it all into the oven or on the stove and he didn't know how the stove worked. Suddenly he saw his kitten licking from the bowl of mix and reached to push her away, knocking the egg carton to the floor.

Frantically he tried to clean up this monumental mess but slipped on the eggs, getting his pajamas white and sticky. And just then he saw Dad standing at the door. Big crocodile tears welled up in Brandon's eyes. All he'd wanted to do was something good, but he'd made a terrible mess. He was sure a scolding was coming, maybe even a spanking. But his father just watched him. Then, walking through the mess, he picked up his crying son, hugged him and loved him, getting his own pajamas white and sticky in the process.

That's how God deals with us... We try to do something good in life, but it turns into a mess. Our marriage gets all sticky or we insult a friend, or we can't stand our job, or our health goes sour. Sometimes we just stand there in tears because we can't think of anything else to do. That's when God picks us up and loves us and forgives us, even though some of our mess gets all over Him. But just because we might mess up, we can't stop trying to "make pancakes" for God or for others. Sooner or later we'll get it right, and then they'll be glad we tried...

I was thinking and I wondered if I had any wounds needing to be healed, friendships that need rekindling or three words needing to be said, sometimes, "I love you" can heal & bless! Remind every one of your friends that you love them. Even if you think they don't love back, you would be amazed at what those three little words, a smile, and a reminder like this can do.

In HIM always

gabriel wenyika

Ps......Just in case I haven't told you lately... I LOVE YA!!!

I Have a Choice

2007-11-05T14:16:00.000+11:00

"I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life" (Deuteronomy 30:19).

More than you or I would ever like to admit, we are where we are in life because of the choices we've made. Every step forward has been because of a good choice and every step backward has been because of a bad choice. It's traceable through our individual lives as well as through history. In fact, all of God's Word is a story of people's choices.

Go all the way back to the beginning. God made Adam and Eve and put them in a garden. Most of the options they had were premium-"Do I want cantaloupe or grapes? Will I go for a walk or a swim?" Except for one. Right in the center of Eden, God placed a tree that served as a monument to the power of choice. He told them, "Everything in the garden is awesome. Enjoy it all-except the fruit of this one tree." And what did they do? They chose wrong and ate it anyway, and we've been spiraling from the consequences ever since.

Flip a couple more pages in the Bible and people are still choosing.

Adam and Eve's son Cain was out of control. He killed his brother and claimed the devil made him do it (Genesis 4).
Noah chose well even when everyone else opted for the B track. For decades, he delivered the severe weather forecasts in spite of no one believing him. When the rain came, those same people hammered on the ark walls and cried, "Open up! We want to chose differently!" But the time for choosing was over (Genesis 6).

Eli wreaked havoc when he didn't disciple his sons. He could have, should have, chose not to (1 Samuel 2).

King Saul's whole life was a train wreck of twisted choices (1 Samuel 18-19).
And Samson played the tragic lead in his own Old Testament soap opera (Judges 14-16).
All of God's Word is a diary of choices. Get back to this reality in your life too. Your choices determine much of your life's joy or pain.

"But James," you might say, "you don't know my story. You don't know where I've come from or how hard it's been."

You're right, I do care, and I don't know-but God does. He knows you intimately. He feels your deepest hurt. He understands your pain.

He also wants you to be free of it. He has bigger plans for you. Acknowledging your capacity to choose is where that begins. Good things come from good choices. Bad things come from bad choices-no matter your circumstance.

God can accomplish awesome things into your life when you stand on the "I choose" square. Joshua told the children of Israel (who were suffering from a string of bad choices) "For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. . . . I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life . . . loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life" (Deuteronomy 30:11,19-20).
You can choose to get to a better place with God before the day is over. You can regain ground lost from past mistakes. You can press on to experience the amazing blessings God has hand-picked for you. Already I know that some of you are pulling this to your heart. I also know that others read this and go, "Nah."

See, it comes back around to choices.

LORD, PROP US UP

2007-10-16T11:44:00.000+10:00

LORD, PROP US UP

author unknown

Every time I am asked to pray, I think of the old deacon who always prayed, 'Lord, prop us up on our leanin' side.' After hearing him pray that prayer many times, someone asked him why he prayed that prayer so fervently. He answered, 'Well sir, you see, it's like this....I got an old barn out back. It's been there a long time, it's withstood a lot of weather, it's gone through a lot of storms, and it's stood for many years. It's still standing, but one day I noticed it was leaning to one side a bit. So I went and got some pine poles and propped it up on its leaning side so it wouldn't fall.

Then I got to thinking 'bout that and how much I was like that old barn. I've been around a long time, I've withstood a lot of life's storms, I've withstood a lot of bad weather in life, I've withstood a lot of hard times, and I'm still standing too. But I find myself leaning to one side from time to time, so I like to ask the Lord to prop us up on our leaning side, 'cause I figure a lot of us get to leaning, at times.' Sometime we get to leaning toward anger, leaning toward bitterness, leaning toward hatred, leaning toward cussing, leaning toward a lot of things that we shouldn't, so we need to pray, 'Lord, prop us up on our leaning side,' so we will stand straight and tall again, to glorify the Lord.

The Empty Bird Cage

2007-10-16T11:25:00.000+10:00

There once was a man named George Thomas, a pastor in a small New England town. One Easter Sunday morning, he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Several eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak. "I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright. I stopped the lad and asked, " What you got there son?" "Just some old birds," came the reply. "What are you gonna do with them?" I asked. "Take 'em home and have fun with 'em," he answered. "I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good time." "But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do then?" "Oh, I got some cats," said the little boy. "They like birds. I'll take 'em to them."

The pastor was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those birds, son?" "Huh? Why, you don't want them birds, mister. They're just plain old field birds. They don't sing and they ain't even pretty!" "How much?" the pastor asked again. The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, "$10." The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten-dollar bill. He placed it in the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone. The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free. Well, that explained the empty birdcage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story.

"One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. "Yes, sir, I just caught the world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!" "What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked. Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!" "And what will you do when you get done with them?" Jesus asked. "Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan glared proudly. "How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked. Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you!! You don't want those people!! "How much?" He asked again. Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your tears, and all your blood." Jesus said, "DONE!" Then He paid the price.

The pastor picked up the cage, he opened the door, and he walked from the pulpit. The price has been paid. The cage you are in is your sin. The door is open but Satan has placed a delusion in your mind, blinding you to the open door. All it takes to gain freedom is to believe that Jesus paid it all, accept his payment for you, and walk through the door. He wants you to. Do it now, don't delay, all there is between you and eternity is a single breath. If you don't know Jesus Christ as Saviour your feet dangle over an eternity in a Godless pit called hell. God doesn't want you to go there, He made a way, He sacrificed His only begotten Son for you. The price has been paid.

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity. "In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat." Richard Eastman

Do your best, bring out the best in others,

Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,

tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

Push.

2007-08-30T10:17:00.000+10:00

Every generation must be INNOVATIVE...Every generation must EXPERIENCE, for themselves the power of God. For a generation to be truly called one of destiny it takes sacrifice and p r a y e r .To each person born, God unequivocally gives a destiny. The Enemy will do anything to stop prayer. Why? Because it is explosive! It is prayer that will spark the change and move a generation to turn the world upside down I believe that this is possible. I believe we can develop a generation that will achieve their destiny in God. That group of people can rise to become a force that could shape Zimbabwe ... and the world. It starts with one, one person choosing to chase after God. It starts with you!!

This is why this I have put together this devotional from a number of different sources so as to uplift your spirit. I want to encourage you to make it a point that you do not miss a the next few editions of this newletter coz I can promise you that it will not leave you praying the same. What you will read over the next few weeks is taken from a book called 'Awakening Cry' by Pete Greig It is my hope that more and more people will come to understand what prayer really is. Prayer is not just the christen duty. It’s God’s Mission stations where people gather to train, become infectious in prayer and get catapulted out and become contagious with the gospel. Not only do we become more effective intercessors because we are walking closer to God, but we are also sensitised to the needs of those who don't know Jesus as we pray persistently for their salvation. I do not want to say much on the first day so I will leave with a short story about the power of prayer.

Just PUSH
A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light, and God appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. So, this the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down; his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all of his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.
Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary (Satan) decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the weary mind: "you have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn't moved." Thus, giving the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man. "Why kill myself over this?" he thought. "I'll just put in my time, giving just the minimum effort; and that will be good enough." And that is what he planned to do, until one day he decided to make it a matter of prayer and take his troubled thoughts to the Lord. "Lord," he said, I have laboured long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimetre. What is wrong? Why am I failing? The Lord responded compassionately, "My friend, when I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all of your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to Me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown, your hands are callused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. Yet you haven't moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. This you have done. Now I, My friend, will now move the rock."

The times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is just simple obedience and faith in Him. By all means, exercise the faith that moves mountains, but know that it is still God who moves mountains. When everything seems to go wrong ... just P.U.S.H.! When the job gets you down ... just P.U.S.H.! When people don't react the way you think they should... just P.U.S.H.! When your money looks gone" and the bills are due ...just P.U .S.H! When people just don't understand you ... just P.U.S.H.! P= Pray U= Until S= Something H=Happens Pass this on to all the loved ones and friends who may need it, they may get it just in time.

In Him always
Gabriel Wenyika

2007-08-21T09:37:00.001+10:00

Anyone who know me well as probably heard me tell this story over a million times. Why? Well maybe it’s the great story line or the vivid illustrations or even the wonderful character development……or maybe it’s just the simply truth it teaches all of us about God. I think that’s it. It’s a simply truth and one that we don’t here enough of in churches all across the world coz of fear. Fear of sounding too radical, of sounding a little ‘way out there’, fear of what people, both inside and outside the church would say or think. And the age old fear of being labelled a Jesus Freak. Well I don’t care about all that. The simply truth is God does still talk to His people in ways that can only live us breathless. He hungrys to met with us every day and in every way. Be blessed.

A young man had been to Wed. night Bible study. The pastor had shared about listening to God and obeying the Lord's voice. The young man couldn't help but wonder does God still speak to people? After service, he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and they discussed the message. Several different ones talked about how God had led them in different ways. It was about ten o'clock when the young man started driving home. Sitting in his car, he just began to pray, ""God...If you still speak to people speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey. As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought to stop and buy a gallon of milk. He shook his head and said out loud, ""God is that you? He didn't get a reply and started on toward home. But again, that thought, “buy a gallon of milk.” The young man thought about Samuel and how he didn't recognize the voice of God, and how little Samuel ran to Eli. ""Okay, God, in case that is you, I will buy the milk.""It didn't seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home. As he passed Seventh Street, he again felt the urge," Turn down that street. "This is crazy he thought and drove on past the intersection." Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street. At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh. Half jokingly, he said out loud, "Okay, God I will." He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop. He pulled over the curb and looked around. He was in a semi-commercial area of town. It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed.

Again, he sensed something, "Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street." The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat. "Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid." Again, he felt like he should go and give them the milk. Finally, he opened the door. "Okay God, if this is you, I will go to the door, and I will give them the milk. If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess that will count for something but if they don't answer right away, I am out of here." He walked across the street and rang the bell. He could hear some noise inside. A man's voice yelled out, "Who is it? What do you want?" Then the door opened before the young man could get away. The man was standing there in his jeans and a t-shirt. He looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn't seem too happy to have a stranger standing on his doorstep. "What is it?" The young man thrust out the gallon of milk. "Here I brought this to you." The man took the milk and rushed down the hallway, speaking loudly in Spanish. Then from down the hall came woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen. The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down his face. The man began speaking and half-crying, "We were just praying. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking God to show me how to get some milk." His wife, in the kitchen yelled out, "I asked him to send an Angel with some milk. Are you an Angel?"" The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put it in the man's hand. He turned and walked back toward his car and the tears were streaming down his face. He knew that God still answers prayers.

"Stop telling God how big your storm is. Instead, tell the storm how big your God is."

In HIM always

gabriel wenyika

Death

2007-08-15T11:30:00.000+10:00

I have a lasting image of a little boy who died in my aims a few years ago. I don’t talk about it much but the lifeless body of this little boy and the ever echoing cry of his mother, at the road side still haunts my deepest thoughts.

I have never been comfortable with death and I still wince at the sight of a coffin, even an empty one. I remember when my mom died; it took me a long time to “feel at home” in our house coz I knew she had died there. It happened on a Tuesday morning back in 1999. My aunt came in to the room my brother and I shared for most if not all our childhood, and told us in the calmest of voices that our mother had passed. The next few days seemed to just fade by and all of sudden I was being asked by the undertaker if I wanted to view the body before they closed the coffin for the last time. I was so scared I run away and sat in the car for the longest time.

Now here I was face to face with death and this time I could not run away. As I forced myself to gaze on the lifeless boy in my arms who I had tried so hard to save I was taken aback. I realised that this was not the same boy I had been working on a few moments ago. Oh, please understand, it was his body but the life, the soul and spirit of the 12year old boy I had seen not to long ago running and playing with his friends that cold October morning while on his way to school was gone from the moment he hit the ground after the car that hit him had thrown him meters into the air. This was not the same child. It was an empty shell, a relic at best of a life gone by. He was gone

Jesus, on the other hand, didn’t seem to grasp the finality of death. Sometimes he would just walk up and tell corpses to wake up! One time an anxious father begged Him to come and heal his daughter but by the time He arrived she had died and the house was filled with mourners. “Stop wailing,” He said. “She is not died, but asleep.” But sure enough, with their cynical laughter still ringing in his ears, He ‘woke’ the little girl and suggested she had a snack. Another time, He caught sight of a funeral procession of the only son of a widow and his ‘heart went out to her.’ So he strolled up to the coffin, told the son to ‘get up’ and to everyone’s amazement, the young man did just that.

What does this all mean? Well, maybe this last story will help. In the nineteenth century a tourist visited the famous Polish rabbi Hafez Hayyim. The traveller was astonished to see that the rabbi’s home was only a simply room filled with books and his only furniture was a table and a bench.
“Rabbi, where is your furniture?” asked the tourist.
“Where is yours?” replied Hafez
“Mine? But I am only a visitor here.”
“So am I.” said the rabbi

Death, however final it may seem is not the end. Keep in mind that we are but travellers here in this brief moment in time. Take solace in this; that we are foreigners and strangers on the earth looking for a country of our own; a better country, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called our God, for he has prepared a city for us. All these people are still living by faith, my mother, that little boy, your aunt, our friend, and countless others ~ far too many to mention. Therefore since we have such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off all that hinders us and run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus the pioneer and perfector of our faith.

Where, O death is your victory?
Where, O death is your sting?
Where, O grave is your destruction?
For He will deliver us from the power of the grave

by,

gabriel wenyika

The Red Leaf

2007-08-07T14:21:00.000+10:00

A man that was "big game" hunting in an unfamiliar land, was crouched low, waiting for his prized moment to shoot. He heard a 'rustling' behind him. He looked, but saw nothing so he resumed his position, waiting. He heard it again. As he looked in another angle, he noticed the commotion was coming from a tree very near him. He spied a large snake slowly making its way to a nest, high up in a tree. The mama bird was frantically fluttering her wings while chirping, trying to 'scare' the snake away. Not working, and seeing it was too close to her, she left her nest.

The hunter sat there, watching, knowing the sure outcome of these little birds, when he noticed the mama bird making a quick dash back to her nest. She was holding a red leaf in her beak, she dropped it atop her nest, and flew away to a nearby branch, watching. The hunter thought on this action that this little creature took, so puzzled by it, he thought, surely the bird was maybe trying to "hide" her chicks. He thought in his mind, not a chance! That snake has "zeroed -in" on his prey. Then the hunter witnessed something very perplexing.....strange. Just as the snake came up to the tip of the nest, he turned and began his journey back down the limb and then off the tree.

The hunter could not figure this out at all until he came to one of the natives later that night. The native asked him if he had any "luck" today, during his hunt. The hunter replied, "I didn't, but a little bird did"...as he began to relay to the native about what he saw, the native told him that it was a poisonous leaf that she dropped in the nest. Highly poisonous to the snake, they "just know" NOT to TOUCH it!!!!!

The Bible says that God sees the’sparrows’. If He provided a certain leaf that is offensive to this snake, thus by it her young were not devoured. I ask you……..HOW MUCH MORE pleading the BLOOD of JESUS over our kids, to keep them from being devoured by our Enemy? The BLOOD of JESUS is an OFFENSE to him!

gabriel wenyika

POLITENESS

2007-07-26T09:32:00.000+10:00

The story is told of two polite people who are having dinner together. On the table there is a dish with one big piece of fish and one small piece of fish. They politely say to each other: "You may choose first."
"No, you may choose first."
This goes on for a while. Then the first person says, "OK, I'll take first." And he takes the BIG piece of fish.
The second person says, "Why did you take the big piece? That's not polite!"
The first person says, "Which piece would *you* have taken?" The second person replies, "Why, I would have taken the SMALL piece, of course." The first person says, "Well, that's what you have now!"
New Collegiate Dictionary defines a polite person as someone who is "marked by an appearance of consideration, tact, deference, or courtesy." The quality of politeness is one which seems to be disappearing in our society. As I grew up, I was taught to say, "Yes, ma'am" and "Yes, sir", terms not often heard by young people today. Even the words "please" and "thank you" are not used as often as they should be.
Some might say that politeness is a "small" thing, and it is, but that doesn't mean it is insignificant. Politeness is a lot like salt -- you don't always pay attention to it when it is present, but it is very obvious that something is lacking when it is absent. Of all people, Christians should be most polite because politeness is a characteristic of agape love.

"Remind the believers to....be ready to do good, to speak no evil about anyone, to live in peace, and to be gentle and polite to all people." (Titus 3:1-2, NCV)

"[Love] does not behave rudely." (I Cor. 13:5a)
Make an effort today to see that the love you show to others around you includes the quality of politeness.

by.

Alan Smith

Helen Street Church of Christ,

Fayetteville, North Carolina

Can We Live Sin Free?

2007-07-24T20:09:00.000+10:00

1 Peter 4:1 says, "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin." In recent meetings I have been asking congregations if we can live a sin free life? The response is usually silence! Some say yes while others say no, but the general response is mostly "We're not sure?" The purpose of the question is to challenge people to examine a "sin free" possibility and to ask themselves why they do sin. No one ever commits a sin without first deciding to do so. All sin requires a decision to be made on our part before the sinful action takes place. Actually, the reason that people sin is because we want to sin! Most of us won't admit that, but it is true.

The scripture we quoted from 1 Peter 4:1 tells us that people sin because they are unwilling to "suffer in the flesh." We like our comfort too much. Let me explain. When we are tempted to sin, we are being drawn away by the lust of our flesh. In short, our flesh desires something that we should not do! At that point, a battle usually follows. "After all, that guy just cut me off in traffic and he deserves to be cussed out! Maybe I can get him at the next stop light!" Our flesh really wants to get back at this guy, but the Word says to walk in love! If I decide to walk in love, my flesh is going to "suffer". It suffers because I am resisting the desire to sin. It's much like the suffering an athlete does when training for competition. Training is tough, hard work on the body, but it pays off in the end! Hebrews 5:14 tells us that through practice, we can develop our senses (flesh) to actually resist sin's attempts to knock us off course! Training camp is not always easy, but it's rewards are worth the effort! Be blessed!

For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.

"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat." Richard Eastman

gabriel wenyika

2007-07-24T10:20:00.000+10:00

A few years ago, at the Seattle Special Olympics, nine
contestants, all physically or mentally disabled, assembled at
the
starting line for the 100-yard dash.
At the gun, they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but a
relish
to
run the race to the finish and win. All, that is, except one
little
boy who stumbled on the asphalt, tumbled over a couple of times,
and began to cry. The other eight heard the boy cry. They slowed down
and
looked back. Then they all turned around and went back......every
one
of
them.
One girl with Down's Syndrome bent down and kissed him and
said, "This will make it better." Then all nine linked arms and
walked together to the finish line.
Everyone in the stadium stood, and the cheering went on for
several minutes.
People who were there are still telling the story.
Why? Because deep down we know this one thing: What matters in
This life is more than winning for ourselves. What matters in
this life is helping others win, even if it means slowing down and
changing our course.

2007-07-21T20:15:00.000+10:00

Too many people sit on the sidelines of life waiting for the great opportunity or the chance of a lifetime. We seldom realize that while we are waiting, we are missing the small opportunities to make a difference that surround us in our everyday life. For example, you can pick up the garbage on a street that you travel often, help someone carry their groceries to their car, or offer to help a child read a book. Of course, this list could go on and on. Your small action could make all the difference in the world to someone and you may never know it. Don’t sit around and wait for the BIG CHANCE because you never know…one of those small opportunities might turn into the next chance of a lifetime.

I'm having second thoughts about Jesus...

2007-07-21T18:09:00.000+10:00

Got an email from a friend of mine the other day that i just have to share with you all coz it's soooooo powerful. it's just to deep for words so i'll just paste it here as is coz it's just that good. Hope you are blessed.....

Hey ya'll... hope that the right people read this note and that it can bring some hope to some really dark situations we sometimes as christians find ourselves in. I mean I'm gonna say some real livewire facts that I really feel God has shoved on my heart in order to help someone who might be in a place that I was in not too long ago.See before I came over to the states I was under the impression that the whole world was just like Zim. To be honest zim is like a small American town where everyone is kinda shelterd.. Especially in church, everyone knows everything about everyone which is a good thing and a bad thing. Good thing is that when you're in Zim you can''t really jam with God because everyone is kinda watching you. I know cause I was there... If you went to the clubhizo owns would check you out no matter what and if you missed church for 2 weeks people would know something was cutting! Then when you leave Zim it seems as though nobody knows, but God still knows. You know that kinda shelter.. The bad thing is if you are like me and you were not doing what your lil heart wanted you to do, not because you love God but because you were mindful of what your hommies and your pastor were gonna say then I know you hit a brick when you left Zim. You eesed as guy's would say, saw fire. You know what I mean.

A wise friend of mine said to me the other day "overseas really is the land of opportunity, but not every opportunity is a good one" That's true.. Everything that was in the back of your mind before you left Zim kinda rose to the surface when you got here hey. Some it took 3 weeks and some it took 3 months even years but it still popped up. I know Im speaking to someone.I don't know who's going to read this but I know the little headline will at least get you to read a lil bit, and if you've gone this far and your relationship with Jesus is crumbling everyday then don't stop.. Cause He wants you back, just like He wanted me back just like He's been doing with a span of owns all around the world who left Zim. I listened to this song "Saviour King" and in the one line it says "now the lost be welcomed home, by the saved and redeemed those adopted as your own".. that's the live. Owns back home are waiting for you to turn to Him, lighties who looked up to ya'll, parents who urged thier kids to be like you, Pastors who prayed over you as you left.. all those dudes all know and are all waiting! It could be anything telling you that you can't go back to God, for me it was how could you ever go back to God after what you've done, for you it could be a lil whisper in your ear saying that you're not good enough anymore( it says in the bible that we never were) or saying there's no church like your church where you are so you can't even try. Well God is God and He is good and he is faithful.. FOREVER! Or maybe it's the deception that I'm fine without Him.. I ask you to remeber the days you couldn't go without Him. If you ask Him to take back that spot in your heart He will in a single beat. He's waiting with open arms! You might even be saying ay man this isn't me..

Well i got three questions for you and answer honestly. Are you sinning habitually? When was the last time you prayed for real? What is high on your priority list of things to do this weekend? I don't have to tell you where you stand after these questions. I'm not trying to make you feel wack and spoil your party I'm trying to tell you that life is not a party.IF YOU KNOW ME YOU'LL KNOW THAT THIS IS FOR REAL... I'm not some fake dude it's Rob... I know the gwan. So God put this on my heart cause I went through a span of wack situations where I just decided to forget about Him until He had to come and swoop me from the jaws of death. i'll leave you with this... You can't half believe in Him cause that's not enough, you can't ignore Him cause you're only making the devil's voice louder in your life and you can't lie to Him cause He knows your heart cause he already knows where you are. I pray for all of those away from home physically and spiritually and those at home too that you get a hold of God and you run with Him like you've never run with Him before!

Todays your day now is your time.. Kick satan in the nads and do it! Gun him cause he's tryna kill you. So you look at the top of this note and say rob, bobby, chief, twiggs, chief robert hokoyo... If He rescued you why are YOU having second thought's about Jesus??? I'll answer and say because EVERY SECOND THOUGHT I HAVE IS ABOUT JESUS. I pray yours is too. God bless you for reading this and taking the time out.love Robert Itai

He's Coming Back

2007-06-05T20:28:00.000+10:00

Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection? The Gospel of John 20:7 tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin.

John 20:1 Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 2 She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, "They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and I don't know where they have put him!" 3 Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. 4 The other disciple outran Peter and got there first. 5 He stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in. 6 Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, 7 while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying to the side.

Is that important? Absolutely! Is it really significant? Yes!

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition. When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished. Now if the master was done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, "I'm done". But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because the servant knew that the folded napkin meant, "I'm not finished yet." The folded napkin meant, "I'm coming back!"

HE IS COMING BACK!

Prisoners of Hope

2007-05-25T10:19:00.000+10:00

Prisoners of Hope

by Victoria Boyson www.boyson.org

There are times during the birth of yourdestiny that you feel as though you would like to give up hope, but God will notlet you. It feels as though you are held captive by hope.

"Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope…" Zechariah9:1

There are times during the development of your dream whenyour hope seems to have turned into a prison. You cannot make your dreamscome true, and you find it impossible to stop believing in them. Youcannot go forward any faster than God will let you, and you cannot return towhere you once were before you became pregnant with the promise from God.God will not let you give up! During this time you might feel like saying,"Okay God, this is enough! I don't want to hope anymore! I am tiredofbeing pregnant with this promise! I want out of this prison of hope!"Itisduring this time that your dream feels so real to you, yet to others they arenot. The conflict between what you feel in the Spirit and what is evidentin the natural grates at your soul. You feel much like you are on a Ferriswheel. You have your up times when you can see your dream's fulfillmentfar into the future, but you also have your down time when you cannot seeanything. You think to yourself, "Am I crazy to think that God could useme?" The enemy comes in like a flood and you begin to doubt, causinganguish to your soul. This is the time when God is doing His greatest workin you.It is

Because He Loves You

You feel as though you are ready for your destiny, but onceagain God directs you back to the refinery for more tweaking. Oh how weary youare of the awful refinery and that seemingly endless tweaking. "Okay God, youcan stop now", you scream. But He does not stop. You are caught in a prison ofhope and He will not letyou out until He is finished with what He began inyou. It is like a childwho has a sliver. They do not like the pain thesliver causes them, butthey hate the misery of having that sliver takenout. Getting the sliverout is important, but they do not necessarilyunderstand that. Even ifthey did, it is hard to keep still while it isbeing pulled out. Well, weall have spiritual slivers that we need God totake out, and sometimes it reallyhurts, especially when the sliver is waydown deep in your heart.This is whenthe refining process REALLY hurts,because He is getting down to the very coreof your soul, to the deepregions of your heart. He is developing thingsin you that you did not evenknow that you lacked; things you did not even knowthat you needed. Youthink, "Okay God, this is deep enough." Butevery builder knows you must digdown deep to lay a proper foundation first,before you start to buildupward. And the greater the height of thestructure, the deeper thefoundation must be.It is because God loves us that Hewill not allow us toenter our destiny until our foundation is secure. IfHe has held you backand you feel like a prisoner, He has done it out of lovefor you. He doesnot want to see all that He has worked to build in youcrumble, because Hedid not take the time to develop a sure foundation. Heloves you thatmuch!Even though it hurts you, He needs to hold you in the prisoncell ofhope until it is safe for you to come out. Even though you aresick andtired of hoping, of believing, of waiting; He will still make you hope,believe and wait even longer. And this can be the hardest thing He hasasked you to do yet. But when you feel like giving up, but continue tocarry on, you begin to sense a strength rising in you that you did not knowyoupossessed. And really you did not possess it previously, because it wasyour reward for enduring this painful process. It is a gift from God thattheenemy cannot take away from you, because you have earned it.

Held Captive by Hope.

In the word of God we can find many people who have been heldcaptive by hope. For examples there are Moses, Joseph, and Abraham. But I thinkmy favorite is David. It is his honesty in the face of misery that attracts meto him.God had promised David the Kingdom of Israel, and Samuel had anointed himfor it (1 Samuel 16:13). But after he had been anointed as king of all Israel hehad to go back to tending the sheep. It was many years before the promise evercame to pass for David, and he spent many of those years being chased by the manwhose throne he wouldinherit. I am sure he never dreamed, back in thepasture on his father'sfarm, that he would have to hide out in caves orthat he would pretend to be acrazy man in order to save his life. Afterall, God said he was going tobe a king. A king does not have to do thingslike that does he?In Psalms119:82, David cries out to God in song and says,"My eyes fail looking for yourpromise." I can relate to that. It feelssometimes as though thepromise will never be fulfilled. But in fact, it wasfulfilled for Davidand it will be for you too, if you do not giveup.

Hopeless, No. Helpless, Yes!

Do you feel sometimes as though you are hopeless? Well, youare notwithout hope, you are not hopeless, but helpless. God has put you inaposition of helplessness or complete dependency on Him and you arehelpless tohelp yourself. You struggle to gain back some measure of controlover yourlife. But your pride (that you did not even know that you had) isbeingcrushed, and the only thing for you to do is to surrender. You mayfeelhopeless, but really it is the condition of helplessness that iscausing youpain. God wants you completely dependant on Him, and He will keep you a prisonerof hope until you are.

Return to YourFortress

Your fortress is trusting in a loving God. Trusting Him inspite of all the reasoning of your mind; in spite of the circumstances thatsurround you. You were content to give God control of your life until He decidedto do something with your life you did notlike. You were happy to surrenderall to Him, until He decided to giveyour promotion to someone else. Youbelieve in His sovereignty, until Hissovereign will conflicts with yourwill. Then you are sure He has made amistake. You want to run from Him, butHe is your refuge. How do yourun from your refuge? How do you run from theonly one who really lovesyou or understands you? The answer is…you don't.So, return, myfriend, to your fortress and remain a prisoner until He isdone with you;until He decides you are ready for all that He has foryou.What now feels like aprison cell to you, God sees as a fortress. And ofcourse He is right. He loves you and if you give Him control of your life Hewill guard it for you. Perhaps what feels to you like a prison cell, may reallybe your place of safety and protection. David did not like being in a cave, butit saved him from King Saul. You may not like the circumstances you are in now,but do not run from it. It maybe what is saving your life!

Double for Your Trouble

The second half of Zechariah 9:12 gives us theanswer weare looking for. Why are we going through what we are goingthrough? Itsays, "Return to your fortress O prisoners of hope; even now Iannounce thatI will restore twice as much to you." God says, "Even now Iannounce to youthat not only will I restore to you all that has been taken fromyou, but Iwill give you double for all the trouble you have endured." Hesays, "Don'tstop now…keep trusting me, because I can see your future and it isveryblessed. Keep walking with me and keep trusting in me and I will giveyourest. "Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" Matthew 11:28. When we have learned to "rest" in God in the midst of ourstorm,God is mightily blessed. Because it proves to Him that we trust inHisgoodness no matter what our circumstances are. It pleases Him very muchwhen wetrust in Him, and when He is pleased He will burst forth blessingsfromheaven. He just cannot help Himself, He loves to bless those who trustinHis goodness. He, as He did for Israel in Zechariah 9:12, will stand upand announce to all that He is proud of you and intends to restore double toyoufor your continued trust in Him through all you have endured. And thisisthe beginning of your dreams coming true. Enjoy it friend, because youhavewaded through the river of adversity and your heavenly Father is proudofyou.

Return to your fortress O prisoners of hope…

Reformation Message

2007-05-25T05:02:00.000+10:00

A Message From Pastor Tom...

"If Pastor Bonnie and I were to summarize our work in Africa for the last 25 years in one word, that word would be reformation. We saw early on that if the conditions here in Africa were to change, then radical adjustments had to be made in the way that “business” was conducted, not only in the church, but also in business, government, education, medicine and the social sectors.

While the effects of reformation are seen externally, the work of reformation is internal. It requires that people change their way of thinking, then change their way of behaving. We have found that much of our ministry involves changing the way people think so that they can change the way they function. For that reason, the work of reformation is important and exacting.
With that in mind, we want to write a monthly Reformation Report that will not only describe what we are doing, but why we are doing it. We want to enlist you as a fellow reformer because there is much work to be done in Zimbabwe, Africa and the nations of the world. So, watch this space every month!"

http://www.celebrationmin.org

This is hilarious and very clever!

2007-05-15T11:24:00.000+10:00

l got this from a friend of mine and i just had to share it with the world.....enjoy

Why did the chicken cross the road?

§ KINDERGARTEN TEACHER : To get to the other side.

§ PLATO : For the greater good.

§ ARISTOTLE : It is the nature of chickens to cross roads.

§ KARL MARX : It was a historical inevitability.

§ TIMOTHY LEARY : Because that's the only trip the establishmentwould let it take.

§ SADDAM HUSSEIN : This was an unprovoked act of rebellion and wewere justified in dropping 50 tons of nerve gas on it.

§ RONALD REAGAN : I forget.

§ CAPTAIN JAMES T. KIRK : To boldly go where no chicken has gonebefore.

§ ACCENTURE CONSULTANT : Deregulation of the chicken's side ofthe road was threatening its dominant market position. The chicken was faced with significant challenges to create and develop the competenciesrequired for the newly competitive market. Accenture Consulting, in apartnering relationship with the client, helped the chicken by rethinking its physical distribution strategy and implementation processes. Using thePoultry Integration Model (PIM), Accenture helped the chicken use itsskills, methodologies, knowledge, capital and experiences to align the chicken's people, processes and technology in support of its overallstrategy within a Program Management framework. Accenture Consultingconvened a diverse cross-spectrum of road analysts and best chickens along with Accenture consultants with deep skills in the transportation industryto engage in a two-day itinerary of meetings in order to leverage theirpersonal knowledge capital, both tacit and explicit, and to enable them to synergize with each other in order to achieve the implicit goals ofdelivering and successfully architecting and implementing anenterprise-wide value framework across the continuum of poultrycross-median processes. The meeting was held in a park-like setting, enabling and creating an impactful environment which was strategicallybased, industry-focused, and built upon a consistent, clear, and unifiedmarket message and aligned with the chicken's mission, vision, and core values. This was conducive towards the creation of a total businessintegration solution. Accenture Consulting helped the chicken change tobecome more successful.

§ LOUIS FARRAKHAN : The road, you see, represents the black man. The chicken 'crossed' the black man in order to trample him and keep himdown.

§ MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR ..: I envision a world where allchickens will be free to cross roads without having their motives being called into question.

§ FOX MULDER : You saw it cross the road with your own eyes. Howmany more chickens have to cross the road before you believe it?

§ RICHARD M. NIXON : The chicken did not cross the road. I repeat, the chicken did NOT cross the road.

§ MACHIAVELLI : The point is that the chicken crossed the road.Who cares why? The end of crossing the road justifies whatever motivethere was.

§ JERRY SEINFELD : Why does anyone cross a road? I mean, why doesn't anyone ever think to ask, What the heck was this chicken doingwalking around all over the place, anyway?"

§ FREUD : The fact that you are at all concerned that the chickencrossed the road reveals your underlying sexual insecurity.

§ GEORGE W. BUSH (2) : We don't really care why the chickencrossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side ofthe road or not. The chicken is either with us or it is against us. There is no middle ground here.

§ OLIVER STONE : The question is not, "Why did the chicken crossthe road?" Rather, it is, "Who was crossing the road at the same time,whom we overlooked in our haste to observe the chicken crossing?"

§ DARWIN : Chickens, over great periods of time, have beennaturally selected in such a way that they are now genetically disposed tocross roads.

§ EINSTEIN : Whether the chicken crossed the road or the road moved beneath the chicken depends upon your frame of reference.

§ BUDDHA : Asking this question denies your own chicken nature.

§ RALPH WALDO EMERSON : The chicken did not cross the road .. ittranscended it.

§ ERNEST HEMINGWAY : To die. In the rain.

§ RAY MACAULEY : Because the chicken was gay! Isn't it obvious?Can't you people see the plain truth in front of your face? The chicken was going to the "other side." That's what "they" call it, "the otherside." Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And, if you eat that chicken,you will become gay too. I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination that the liberal media whitewashes with seeminglyharmless phrases like "the other side." That chicken should not be free tocross the road. It's as plain and simple as that.

§ DR SEUSS : Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes! The chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed, I've notbeen told!

§ DR NELSON MANDELA : Never again, will the chicken be questionedfor crossing the road. This is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.

§ GRANDPA SIMPSON : In my day, we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Someone told us that the chicken crossed the road, andthat was good enough for us.

§ TONY LEON : People should stop blaming everything on the legacy of the chicken that crossed the road'. The chicken never willingly crossedthe road - the circumstances at that time forced the chicken to cross theroad.

§ THABO MBEKI : We need to establish if really there is a connection between the chicken and the road.

§ BULELANI NCGUKA :You see the chicken is like the " apartheidspy", it never crossed the road and we can set up a commission of inquiryto clear its name!!

§ MOE SHAIK : To prove the "null hypothesis" that is to establishif the egg or the chicken came first. Just wanted to help the Egg vsChicken commision of inquiry.

§ JOHNNY ROTTEN : Because it was stapled to the punk rocker.

§ HANSIE CRONJE : Satan made him do it.

§ ROBERT MUGABE : For all of these years the road has been ownedby the white farmers, the poor underpriveleged chicken has waited too longfor that road to be given to him and now he is crossing it in force with his fellow war veteran chickens. We intend taking over this road andgiving it to the roadless chickens so that they can cross it without fearof retribution from Britain who promised money to institute road reform. We will not stop until all roadless chickens have roads to cross and thefreedom to cross them. We will also return to the Socialist ideal of aroad so that all chickens who live in our country can benefit from the grand ideals which I have decided upon.

§ ISAAC NEWTON : Any chicken in the universe shall always cross aroad perpendicularly to the side of the road, and in an infinitely longstraight line at uniform speed, unless the chicken stops due to an unbalanced reactive force in the opposite direction of the chicken'smotion

§ HEISENBERG : No one will ever know for sure whether he actuallygot to the other side

§ SNOOPY : It was a dark, stormy night. Somewhere in the rain, a chicken crossed a road

§ JULIE ANDREWS : Chick, a cheer, a female cheer ...

§ EUGENE TERREBLANCHE : Die hoender is die Afrikanervolk seerfenis. So ook die straat. En niemand moet dit waag om ons daarvan te beroof nie

§ PW BOTHA : It wasn't the road, it was the Rubicon

§ NATANIEL : Ek was vreeslik op my nerves vir sy part tot hyanderkant gekom het. Ek dink dit was stunning!

§ NAAS BOTHA : Aan die einde van die dag maak dit nie saak hoeveel keer hy oor die straat is nie. Wat saak maak, is die telbord

§ ALLAN BOESAK : How can the motives of a chicken who had done somuch for chickenhood be questioned? It's a conspiracy

§ DULLAH OMAR : I am sure the chicken is innocent. He did what he did because of the apartheid legacy

§ NCONDE BALFOUR : The government will ensure that a fair quotaof black chickens cross the road as well. Why should black chickens remainon this side of the road?

§ HANZ BLIX : We have reason to believe there is a chicken, butwe have not yet been allowed access to the other side of the road.

§ MOHAMMED ALDOURI (Iraq Ambassador): The chicken did not cross the road. This is a complete fabrication. We don't even have a chicken.

§ COLONEL SANDERS: I missed one?

BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What do you mean by "chicken?" Could you define chicken, please?

THE BIBLE: And God came down from the heavens, and He said unto the chicken, "Thou shalt cross the road." And the chicken crossed the road, and there was much rejoicing.

Enter The Matrix

2007-05-03T11:32:00.000+10:00

The trouble with life is that there is no danger music. I’m sure you know what I mean. Like in the movies; when it’s heading for a climax and our hero has to make a life or death decision to save the girl or save the world. You can always tell form the music playing in the background that something is about to happen. Life, I’m afraid, is not like that. There is no dramatic music playing softly in the background warning us of the road ahead. For this all we can rely on is that often still small voice saying “here is the way. Walk ye in it.”
I love the movies. Maybe a little too much, but I find there proved me an escape from the hash reality of life. It’s a somewhere I can go and hope seems rekindled, all things are possible and life, for that brief hour or two is full of possibilities. I don’t know how many Matrix fans are still out there, but there is something that Morpheus says that has become the very battle cry of my continual existence here in this moment in time. I think it’s one of the most profound statements of the whole three-part movie. He says…

“I believe it is our fate to be here. It is our destiny. Isn’t that worth fighting for? Isn’t that worth dieing for?”

Think about for a slit second….let it sock in for a while. You can’t tell me that doesn’t make your heart skip a beat. To tell you the truth the third Matrix was a big let down for me. I kinda expected more. I don’t know what exactly but something, you know. But it did open my eyes to the real ‘Matrix.’ Hold on a second, I haven’t gone off and joined some new age cult or something like that. But the older I get the more it seems easy to give up on up on ones dreams and lose ones passion for life. A lot of people I talk to from uni and church seem to just settle for less than what God had in store for them. They give up and lose the will to fight for what they believe in. I was listening to the news on Tv the other day and they were talking about the war in the Middle East and one guy, I forget who he was, said something that really shock me to the very core. He said

“Freedom is not free….”

As a people I feel we have lost or spirit. We dare not fight for what we believe in any more for fear of offending others, fear to be labelled fanatics and grouped together with rebels and trouble makers. But the truth of the matter is that big dreams offend people, however you present them. Just ask Joseph. We have been called to this for such a time as this. The world we live in today is a ‘Matrix’ of sorts that seeks to destroy the dreams of others to promote self. BUT GOD is in the business of building people and building dreams. That is why he asked Abraham to step out side his tent and look to the stars. That’s why he calls Moses from the wilderness and rescues David from the loin and the bear. That’s why he meets Saul on the road to Damascus and that’s why you are reading this right now. I believe it is our fate to be here. It is our destiny. Isn’t that worth fighting for? Isn’t that worth dieing for?

gabriel wenyika

In HIM always

2007-04-30T10:03:00.000+10:00

Hello world....

It's been a while since I posted something really meaningful here. To tell you the truth a lot has been going on in my life, so much so I thought for a while there that my next update my be sent from the good old surrounding of Zimbabwe. Though I miss home and long to be back there, I feel, no wait, I KNOW God wants me here and has put me here for such a time as this. In the mist all the mess around my life at the moment two things God has shown me.

1. Never lose sight of God AND

2. Never lose sight of what God has in store for you.

So forgetting what is behind me I press on to take hold of that which Christ took hold of me. The story is told of a man who sat down one day as a small opening appeared in a cocoon. He sat and watched for the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then, it seems to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could not go any further. So the man decided to help the butterfly: he took a pair of scissors and opened the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a withered body; it was tiny and shrivelled wings. The man continued to watch because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would open, enlarge and expand, to be able to support the butterfly’s body, and become firm.

Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a withered body and shrivelled wings. It never was able to fly. What the man, in his kindness and his goodwill did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening, were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings, so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon. Sometimes, struggles are exactly what we need in our life.

If God allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as we could have been Never been able to fly. I asked for Strength...and God gave me difficulties to make me strong. I asked for Wisdom...and God gave me problems to solve. I asked for prosperity...and God gave me a brain and brawn to work. I asked for Courage…..and God gave me obstacles to overcome. I asked for Love...and God gave me troubled people to help. I asked for Favours...And God gave me Opportunities. “I received nothing I wanted...But I received everything I needed." Live life without fear, confront all obstacles and know that you can overcome them.

I read this statement somewhere a few years ago and I have never been able to lose it. In a lot of ways it has become the very heart cry of my very being. It said the past cannot be changed....but the future is still in our power. Remember that this week as you go out, met with friends, at work or at uni or whatever you have planned. You have the power to shape you future...

In Him always.....

gaby~gabz...

Some humour

2007-03-16T19:20:00.000+11:00

I find this joke very funny! Hope you enjoy.Luv meSeveral centuries ago, the Pope decreed that all the Jews had to convert or leave Italy. There was a huge outcry from the Jewish community, so the Pope offered a deal. He would have a religious debate with the leader of the Jewish community. If the Jews won, they could stay in Italy, if the Pope won, they would have to leave. The Jewish people met and picked an aged but wise Rabbi Moishe to represent them in the debate. However, as Moishe spoke no Italian and the Pope spoke no Yiddish, they all agreed that it would be a "silent" debate.On the chosen day, the Pope and Rabbi Moishe sat opposite each other for a full minute before the Pope raised his hand and showed three fingers.Rabbi Moishe looked back and raised one finger.Next, the Pope waved his finger around his head.Rabbi Moishe pointed to the ground where he sat.The Pope then brought out a communion wafer and a chalice of wine.Rabbi Moishe pulled out an apple.With that, the Pope stood up and declared that he was beaten, that Rabbi Moishe was too clever, and that the Jews could stay.Later, the Cardinals met with the Pope, asking what had happened. The Pope said, "First, I held up three fingers to represent the Trinity. He responded by holding up one finger to remind me that there is still only one God common to both our beliefs. Then, I waved my finger to show him that God was all around us. He responded by pointing to the ground to show that God was also right here with us. I pulled out the wine and wafer to show that God absolves us of all our sins. He pulled out an apple to remind me of the original sin. He had me beaten and I could not continue."Meanwhile the Jewish community gathered around Rabbi Moishe. "How did youwin the debate?" they asked. "I haven't a clue," said Moishe. "First he said to me that we had three days to get out of Italy, so I gave him the finger. Then he tells me that the whole country would be cleared of Jews and I said to him, we're staying right here.""And then what?" asked a woman."Who knows?" said Moishe, "He took out his lunch, so I took out mine."

The Vision is Jesus

2007-03-16T18:33:00.000+11:00

THE VISION
So this guy comes up to me and says "what's the vision? What's the big idea?" I open my mouth and words come out like this… The vision?
The vision is JESUS – obsessively, dangerously, undeniably Jesus.
The vision is an army of young people.
You see bones? I see an army. And they are FREE from materialism.
They laugh at 9-5 little prisons.They could eat caviar on Monday and crusts on Tuesday.They wouldn't even notice.They know the meaning of the Matrix, the way the west was won.They are mobile like the wind, they belong to the nations. They need no passport.. People write their addresses in pencil and wonder at their strange existence.They are free yet they are slaves of the hurting and dirty and dying.What is the vision ?The vision is holiness that hurts the eyes. It makes children laugh and adults angry. It gave up the game of minimum integrity long ago to reach for the stars. It scorns the good and strains for the best. It is dangerously pure.
Light flickers from every secret motive, every private conversation.It loves people away from their suicide leaps, their Satan games. This is an army that will lay down its life for the cause.A million times a day its soldiers
choose to loosethat they might one day winthe great 'Well done' of faithful sons and daughters.
Such heroes are as radical on Monday morning as Sunday night. They don't need fame from names. Instead they grin quietly upwards and hear the crowds chanting again and again: "COME ON!"
And this is the sound of the undergroundThe whisper of history in the makingFoundations shakingRevolutionaries dreaming once againMystery is scheming in whispersConspiracy is breathing…This is the sound of the underground
And the army is discipl(in)ed.
Young people who beat their bodies into submission.
Every soldier would take a bullet for his comrade at arms. The tattoo on their back boasts "for me to live is Christ and to die is gain".
Sacrifice fuels the fire of victory in their upward eyes. Winners. Martyrs. Who can stop them ? Can hormones hold them back?Can failure succeed? Can fear scare them or death kill them ?
And the generation prays
like a dying manwith groans beyond talking,with warrior cries, sulphuric tears andwith great barrow loads of laughter!Waiting. Watching: 24 – 7 – 365.
Whatever it takes they will give: Breaking the rules. Shaking mediocrity from its cosy little hide. Laying down their rights and their precious little wrongs, laughing at labels, fasting essentials. The advertisers cannot mould them. Hollywood cannot hold them. Peer-pressure is powerless to shake their resolve at late night parties before the cockerel cries.
They are incredibly cool, dangerously attractive
inside.
On the outside? They hardly care. They wear clothes like costumes to communicate and celebrate but never to hide. Would they surrender their image or their popularity? They would lay down their very lives - swap seats with the man on death row - guilty as hell. A throne for an electric chair.
With blood and sweat and many tears, with sleepless nights and fruitless days,
they pray as if it all depends on God and live as if it all depends on them.
Their DNA chooses JESUS. (He breathes out, they breathe in.)Their subconscious sings. They had a blood transfusion with Jesus. Their words make demons scream in shopping centres.Don't you hear them coming? Herald the weirdo's! Summon the losers and the freaks. Here come the frightened and forgotten with fire in their eyes. They walk tall and trees applaud, skyscrapers bow, mountains are dwarfed by these children of another dimension. Their prayers summon the hounds of heaven and invoke the ancient dream of Eden.
And this vision will be. It will come to pass; it will come easily; it will come soon.How do I know? Because this is the longing of creation itself, the groaning of the Spirit, the very dream of God. My tomorrow is his today. My distant hope is his 3D. And my feeble, whispered, faithless prayer invokes a thunderous, resounding, bone-shaking great 'Amen!' from countless angels, from hero's of the faith, from Christ himself. And he is the original dreamer, the ultimate winner.
Guaranteed

You

2007-01-25T21:21:00.000+11:00

You can't be all things to all people.

You can't do all things at once.

You can't do all things better than everyone else.

Your humanity is showing just like everyone else's.

So:

You have to find out who you are, and be that.

You have to decide what comes first, and do that.

You have to discover your strengths, and use them.

You have to learn not to compete with others.

Because no one else is in the contest of "being you".

Then:

You will have learned to accept your own uniqueness.

You will have learned to set priorities and make decisions.

You will have learned to live with your limitations.

You will have learned to give yourself the respect that is due.

And you'll be a most vital mortal.

Dare to believe:

That you are a wonderful, unique person.

That you are a once-in-all-history event.

That it's more than a right, it's your duty, to be who you are.

That life is not a problem to solve, but a gift to cherish.

And you'll be able to stay one up on what used to get you down.

The Tree

2007-01-09T21:20:00.000+11:00

The story is told of a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn to
not judge things too quickly. So he sent them each to look at a pear tree
that was far away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in
summer, and the youngest son in the fall.
When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe
what they had seen.
The first son, who had seen the tree in winter, said that the tree was
ugly, bent, and twisted.

The second son, who saw the tree in the spring, said that it was covered with
green buds and full of promise.
The third son, who saw the tree in summer, said it was covered with blossoms
that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful. It was the most graceful thing
he had ever seen.

The youngest son, who saw the tree in fall, disagreed with all of them. He said
it was drooping with ripe fruitful of life and fulfilment.
The man then explained to his sons that they were all correct, but they had
each seen only one season in the tree's life.

He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person by only one
season. He said that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and
love that come from life can only be measured at the end ,when all the
seasons are up.

If you give up when its winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the
beauty of your summer, and fulfilment of your fall. Don’t let the pain of one
season destroy the joy of all the rest.

Don't judge a life by one difficult season!

God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.
If God brings you to it - He will bring you through it.

Maturity

2007-01-09T21:02:00.000+11:00

JUST BECAUSE ONE has been a Christian for many years, does not mean he is "mature..."

They may be like the person who had been a teacher for twenty-five years. When she heard about a job that would mean a promotion, she applied for the position. However, someone who had been teaching for only one year was hired instead. She went to the principal and asked why. The principal responded, "I'm sorry, but you haven't had 25 years of experience as you claim; you've had only one year's experience 25 times." During that whole time the teacher had not improved!

THOUGHT: So it may be with many Christians; they have not grown, but simply repeated their first year of spiritual life many times! (Mark Copeland)

"For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil" (Heb. 5:12-14).

2006-11-12T07:55:00.001+11:00

Delta Camp Prayers day.3
Extract from 'Awakening Cry' by Pete Greig

PRAYER KEY#2 Persevering
“What is Intercessory prayer” “what does it mean to be PREAILING IN PRAYER ”. These two question are two of the most frequently asked question across the globe. Today I will be looking mainly at what it means to be PREAILING IN PRAYER. Enjoy!
Elijah was a man of great faith in an age of terrible discouragement. God's prophets had been persecuted into near oblivion and immorality ruled the land under Jezebel and her spineless husband Ahab. But after Elijah's victorious showdown with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel we read that, "Ahab went off to eat and drink, while Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees." (I Kings 1842-44) He knew that the fire of judgement, which had consumed his sacrifice, was only the first baptism. Now he prayed that God would lift the curse and send the baptism of rain that would terminate years of drought. The skies were blue and cloudless, yet Elijah's spirit could hear "the sound of heavy rain." (I Kings 1841) As he listened he prayed, sending his servant again and again to scan the horizon for even the smallest sign. At last the servant reported one insignificant cloud "the size of a man's fist " and Elijah knew for certain that his prayers had been answered. This small, unimpressive cloud was enough to convince him that rain was coming, and it was coming fast. Note two things in this story: first that Elijah sent his servant to look. Why did he not just open his eyes? I can only assume that it was because he needed to focus on a higher reality, he was listening with his spiritual ears to "the sound of a heavy rain" and could not afford to be distracted by the disconcerting fact of a cloudless sky. Secondly, note that Elijah's faith pre-dated the evidence: the formation of a tiny rain-cloud. He was not exercising faith for the remotely possible, having noticed the hint of rain materialising on the horizon. Elijah was trusting God for the entirely impossible, praying for rain when the sky was still clear. By the time that the cloud had actually appeared, once there was the slightest evidence, his job was already done! Although the sun was still shining Elijah rose from his knees immediately and began sprinting ahead of the immanent downpour.
Sometimes, we scan the horizon for an indication of revival, and there is none. The slightest cloud would give us hope but burnished skies just mock our prayers for rain. Revival seems as distant and unlikely as snow on a summer’s day. But these are the occasions that demand faith and perseverance. In this time we will not find faith by searching the skies, or the newspapers for signs of hope. We will find faith by bowing with our heads between our knees as Elijah did, seeking God's face and claiming his promises. It is in that place of prayer, and only there, that we will find faith for the impossible. I suspect that this is one of the reasons why Jesus so often rose early and sought out isolation to pray. Like Elijah he needed time to listen to the mighty rain of God's promises. He knew that the day ahead would confront him with impossible situations, insoluble to the human mind. He needed first to tune in to the sights and sounds of heaven, to find the hope that rises beyond the horizon of human possibility. In these important moments before dawn, Jesus would seek his Father's face knowing that "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 1926) We saw in the last newsletters that effective prayer flows from humility and is fuelled by faith and we have learned from Elijah that such faith thrives on apparent trivia and insignificance. (If you have not read the past newsletters, which talk about these keys, see me, that is Gabriel and I will make ever effort to get them to you) But to humility and faith we must now add perseverance, learning to pray without respite until the rain comes and breakthrough finally appears. This is what it means to prevail in prayer.
Prevailing in prayer. Duncan Campbell sat in the pulpit at a large Christian conference in Bangor, Ireland where he was the main speaker. Something began to stir in his spirit and he sensed an almost irresistible compulsion to leave the convention and fly to the tiny Harridan island of Bern era. The inhabitants of Bernera numbered only about 500, less than the number attending the conference, and had been untouched by the recent revival on the larger islands nearby. But the compulsion in Duncan was too strong to ignore. He turned to the conference chairman and asked if he might be released to leave. The chairman refused, saying that he could not possibly excuse Duncan from delivering the final address. But Duncan pointed out that God was unlikely to anoint the sermon if he was calling him elsewhere, and the chairman reluctantly agreed. Duncan flew from Ireland to Glasgow and then from Glasgow to Stornaway (capital of the Hebrides). From there he drove many miles north, finally crossing the waters to Bernera on the small ferry. At no point on the journey did he discuss his mission or reveal his identity to a single soul. Stepping ashore at Bernera he approached a boy and asked where the nearest minister lived. The boy replied that both of the island's churches were without ministers at that time. "Where then does the nearest church elder live?" Duncan inquired. "In the house on the top of the hill", indicated the lad. Duncan asked him to go and inform the elder that 'Mr. Campbell' has come to the island "and if he asks 'which Campbell' tell him, 'the Campbell who was on Lewis." The boy soon returned, out of breath, and even Duncan was startled by his reply, "Mr. Mackinnen has been expecting you. He has arranged for you to stay with his brother, and you are preaching in the church tonight." A few days earlier, as Duncan sat in that pulpit in Bangor, Hector MacKinnen, the island postman had taken time off work to pray. He had become so disturbed by the spiritual ambivalence of his community that he committed the day to prayer in his barn. His wife recalled overhearing him pray for Duncan Campbell "Oh God, I do not know where he is, but you know and I ask you to send him."

Breakthrough. At 10 p.m. that evening, Hector 'broke through', that is, he received a sudden and certain conviction that his prayers had been answered. So sure was he that Duncan was coming upon the day in question that he arranged accommodation and notified the community that Mr. Campbell would be preaching the following Thursday at 9 p.m! Eighty people came to hear the visiting preacher that night, but nothing unusual happened. So ordinary was the meeting that Duncan even wondered whether he had mistaken God's call and should really have been preaching to the large numbers back in Bangor. But God was not responding to the faith of the renowned revival leader, but to that of a humble village postman who had received certainty from him in prayer.

Praying until breakthrough. "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours (Mark 1124) Hector MacKinnen was not someone who just "said prayers", nor was he simply a person with a disciplined prayer life; Hector knew how to pray. Much of our praying today is ineffective because we have not learned how to pray. One day the disciples approached Jesus and asked to be taught to pray. In response he gave them 'The Lord's Prayer' saying "This then is how you should pray: "Our Father…"(Matthew 69) Please note that Jesus doesn't say, "This is what you should pray." The Lord's Prayer is first and foremost a model of how to pray and not a script for repetition. In fact, Jesus teaches that our words aren't actually that important, because God listens to the heart - not our "babbling… many words." (Matthew 6.7), and he responds to our faith, not our phraseology. Hector MacKinnen had learned to pray in faith, which is why he persevered all day until breakthrough came. As he knelt in that barn and asked God to send Duncan Campbell, Hector reached a moment of assurance, in which he knew that he had been heard (Mark 1124). That is why he could confidently book the church and arrange accommodation. Faith perseveres and does not relent until the answer comes. I wonder how much of our praying simply stops short of breakthrough? We must learn the lesson Hudson Taylor scribbled in his diary one night on Brighton beach "To move man, through God, by prayer alone."
2 days to
Pentecost Persevering in prayer. Most revival accounts make reference to this experience of 'prevailing' in prayer, continuing until "One becomes actually aware of receiving, by firmest anticipation, and in advance of the event, the thing for which one asks." Having received a sense of breakthrough it then seems pointless to pray any more because the intercessor knows with certainty that God has heard and acted. Although such experiences of prevailing in prayer mark out most revivals, they should not be seen as essential to the answering of prayer. After all, when an angel released Peter from prison in answer to the church's prayers he found them still interceding for him when he presented himself at the house! In this instance the intercessors were oblivious to the fact that their prayers had 'broken through' so dramatically.

Waiting for the answer. The disciples 'joined together constantly in prayer' (Acts 114) right up to the moment when the Spirit came at Pentecost. They remembered that Jesus had told them to remain in Jerusalem until the promised 'baptism with the Holy Spirit' and because they loved and trusted him they obeyed. They didn't see themselves as super-heroes, they had no clue that they were about to become Bible characters or that they were on the verge of an explosion that would shake the earth. There was no heavenly wall-planner hanging in the upper room with angels pointing to the day of Pentecost. They were not able to count off the hours, "Bring your sandwiches on Thursday ladies because that's the big day!" They simply knew that Christ had spoken and that his word could be trusted no matter how long it took. So they just waited and prayed, without any other plans for the future, while their businesses suffered and worried family members expressed concern. What a challenge this is to our instant culture and the speed with which we lose heart. Jesus told the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 181-8) to emphasise this very principle "that they should always pray and not give up." The disciples probably remembered and re-told it as they passed the long hours in the upper room, reeling from the trauma and the wonder of recent events and anticipating his promise of "another helper". Daniel, we are told, would get down on his knees and pray three times a day. One day, as he read the book of Jeremiah, God showed him that the exile would come to an end after 70 years. Taking God at his word he "turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting and in sackcloth and ashes." (Daniel 9.3). Daniel humbled himself and took it upon himself to confess the sins of his nation, interceding for mercy and forgiveness. He prayed passionately and with perseverance because he believed the firm promise of God. Three weeks later we find Daniel still persevering in prayer, fasting meat, wine and even 'body lotion'! (Daniel 9.3). Eventually an angel appears and tells him "Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian Kingdom resisted me 21 days." (Daniel 1012-13)

Spiritual warfare and Prayer warriors . . . Here we have a glimpse of the spiritual dimension that explains the need for persistence in prayer. It is not that God is slow to act, or that we are trying to persuade God (for prayer is laying hold of his highest willingness). Prayer requires persistence because it is also an act of warfare against "the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 612). Such prayer reverses the Fall in which Adam asserted his independence. In it we say, "not my will, but yours be done." We fight with God to liberate enemy-occupied territory, knowing that whilst the victory is certain, the length of the battle is not. Finney once bellowed, "Let hell boil over and spew out as many demons as there are stones in the pavement. If it causes Christians to draw close to God in prayer, the demons can't hinder a revival." Because we are caught up in a battle between opposing Kingdoms, we have no choice but to fight. Ed Silvoso, an Argentinian church leader, now based in California did a workshop at Lausanne II in Manila in 1989 about the importance of spiritual warfare in the Argentinian awakening. There he said, "If there is one dominant element that has emerged in the theology and methodology of evangelism in Argentina, I would say it is spiritual warfare. It is an awareness that the struggle is not against a political or a social system. Nor is it on behalf of those who are captives, but it is rather against the jail keepers, against the Rulers, those in authority in the spiritual realm."

An Echo of heaven

“Jesus always lives to intercede…” (Hebrews 7:25)

Stop just a moment and think about that verse! It’s telling us that prayer is the very purpose and passion of Jesus’ existence. And of course, if our master lives to intercede, so should we. In this and many other respects, The Boiler Room is an echo of heaven. This verse reminds us that prayer existed in the heart of God long before it existed in us. It reminds us that every answered prayer reported is primarily an answer to Jesus’ prayers and not necessary ours, and he deserves the glory for it all. And because Jesus lives to intercede, he also understands the burdens and frustrations we all carry in prayer, groaning and weeping with us whenever words run out. This verse means that as we pray, we are catching the very heartbeat of heaven for our lives

Put together by,
Gabriel Wenyika

Delta Camp Prayers day.2

2006-11-04T21:04:00.000+11:00

Delta Camp Prayers day.2
Extract from 'Awakening Cry' by Pete Greig

"Much of our praying is nothing short of the laughing stock of devils, praying 'God, you are the God of revival, you are the God of the impossible when we don't believe a word of it. If we did the miracle would happen. Oh my people, let's be frank and honest, He’s not doing it! We are faced with the question; Can these bones live? Can we really expect revival? Can God match this situation???"

PRAYER KEY #1 Faith

More and more people are praying for revival and prayer-groups are multiplying. National and international initiatives gather hundreds of thousands of Christians in prayer and this is utterly thrilling. But scripture clearly teaches that it is not so much the quantity of prayer but the quality, the depth, the perseverance, the humility and above all the faith behind it. We are probably all guilty at times of praying faithless prayers more akin to wishful thinking than actual spiritual authority. But no matter how impressive our prayers sound, without faith they are powerless and pointless like a gleaming sports car without an engine.
Faith is the vital ingredient of the Christian life; Jesus would often distil complex situations down to the essence of faith, informing the sick, "Your faith has healed you" or rebuking people for their unbelief. The writer to the Hebrews says that without faith it is completely impossible to make God happy. The disciples approached the Lord one day and asked for more faith, but in reply Jesus gently admonished them: "You don't need more faith. There is no 'more' or 'less' in faith. If you have a bare kernel of faith, say the size of a poppy seed, you could say to this sycamore tree, "Go jump in the lake," and it would do it." (Eugene Peterson) With our western quantitative mindsets we interpret this reference to "faith as small as a mustard seed" (NIV) as referring to an amount of faith necessary. We might think that our present quantity of faith is the size of a mere speck of dust and as a result we only see the occasional verruca healed, but that if we could somehow grow our faith to the size of a mustard seed then we would be able to rearrange the landscape. But ironically this is the very mentality that Jesus is rebuking! He is saying that size doesn't matter. Miracles are not proportional to the quantity of faith because even the tiniest amount imaginable could shift a mountain. Lots more faith is not the answer to the mountains of cancer or evangelism. The key is not faith in a power formula, but faith in a powerful person. Jesus is saying that either you place your trust in him or you don't. When I board an airplane I place my entire trust in the pilot's ability to do what I cannot do and fly that 'plane. It is not possible to 'hedge my bets, just in case' and keep one foot on the runway as we take off! I must either place my trust in the pilot, in which case I fly, or I can distrust the pilot and remain firmly on the ground, but there is no in between. In the same way there is no sliding scale when it comes to faith.
Hudson Taylor, the great missionary to China, wrote, "The issue is not greater faith, but faith in a great God." If we lack faith, therefore, it is futile trying to stir it up from within. Instead we need a revelation of the greatness of God. When we discover that his name is Faithful, that his promises are sure and that he is utterly trustworthy it becomes easy to trust him. The first approach focuses on self to try to arouse faith, the second approach derives faith from the realisation that God really can be trusted. Focusing on quantities of faith as the answer to a situation makes faith out to be some kind of formula for manipulating reality (no matter how many Bible verses are woven into the equation). Such faith-formulae may even work, since there may well be an inherent, limited power in 'mind over matter' that is neither demonic nor divine. For instance, there are authenticated reports of mothers lifting cars off their children after a road accident with apparently superhuman strength. Similarly, some Management Training Courses teach clients to run barefoot over red-hot coals simply by psyching themselves up. There is no burning to the feet because - like passing a finger through a flame - it is quite possible to do this apparently impossible act without harm. Yet one coal-runner commented 'I now believe I can do almost anything'. This has everything to do with faith but nothing whatsoever to do with Jesus. It is clearly not a faith that flows from the revelation of God's will. Even Christians may use faith equations based on Bible verses, to achieve real results that have little to do with Jesus. He actually warned us that many would succeed in performing miracles in his name without ever having known him (Mat. 7.23). Biblical faith has nothing to do with the power of positive thinking. It is faith in a person and not in a principle or technique and so we must be people whose faith is lodged firmly in the Word of God.
Jesus modelled God-focused faith perfectly, "I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me;" (John 8.28) Here then is the key to Jesus' power: he lived his life focused upon the Father, saying only what he heard the Father saying and doing only what he saw the Father doing. Confronted by incurable illnesses, demonic manifestations or stormy seas Jesus fixed his eyes upon the Father. There is no cure in the illness, no freedom in the demonic and no peace in the storm. But we put our hope in the higher reality that God is the God of health, freedom and peace. The issue is not faith but focus therefore. No wonder we are told to "pray and seek God's face" for it is only as we look to him that we find faith for breakthrough. If Peter had pulled out a video camera and filmed the scene as Jesus arrived at Jairus' house, we would have found the evidence conclusive: Jairus' daughter was indeed dead. We would see for ourselves the mourners in black, the mother pale and weeping and the corpse lifeless on the bed. But Jesus was watching another reality as he entered the house and announced with absolute certainty "She is not dead but asleep." In a matter of minutes the mourners discovered that Jesus, far from being deluded, was more in touch with reality than every single one of them because he kept his eyes fixed on heaven, walking "by faith, not by sight." (2 Corinthians 57)

Faith in the promises of God
"All the mighty interceding of the ages that has ever shaken the Kingdom of darkness has been based upon the promises of God. Why should we expect God to do what he has not agreed to do?"
It is because faith comes from knowing God that his promises are so vital, providing a foundation on which to base our faith. They assure us of his provision when we are in need, his love when we are lonely and his victory even when the material evidence appears to point to defeat. Materialism (the belief that matter is all that matters) is the greatest enemy of faith. Its inverted creed of "walk by sight and not by faith" will often contradict the promises of God's Word. When Christians live in an environment of materialism they find it hard to see the world with eyes of faith. But in non-materialistic cultures the most remarkable miracles consistently take place in answer to prayer. Our worship leader visited Nigeria and found that he was able to perform miracles in that atmosphere that just don't happen here on the same scale. He even interviewed a man who had raised seven corpses from the dead. If matter is our ultimate focus then death is ultimate defeat. But if the resurrected Christ is our focus we can look beyond a corpse and see life, hope and victory.
Get real! All this talk about 'walking by faith rather than sight' and ignoring the physical evidence to trust God for something else could be a ticket for super-spiritual unreality. I have known people to pray unsuccessfully for healing only to inform the suffering person "You have been healed; it's just the symptoms that remain"! This is completely ridiculous. The greatest gift that God wants to give to some Christians is not tongues or prophecy but common sense. I am not for one moment suggesting that we kiss our brains good-bye and deny blatant reality. In fact God-focused faith is not unreal, but is based upon firm evidence. As Finney put it, "Faith must have evidence. Without reason we have no right - and no obligation - to believe a thing will be done. Belief without evidence is fanaticism." Faith must be founded upon three vital pieces of evidence:
· The evidence of God's promises,
· The evidence of circumstance
· The evidence of God's specific command.
Because these evidences are individually open to misapplication and misinterpretation we need to make ourselves accountable before praying over corpses, selling all our possessions or marrying the complete stranger in the third row! If we are honest, not many of us have an intimacy with the Father sufficient to declare with absolute certainty "she is not dead but sleeping", which is why we need to measure our inclinations against the Word of God, heeding common sense and the wise counsel of others. When faith is based on evidence and applied accountably it does not need to be frightened of facts. If someone has been healed then the doctor will verify this

An Echo of heaven

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their
strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles …” (Isa 40:31)

We have seen in today that our prayers for revival must be faith-full and that such faith only comes by taking God at his word and trusting his promises. Isaiah said that if we want to "soar on wings as eagles", riding the thermals of the Spirit, we must wait on God. Timing is everything. In fact without such waiting and watching, all our praying and preparing will never get off the ground; we will resemble frantic turkeys flapping around clumsily, rather than the majestic eagle God intends. Nicky Gumbel recounts a vivid illustration of this point:
"Eagles do not fly - if you mean by that the flapping of wings to propel them from one place to another. Other birds do that, but not eagles. They have an inborn ability to discern wind currents. They do not go anywhere until the right breeze comes along. When it comes, they just let go, born aloft by the wind. They do not have to flap their wings (how uncouth!) - eagles have the ability to lock their wings in place. All they do is ride the wind. Other birds are afraid of storms. Eagles love a storm. It forces them higher and higher and higher.
Many Christians do their work for the Lord by the sweat of their brow. They join the cult of white knuckles. They really 'work for God’ like turkeys. Have you ever seen a turkey fly? They beat themselves into insensibility, propelling themselves across a farmyard. They cannot get more than three feet off the ground. Eagle Christians do not serve by the grit of their teeth or sweat of their brow. It is service by the power of God through the wind of the Holy Spirit - discerning his purpose and then going with it, not trying to get him to bless your mess."

Put together by,
Gabriel Wenyika

Q. What does Jesus live for? Find out tomorrow-in An Echo of heaven

Delta Camp Prayers 2005 day.1

2006-11-04T20:57:00.000+11:00

Welcome to 4 days of earth shattering experiences, 96 hours of non-stop action, 5 760 minutes of breathtaking fun & 345 600 seconds of transformation that will challenge & equip you to change your world. I and others like me believe that we can turn the world upside down for Christ and become the ones spoken of in Acts 176.

Every generation must be INNOVATIVE...Every generation must EXPERIENCE, for themselves the power of God. For a generation to be truly called one of destiny it takes sacrifice and p r a y e r .To each person born, God unequivocally gives a destiny. The Enemy will do anything to stop prayer. Why? Because it is explosive! It is prayer that will spark the change and move a generation to turn the world upside down I believe that this is possible. I believe we can develop a generation that will achieve their destiny in God. That group of people can rise to become a force that could shape Zimbabwe ... and the world. It starts with one, one person choosing to chase after God. It starts with you!!

This is why this year I have taken the time to prepare a day-to-day prayer devotional to uplift you spirit and to top it all of this year prayer will be called The Boiler Room. I want to encourage you to make it a point that you do not miss a single meeting coz I can promise you that it will not leave you praying the same. It is my hope that more and more people will come to understand what prayer really is. Boiler Rooms are not just going to be Prayer Meeting. They are also Mission stations where people gather to train, become infectious in prayer and get catapulted out and become contagious with the gospel. The exciting thing about all the prayer we're going to do right now is that it will mobilise others to more effective prayer. Not only do we become more effective intercessors because we are walking closer to God, but we are also sensitised to the needs of those who don't know Jesus as we pray persistently for their salvation. I do not want to say much on the first day so I will leave with a short story about the power of prayer.

Just PUSH
A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light, and God appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. So, this the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down; his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all of his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.
Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary (Satan) decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the weary mind: "you have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn't moved." Thus, giving the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man. "Why kill myself over this?" he thought. "I'll just put in my time, giving just the minimum effort; and that will be good enough." And that is what he planned to do, until one day he decided to make it a matter of prayer and take his troubled thoughts to the Lord. "Lord," he said, I have laboured long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimetre. What is wrong? Why am I failing? The Lord responded compassionately, "My friend, when I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all of your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to Me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown, your hands are callused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. Yet you haven't moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. This you have done. Now I, My friend, will now move the rock."
The times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is just simple obedience and faith in Him. By all means, exercise the faith that moves mountains, but know that it is still God who moves mountains. When everything seems to go wrong ... just P.U.S.H.! When the job gets you down ... just P.U.S.H.! When people don't react the way you think they should... just P.U.S.H.! When your money looks gone" and the bills are due ...just P.U .S.H! When people just don't understand you ... just P.U.S.H.! P= Pray U= Until S= Something H=Happens Pass this on to all the loved ones and friends who may need it, they may get it just in time.
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In Him always
Gabriel Wenyika
By the way watch out for An Echo of heaven

Lessons on Life

2006-09-26T11:33:00.000+10:00

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall. When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise. The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen. The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree's life. He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, th! e beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall.

Moral lessons:

Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest. Don't judge life by one difficult season. Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come some time or later

pick Jesus

2006-09-06T18:08:00.000+10:00

Food for thought

2006-09-05T19:04:00.000+10:00

How are you all doing out there in the big wide world? I know most of you know or have heard of the Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin and I’m sure you all by now that he just died. I was in a history class yesterday when a friend of mine got a text message about the news. We all thought it was a bad joke and I said to my friend “Steve Irwin is just not the dieing type.” But the fact is he is…..we all are. When I got home and heard the news I almost cried. Not so much coz it was true but once again I really begin to see how short our life is this side of heaven. None of us know when we will take that last breath. When I woke up this morning I had a really sense of how special life is and I was so thankful that God had given me one more day. With out making this sound like one of those soppy forwards we all get from time to time, just in case today is all I have I want to let you all know that I am how I am and am where I am because you were are in my life. I kook back on my on short life and I can see how each of you have played such an important part in my walk of faith. I can think of days when I was so discouraged with life. I remember sometime last year I just could not see how I would go to uni and I was talking to Will and he told me about how God had been faithful in his life and that was just what I needed to hear and I got right back on my knees and look at me now. Or one time early last year or maybe the year before that I can’t be sure…I was in CeeCees having something to eat and Sib came and sat with me and she just started talking to me and she asked me about my dreams and after I told her she looked me right in the eyes and said with such a convection that it shook me to the very core of my being “YOU WILL DO IT.. “ There is one thing that pastor Chris used to say that has stayed with, that is…” give your roses while people are still alive”….or something like that…..the heart of what he was saying is there is no point saying nice things about someone after there are gone…..you may bring the nicest bunch of roses to the funeral but that person will never see them or hear what you have to say and it will not help him/her. It’s far better to let people you care about know you care about them before its to late. So this is me…..you guys mean the world to me…you are my rock…apart from Christ that is….
Just one more thing, today IS all we have. Tomorrow is not promised to anyone. Talk on the Tv is all about the legacy Steve Irwin has left and the impact he had on the environment and conservation. Wow….what a legacy…..to be know as someone how made a difference and who by all he did made the world a better place to live not just for the animals he saved but for us too and for generation to come who are secured a cleaner better world. It makes me think a lot about my on life. How will people remember Gabriel K Wenyika? Have I made the world a better place? As I said before when I woke up this morning I prayed “Lord thank you for giving me one more day? How can I make a difference today” I guess that is a personal question that I will have to work out with God each day…..but what about you…I dare you to look more closely at your own life as I am doing and see how you can make more of an impact on people around you. One thing I remember Pastor Bruce talking about back during the tent days was how we can all leave a thump print on the world. It may not be as “world wide” as Steve Irwin……although I for one believe that we all will make that kind of impact…..but in our own way change the world one life at a time. To the world you may be one person but to that one person you just might be the world….

Battle Cry

2006-09-04T16:21:00.000+10:00

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2006-08-30T10:40:00.000+10:00

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I'm Sill Here

2006-08-24T17:15:00.000+10:00

I'm Sill Here

I have been getting Joyce Meyer’s magazine for some time now and it is something I would recommend you to get. In any case over the last few weeks I have been going through a season of hardship (if I can put it that way) and in the June issue Joyce writes “the battle belongs to the Lord.” However this is not what I want to share with you. There is something else that she wrote that so spoke to me in my time of need. I hope that this will speak to you in whatever place you may be and may it touch you as it did me. Peace and love, Always.

If there is anything that needs to come out of our mouths regularly, it’s I believe God. I believe His promises are true. And I believe they are true in my life. In 2 Timothy 4:7 NIV Paul says, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. In other words, Paul was saying that in order to finish the race, he had to fight to hang on to his faith and not let the devil steal it. While you and I are on this earth, we too will have to fight to keep our faith from being stolen by the enemy.Hanging on to our faith is important because it is how we receive from God—by grace, through faith. It’s very simple. God has a good plan for our lives, and Satan has a bad plan for our lives. If we want to experience God’s good plan, then we will need to fight for it. Sometimes it seems like we’re fighting all the time. Thank God we do have those awesome moments when everything seems to be all right. But to be honest, most of the time we are actively engaged in a fight for our faith.

You and I are usually standing against something, whether it is a lie, a negative emotion or a temptation.I believe that one of the temptations we often face is feeling like we are the only one fighting. The devil likes to isolate us and make us think that we are the only one going through what we are going through. The truth is, we are all fighting. You’re not the only one who gets weary. You’re not the only one who gets tired of standing and resisting Satan’s lies and even resisting your own feelings. I have to fight the good fight of faith just like you do. It doesn’t matter who you are or how God is using you—you are in a battle for your faith. And even when it feels like you are not moving forward, when you’ve done everything you know to do, keep standing in faith. Keep pressing on believing that you will take hold of those things for which Christ took hold of you.

Pressing on to victory doesn’t mean that you have to do everything right. God’s Word doesn’t say you have to be a perfect person of faith. But you do have to stay in the race. It’s a great testimony just to be able to say: “I didn’t quit. I didn’t give up. I’ve been fighting the good fight of faith, and I’m still here!” My prayer is that you will be renewed in your determination to win the battle for your faith. God is with you every step of the way. In Isaiah 43:2 He promises that when you go through the waters you won’t drown, and when you go through the fire you won’t be burned. So be encouraged. Press on. God will give you strength and wisdom for every battle you face…as long as you never give up!

History belongs to the Intercessors

2006-08-24T17:11:00.000+10:00

History belongs to the Intercessors......

Intercessory prayer is spiritual defiance of what is in the way of what God has promised. Intercession visualizes an alternative future to the one apparently fated by the momentum of current forces. Prayer infuses the air of a time yet to be into the suffocating atmosphere of the present. History belongs to the intercessors that believe (and pray) the future into being. This is not simply a religious statement. The future dose belongs to whoever can envision a new and desirable possibility, which faith then fixes upon as inevitable. This is the politics of hope. Hope envisages its future and then acts as if that future is now irresistible, thus helping to create the reality for which it longs. The future is not closed. Even a small number of people, firmly committed to the new inevitability on which they have fixed their imaginations, can decisively affect the shape the future takes.
These shapers of the future are the intercessors, who call out of the future, the longed-for new present. In the New Testament, the name and texture and aura of that future is God's domination-free order, the reign of God. If we are to take the biblical understanding of intercession seriously, we will no doubt see that intercession dose change the world and it changes what is possible to God. It creates an island of relative freedom in a world gripped by unholy necessity. A new force field appears that hitherto was only potential. The entire configuration changes as the result of the change of a single part. A space opens in the praying person, permitting God to act without violating human freedom. The change in one person thus changes what God can thereby do in that world.
All of Jesus' teachings on prayer feature imperatives¶. In prayer we are ordering God to bring the Kingdom near. It will not do to implore. We have been commanded to command. We are required by God to haggle with God for the sake of the sick, the obsessed, the weak, and to conform our lives to our intercessions. This is a God who invents history in interaction with those "who hunger and thirst to see right prevail" (Matt. 5:6, REB). How different this is from the static god of Greek philosophy that all these years have lulled so many into adoration without intercession! Praying is rattling God's cage and setting God free and cutting the ropes off God's hands and the manacles off God's feet and then watching God swell with life and vitality and energy and following God wherever God goes.
When we pray we are not sending a letter to a celestial State House, where it is sorted among piles of others. We are engaged, rather, in an act of creation, in which one little sector of the universe rises up and becomes translucent, incandescent, a vibratory center of power that radiates the power of the universe. History belongs to you the intercessor, which believe the future into being. If this is so, then intercession, far from being an escape from action, is a means of focusing for action and of creating action. By means of our intercessions we veritably cast fire upon the earth and trumpet the future into being.

¶ (See for example, Luke 11:9 "Ask...search...knock.")

THe X Factor

2006-08-23T15:31:00.000+10:00

“The eXperience factor”

A good friend of mine wrote me some time back. She said…

“My goodness its so scary out here …it’s a scary REAL world. Like all the things that were hypothetical are real, friends that sleep around, friends that are addicted to drugs, friends that are gangsters, the real deal …I’ve been coming to terms with the fact that’s its all real!!! Ahhhhh!!! I miss friends with no drama …the drama that’s goin on now is stuff that changes your life drastically. Like a friend that’s gna have a baby the end of this year, another that could have gotten a sexually transmitted something from a guy that’s not even her boyfriend!!!”
The Chinese word for 'crisis' literally means 'a dangerous opportunity'. Making an impart on those around us is all about crisis. It's all too easy as overworked youth leaders to get so bogged down in organising, planning and running activities that they miss the critical moments of dangerous opportunity in people's lives. But that’s when you and I step in. It is by 'being there' at just the right time to celebrate or support that we win hearts and make change a generation for Jesus. Some moments in a person's life really are far more important than others and you and I must seize hold of dangerous opportunities with both hands.

Emma's story

Emma had been a Christian all her life. In her 17 years she had probably clocked up more meetings, sung more songs and listened to more talks than Jesus did in his entire lifetime. Nothing at church had surprised or challenged her for a very long time. She was immune; it seemed, to God; as though she were sleepwalking in Jesus' footsteps. It wasn't her fault - Emma was not backsliding, she just wasn't sliding forwards either. She was consistent, knowledgeable, respectful and gifted but above all she was bored. We’ve all puzzled over Emma. What would get through to her, what activity, task or advice could penetrate her friendly indifference? How do you “wake” a young person who can “do Christianity” in their sleep? But here you are not really the pastor; it’s not really your job to say anything, is it? And more often than not our attention was drawn away from the Emmas of the group by the troublemakers and the troubled, whose needs seemed so much more pressing. Sound familiar?

Paul's story

Paul hated Christians. In fact when he got drunk he liked to punch the nearest available member of the God Squad. That's why he was surprised to find himself in church that Sunday. He had been lured to the meeting by a stunning young hippy-chick called Naomi. Finding himself at church Paul tried hard to tune out the proceedings and to tune in on Naomi, but it wasn't easy. Surrounded by people singing and praying, he began to get a familiar, fantastic feeling. What was it? As he surveyed the room trying to place the sensation, the astounding truth dawned on him: he was 'rushing'. Without any drugs whatsoever he was buzzing with that familiar surge of warm, excited happiness. Leaving the building in a daze Paul still thought Christians were pond-life. But now he had an unexpected problem to think through. It was not intellectual, philosophical or theological. It was financial. Paul had been dealing drugs for years and consuming them ravenously too. It was an expensive business getting those highs and here - in the unlikeliest of places - he could get the sensations for free. Church was clearly a good financial proposition for a young man who lived for feelings, and he felt duty-bound to explore this surprising discovery some more.

Suzanne's story (name changed)

Suzanne had been a dynamic member of the youth congregation since her conversion two years earlier. At a party one Saturday a lad asked her out for a spin in his new car. Parking it in a secluded corner of an industrial estate he raped her. The next day she went to the police station and endured hours of questioning and medical examinations. She was advised to take the morning after pill and returned home. She writes: "That night, as I lay on my bed in a lot of pain physically, I don't think I have ever felt so alone, hurt, dirty and guilty. It was just horrific.
"The next day a very supportive friend came round and I was unable to hold it together any longer. As she hugged me I felt like I was going to break. She prayed for me and out of my brokenness and desperation I felt God's presence like never before. As she left I lay on my bed and called out to God. I knew that I needed God like never before. My prayer was 'God, I want to be whole again and I know that you're the only one who can do it. As much as I don't want to trust anyone ever again, I choose to trust you.' From there onwards I cannot describe or put into words the power of God. I felt his angels around me, I felt safe in his arms, it was like he was carrying me through the pain.
Suzanne's story is a remarkable one. She has agreed to tell it because she wants to offer some hope to other victims of abuse. Not everyone is able to walk through such pain as completely as Suzanne, but her message of hope and healing remains. A situation that could have crushed her emotionally, mentally and spiritually was actually neutralised and even 'turned around' by God as she found a new intimacy with him.
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Today Emma, Paul and Suzanne have vibrant relationships with God. What have their stories got in common? All three had experiences - good ones and horrific - that unlocked a discovery of God. Emma's breakthrough came in the slums of Addis Ababa. Surrounded by poverty and suffering on a massive scale, many miles away from the familiar structures of church, she found herself out of control and out of her depth. As a result she found Jesus in a whole new way.
Paul's breakthrough took longer. After that first Sunday he returned to church and had similar experiences each time. Suzanne began meeting up with him and over many months explained the gospel. He loved the power of God and it led him to the person of Jesus. Suzanne walked painfully through the most agonising experience of her life and somehow, in the midst of the suffering, found a deeper intimacy with Jesus.
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It is young people's experiences - good and bad - that provide us with our greatest opportunities for true and long lasting intimacy with God and with one another. No-one progresses spiritually in a smooth constant from week to week. Instead we all grow in spurts - more like a slinky loping down stairs than an escalator ride. Sermons and services shape our lives far less than most preachers like to admit. It is the decisions we make in response to strong experiences (which rarely happen in church meetings) that largely define our destinies and not the slow plodding routines of daily commitment. When people of our age fall in or out of love, when we fail our GCSE's or Mid Semester tests, our team wins the cup or our parents divorce, at such times our lives are open doors for God if we will just let him step through. The Key is being there for those who need a friend and understanding when we need one too. Helping “each-each” in our eXperience with the King of kings.
These principles work for non-Christians too. You can convince someone that the Gospel is intellectually true, but unless it impacts their eXperience in some way it probably won't change their life. Ask most school kids who Jesus was and they will tell you "the Son of God", but that fact has absolutely no bearing on their lifestyle.
Mount Everest is the highest mountain.
100 degrees centigrade is the boiling point of water.
Jesus is the Son of God. So what?
The moment that a person is confronted with an eXperience of God -perhaps through the supernatural or perhaps just through being loved unconditionally - the facts of the Gospel gain power in their life.

2006-08-15T15:21:00.000+10:00

Our Deepest Fear
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?” Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

2006-08-10T15:07:00.000+10:00

Frontline Magazine Vol 1 Issue 3

Proverbs 10v21
~The lips of the righteous feed many but fools die for lack of sense…

“How?” I asked God when I read this scripture late last night having just got into bed after a late night of Tv. Then it came to me like it always did. He said it in that soft still loving yet firm familiar voice I have come to love and know to belong to one man alone, the Holy Spirit. It’s our testimony you see, that feeds so many. For we have overcame him with the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. Each time we tell someone something that God has done, is doing or share some new revelation, we ‘feed’ that person. Weather it be when we stand up and preach to a multitude, share at a cell group meeting or just have a one on one with a someone as you walk to uni or stand in a bank queue. (Just a quick sidenote here; I saw a fuel queue on my way to uni today. It was only 4 cars long but it made me laugh and think of home Fuel here just went up by 3cents, yes 3cents and everyone is in a panic) Be it in writing a story or a poem or even a song, what ever it is that escapes from your heart and rolls off your lips, weather on to piece of paper or directly in so someone’s ear, it will feed them. Give them the hope to face one more day, coz one more day could be all the need, strength for one more battle coz one more battle could be all it takes, the courage for one more fight coz victory could just be one fight away. People ask me why I write so much. Why I send so much time cutting and pasting stories from all over. Well, this is why. The hope that what I write will give someone, somewhere that hope to hold and weather one more storm; But not only to feed others, but also to feed myself. “…but fools die for lack of sense…” Why does the fool die for lack of sense? Is it because he does not have sometime to ‘feed’ on? Not quit. The righteous have something to eat because they have something to give. That does not make sense to the natural mind. That is why it says he dies for lack of sense. So many times we try to ‘make sense’ of things when all it takes is just trust. When we find something to give, we will find what we need to eat. It is in the giving that we get for we do not get to give until we give to get. We only have coz we ourselves were given for none is righteous no not one yet we are the righteousness of God and that we are.

Lighten up and live…

I was listening the other day to Joyce Meyer on Tv and she was talking about how laughing helps bring healing to our body and soul. By now you all most have hear from somewhere about the goodness of a good laugh and of how ‘grown-up’ only laugh 25 times a day compared to kids who laugh about 150 times a day. I will not boor you with facts and figures on how or why it’s good to laugh. Instead I have spent some time looking for some jokes to help you de-stress. So sit back, Lighten up and live a little. Have a great day. Love you all. gabz…
Blank Officials of the Zimbabwean government have come to realise that the fact that we have three languages is causing discord amongst us. To change this they have come up with one language, Zimbabwean English, and this is as it is now spoken on television and radio. The recently published Zimbubwean Deekshunry defines these new weds.

Bad - you sleep on it in the badroom
Beds - crows, doves, etc
Beg - container, as in shopping beg, hand-beg, tog-beg
Ben - to set alight
Chealdren - our future is in their hands
Chetch - where worshippers go on Sundays
Cuds - you can play poker or rummy with them
Cut - a small donkey-drawn vehicle
Debben - city in KZN, South Africa
Deekshunry - where you find weds
Detty - opposite of clean
Driva - holds the steering wheel of a teksi
Duck - very duck at night when the lights are all off
Ebben - you get ebben erriors and rural erriors
Effrican - from the continent of Effrica
Erriors - districts, e. g. ebbon erriors
Ewways - eg. Air Zimbubwe, SAA etc
Fems - companies, e. g., Anglo-American
Fest - the one before second and third
Fok - used with a nife
Fum - Where you keep your ship or kettle
Fumma - he owns the fum
Glus - See through material you put in the weendo fram
Guddin - where you grow kebbijees
Geave - you MUST geave, I WILL take
Get - a hinged device in a fence
Hair - as opposed to heem
Heppi - state of elatement, e. g. I'm so heppi
Hiss - masculine form of hairs
Hubba - where sheeps dock
Itch - as in itch and avairy pesson
Jems - little bugs that give you the flu
Kah - what you drive around in
Kennel - ummy officer
Kebbijees - leafy green vegetable
Kettegry - in a system of classification
Kettle - Lobola animals
Kipper - one who kips, as in goal kipper
Kleenix - where nesses weck
Kot - where the judges sit
Len - to acquire knowledge
Leeda - as in Arwa Leeda, the president
Lungwich - weds what are spokkin
Mick - those that will inherit the eth
Miening - what is the miening of this attack?
Nesses - they weck in kleenix and hospitals
Pee-pull - powa to da pee-pull
Peppa - one way to get the news
Pesson - one of the pee-pull
Phlegm - the benning top of a kendal
Pees - symbolised by white dove
Pees-Tox - between IRA and John Major
Reeva - e.g. Zambezi, Limpopo etc
Ree-kwest - replaced by dee-mands
Sheep - big boat
Shex - houses in squatter
Sheet of Peppa - something to write on
Shuck-attak - if the shuck-net is brokkin
Shuck-nets - at Debben, for safety of sweamas
Spitch - what politicians make at a relly
Suth - opposite of Noth Sweamas - compete in a sweaming pul
Teps - solvent to thin enamel paint
Teck - see geave
Teksi - kah for hire - sometimes parrot teksi
Tenning point - the "top" of a parabola
Thest - ice cold Coke will relieve it on a hot day
Tipic ally - characteristic
Tocks - negotiations
Ufrican - pertaining to Ufrica (simmilar to Effrican)
Ummy - military force
Wee-men - ladies
We-pon - a gun
Wean-dow - with glus for throwing bricks through
Weaned - Gone with the Weaned
Weaner - the one with the most votes
Weckliss - the unemployed pee-pull
Weds - what the dictionary is made up of
Wekkas - do the weck
Wems - small crawly creatures
Weth - she is weth her weight in gold

2006-08-10T14:06:00.000+10:00

Frontline Magazine Vol 1 Issue 2

Season 2 Season
It’s about 9am in this sleepy town and from the looks of things I am the only person awake right now. The sun just rose a few mins ago but that does not seem to have changed much around here. Temperature is 2.3 degrees with a relative humidity of 92%. The wind is heading west at 1 knot and the air pressure is about 1023.5hPa. The bottom line is this…it’s COLD!!! According to the people I have talk to winter as only just began. I was not and in many ways still not prepared for this. I never thought oz could get this cold. But way do you care? You are probably enjoying the hot Texas summer or the not so hot African winter. And for those of you in Europe were it gets much, much colder, you are probably thinking 2degrees is nothing, wait till you get to -2. I realised something today, well I knew it before but God just reminded me of this (to tell you the truth HE has been reminding me of a lot of things) any in a few months it’s going to get warmer nothing can stop that. This season WILL end wether we like it or not. Did you know that trees put down more roots in the winter? Not just any roots but the strongest and the most lasting, the life long kind of roots. Zim is going through probably the longest and coldest winter I have ever seen. I doing history at the moment and in all my reading (which is not that much by the way) I am yet to see any one country go through what Zim is going through. Yes they was The Great Depression of 1929 in the USA and all the rest of it but like the Wall Street Crash it did not last forever. I know I preaching to the converted when I say this but sometimes we all need a little reminder, we are only going through this season. It shall come to pass of us and for the motherland. Something else we need to consider. Just coz I’m in winter does not mean the whole world is. What ever season you are in make the most of it. However just coz I’m in winter does not mean I stop producing fruit. Seize the day. Live each day as your last and let the light in you shine….

In Him always…

End Thought
God knew what He was doing when he made all things for there season. I don’t totally understand it all but in the one thin I have come to understand is that each season brings with is a new outlook. The problem is however that we find it hard to see that the season has changed and even when we do we fail to adapt to the change and/or seem to forget all that we have learnt in the season past.

Prayer
Over the next week pliz be praying for Zim and the church and our leaders both at home and those in whose land we dwell. Not forgetting also to pray for one another. At the heart of every revival is the spirit of prayer. Pray in line with the promises God has given you personal and those of our nation. All the mighty interceding of the ages that has ever shaken the Kingdom of darkness has been based upon the promises of God. Why should we expect God to do what he has not agreed to do?" Ezekiel 22.10 says "I looked for a man among them who would … stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so that I would not have to destroy it, but I found none." Let us not be found wanting. For we have been called for such a time as this.

Task

Get you hands on Pastor Tom’s book Building People Building Dreams and re-read the chapter on Season’s of Purpose. It will blow you mind away…

Lighten up and live…

Ever heard of Athina Roussel; she is the worlds richest teenager, aged only 18 and having US$2.7billion. She is heiress to the fortune of Geek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis. Anyway, what do you buy your boyfriend when you can afford almost anything? A cow of course! You poor people clearly don't realize that the cow is the gift of choice amongst the rich and famous these days. If you started giving away cows you'd find a whole new class of friends with the contacts and influence to make you one of them. Now, of course this was no ordinary cow, she is a billionaire after all. Athina paid US$155,000 for a prize cow called Esperanca (and for those of you who don’t speak Greek, it means Hope) at a cattle auction in Sao Paulo. Fortunately her boyfriend owns a cattle farm because they can make such a mess in your luxury apartment. Now you know what to get you friends this Christmas but as for me, I will only take chocolate thank you.

Think about this the next time you are having a bad day. The average cost of rehabilitating a seal after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska was $80,000 per seal. At a special ceremony, two of the most expensively saved animals were released back into the wild amid cheers and applause from the onlookers. A minute later they were both eaten by a killer whale. A psychology student in New York rented out her spare room to a carpenter in order to nag him constantly and study his reactions. After weeks of needling, he snapped and beat her with an ax, leaving her with permanent severe brain damage. My advice here is don’t spend too much energy doing homework ‘cause it just might kill you. Moving on, a woman came home to find her husband in the kitchen, shaking frantically with what looked like a wire running from his waist towards the electric kettle. Intending to jolt him away from the deadly current, she whacked him with a plank of wood that had been by the back door, breaking his arm in two places. Till that moment he had been happily listening to his Walkman. Two animal rights protesters were protesting at the cruelty of sending pigs to the slaughterhouse in Bonn, Germany. Suddenly the pigs, all two thousand of them, escaped through a broken fence and stampeded trampling the two hapless protesters to death.

AND THE WINNER IS.......

An Iraqi terrorist, Khay Rahnajet, didn't pay enough postage on a letter bomb. It came back with "return to sender" stamped on it. Forgetting it was the bomb; he opened it and was killed in the explosion.

See... You're not having such a bad day after all so lighten up and live.

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