Have you ever made one of those lists where you jotted down all the pros and cons of a certain situation or decision you had to make? It works the same way in retrospect of the things we all have to be thankful for, instead of complain about. It never hurts to look at things from a different point of view, at least that's what my calendar said this month, but nevertheless I believe it. So join me in taking a look at life since last Thanksgiving.
Maybe you've gotten a new job, had a new baby, gotten married or like myself are just moving forward to whatever God brings with each new day. I never cease to be amazed at the glory of God's handiwork. Have you been healed this year, been blessed financially, spiritually restored, or kept the Holy Ghost fire burning, kept your health, kept your sane mind, and kept your family in tact? No matter what, we've all got more to add to the pros side of our list because we have far more to be thankful for than we are even aware of. Sometimes its just seeing the glass half full instead of half empty. Have you heard the old saying, "no news is good news"? It's not good news that makes the headlines and people have a tendency to remember (and talk about) the negative far longer than the good. But as God's people we don't have to live in the world's "norm". It's our privilege and our obligation to praise God and share with others all He's done for us.
Join with me for a "mini vacation" to retreat to a place of reflection and thankfulness. We all have "war stories" to share, but its not our verbalized pain that draws the Lord's attention. The Word tell us that when we speak of Him in our daily conversations with one another He comes near to listen. It's His joy to be the topic of our conversation and the subject of our thoughts. Thankful conversations + thankful thoughts = happy hearts.
"Thankfulness unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend."
Praise the Lord!
I've never been more excited about God and the work He's doing in the earth today. Just to be a small part of the move of God is phenomenal to-say-the-least.
Every time I see a soul filled with the Holy Spirit, every time I see or hear the testimony of the sick healed, every time I behold the joy radiating from the face of a soul set free from bondage I'm awed by the magnitude of God's love and compassion for mankind. It turns any and all sacrifices into privileges.
It's a joy to be working in the middle of it all. I find that I must be on the move at all times. My mind and my spirit are racing with desire to serve in the Master's field at a pace sometimes tiring to this body, but the Lord strengthens us.
If you haven't found your place to labor it's high time you did! Just find something that needs doing and do it, as momma used to say. Find a soul in need and minister a good word, or good deed to them. Pray the prayer of faith for that missionary, or struggling single mother. Bake the preacher a cake but don't just sit there! Time hasn't stood still since Joshua's day and we can't afford to either. Our families, friends, neighbors, work mates, schoolmates need to hear the "Good News" of Jesus Christ today. And Friend, if it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen through you and me. You'll find there's no joy to match that of giving yourself to be the mouthpiece, the heart of compassion, the arms reaching out on behalf of the Lord.
Say, "I will arise", and do just that !!! The Lord will go before you.
I've never been more excited about God and the work He's doing in the earth today. Just to be a small part of the move of God is phenomenal to-say-the-least.
Every time I see a soul filled with the Holy Spirit, every time I see or hear the testimony of the sick healed, every time I behold the joy radiating from the face of a soul set free from bondage I'm awed by the magnitude of God's love and compassion for mankind. It turns any and all sacrifices into privileges.
It's a joy to be working in the middle of it all. I find that I must be on the move at all times. My mind and my spirit are racing with desire to serve in the Master's field at a pace sometimes tiring to this body, but the Lord strengthens us.
If you haven't found your place to labor it's high time you did! Just find something that needs doing and do it, as momma used to say. Find a soul in need and minister a good word, or good deed to them. Pray the prayer of faith for that missionary, or struggling single mother. Bake the preacher a cake but don't just sit there! Time hasn't stood still since Joshua's day and we can't afford to either. Our families, friends, neighbors, work mates, schoolmates need to hear the "Good News" of Jesus Christ today. And Friend, if it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen through you and me. You'll find there's no joy to match that of giving yourself to be the mouthpiece, the heart of compassion, the arms reaching out on behalf of the Lord.
Say, "I will arise", and do just that !!! The Lord will go before you.
Deliverance
"Praise the Lord! I just wanted to give my testimony on how thankful I am of my deliverance. I had been attending deliverance prayer meetings every Friday at one of the prayer team members homes, where each time we met I became closer & closer to a full deliverance. It so happened that the prayer team invited me to attend a youth service @ The First Pentecostal Church of Livingston. One of the prayer team members was asked to sing. Well who would have known that on that day I wa s to receive a total deliverance. I can now say that I have the joy of my salvation & the joy of the Lord. I'm truly thankful for the prayer team tapping into the deliverance ministry that God has laid upon their hearts, I'm also thankful for the Livingston church family for creating an atmosphere conducive for the Spirit of God to move in, and He did!!! I so happy words could not express, to feel this way again it's as if I was filled with the Holy Ghost all over again. Every time I think about it I want to cry tears of joy. I don't have the torment, sadness, anger, or hurt that I had been feeling for a long time. I have been renewed in the Spirit. To anyone that reads this testimony Gods is able & deliverance is here, just open up to God & be real about yourself. He's waiting to heal & deliver his people, so that they can fulfill his purpose. Praise God! Praise God! Praise God!"
April Montgomery
PastorJay Leclercq
Testimony
The other night during our revival with Brother Ashcraft, there was a sister that came to visit from another church in Baton Rouge with some other friends from that church. To make a long story short, she is from Africa and her family are witch doctors in Africa and they were trying to cast spells on her. That night she received something powerful from the Lord that caused her to roll under the power of the Holy Spirit. Little did we know that back in Africa a couple days later a missionary would make their way to her families village. To God be all the glory, her family heard the gospel and were baptized in Jesus name!! The demons were cast out, and cast out of their home and they are all living for Jesus!! WOW, you just do not ever know just how and when He will answer prayers. www.Updated Testimonies.com
FOUR RECEIVE THE HOLY GHOST
Laughter in Pentecost
Hey brother, trust all is well with you and your family
I've been meaning to write to you re a humorous situation that happened a couple days after attending one of your services @ Bro Cutrer's church in Roseland La.
You were preaching on servitude and giving testimony of when you were asked to teach the children's church in your early years of ministry. A great and inspiring testimony but not one that I would ever want to endure myself. You see I'm not that good (patient) with children of little stature and have very little, if anything at all, in common with the precious darlings.
I leaned over to my wife and with a snicker said "I hope GOD never does that to me"
You see, as you did in your early days, I too feel that the world awaits my GOD given talents and oratory abilities and I'm sure he would not deprive those of superior intellect the divine revelation of which he has so blessed me.
Well, GOD's ways are higher than my ways and his thoughts........
The following Saturday evening, my wife received an urgent telecom from the Sunday School Superintendent's wife informing us that both KINDERGARTEN teachers had to go out of town at the last minute and we were first on the "sub" list!!!
Your message and my declaration replayed over and over in my mind and after several hours of rejecting, denying, repenting, laughing and eating lots of crow, I humbly and gladly accepted the call.
We had a wonderful time....GOD and the little darlings were kind to us and with minor cuts and a small dry cleaning bill, we made it through!!!
By the way, while doing penance, our associate Pastor stopped by the class and gave me the nod to preach the following Wed night and to teach the senior class the following Sunday. I'm back!!!!!
Keep on keeping on!!!
Revs Cecil & Linda Hudson
Little River UPC, Tickfaw La
chudson1016@yahoo.com
I've been meaning to write to you re a humorous situation that happened a couple days after attending one of your services @ Bro Cutrer's church in Roseland La.
You were preaching on servitude and giving testimony of when you were asked to teach the children's church in your early years of ministry. A great and inspiring testimony but not one that I would ever want to endure myself. You see I'm not that good (patient) with children of little stature and have very little, if anything at all, in common with the precious darlings.
I leaned over to my wife and with a snicker said "I hope GOD never does that to me"
You see, as you did in your early days, I too feel that the world awaits my GOD given talents and oratory abilities and I'm sure he would not deprive those of superior intellect the divine revelation of which he has so blessed me.
Well, GOD's ways are higher than my ways and his thoughts........
The following Saturday evening, my wife received an urgent telecom from the Sunday School Superintendent's wife informing us that both KINDERGARTEN teachers had to go out of town at the last minute and we were first on the "sub" list!!!
Your message and my declaration replayed over and over in my mind and after several hours of rejecting, denying, repenting, laughing and eating lots of crow, I humbly and gladly accepted the call.
We had a wonderful time....GOD and the little darlings were kind to us and with minor cuts and a small dry cleaning bill, we made it through!!!
By the way, while doing penance, our associate Pastor stopped by the class and gave me the nod to preach the following Wed night and to teach the senior class the following Sunday. I'm back!!!!!
Keep on keeping on!!!
Little River UPC, Tickfaw La
chudson1016@yahoo.com
As I read these verses of scripture my attention was drawn to the two underlined phrases. I had to pause as I contemplated the fact that times change, but human nature doesn't. It would seem that the two opposing attributes of humanity prevalent in the early Church are still kickin' around in the 21st century Church.
1 comments:
This is awesome we need all our people to get involved. We do know that we need you in Florida.
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