Words to Ponder

Words to Ponder
The Bible
“Love never fails.” I Corinthians 13:8

Quotes of Presidents
“I more than love you, I’m not whole without you. You are life itself to me.” President Ronald Reagan

Wise Words
“Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.” Mother Theresa

Achan’s Sins

Achan’s Sins by Dr. D. James Kennedy

‘When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them…’ Joshua 7:21

Have you ever looked at a glossy home-decorating magazine and found that the home you felt thankful for an hour ago now seems junky? Or perhaps you saw a television ad for a slick car, and suddenly the car in your driveway now seems like a jalopy.

Advertisements often lead us into covetousness. Of course, we need to provide for our families; and we don’t sin when we seek to care for our needs. But we do sin when we desire the things of this world so strongly that we dwell on how we can obtain them.

Sometimes we want something so badly that we’re even willing to break one or more of God’s commandments to get it.

Achan, an Israelite at the time of Joshua’s conquest, exemplifies the seductive power of covetousness. Before the Israelites stormed Jericho, Joshua told everyone that everything in that city was devoted to destruction, that the wrath of God would fall upon the city because of the inhabitants’ sins.

Later the Israelites attacked the little town of Ai, but the inhabitants of this small town defeated the Israelites, killing many of them. Joshua sought the Lord to find out why Israel had lost, and God told him that there was sin in the camp.

Joshua then sought out the sin, and Achan confessed that in Jericho he had coveted some riches, so he took them and buried them under his tent. Achan’s covetousness cost him dearly—it cost him his family and his life.

When we covet, we actually rebel against God’s provision for us. God has given us so much already, and if we ever have a need, He fulfills it. As we trust God, we see His hand at work in our lives, providing so richly for us. The antidote for covetousness is contentment with God’s blessings.

How are you doing in the area of covetousness? If you find that you want something, submit it to God. Trust Him to provide it for you if you need it and be content with all He has given you now.

"Contentment makes poor men rich; discontentment makes rich men poor." BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

Today in History

Today in History
1953
Watson and Crick Discover Chemical Structure of DNA

On this day in 1953, Cambridge University scientists James D. Watson and Francis H.C. Crick announced that they had determined the double-helix structure of DNA, the molecule containing human genes.

Though DNA–short for deoxyribonucleic acid–was discovered in 1869, its crucial role in determining genetic inheritance wasn’t demonstrated until 1943. In the early 1950s, Watson and Crick were only two of many scientists working on figuring out the structure of DNA.

California chemist Linus Pauling suggested an incorrect model at the beginning of 1953, prompting Watson and Crick to try to beat Pauling at his own game. On the morning of February 28, they determined that the structure of DNA was a double-helix polymer, or a spiral of two DNA strands, each containing a long chain of monomer nucleotides, wound around each other.

According to their findings, DNA replicated itself by separating into individual strands, each of which became the template for a new double helix. In his best-selling book, The Double Helix (1968), Watson later claimed that Crick announced the discovery by walking into the nearby Eagle Pub and blurting out that “we had found the secret of life.”

The truth wasn’t that far off, as Watson and Crick had solved a fundamental mystery of science–how it was possible for genetic instructions to be held inside organisms and passed from generation to generation.

Watson and Crick’s solution was formally announced on April 25, 1953, following its publication in that month’s issue of Nature Magazine. The article revolutionized the study of biology and medicine.

Among the developments that followed directly from it were pre-natal screening for disease genes; genetically engineered foods; the ability to identify human remains; the rational design of treatments for diseases such as AIDS; and the accurate testing of physical evidence in order to convict or exonerate criminals.

Crick and Watson later had a falling-out over Watson’s book, which Crick felt misrepresented their collaboration and betrayed their friendship. A larger controversy arose over the use Watson and Crick made of research done by another DNA researcher, Rosalind Franklin, whose colleague Maurice Wilkins showed her X-ray photographic work to Watson just before he and Crick made their famous discovery.

When Crick and Watson won the Nobel Prize in 1962, they shared it with Wilkins. Franklin, who died in 1958 of ovarian cancer and was thus ineligible for the award, never learned of the role her photos played in the historic scientific breakthrough.

Senate Chaplain Black's Vision

Senate Chaplain Black's Vision by CHPP

Over the years, Senate Chaplain Barry C. Black has openly shared a vision our Lord gave him, just after he stepped into his new role as Chaplain on July 7, 2003. Our prayer team, too, was privileged to hear and to pray over this vision with the Chaplain, shortly he came into office.

Today, as the U.S. Congress honors the life of the Rev. Billy Graham, and as his body lies in state in the Capitol Rotunda, it seems a fitting time to share Chaplain Black's vision with all of you . . . so here goes:

"The Lord showed the Chaplain a vision of the Capitol Building, and he had a strong witness that the Spirit of our Lord was saying that, at the set time, he would witness a "mighty move of God" in the Capitol Building, that would then literally sweep across the nation, ushering in a great revival."

Chaplain Black has held onto that vision -- and that promise -- to this day.

And we wonder:

COULD TODAY BE THE RELEASE OF THAT VISION FOR AMERICA?

Let it be so, O Lord . . . let it be so!

The Judas Test

The Judas Test
From: Today God Is First by Os Hillman
February 28, 2018

"If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God," Psalm 55:12-14.

Betrayal is one of the most difficult tests that we will ever face because it involves being wounded by someone we trust. It's hard not to become bitter when a friend or family member wounds us. It takes a lot of Christ-like grace to forgive a traitor.

You have probably faced the Judas Test yourself. Everyday you and I live in a world that is rife with betrayal, deception, duplicity, and treachery. Perhaps you have been betrayed by your boss or a coworker. Or perhaps a friend betrayed a confidence or stabbed you in the back. It may have even been someone you've gone to church with or prayed with -- someone you trusted as a brother in Christ -- who has wounded you by betraying the confidence you placed in him.

The Judas kiss stings worse than a slap across the face. Almost everyone has experienced that sting at one time or another. Yet God is watching to see how we respond to the Judas Test. If we pass the test, He can then take us to the next level, the next test. If we fail, we'll probably have to repeat the test until we learn to forgive.

The Judas Test is God's graduate level course in faith, designed to reveal the truth about ourselves: Are we willing to trust Him enough to forgive the Judases in our lives?

The book of Hebrews warns, "See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many," Hebrews 12:15.

When we refuse to forgive we risk infecting others with a "bitter root" of resentment. When we refuse to forgive we also exposing ourselves to the sin of unforgiveness, which will open us to many other sins.

Prayer Initiative

Prayer Initiative
Health Care/Healing

Suggested Scriptural references ...
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting... James 1:5-6

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. James 3:17

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

I am the Lord that healeth thee. Exodus 15:26


Suggested prayers ...
Thank You, Father, for all You have given us through the gifts and talents, compassion, intelligence and creativity of our health care professionals in America. Thank You for what has always been the finest health care system in the world.

As our ultimate Healer and Lord, give us Your heart to care for the sick, the disabled, the handicapped and the elderly in ways that honor You and our fellow man. Guide us, Lord, to Your model for health care and healing in our country.

Father, we are in desperate need for Your guidance in how best to serve our fellow human beings who are in need of health care. Please lead those who are working to bring that about. Guide and guard them from short-sightedness, manipulation, greed, self interest, political agendas and corruption.

God Almighty, we ask You to help us sort out truth from deception, right from wrong, and good from evil. Give us Your wisdom, and the courage to stand for what is true, right, honorable and good for those who need health care and those who provide it.

Sovereign God, we pray for the power of Your healing and restoration in the life of every person affected by natural disasters and war.

~~~

“The general prevalence of the blessings of health through our wide land has made more conspicuous the sufferings and sorrows which the dark shadow of pestilence has cast upon a portion of our people. This heavy affliction even the Divine Ruler has tempered to the suffering communities in the universal sympathy and succor which have flowed to their relief, and the whole nation may rejoice in the unity of spirit in our people by which they cheerfully share one another’s burdens.” President Rutherford B. Hayes

Today in History

Today in History
1827
New Orleanians Take to the Streets for Mardi Gras

On this day in 1827, a group of masked and costumed students danced through the streets of New Orleans, Louisiana, marking the beginning of the city’s famous Mardi Gras celebrations.

The celebration of Carnival–or the weeks between Twelfth Night on January 6 and Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Christian period of Lent–spread from Rome across Europe and later to the Americas. Nowhere in the United States is Carnival celebrated as grandly as in New Orleans, famous for its over-the-top parades and parties for Mardi Gras (or Fat Tuesday), the last day of the Carnival season.

Though early French settlers brought the tradition of Mardi Gras to Louisiana at the end of the 17th century, Spanish governors of the province later banned the celebrations. After Louisiana became part of the United States in 1803, New Orleanians managed to convince the city council to lift the ban on wearing masks and partying in the streets.

The city’s new Mardi Gras tradition began in 1827 when the group of students, inspired by their experiences studying in Paris, donned masks and jester costumes and staged their own Fat Tuesday festivities.

The parties grew more and more popular, and in 1833 a rich plantation owner named Bernard Xavier de Marigny de Mandeville raised money to fund an official Mardi Gras celebration.

After rowdy revelers began to get violent during the 1850s, a secret society called the Mistick Krewe of Comus staged the first large-scale, well-organized Mardi Gras parade in 1857.

Over time, hundreds of krewes formed, building elaborate and colorful floats for parades held over the two weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday. Riders on the floats are usually local citizens who toss “throws” at passersby, including metal coins, stuffed toys or those now-infamous strands of beads.

Though many tourists mistakenly believe Bourbon Street and the historic French Quarter are the heart of Mardi Gras festivities, none of the major parades have been allowed to enter the area since 1979 because of its narrow streets.

In February 2006, New Orleans held its Mardi Gras celebrations despite the fact that Hurricane Katrina had devastated much of the city with massive flooding the previous August. Attendance was at only 60-70 percent of the 300,000-400,000 visitors who usually attend Mardi Gras, but the celebration marked an important step in the recovery of the city, which counts on hospitality and tourism as its single largest industry.

Words to Ponder

Words to Ponder
The BIBLE
“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31

Quotes of Presidents
“Without God there could be no American form of government, nor an American way of life. Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first - the most basic - expression of Americanism. Thus, the founding fathers of America saw it, and thus with God’s help, it will continue to be.” President Gerald Ford

Wise Words
“Every Korean will tell you that Japan is a cultural and technical and economic example that has been so important to their own transformation,” Joshua Ramo

Thoughts on I Corinthians 6:17

Thoughts on 1 Corinthians 6:17 by John W. Ritenbaugh

"But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him."

This usage points out how easily a person can be misled or confused by an inference in contrast to a direct, concrete statement. From this verse, one could conclude that, if he is joined to the Lord, then he is a spirit just as the Lord is.

"He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him." The hat-pin test disproves this very quickly. We are not a spirit, not the way the Lord is a spirit.

When we read it in its wider context, Paul reveals that he is not writing on the theme of spirit composition at all. His theme is "closeness of connection," which he illustrates by a man being "joined to a harlot."

Unity emerges as the theme as he brings Christ into the picture, and in this case, a Christian's unity with Him is the highest, purest form of unity that a human being can be involved in.

Paul is suggesting, then, that a sheep may wander from the shepherd, a branch may be cut from a tree, a limb severed from the body, a child alienated from his parents, and even a wife from her husband; but when two spirits blend into one, nothing can separate them.

So close is their unity that what affects one affects the other. This is why Jesus says in Matthew 25:40, "Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me."

So, Paul concludes, believers must not involve Christ in sin. We should do everything in our power to avoid negatively affecting that intimate spiritual relationship, that unity, our Lord desires that we share with Him.

We need to be continually growing in our understanding of our relationship with the Holy One. We are an integral part of His body, as it were, and as Paul explains in I Corinthians 12:26, when one part of the body hurts, the whole body hurts. When one part of the body is strengthened, the whole body is strengthened.

We must begin to understand that unity so we can grow and mature in it. When God uses the word "spirit" in this way, it suggests a unity that is extremely close. It is a matter of being one with the Christ who died for us; it is a joining of our hearts and minds with His!

Filled by the Holy Spirit

Filled with the Holy Spirit
From: Today God Is First by Os Hillman
February 27, 2018

"Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, 'Brother Saul, the Lord-Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here-has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit,'" Acts 9:1.

Billy Graham, the great evangelist, shared a personal story about the role of the Holy Spirit in his life-long ministry and how he came to see the importance of being filled with the Holy Spirit.

In my own life there have been times when I have had the sense of being filled with the Spirit, knowing that some special strength was added for some task I was being called to perform.

We sailed for England in 1954 for a crusade that was to last for three months. While on the ship, I experienced a definite sense of oppression. Satan seemed to have assembled a formidable array of his artillery against me. Not only was I oppressed, I was overtaken by a sense of depression, accomplished by a frightening feeling of inadequacy for the task that lay ahead.

Almost night and day I prayed. I knew in a new way what Paul was telling us when he spoke about 'praying without ceasing.' Then one day in a prayer meeting with my wife and colleagues, a break came.

As I wept before the Lord, I was filled with deep assurance that power belonged to God and He was faithful. I had been baptized by the Spirit into the Body of Christ when I was saved, but I believe God gave me a special anointing on the way to England.

From that moment on I was confident that God the Holy Sprit was in control for the tasks that lay ahead. That proved true.

As a believer, God has provided the Holy Spirit for you and me so that we can experience the power of the gospel that allows us to live the Christian life.

Today, if you have not done so, invite the Holy Spirit to fill your life to overflowing so that you can be a witness in your workplace, city and nation.

Our Greatest Need

"Our institutions of freedom will not survive unless they are constantly replenished by the faith that gave them birth.

Our greatest need is to regain confidence in our spiritual heritage." John Foster Dulles

Whose Job Is It?

It's the Holy Spirit's job to convict.

It's God's job to judge.

It's my job to love. - Billy Graham

Prayer Initiative

Prayer Initiative
The Economy/Business/Labor

Suggested Scriptural references ...
Reverence for the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. The rewards of wisdom come to all who obey Him. Psalm 111:10

He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity. Proverbs 2:7

Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. Titus 2:6-8


Suggested prayers ...
We ask, Lord, for Your divine solutions for America's moral and financial rebirth.

Creator of heaven and earth, Your splendor is evident in the ability You give us to think, create, and solve challenges. Please give those in business, labor and government the guidance and wisdom they need.

Lord, we plead for You to lead us to Godly, inspired and creative solutions for our out-of-control relationship with money and debt.

We ask You to restore ethics, morality and fair dealings to business, labor and government.

We pray for those in business, finance, economics and government to recognize and adopt Your principles and priorities, asking that You prosper and give favor to those who do.

We ask You Lord, to restore us to full adherence to fiscal responsibility in the public and private sectors.

We ask for a system of fair taxes that supports appropriate government services while encouraging economic opportunity.

We pray for the rebirth and restoration of free market principles.

We pray for those who are caught up in dependency on government, asking that they be set free.

We especially ask You to bless Christians in the work of their hands. Guard their hearts and minds from greed and allow them favor as they conduct their business.

Lord, we ask You to cultivate in us an “attitude of gratitude” about provisions of life gained and shared honorably, and give us the strength to resist a culture of materialism and covetousness.

We ask you to expose and destroy the business of sex trafficking and other businesses that profit from the destruction and abuse of others. We pray for the rescue and healing of the victims and for the healing and transformation of the perpetrators.

~~~

“The citizen is a better business man if he is a Christian gentleman, and, surely, business is not the less prosperous and successful if conducted on Christian principles...All must admit that the reception of the teachings of Christ results in the purest patriotism, in the most scrupulous fidelity to public trust, and in the best type of citizenship.” President Grover Cleveland

Today in History

Today in History
1919
Two National Parks Preserved, 10 Years Apart

On this day in history, two national parks were established in the United States10 years apart–the Grand Canyon in 1919 and the Grand Tetons in 1929.

Located in northwestern Arizona, the Grand Canyon is the product of millions of years of excavation by the mighty Colorado River. The chasm is exceptionally deep, dropping more than a mile into the earth, and is 15 miles across at its widest point.The canyon is hometo more than 1,500 plant species and over 500 animal species, many of them endangered or unique to the area,and it’s steep, multi-colored walls tell the story of 2 billion years of Earth’s history.

In 1540, members of an expedition sent by the Spanish explorer Coronado became the first Europeans to discover the canyon, though because of its remoteness the area was not further explored until 300 years later.

American geologist John Wesley Powell, who popularized the term “Grand Canyon” in the 1870s, became the first person to journey the entire length of the gorge in 1869. The harrowing voyage was made in four rowboats.

In January 1908, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt designated more than 800,000 acres of the Grand Canyon a national monument; it was designated a national park under President Woodrow Wilson on February 26, 1919.

Ten years later to the day, President Calvin Coolidge signed into law a bill passed by both houses of the U.S. Congress establishing the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

Home to some of the most stunning alpine scenery in the United States, the territory in and around Grand Teton National Park also has a colorful human history. The first Anglo-American to see the saw-edged Teton peaks is believed to be John Colter.

After traveling with Lewis and Clark to the Pacific, Colter left the expedition during its return trip down the Missouri in 1807 to join two fur trappers headed back into the wilderness. He spent the next three years wandering through the northern Rocky Mountains, eventually finding his way into the valley at the base of the Tetons, which would later be called Jackson Hole.

Other adventurers followed in Colter’s footsteps, including the French-Canadian trappers who gave the mountain range the bawdy name of “Grand Tetons,” meaning “big breasts” in French. For decades trappers, outlaws, traders and Indians passed through Jackson Hole, but it was not until 1887 that settlers established the first permanent habitation.

The high northern valley with its short growing season was ill suited to farming, but the early settlers found it ideal for grazing cattle.

Tourists started coming to Jackson Hole not long after the first cattle ranches. Some of the ranchers supplemented their income by catering to “dudes,” eastern tenderfoots yearning to experience a little slice of the Old West in the shadow of the stunning Tetons. The tourists began to raise the first concerns about preserving the natural beauty of the region.

In 1916, Horace M. Albright, the director of the National Park Service, was the first to seriously suggest that the region be incorporated into Yellowstone National Park. The ranchers and businesses catering to tourists, however, strongly resisted the suggestion that they be pushed off their lands to make a “museum” of the Old West for eastern tourists.

Finally, after more than a decade of political maneuvering, Grand Teton National Park was created on February 26, 1929. As a concession to the ranchers and tourist operators, the park only encompassed the mountains and a narrow strip at their base. Jackson Hole itself was excluded from the park and designated merely as a scenic preserve.

Albright, though, had persuaded the wealthy John D. Rockefeller to begin buying up land in the Jackson Hole area for possible future incorporation into the park. In 1949, Rockefeller donated his land holdings in Jackson Hole to the federal government that then incorporated them into the national park.

Today, Grand Teton National Park encompasses 309,993 acres. Working ranches still exist in Jackson Hole, but the local economy is increasingly dependent on services provided to tourists and the wealthy owners of vacation homes.

What Has Changed?

It has been suggested that teachers also become armed defenders of the schools in which they serve, in addition to being food providers, psychological counsellors and after-school babysitters in addition to their teaching duties, may be 'a bit too much.'

And that is not to say teachers will not--and have not already-- demonstrated their willingness to put themselves between their students and impending danger; rather that school districts and the tax payers who fund them should be willing to hire trained professionals to stand as watchmen between those in school (students, teachers, and administrators) and anyone who would enter those hallowed institutions of learning with intent to do harm.

And while providing the fire power to defend our schools from mayhem and murder, our legislators must also consider the time when our halls of learning actually were safe places.

How do those simple, often one-room structures differ from our sophisticated, modern, technologically-equipped learning factories?

The one essential difference is the fact that at the inception of public school education its primary function was to teach the BIBLE and to promote faith in JESUS.

This may be an uncomfortable truth for those who today insist that "separation of church and state" is an article of government rather than an off-handed comment by Thomas Jefferson in his personal correspondence, but truth it is!

As recently as the 1950s, the BIBLE was read and the LORD'S PRAYER was recited at the beginning of every school day. Teachers hired by the school districts in that day were required to be people of honorable character whose lives were lived by BIBLICAL principles.

They were not expected to teach morality to the students in their charge, but they were expected to model it to students whose parents were teaching morality and godliness to them at home.

What has changed?

When is the last time YOU heard a teacher open his classroom with a passage of SCRIPTURE and the LORD'S PRAYER?

It didn't take long for evil to replace the good that the CHRISTIAN FAITH established in the nation's classrooms.

When are YOU going to insist that the faith of our fathers be reintroduced into our public schools?

Words to Ponder

Words to Ponder
The Bible
“The one who comes to Me, I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:37

Quotes of Presidents
“The first consideration in immigration is the welfare of the receiving nation.” Thomas Jefferson

Wise Words
“Jesus has given me rest by His sorrow, and life by His death.” John Bunyan

Faith--a Mental Illness?

Faith--a Mental Illness?

Actress Candace Cameron Bure is weighing in on the intense controversy surrounding “The View” host Joy Behar’s proclamation recently that it’s essentially “mental illness” to believe that “Jesus talks to you.”

“My initial reaction was that it was a tone deaf comment, but not a surprising one from someone who isn’t a believer,” Bure, who was a co-host on “The View” for two seasons before leaving in December 2016, told Faithwire on Thursday.

But the “Fuller House” star added that she felt, after watching the entire clip, that Behar reasonably explained her position on Vice President Mike Pence, despite Bure’s own disagreement with Behar’s sentiments.

“We understood where she stood with [the vice-president],” she said. “It was important for me to watch that entire clip and not just pull the one thing out that Joy said … there are many people who think the way that Joy does because they aren’t believers and they have no real understanding of God's desire to have relationship with man.”

Bure, who is an outspoken Christian, added that it’s important for Christians to remember that non-believers find the sort of spiritual experience described in Behar’s comments as “foreign.”

“It was a tone deaf comment, also an ignorant one, but you can’t blame her,” Bure said. “For someone who has no concept of the Holy Spirit, that that is a logical response.”

Bure also detailed how she would have responded if she were still sitting around “The View” table, noting that she would have drawn a distinction between a person stating that Jesus “talks” to him or her and someone explaining that he or she listens to the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

“I think I would have clarified there’s a difference,” she said. “There’s a difference when someone claims, ‘Oh, Jesus talked to me’ or ‘I’m listening to the Holy Spirit.'”

And Bure was careful to remind people that the initial comment that sparked Behar’s response came from TV star Omarosa Manigault Newman, a woman whom Bure said is “a reality TV queen” who “knows how to make headlines.”

While Bure said that she genuinely loves everyone at “The View” table, she’s grateful to no longer be doing the show.

“Thank goodness I’m not at that table anymore,” she said through a chuckle. “I honestly love everyone who’s at that table … It’s heated. It’s a hard job. I’m glad I’m not doing.”

As previously reported, Behar’s remarks stemmed from statements made by Newman, a former “Apprentice” star who briefly became a White House staffer before reportedly being terminated.

Newman said in a recent episode of “Celebrity Big Brother” that Pence is extreme and that he “thinks Jesus tells him to say things.”

“It’s one thing to talk to Jesus. It’s another thing when Jesus talks to you,” Behar said in reaction to Newman’s claims. “That’s called mental illness, if I’m not correct. Hearing voices.”

Those to whom the Holy Spirit has spoken--those to whom guidance and encouragement and life have been spoken when they were at the point of failure and death--understand fully the wonder and glory of having a God who is "near at hand and not afar off."

Those who have experienced it can never, will never, give it up; and they also desire to see unbelievers transformed by the wonder of hearing the Lord's voice from scoffers to people of faith.

Your Spiritual Life Depends on...

Your Spiritual Life Depends on...by Tim Cameron

Thinking about food isn't going to do much for your body. You have to eat food to live. You can know how to make food. You can know everything there is about its nutritional value. You can have a month's supply of the healthy food stored in the pantry. But your knowledge of food and a storehouse of food will not help you if you don't eat.

The same goes for your spiritual food. You can have a Bible in every room of your house. You can have a Master of Divinity degree and be skilled at teaching or preaching the Word. You can possess the best software programs for studying the Bible in the original language with wonderful historical commentaries. You can have email devotionals delivered to your smartphone every morning. However, all of this education, skill and resources will not help you spiritually unless you daily take His Word and prayer deep inside your spirit.

Jesus was tempted by the devil to turn a stone into bread while He was fasting in the wilderness. He quoted Scripture to the devil: "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). Jesus taught us that we must take His Word deep inside us daily.

We are more than just physical beings who need food to survive. We are spiritual creations who need to commune with our God every day. Most of us are too busy to eat properly. Busyness also keeps us from praying. Busyness keeps us from taking time to study, meditate and hide God's Word in our hearts. We have an epidemic in the church of spiritually malnourished people who don't meet Jesus in the secret place daily in the Word and prayer.

The admonitions in the Scriptures are numerous and pointed. Meditate on the Word and pray. Your spiritual life depends on it. Here are just a few of the promised results on meditating and hiding God's Word in your heart:

You can have peace in your life: "Those who love Your law have great peace, and nothing shall cause them to stumble" (Psalm 119:165).

You can be free from pornography and other sexual sins: "How shall a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word. With my whole heart I seek You; do not allow me to wander from Your commandments. Your word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You" (Psalm 119-9-11).

Your prayers will be answered: "If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it shall be done for you" (John 15:7).

You will be wise and successful: "This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth. Meditate on it day and night so that you may act carefully according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way successful and you will be wise" (Joshua 1:8).

You will have a life full of joy and contentment: "His delight is in the law if the Lord, and in His Law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water; that brings forth its fruit in its season; its leaf will not wither, and whatever he does will prosper" (Psalm 1:2-3).

You need to consistently meet the Lord in the secret place with prayer and the Word. You need to hunger after His Word—hunger and thirst for it profoundly and passionately. We need a fresh revelation of Jesus in our lives every day, even more than we need food, water and air. Jesus is the only one who can provide the kind of spiritual nourishment our souls long for. He said, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me shall never hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst" (John 6:35).

Our hunger and thirst are satisfied in His presence in the secret place.

The Lord's Word is inseparably linked to prayer. It is in prayer that we seek to have a relationship with God and to know Him intimately. It is in the Word that He most often speaks to us.

A full measure of daily prayer with little of the Word gives life; however, it leads to a lack of steadfastness.

Much of the Word with little prayer leaves us unhealthy and prone to judgment and legalism.

Being able to stand the tests and storms of life necessitates having the Word embedded deep in our souls with a full measure of prayer daily. A full measure of the Word and prayer daily is indispensable in living the Spirit-filled life.

Are you desperate? Do you see that you are spiritually bankrupt and Jesus is the only answer?

I don't think we really get it.

There is a supply of God's Spirit and presence that will both kill us and fill us. It will kill us and put to death the flesh with its appetites, passions and addictions. And in the process, the Holy Spirit will help us to empty ourselves of our own spirit as much as it is possible.

It will be painful, but it is a hurt that satisfies and electrifies our souls. Then we will be filled up to overflowing with His Spirit and His presence. We will be so spiritually healthy that we will have something to offer every person who crosses our paths.

Prayer Initiative

Prayer Initiative
Culture/Media/Journalism/Entertainment/Arts

Suggested Scriptural references ...
For we do not war against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience Ephesians 2:2

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8


Suggested prayers ...
Father, we ask for Your help in reclaiming our culture from the strongholds of the enemy, praying for You to strengthen, broaden and deepen the influence of Christ in every aspect of our country.

We admit to often being discouraged at a growingly irreverent culture that flagrantly abuses Your Holy Name, mocks the Cross, and easily buys into the lies that defy Your natural order. Protect our culture, Lord, from all attempts to belittle, marginalize and make fun of Your Gospel and Your people.

We ask you, Lord, to open greater and greater opportunities for Your Gospel to flow freely across our airwaves.

Please grant Americans the wisdom to discern truth from deception.

We pray for those in the entertainment industry that they may better serve the families of our country by creating programs and movies that are uplifting in nature and extol positive virtues.

Thank You Almighty God, for the growing number of excellent movies that focus on You. Their success gives us hope, and we are grateful.

We ask You to raise up, equip, and abundantly provide creative ideas and resources for Your true disciples in the media, the arts, entertainment and journalism. Bless those who are driven by loyalty to You, and bestow upon them favor and acceptance for their work. We ask You to reward honest journalists with recognition and success.

We ask You to raise up, equip, and abundantly provide creative ideas and resources for Your true disciples in the media, the arts, entertainment and journalism. Bless those who are driven by loyalty to You, and bestow upon them favor and acceptance for their work. We ask You to reward honest journalists with recognition and success.

We ask You to raise up, equip, and abundantly provide creative ideas and resources for Your true disciples in the media, the arts, entertainment and journalism. Bless those who are driven by loyalty to You, and bestow upon them favor and acceptance for their work. We ask You to reward honest journalists with recognition and success.

We pray for those who would intend to bring our country down by bringing our culture down. We ask you to foil their plans. We ask for Your transforming power in the lives of those who would divide, deceive and destroy.

We pray for Your protection from pornography and the indecency that plagues our communities, harms our families and undermines our country. Lord, there is something deeply amiss when 2/3 of all pornography in the world is produced in America. We ask You to break the power of this evil and loosen the chains that bind the hearts of so many men, women and young people. Replace deadly desires with a hunger for goodness.

Father, we plead with You for a resurgence of manners, respect, modesty and sobriety in our country. Help those in media, entertainment, journalism or the arts to do the right thing by You with the talents You have given them. Give them wisdom and knowledge to speak Your truth with power, respect, grace and love.

~~~

“There is no other book so various as the Bible, nor one so full of concentrated wisdom. Whether it be of law, business, morals, or that vision which leads the imagination in the creation of constructive enterprises for the happiness of mankind, he who seeks for guidance in any of these things may look inside its covers and find illumination. As a nation we are indebted to the Book of Books for our national ideals and representative institutions. Their preservation rests in adhering to its principles.” President Herbert Hoover

Love Never Fails

"LOVE NEVER FAILS." I Corinthians 13:8

Don't let your children down when they fail to meet your academic expectations; they are made for GOD'S purposes to be fulfilled within them and HIS gifts to them are toward the fulfilling of the plans HE has for them.

Of course, you must encourage them to do well. The HOLY WORD admonishes, "Do everything your hand finds to do as unto the LORD," so expect them to do their best but be supportive and encouraging if their best does not find them on the honor roll.

More than academic success, you must support GOD'S ultimate purpose for your children. Pray that HE will reveal HIS perfect will to them regarding their destiny.

Pray that they will have not only a career destination that is rewarding but a joyful journey in reaching it.

Today in History

Today in History
2004
The Passion of the Christ Opened in the United States

The Passion of the Christ, Mel Gibson’s film about the last 44 hours of the life of Jesus of Nazareth, opened in theaters across the United States on this day in 2004. Not coincidentally, the day was Ash Wednesday, the start of the Catholic season of Lent.

The star of action-packed blockbusters like the Lethal Weapon series and Braveheart, Gibson was earning more than $20 million per movie at the time he decided to direct The Passion of the Christ, for which he received no cash compensation.

Largely based on the 18th-century diaries of Saint Anne Catherine Emmerich, the film was a true labor of love for Gibson, who later told Time magazine that he had “a deep need to tell this story…The Gospels tell you what basically happened; I want to know what really went down.”

He scouted locations in Italy himself, and had the script translated from English into Aramaic (thought to be Jesus’ first language) and Latin by a Jesuit scholar. Gibson’s original intention was to show The Passion of the Christ without subtitles, in an attempt to “transcend the language barriers with visual storytelling,” as he later explained. With dialogue entirely in Latin, Hebrew and Aramaic, the film was eventually released with subtitles.

A year before The Passion of the Christ was released, controversy flared over whether it was anti-Semitic. Abraham Foxman, head of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) went on record saying that Gibson’s film “could fuel hatred, bigotry and anti-Semitism.” Specifically, its opponents claimed the movie would contribute to the idea that Jews should be blamed for the death of Jesus, which has been at the root of much anti-Jewish violence over the course of history.

For his part, Gibson categorically denied the allegations of anti-Semitism; meanwhile, Christian critics of the film’s story pointed to its departure from the New Testament and its reliance on works other than the Bible, such as Emmerich’s diaries.

Gibson, who put millions of his own money into the project, initially had trouble finding a distributor for the film. Eventually, Newmarket Films signed on to release it in the United States. Upon its debut in February 2004,

The Passion of the Christ surprised many by becoming a huge hit at the box office. It also continued to fuel the fires of controversy, earning harsh criticism for its extreme violence and gore–much of the film focuses on the brutal beating of Jesus prior to his crucifixion–which many saw as overkill.

The film critic Roger Ebert called The Passion of the Christ “the most violent film I have ever seen.”

Gibson’s response to similar charges was that such a reaction was intentional. In an interview with Diane Sawyer, he claimed: “I wanted it to be shocking. And I wanted it to be extreme…. So that they see the enormity, the enormity of that sacrifice; to see that someone could endure that and still come back with love and forgiveness, even through extreme pain and suffering and ridicule.

Words to Ponder

Words to Ponder
The Bible
“Let me experience Your faithful love in the morning, for I trust in You. Reveal to me the way I should go because I long for You.” Psalm 143:8

Quotes of Presidents
“I more than love you, I’m not whole without you. You are life itself to me.” President Ronald Reagan

Wise Words
“Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.” Mother Theresa

Thoughts on Galatians 2:20

Thoughts on Galatians 2:20 by David C. Grabbe

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

Even though the law had no power to condemn him to death—he was "dead" to it, as verse 19 says—Paul was still quite active! His life continued to contain a great deal of activity. When Christ was crucified,

He then also became "dead to the law" in the sense that it held absolutely no power over Him. The law's power, its threat to a human being, lies in being able to condemn him to death. But once a person has died, as Paul shows in Romans 7, the law no longer has any power over him.

The phrase "I am crucified" shows that it is a continual thing, an ongoing process. Through Christ's intercession, the law's condemning power is held at bay. This is what Christ does in His role as our High Priest. But Paul then clarifies it by saying that he still is very much alive—he does not simply roll over and relegate all responsibility to God.

He then shows another facet: Once we have made the covenant with God, we have signed ourselves over to Him, and suddenly our lives are not our own anymore. We still have to go through this life, but it is Christ living His life in us that makes us alive spiritually.

Jesus Christ gave up His physical life so that, through His sacrifice, we could be brought into alignment with God; this is what is called "justification."

We respond by yielding to the direction that He now gives to us. We are to have faith in Him and the entire process that He is bringing us through—not merely that we are forgiven for our sins, but also that we will be brought to the "measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ," Ephesians 4:13.

It would not be faith if we were resisting Him throughout this life by disobeying Him! It would be a contest of wills: Can God still save me even though I am rebelling? Trusting in God to bring us to a state of completion while refusing to obey Him seems to be mutually exclusive.

We would be intolerant of an employee who would not comply with company regulations so we assume that God simply will not allow someone into His Kingdom who will not willingly submit to living the way God requires -- until we factor in the Biblical assertion that He is patient toward us, not wishing that any should perish.

While we as believers are obliged to ever strive toward complete submission of our way to His way, we must never discount the 'mercy factor.'

We must always be mindful that He is ever-ready to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

But Master

But Master...
From: Today God Is First by Os Hillman
February 25, 2018

"Simon answered, Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets," Luke 5:5.

Have you ever argued with God?

One of the first sermons Jesus ever gave was from a boat. It was Simon Peter's boat. Jesus used a businessman's business to preach the Gospel. However, Peter had to first make his business available to the Master. When he did, something wonderful happened to his business.

You see, Peter's fishing business was in a slump. They had just fished all night and caught nothing. Nevertheless, Peter made his boat available to Jesus to use as He wished. Jesus used it to preach to the multitudes.

After Jesus used Peter's boat for His purposes Jesus did something interesting for Peter. He blessed his business. However, Peter almost missed the blessing because he began to argue with Jesus. Peter was looking at the market conditions instead of the instruction of Jesus. Something inside of him made him reconsider Jesus' instruction. Jesus rewarded his obedience.

"When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink," Luke 5:6-7.

We see a number of Kingdom principles we can apply in our work lives in this story:

1) We must be willing to let God use our work life for His purposes.
2) We must not look at circumstances and argue with Jesus when His instruction seems to contradict what we have seen or experienced already
3) We must obey the Lord

When we obey the Lord we might just see Jesus use us for His glory and bless our obedience.

Whether it's our boat or our computer or our paycheck, Jesus wants not just our work life surrendered to Him, to His purposes. He wants the entirety of who we are--our hearts--laid at His feet.

Holy Spirit Outpouring

Holy Spirit Outpouring by Larry Sparks

I sense that 2018 is the year of the roar of the Lord. In fact, the Holy Spirit gave me eight different roars that were going to be released in 2018, either starting or noticeably accelerating. One of them was the roar of the Ruach HaKodesh, the roar of the Holy Spirit.

A Cry From Behind Closed Doors
Recently, the Holy Spirit allowed me to see a brief vision. I saw the image of an influential pastor in his office. Didn't know who he was specifically, I just knew that this person led a recognized, popular and successful church. I sense the Lord is wanting to change how we gauge and see success.

We can have all the success in the world, and yet be impoverished compared to what God wants to do through us. Yes, we celebrate our ministry successes by giving glory to God. But success cannot just be measured by the attendance of weekend experiences or how many people show up to membership classes, or what kind of response our events and conferences received. It's not about book deals, social media stats and marketing, although these factors are not bad. Good can become evil when we choose to level off at good when, in fact, we could have God.

Success is not how professional our worship team sounds, how state of the art our technology is, or even how closely our children's ministries resemble Disney World or Universal Studios. We could boast all of the contemporary ministry bells and whistles—none of which is inherently bad—and yet still be destitute.

Consider Jesus' sobering evaluation of the Church in Sardis: "I know your works, that you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead" (Revelation 3:1). We will come back to that word "reputation" later.

It's shocking, that we can have the reputation, or outward appearance of being alive, and yet be considered "dead." Sounds a lot like what Paul described as "having a form of godliness but denying its power..." (2 Timothy. 3:5).

In my vision, I see a pastor figure sitting in a darkened office with the window shades closed. He is leaning over his desk, crying out from a deep guttural place in his spirit. You cannot fake this cry; it's the cry of the barren womb. It's the cry of a Hannah who doesn't care about reputation; she just wants a son (see 1 Samuel 1:1-20). The author of Proverbs describes the barren womb as one of the four things that never are satisfied—they never say "enough" (see Proverbs30:16).

Immediately, I remembered John Kilpatrick, the pastor during the historic Brownsville Revival (1995-2000). In the days leading up to the revival, July 15, 1995, Kilpatrick was a desperate man. Before revival broke out, Kilpatrick was enjoying a measure of success. He had a TV ministry. He had the respect and love of the congregation. The church was prospering on all fronts. I know specifics were different back in the 1990s, but ultimately, Kilpatrick was enjoying what many leaders are walking in today. And yet, he was gripped by a poverty that no numbers, respect or media exposure could fill. It was the poverty of a hungry spirit that knew there was so much more than He was presently experiencing. This compelled Kilpatrick to drive over to the church sanctuary in the middle of the night, lay down prostrate over the front pew, and cry out from the depths of his anguished, thirsty soul: "Oh God, there's got to be more! I need You, Lord!"

It's not cool to consider ourselves an impoverished people, but the cry of a poor spirit is considered by Jesus to be a blessing (see Matthew 5:3).

In my vision, I sensed this nameless, faceless influential pastor represented a generation of leaders who are burnt out with the "same old, same old" when it comes to doing church and ministry. They've done everything in the books, and yet, are still absolutely desperate for something supernatural: for God to rend the heavens and break in with His power.

I see the hunger of John Kilpatrick being represented in the cry of a new generation of millennial church leaders. They are tired of the gimmicks, they want God.

But how?
I believe a price has to be paid. To experience a true move of God, it demands a people who are willing to say a costly and consistent "Yes" to the Holy Spirit's movement and manifestation. We must be willing to say, "Holy Spirit, I want You—on Your terms, not mine. I want Your Presence more than my preference."

History clearly shows the results of this kind of hunger.

The Hovering Presence of the Spirit

At the same time, while pastors and leaders are crying out in the secret place for a fresh touch of the Spirit, I see entire congregations being visited by the hovering presence of the Spirit. What does this look like?
Look at Genesis 1 and notice how the Holy Spirit hovered over the waters at Creation (see Genesis 1:1-2). He was hovering, brooding. Nothing explosive happened until a decree was made from the Father.

Right now, in the church, I believe we are seeing evidence of the Spirit brooding as we witness an increased intensity in praise and worship, interest in prayer and fervency for outreach and service. These are signs that the Holy Spirit is moving among us. And yet, the brooding presence and the explosive presence are two different dimensions.

Every day, people are growing dissatisfied with religion and disinterested in trendy, cool Christianity. Regardless of people's theological upbringing or denominational backgrounds, I sense that a strong population in the body of Christ, particularly young people, want to see God actually do what Isaiah 64:1 cries out for: "Rend the heavens and come down."

This is where the spiritually hungry pastors and church leaders factor into the equation. As in Genesis 1, the Spirit is waiting for an announcement. He was waiting for the Father to say "Let there be light"

In our case, the Spirit is not going to just barge into our churches and disrupt everything; that would prove disastrous, especially if the pastors and leaders didn't want anything to do with "a mighty move of the Holy Spirit." Rather, He is looking for a few radical friends who are willing to lay everything down—namely their reputations—to see God move in His fullness, and thus, see cities, regions and even nations transformed by the Gospel of the kingdom.

What will this look like?
People in the earth bringing the cries of their heart into agreement with the decree of the Father in heaven. You see, the same Father who decreed light at Creation also made a decree concerning the move of the Holy Spirit. Simply stated, He said: "...I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh" (Acts 2:17).

When we give voice to this decree of outpouring in our hearts, with our mouths and through our actions, I believe we position ourselves for that combustive explosion of the Spirit.

I am not content with a theology of Holy Spirit outpouring and open heavens without seeing the manifestation. I want to see what it looks like to see churches, families, cities and regions experience the blessing of a torn-open heaven (Isaiah 64:1).

I want to see the resources of one world flow into this world through an ekklesia that serves as the legislating, governing body of Christ in the earth, exercising authority in the spiritual airways.

I prophesy that the hovering of the Spirit will escalate into obvious and marked "holy moments." These are definable moments in the midst of our services and gatherings where the atmosphere is simply electric with God. Everyone recognizes it. In fact, to go on with business as usual would just feel completely wrong, like one was shutting down what God wanted to do in that moment.

It will be in these "valleys of decisions" where pastors and leaders will have the opportunity to say yes to what the Holy Spirit wants to do. Or, sadly, they will also have the ability to move on with the program, completely shutting down the potential for landscape-changing revival. Even those who legitimately cried out for the move of God, interestingly enough, have the potential to say no to it.


The Idol of Reputation Is Restraining the Move of God
In studying the history of significant moves of God, both past and present, I've noticed a recurring common denominator. Those that God used as either catalysts to help ignite revival, or stewards to help sustain it, made a decision to completely surrender their reputation.

There is no place for the exaltation of personal reputation if we want to see a move of God. If we really want to experience the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and every blessing that accompanies it, we need to truly follow the model of the Suffering Servant, and be willing to make ourselves of no reputation (see Philippians 2:).

Not some reputation; no reputation. If there is a trace of the love of reputation in us, I believe it can hinder us from stepping into the fullness of what God wants to release into the Earth. He's looking for those who are all in, completely yielded. Not perfect —yielded.

I'm convinced that one of the key restraining agents for the move of God is the idol of reputation. It's an idol because when we are motivated to preserve and guard our personal reputation, any prayer we pray for "revival" will have unseen, unheard strings attached. God can move—just as long as He doesn't do anything that messes up my______ (fill in the blank). Life. Church. Ministry. Public persona. After all, "I've got a good thing going here." That attitude must die if we are to break through the self-imposed ceiling of "ministry" and begin seeing God manifest in our midst.

Some heroes in modern revival include pastors John Kilpatrick, John and Carol Arnott, Randy Clark, Bill and Beni Johnson, Karen Wheaton, Patricia King and Heidi Baker. I personally know that each of these leaders paid a price to see what they saw—the price of their reputations. What did they receive in exchange? God moving in their midst and touching the nations through their yielded lives.

We've seen what happens when leaders say that uncomfortable, but glorious "yes" to the holy moments of God. We get the Toronto Blessing, the Brownsville Revival and the Smithton Outpouring. We get Bethel, the International House of Prayer, the Ramp and Iris Ministries. History notes these amazing lightning-strikes of the Spirit, where regions and generations are touched by outpouring.

I sense we are stepping into a season where lightning- strikes of God will not be exclusive to one church, but rather, a collective of churches throughout cities and regions. I believe it was author and minister Tim Sheets who spoke of a day coming when people would have access to a center Holy Spirit outpouring within a 15-minute drive. Let it be, Lord—Any church that says yes to the move of the Spirit. And these explosive lightning-strikes of God will be the result of two things coming into collision:

The secret place cry of the pastors and leaders

The desperation of the people who attend church week after week

Yes, I prophesy the lightning-strikes of the Spirit are coming to local churches. It's the local church, not the revival center, where everyday people come, week after week, for community, service and spiritual development.

A Vision for Revival and Reformation
The Lord gave me a significant word in 2017 about the marriage of revival and reformation. It's easy see the burning bush encounter of Exodus 3 and get caught up in the overt "revival" symbolism.

We see the fire of God, an unusual manifestation of God's presence and encounter the holiness, awe and fear of the Lord. I love all of the things, and yet, if revival becomes our driving focus, I believe the very thing we wish to see transform the church will only go so far. God wants to come "down," so He can come out.

In other words, He wants to move powerfully in our midst and encounter us, so that, like Moses, we experience His fire and also hear His voice. And when that voice speaks from the fire, it commissions us to become societal reformers, as it did Moses in Exodus 3 and even the prophet Isaiah (see Isaiah 6).

I prophesy that in this season, as the church opens its doors to the unrestrained move of the Spirit, there are going to be dynamic and dramatic encounters that people have in the presence of God. The people who have these encounters with the fire of God are the 98 percent of everyday people who attend church week after week who have no aspirations to be pulpit preachers or international ministers. They have career ambitions. They have trade skills. They have passions, talents and desires that make them uniquely qualified to occupy certain spheres of influence.

The Lord is passionately pursuing everyday people, for He wants to invade everyday places with extraordinary power. This assignment is not exclusive to "revival people." Every day, normal people called to medicine, government, education, politics and media. People who work 9 to 5, Monday – Friday, for the Lord wants His presence in the places where the people go.

The goal is not to create a separate supernatural revival culture, where the move of the Spirit becomes exclusive to special events, conferences, revival hubs and arenas outside of the local church. These are absolutely necessary as outlets that pour into the church, but I sense the objective of the Lord in this hour is a Holy Spirit reformation in the local church that produces cultural revolution.

What Will Happen in the Day of His Power?

Pastors and leaders are crying out for more of God in the secret place.

Congregations and local church communities are increasing in hunger for the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is hovering over local churches, noticeably charging the spiritual climate.

Next, the church will be faced with a decision: say "Yes" to the holy moments the Spirit is extending—which demand a dead reputation and a complete yielding to the move of God—or say "No" and continue with business as usual, all the while, living dissatisfied because we are unwilling to slay our reputation so that Jesus can rise in our midst in Holy-Spirit power.

For those who take the ultimate glorious plunge with a "Yes," I see local churches radically shifting. A new reputation will be established. These local venues will become known in their communities—not because of their personalities, programs or production value, but because of the presence of a person moving powerfully in their midst--that person will be the Holy Spirit.

People won't come because of some celebrity speaker or dynamic personality; they will come because word got out that a living God is moving among those people. I see two things:
a normalization of the gifts of the Spirit, including healing, prophecy, deliverance and other demonstrations of power. And yet, I don't see those becoming focal points; they will be seamless byproducts of God moving in the midst of His people.

More than anything, I see the days ahead being marked by glory. Presence. Fire. Awe. Fear and trembling before a holy God. Unusual manifestations--provocative miracles—signs and wonders that provoke responses from entire cities and regions because they cannot be ignored or avoided.

I see the desperate, the seeker, the hungry and the thirsty coming and being touched dramatically by the fire of God.

For the Lord spoke to the leadership during the Toronto Blessing in the 1990s, saying, "I'm going easy on you now," as He was preparing the people for a day of His fullness and power, a day that had not yet been seen or experienced during the revivals of the 1990s.

I prophesy we are stepping into that day of glory.

The signs are all around. Even leaders of past revivals such as John and Carol Arnott would say that the climate in the church is similar to the season preceding the global outpouring in 1994, but what's coming will eclipse what came.

So what will we do?

Will we say yes to the Holy Spirit and no to our reputations?

It may be a painful exchange at first, but the testimony of every revival leader, both alive today, or chronicled in the pages of history, is ample proof that what we lay down is nothing compared to what we pick up. If seeing God move in this generation means we lay down what people think about us, so be it!

We want God!

Today in History

Today in History
1836
Alamo Defenders Call for Help

On this day in 1836, in San Antonio, Texas, Colonel William Travis issued a call for help on behalf of the Texan troops defending the Alamo, an old Spanish mission and fortress under attack by the Mexican army.

A native of Alabama, Travis moved to the Mexican state of Texas in 1831. He soon became a leader of the growing movement to overthrow the Mexican government and establish an independent Texan republic. When the Texas revolution began in 1835, Travis became a lieutenant-colonel in the revolutionary army and was given command of troops in the recently captured city of San Antonio de Bexar (now San Antonio).

On February 23, 1836, a large Mexican force commanded by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana arrived suddenly in San Antonio. Travis and his troops took shelter in the Alamo, where they were soon joined by a volunteer force led by Colonel James Bowie.

Though Santa Ana’s 5,000 troops heavily outnumbered the several hundred Texans, Travis and his men determined not to give up. On February 24, they answered Santa Ana’s call for surrender with a bold shot from the Alamo’s cannon.

Furious, the Mexican general ordered his forces to launch a siege. Travis immediately recognized his disadvantage and sent out several messages via couriers asking for reinforcements. Addressing one of the pleas to “The People of Texas and All Americans in the World,” Travis signed off with the now-famous phrase “Victory or Death.”

Only 32 men from the nearby town of Gonzales responded to Travis’ call for help, and beginning at 5:30 a.m. on March 6, Mexican forces stormed the Alamo through a gap in the fort’s outer wall, killing Travis, Bowie and 190 of their men.

Despite the loss of the fort, the Texan troops managed to inflict huge losses on their enemy, killing at least 600 of Santa Ana’s men.

The brave defense of the Alamo became a powerful symbol for the Texas revolution, helping the rebels turn the tide in their favor. At the crucial Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 910 Texan soldiers commanded by Sam Houston defeated Santa Ana’s army of 1,250 men, spurred on by cries of “Remember the Alamo!”

The next day, after Texan forces captured Santa Ana himself, the general issued orders for all Mexican troops to pull back behind the Rio Grande River.

On May 14, 1836, Texas officially became an independent republic.

Words to Ponder

Words to Ponder
The BIBLE
“The LORD your God is in your midst, a Mighty One who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.”
Zephaniah 3:17

Quotes of Presidents
“I may be President of the United States but my private life is nobody’s damn business.” Chester A. Arthur

Wise Words
“To effect necessary change, President Trump must move at the speed of technology, not bureaucracy” Newt Gingrich

John the Baptist

John the Baptist
From: Today God Is First by Os Hillman
February 24, 2018

"I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he" (Matthew 11:11-12).

John the Baptist did no miracles. Elijah performed miracle after miracle.

Daniel interpreted dreams for kings and he and his friends impacted an entire nation.

Jeremiah and Isaiah were two of Israel's greatest prophetic voices.

Jesus built his church through the twelve disciples.

But Jesus made a profound declaration about this man who performed no miracles - He is the greatest among all the prophets.

Why did Jesus make such a claim? Because he did one very important thing - he fulfilled his purpose on earth in every way.

The disciples asked John the Baptist, "Are you the one we have been waiting for?

John responded quickly, "No." Then he made a profound statement: "A man can receive only what God gives him" (John 3:27). He had a complete understanding of why he was placed on earth.

Jesus proclaimed John the Baptist was the greatest because he (John) knew and fulfilled his purpose.

The angel Gabriel described John's purpose to his father: "And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous - to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (Luke 1:17).

His purpose was absolutely necessary to be achieved in order to prepare the way for Jesus.

Do you know why God made you?

Are you fulfilling the destiny He has planned for you since the foundation of the earth?

Understanding your life's purpose is key to receiving your inheritance.

Paul said no matter what your calling is, if God has called you to do it, you will receive an inheritance for doing it. "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving" (Colossians 3:23-25).

When the Lord has shown you your purpose, fulfill it with all your energy, with all your resolve--as unto the Lord who called you.

Thoughts on Hebrews 2:1-4

Thoughts on Hebrews 2:1-4 by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

"Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. (2) For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, (3) how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, (4) God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?"

Paul's warning to the Hebrews here is a bit stronger than what he says in Philippians 1:27. He says there, "Let's all with one mind strive together to keep the faith of the gospel." Here he says, "Give earnest heed to the doctrine, to the gospel, to the things we heard, because we're in danger of losing it!"

He feels he must frighten them, saying, "Don't you remember that under the Mosaic dispensation people were punished very severely for neglecting what they had heard? Every transgression and disobedience received a just reward. How much greater under the dispensation through Christ, the Son?"

He is quite serious. Work hard. Be diligent. Make your calling sure!

It is about this same time that Peter and Jude add their voices to his. The brethren were undergoing a rough time because false ministers and false teachers were in the church, and like us, they also had to fight off the pressures from the world to conform. It takes great effort to resist both in the church and out in the world. When there are problems among us, it is tough. When we must also resist all the downward pulls outside in society, it is a difficult, sore trial. Thus, Paul uses particularly strong language to motivate them to stand up, face the problem, give it their all, and vanquish it.

Are we in a similar circumstance?

Perhaps some of the details are different; the deception has taken a somewhat different form (this time we do not have to contend with Gnosticism, per se). However, there is enough similarity that warnings here, as well as in the books of Peter, John, and Jude, make a lot of sense.

Certainly the results, the fruit of false teaching, are the same: apostasy, falling away, confusion, distrust, scattering, and disunity.

The apostles, then, are speaking to us. It is we who must give earnest heed to the truth we have heard. It is we who must instill that truth into the generations that follow ours.

Temple Cleansers and Idol Smashers

Temple Cleansers and Idol Smashers by Dawn Hill

A few years ago, the Lord sent me on an adventure through the books of Kings, and He started speaking to me about the rise of Josiah's mandate. Though the original post was published in April 2016, God has had me revisit this and re-release this word. I remember when God showed me revelation about King Josiah and what he did during his reign. I believe this is a timely word for the hour we are in as a nation as He raises up temple cleansers and idol smashers.

Before Josiah came on the scene, he had hundreds of years of idolatry as his heritage and foundation. Most people with a pedigree like Josiah's would have counted themselves unqualified to answer the high call, but God sets His seal upon the unqualified, and He will not deny a repentant heart. King Josiah was a revolutionary revivalist and reformer of his time, and his mandate is as relevant now as it was then.

Josiah Cleanses the Temple and Smashes the Idols

It was in the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign that this king embraced the mantle upon his life. It began with the order to repair the temple, an undertaking more prophetic than intended. Soon after repairs began, the high priest found the book of the Law in the temple, having been forgotten among the barrage of idols.

Upon hearing the words of the book, Josiah wasted no time in bringing an onslaught to the kingdom of darkness. He was relentless in his pursuit of tearing down strongholds so that God would be exalted. To many, dethronement of false gods having ruled for centuries in the land would seem insurmountable, but no devil can outmatch God. One act of obedience can change the course of a nation and a generation.

Josiah understood that God did not tolerate misdirected worship. He removed pagan vessels from the holy temple. He deposed pagan priests, and he destroyed pagan altars and Asherah poles. He defiled the area dedicated to Molech for child sacrifice. He destroyed altars erected by his own grandfather. He defiled high places of paganism that King Solomon had established. He removed the mediums, necromancers, household gods and idols from his land. He reestablished the Passover feast, something that had not been done since the days of the judges (2 Kings 23) What had taken hundreds of years to erect came crashing down in a sliver of that time.

Josiah not only confronted the false gods in his kingdom of Judah, but he brought the charge to the kingdom of Israel and assaulted the places of pagan worship. Neither kingdom escaped judgment for its infidelity to God, but Josiah was heard by God, and he delayed judgment with his repentance and radical obedience.

Cleanse the Temples and Smash the Idols!

God is raising up temple cleansers and idol smashers in this hour. He is searching the hearts of His people and purifying those who would bow to His will and submit to His instruction. Though generations in one's family may have chosen another god, all it takes is one to change the course of history. It only takes a remnant to hear the instruction and repent on behalf of the land. The Father is looking for those who are fearless and faithful, revolutionary reformers who will conquer the places surrendered to the devil. His heart is turned to those who will rend their hearts for His truth.

Much like today, sin was tolerated and lifted up as a standard to follow. While idolatry and evil practices have been welcomed into the church, the call to holiness is touted by many as too costly or unobtainable. We have little understanding that holiness is a call to know Jesus. Even now, it brings tears to my eyes as I hear the Lord saying, "Sin has been given an altar in my temples, My people."

The Word of God has been forgotten among the barrage of idols in the temples of the holy one. We need to hear the word of the Lord once again, answering the call to honor His covenant while saturating ourselves in holiness that comes only through intimacy with Christ.

I see those who would answer the mandate warring in the Spirit against every lofty thing that would exalt itself against the knowledge of God, bringing it into captivity to obey Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4).

I see a great move of God where cries of repentance and intercession are on the lips of those who hunger for holiness. We are hungry for Him. I see a people remembering the power of the blood of Jesus, the Passover Lamb.

I see prophetic wrecking balls wiping out idols, smashing them into oblivion. The only way to obliterate idols is to unwaveringly choose Jesus. Whatever has our affections has our worship.

I see Josiahs being raised up with the sanction of consecration in their stride. It is not based on a haughty attitude, but confidence found in a personal identity in Christ.

God hears those who would weep and repent on behalf of a nation, and in His mercy, He delays judgment so that others may rise up to love Him and to defy the enemy.

Words to Ponder

Words to Ponder
The Bible
“It is not by the sword or the spear that the Lord saves, for the battle is not yours but the Lord’s.” I Samuel 17:47

Quotes of Presidents
“The Declaration of Independence is a great spiritual document…” President Calvin Coolidge

Wise Words
“Successful people don’t have fewer problems; they have simply determined that nothing is going to stop them.” Dr. Ben Carson

Tax Season Approaches

Tax Season Approaches
With the approach of tax season, the IRS reminds taxpayers that they must never, ever give out personal financial information — such as Social Security numbers or credit card and bank account numbers and passwords — to anyone who calls you, claiming to be from the IRS.

The IRS reminds taxpayers that IRS impersonation scams continue year-round and that they tend to peak when scammers find prime opportunities to strike. These scammers will be aggressive and use threatening phone calls while impersonating IRS agents, and the scams remain a major threat to taxpayers.

Here are some things scammers, but never the IRS, often do. Any one of these four things is a telltale sign of a scam:

1. Call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method, such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer. Generally, the IRS will first mail a bill to any taxpayer who owes taxes.

2. Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have the taxpayer arrested for not paying.

3. Demand that taxes be paid without giving the taxpayer the opportunity to question or appeal the amount owed.

4. Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.

Prayer Initiative

Prayer Initiative
Relationships/Race

Suggested Scriptural references ...
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. Mark 12:30-31

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galations 3:28

See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; Hebrews 12:15

When you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too. Mark 11:25

For God shows no partiality. Romans 2:11


Suggested prayers ...
Thank You, Lord, for clearly demonstrating how important relationships are. Thank You for designing us to be in relationships. We ask for Your protection over all our relationships, and for the wisdom to know how to love as you love. Quicken us to approach every relationship in our lives with You in mind.

Thank You, dear Lord, for every loving relationship in our lives. Thank You for the profound blessings and goodness we experience through loving one another. We ask You to make us aware of those who need companionship and caring.

Thank You, Almighty God, for forefathers who established this country on the fact that You created all of us equal in value and dignity before You.

Thank You for the 600,000 Civil War soldiers who gave their lives during the fight to make sure that all men are free in America.

We ask You to destroy the enemy’s attempts to destroy relationships.

Give us, Lord, appreciation and respect for the ways You created us different, one from another.

Forgive our judgments against others and place in our hearts generosity of spirit toward others.

Give us the grace to forgive each other’s mistakes, as You forgive ours.

Heal the wounds of our past, Lord, and set us free from division, dissension, deception & manipulation.

We pray for racial reconciliation, and we ask that true healing begin in the church. May the watching world see how, under the banner of Christ, true unity can be found.

We ask You to guide Americans into understanding, acceptance and love between the races.

Father, You have made it clear that a house divided against itself cannot stand. Show us the way, dear Lord, to find common ground in our nation and in our relationships.

~~~

“In conclusion I ask patient forbearance one toward another throughout the land, and a determined effort on the part of every citizen to do his share toward cementing a happy union; and I ask the prayers of the nation to Almighty God in behalf of this consummation.” President Ulysses S. Grant

Pelosi's Crumbs

Pelosi's Crumbs

Here's an Interesting Tid-Bit Regarding Nancy Pelosi's Comment that $1000 Tax Bonuses to Workers Is "Crumbs"...

Nancy Pelosi was recently asked her net worth. She refused to discuss the subject, but some insight into her great wealth comes by this tid-bit of information:

Pelosi’s annual property tax bill alone on three luxury homes last year— $137,000 — is more than twice the 2016 U.S. median household income of $59,039, which the U.S. Census reported last fall.”

This might explain why when Pelosi heard that American workers would be receiving $1,000 bonuses as a result of the new tax cuts from the GOP tax plan, she called it “crumbs.”

Today in History

Today in History
1945
U.S. Flag Raised on Iwo Jima

During the bloody Battle for Iwo Jima, U.S. Marines from the 3rd Platoon, E Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Regiment of the 5th Division took the crest of Mount Suribachi, the island’s highest peak and most strategic position, and raised the U.S. flag.

Marine photographer Louis Lowery was with them and recorded the event. American soldiers fighting for control of Suribachi’s slopes cheered the raising of the flag, and several hours later more Marines headed up to the crest with a larger flag. Joe Rosenthal, a photographer with the Associated Press, met them along the way and recorded the raising of the second flag along with a Marine still photographer and a motion-picture camera- man.

Rosenthal took three photographs atop Suribachi. The first, which showed five Marines and one Navy corpsman struggling to hoist the heavy flag pole, became the most reproduced photograph in history and won him a Pulitzer Prize. The accompanying motion-picture footage attests to the fact that the picture was not posed.

Of the other two photos, the second was similar to the first but less affecting, and the third was a group picture of 18 soldiers smiling and waving for the camera. Many of these men, including three of the six soldiers seen raising the flag in the famous Rosenthal photo, were killed before the conclusion of the Battle for Iwo Jima in late March.

In early 1945, U.S. military command sought to gain control of the island of Iwo Jima in advance of the projected aerial campaign against the Japanese home islands. Iwo Jima, a tiny volcanic island located in the Pacific about 700 miles southeast of Japan, was to be a base for fighter aircraft and an emergency-landing site for bombers.

On February 19, 1945, after three days of heavy naval and aerial bombardment, the first wave of U.S. Marines stormed onto Iwo of Jima’s inhospitable shores.

The Japanese garrison on the island numbered 22,000 heavily entrenched men. Their commander, General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, had been expecting an Allied invasion for months and used the time wisely to construct an intricate and deadly system of underground tunnels, fortifications, and artillery that withstood the initial Allied bombardment.

By the evening of the first day, despite incessant mortar fire, 30,000 U.S. Marines commanded by General Holland Smith managed to establish a solid beachhead.

During the next few days, the Marines advanced inch by inch under heavy fire from Japanese artillery and suffered suicidal charges from the Japanese infantry. Many of the Japanese defenders were never seen and remained underground manning artillery until they were blown apart by a grenade or rocket, or incinerated by a flame thrower.

While Japanese kamikaze flyers slammed into the Allied naval fleet around Iwo Jima, the Marines on the island continued their bloody advance across the island, responding to Kuribayashi’s lethal defenses with remarkable endurance.

On February 23, the crest of 550-foot Mount Suribachi was taken, and the next day the slopes of the extinct volcano were secured.

By March 3, U.S. forces controlled all three airfields on the island, and on March 26 the last Japanese defenders on Iwo Jima were wiped out. Only 200 of the original 22,000 Japanese defenders were captured alive.

More than 6,000 Americans died taking Iwo Jima, and some 17,000 were wounded.

CALEB

Caleb by Dr. D. James Kennedy

‘Now, therefore, give me this mountain…’ Joshua 14:12

Have you ever made an outrageous request of God then stood back in amazement as He granted it?

Caleb made such a request in Joshua 14: “Give me this mountain.”

At the age of eighty-five, Caleb requested a mountain, hill country filled with pagans. Why would he ask for a hillside full of hostile heathens? Even if he received the land, Caleb would have to face the sons of Anak, a whole family, generation, and tribe of giants who inhabited the hill.

How could Caleb possibly fight the Anakim and win this land?

Though he was as strong as he was on the day forty years earlier when Moses sent him and the other spies to scope out the Promised Land, he surely didn’t have the strength to overcome a family of giants twice his size.

Caleb’s strength doesn’t fully explain his request. We have to read a bit further in the book of Joshua to find the secret. In Joshua 14:12-13, Caleb says, “Give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day…the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.”

Caleb based his life upon his faith and trust in the Lord. He followed the Lord wholeheartedly, and therein lies the great lesson. Out of Caleb’s trust in the Lord came the strength and courage that made this man a hero for God.

Do you have a big request to make of God today? Then follow Caleb’s example. Ask for God to give you what you need according to His will. Never mind the obstacles, but trust in Him to overcome them. Our Lord delights in rewarding those who trust Him!

Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance; it is laying hold of His highest willingness. — RICHARD CHENEVIX TRENCH

Oppose Senseless, Evil Murder

Oppose Senseless, Evil Murder
Anyone who opposes the senseless, evil murder of children at school should be equally opposed to abortion, which is a particularly diabolical form of murder of the unborn child.



ANONYMOUS:
You can call it healthcare, you can call it a choice but it is murder and it is a particularly savage form of butchering. Spare me that baloney about it being legal. Slavery was legal. Exterminating Jews in Germany was legal. This is an abomination of the most evil kind.

Billy Graham's Final Prayer for the World

Billy Graham's Final Prayer for the World (given on his 99th birthday) CBN News

"Go to your knees and pray until you and God have become intimate friends. I cannot describe to you the joy and the peace He gives as a result of the daily routine that you have."

[CBN News] On his 99th birthday back in November, world famous evangelist Billy Graham released a video encouraging people to seek God with their whole lives. It turned out to be his final public prayer for the world.

"I've been praying that we might have a spiritual awakening," Graham said. "I think that becomes possible only as individuals surrender their lives afresh and anew to Christ."

Graham also shared advice about how people can truly live the Christian life.

"First, we must do everything we can to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Live a life in which we love one another, we help one another, and we live according to His Word as Jesus lived.

"The Holy Spirit is the One who helps us live that new lifestyle. It's one of love, gentleness, and patience and all of these things that are the fruits of the Spirit," he added.

Graham stressed the importance of reading the Bible every day.

"You read his Word every day...the Bible. I know it's very difficult but you need to start somewhere and I suggest you start with the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament and in the Old Testament start with the first verse—'In the Beginning, God.'"

Graham pointed out that intimacy with God is essential, and this must be achieved through prayer.

"Go to your knees and pray until you and God have become intimate friends," he said. "I cannot describe to you the joy and the peace He gives as a result of the daily routine that you have."

Today Is Washington's Birthday

Today Is Washington's Actual Birthday
The Faith Of Washington by Dr. D. James Kennedy

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins…" John 1:9

How would you define the word “hero”? Do you know anyone who fulfills that definition, anyone whom you hold in such high esteem?

These days we desperately need heroes, people we can look up to and emulate. I think that George Washington fills the bill in a remarkable way. In his own day, George Washington’s character was the wonder of the world. Not even his most relentless British foes of the Revolutionary War could denigrate his character.

But what gave rise to such amazing character?

For starters, his parents, both dedicated Christians, raised him in a godly home. His father taught him to be unselfish, to love the truth, and to worship God. His mother helped him develop his prayer life. As an adult he carried on these good disciplines.

Through his own writings, Washington has left us a legacy of his fervent prayers, such as “O most glorious God, in Jesus Christ my merciful and loving father, I acknowledge and confess my guilt, in the weak and imperfect performance of the duties of this day.”

Almost without fail, Washington spent his mornings and evenings reading Scripture and in prayer. Every day he maintained a consistent devotional life, seeking God’s guidance.

As Washington led our country, he never once trusted in his character to guide him; he trusted in Jesus Christ, the only perfect person who ever lived. Washington prayed that Christ’s blood would cleanse him of all his sins, that God would accept him because of the merits and perfect character of Jesus Christ, not his own.

As true heroes do, Washington provided us a good example of a faithful Christian. He trusted Jesus with his life and maintained discipline in his devotional life. His steadfastness contributed to his greatness.

How can you follow this great hero’s example today?

If we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. ARISTOTLE

Remember Billy Graham

Remember Billy Graham by Dr. Jim Denison

Kathie Lee Gifford is one of the most outspoken Christians in media today. She was also a close personal friend of Dr. Billy Graham. In fact, she and her entire family came to faith in Christ through his ministry.

Those who know her were not surprised when she was interviewed yesterday on Megyn Kelly Today and began preaching the gospel boldly and joyfully. She explained that she has "the cure for the malignancy of the soul, and he has a name, and it's Jesus." Dr. Graham would be so pleased that she used his home-going to lead people to his Savior.

How can we follow her example?

Billy Graham became a Christian in 1934 at a Mordecai Ham revival. That same year, his father hosted a prayer meeting at the family farm. One of the participants, a man named Vernon Patterson, prayed that "out of Charlotte the Lord would raise up someone to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth."
Fast-forward twelve years. Graham was thirty and already a well-known evangelist when he came to a crisis of faith. Could he believe the Bible to be the word of God? His friend Chuck Templeton and others were raising doubts in his heart. In his autobiography, Just As I Am, he tells the story of what happened next.

He took a walk in the moonlight of the San Bernardino Mountains in California. He dropped to his knees in the woods, opened his Bible and put it on a tree stump before him. He prayed, "O God! There are many things in this book I do not understand. There are many problems with it for which I have no solution. There are many seeming contradictions. There are some areas in it that do not seem to correlate with modern science. I can't answer some of the philosophical and psychological questions Chuck and others are raising."

Finally he was able to say, "Father, I am going to accept this as Thy Word-by faith! I'm going to allow faith to go beyond my intellectual questions and doubts, and I will believe this to be Your inspired Word." He says, "When I got up from my knees at Forest Home that August night, my eyes stung with tears. I sensed the presence and power of God as I had not sensed it in months. Not all my questions were answered, but a major bridge had been crossed. In my heart and mind, I knew a spiritual battle in my soul had been fought and won"

No one at that prayer meeting in 1934 would have imagined that Billy Graham would become the greatest evangelist since Paul. Or that his faith in the word of God would empower him to lead millions to faith in the Son of God.

From his life and legacy, we learn this fact: the Lord's plan is seldom our plan, but his will is always an extension of his word. If we will speak God's word as he gives us opportunity, he will use our lives in ways that exalt his Son and share his love.
"Be ready in season and out of season"

Paul's message to Timothy is God's message to us today: "Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season" (2 Timothy 4:2). "Preach" and "be ready" are both Greek commands. The former means to "announce good news." The latter means to "be prepared in every moment." "In season and out of season" means to take every opportunity whenever it presents itself.

Here's an example of such obedience.
In January 2000, leaders in Charlotte, North Carolina invited their favorite son, Billy Graham, to a luncheon given in his honor. He hesitated because of his health, but the leaders assured him, "We don't expect a major address. Just come and let us honor you." So he agreed.

After wonderful tributes were paid to him, Dr. Graham stepped to the microphone. He looked at the crowd and said, "I'm reminded today of Albert Einstein, the great physicist who this month has been honored by Time magazine as the Man of the Century.

"Einstein was once traveling from Princeton on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching the tickets of each passenger. When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached in his vest pocket. He couldn't find his ticket, so he reached in his other pocket. It wasn't there, so he looked in his briefcase but couldn't find it. Then he looked in the seat by him. He couldn't find it.

The conductor said, 'Dr. Einstein, I know who you are. We all know who you are. I'm sure you bought a ticket. Don't worry about it.' Einstein nodded appreciatively.

"The conductor continued down the aisle punching tickets. As he was ready to move to the next car, he turned and saw the great physicist down on his hands and knees looking under his seat for his ticket. The conductor rushed back and said, 'Dr. Einstein, Dr. Einstein, don't worry. I know who you are. No problem. You don't need a ticket. I'm sure you bought one.'

"Einstein looked at him and said, 'Young man, I too know who I am. What I don't know is where I'm going.'"

Dr. Graham continued, "See the suit I'm wearing? It's a brand new suit. My wife, my children, and my grandchildren are telling me I've gotten a bit slovenly in my old age. I used to be a bit more fastidious. So I went out and bought a new suit for this luncheon and one more occasion. Do you know what that occasion is? This is the suit in which I'll be buried. But when you hear I'm dead, I don't want you to immediately remember the suit I'm wearing. I want you to remember this: I not only know who I am, I also know where I'm going."

Billy Graham took this opportunity to explain his hope in Jesus and invite others to share it. On March 2, he will be buried in that suit beside his beloved wife. But we know where he is. And we can help those we meet today to meet him and his Savior one day.

Dr. Graham told an interviewer, "I would like to be remembered as a person who was faithful to God, faithful to my call-did it with integrity and with love."



How would you like to be remembered?