An Encouraging Word

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They’ll Know by Our Love
2011-06-07 00:19:00
– by Marcia Hoehne My college roommate, many evenings after dinner, would pick up her guitar and sing this song: We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord And we pray that all unity may one day be restored And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love They will know we are Christians by our love       — Peter Scholtes At the time, I thought the song simplistic. Hadn’t the Beatles recently sung “All You Need is Love ”? Hadn’t events like Woodstock shown us what most meant by “love”? Weren’t most people who talked about love high on something other than Jesus? Lately, I can’t get the song out of my head. One of my writing students, a well-meaning Christian, wrote a story in which a teenager speaks a line similar to the following: “I used to have fun with my friends, but now that I’m a Christian I make sure I criticize their bad behavior.” We may laugh or shake our heads, b...

He Must Build It
2011-05-23 22:11:00
The River Church “Unless the Lord builds the house, they who build it labor in vain….” — Psalm 127:1 Recently, God spoke to me through this familiar verse about the place I am in.  It’s a place many of you are in, too.  We’ve been faithful to the Lord and to the people around us.  We’ve done the best we could, we’ve taken the high road when no one else knew, and we’ve weathered many storms.  And still we wait to see the desired results. At first glance, it may look as though the verse is speaking negatively: “Well, you’ve sweated your way through, but if God doesn’t lift a finger to help, it’s all for nothing.”  But what the Lord was whispering to me went something like this: “You know what I’ve spoken to you.  And you’ve always known it couldn’t be accomplished unless I did it for you anyway.  The success of it has never rested on your ability.  When the Lord is the architect and pro...

But We See Jesus
2011-05-09 14:48:00
– by Paul Rubsam “Open our eyes, Lord / We want to see Jesus / To reach out and touch Him” and “Open the eyes of my heart, Lord / I want to see You.” We sing of our desire to see Jesus in our contemporary worship music. In Bible times, people longed to see Jesus. John 12:20, 21 tells us, “There were certain Greeks among them that … came therefore to Philip … and desired of him, ‘Sir, we would see Jesus.’”  A tax collector named Zaccheus had such a desire to see Jesus that he climbed a tree to get a good view as He passed by (Luke 19:2-4). The ability to see Jesus has always held an attraction for people. But in our present day, many people think that Jesus isn’t available to be seen, or that He is somehow hidden from view. Is wanting to see Jesus just wishful thinking? No! Since we have this heart cry, let’s not shrink back and think that Jesus isn’t seeable. We can see Him. One way we can see Jesus is in visions. Once, when we were havin...

Hope for the Future
2011-04-25 15:56:00
– by Lee Ann Rubsam “I really messed up this time.  Now I will never be able to fulfill the calling God spoke upon my life.” Have you ever had such a despairing thought?  Maybe you have even said it.  Such thoughts are exactly what the enemy of your soul wants you to think. But the truth is, killing God’s desires and plans for your life is a whole lot harder than that.  God-given destiny is not as fragile as we may suppose.  The Bible tells us God “chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, {even} above reproach, before Him in love” (Ephesians 1:4, Amplified). He also said, “In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son …. Those he called, ...
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When the Doors to Asia Close
2011-04-11 15:39:00
– by Lee Ann Rubsam You’ve done your best to hear God and carry out His plans.  But you’ve stepped out in one direction, and the door shut in your face.  Undaunted, you stepped out again, only to have the perceived opportunity fall through again.  Everything looked like a “go,” but each time you tried, you came smack up against a wall. You are not alone.  Even the Apostle Paul encountered roadblocks, and it wasn’t always the devil getting in his way.  Sometimes it was God. Now when [Paul and his companions] had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia , … they attempted to go into Bithynia — but the Spirit did not allow them to. And passing by Mysia, they came to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: there stood a man of Macedonia, and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over into Macedonia, and help us.” — Acts 16:6-9 Up until this time, Paul’s ministry...
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The Prodigal Revisited
2011-03-28 15:11:00
– by Marcia Hoehne If you’re like me, you have Scriptures you keep coming back to – maybe because they’re favorites, or they’re especially puzzling, or you keep seeing new things in them. I’ve often felt sorry for the prodigal son’s older brother, who toed the mark all his life and never received any special notice, while the prodigal left home, blew half his father’s estate, and came home to the mother of all parties, given in HIS honor. We realize that the prodigal is a picture of us as sinners: we go out and mess our lives up royally, even willfully at times, and God our Father welcomes us back, as His children, with great rejoicing. But the Holy Spirit has a wonderful way of making new words and phrases jump out in even familiar passages, and the part of the story I want to stress today is written in Luke 15:31 — “My son,” the father said, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.“ The prodig...

How’s Your Balance?
2011-03-07 14:51:00
– by Lee Ann Rubsam Living a successful Christian life is a bit of a balancing act.  The trick is to be ever growing upward, to never be satisfied with where we currently are, and yet at the same time to remain at rest in Jesus, content to let Him move us along in our destiny on His timetable. Some of us, by our very temperament, tend to lean toward the complacent side.  It is easier not to change much, to float through life with as little pressure as possible, to never risk stepping out of the boat to walk on water.  Destiny?  Purpose?  It is safer not to think too much about it. Others of us, however, are not wired to float along, taking life as it comes.  We have goals and desires for where our lives must go, and we have a certainty that God has spoken specific callings into us.  We want to steam ahead into those things, and when we don’t see it all  happening very quickly, we get so frustrated that our boiler feels like it is about ready to blow up! The Ap...
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Whose Surrender?
2011-02-21 14:12:00
– by Paul Rubsam During the American Civil War, one of the generals for the North was U. S. Grant. The U. S. stood for Ulysses Simpson, but through his war heroics his initials came to mean “unconditional surrender.” Surrender is foundational in our Christian life.  Paul the apostle laid the surrender principle out in Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Surrendering ourselves to Jesus means we let Him live His life through us, rather than living according to our selfish inclinations. Jesus knew all about surrender. His surrender to His Father’s will began when He left His heavenly riches and glory in order to become a man.  Philippians 2: 7, 8 says He “made himself of no reputation, and took upon himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in ...

Occupy Until He Comes (Part 4)
2011-02-14 13:56:00
– by Joan Driessen Last time, we talked about the difficult years that Joseph spent as a servant in Egypt — alone in a foreign culture, unjustly accused, seemingly forgotten in prison, and yet all during that time, Joseph chose to have a right heart attitude.  He chose to occupy the place that he found himself in while waiting for the Lord’s deliverance.  At times, his circumstances must have seemed hopeless, yet he continued to trust God and serve wholeheartedly. Genesis 41:1-44 records the rest of the story.  Pharaoh had the two dreams about the seven good and the seven lean years.  His wise men could not interpret the dreams, and suddenly, Joseph was called out of prison to interpret.  By that time, Joseph was completely prepared to step into what Pharaoh was going to offer him.  God had readied him through all the detours.  He had been pliable and moldable in God’s hands.  He had cooperated with God. Years before, when Joseph was first given his promises,...
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King of the Kingdom
2011-01-24 04:21:00
– by Lee Ann Rubsam I love the church family I am a part of.  We are passionate about building the King dom of God with Jesus.  We love His prophetic revelation.  We diligently press in to see the miraculous – the healings and signs and wonders that Jesus promised His Church.  We have a great desire to see those who do not yet know Jesus come to Him.  We want to see our city, state, and nation transformed into the holy habitation of the Lord. But more than loving the Kingdom, we love the King.  Jesus is first; in fact, He is all.  Without Him being all-in-all, there is no purpose in establishing the Kingdom.  The manifestations of God’s power and presence are wonderful, but they are just outward signs of what is most important – Jesus.  And if we focus on what God does more than Who He is, it is easy to get off in weird places. Human beings are prone to getting caught up in side issues, and even God’s people fall into that trap.  We tend to focus on ...

Who Do You Say?
2011-01-17 17:01:00
– by Lee Ann Rubsam … He asked his disciples, “Who do men say that I, the Son of man, am?”  And they said, “Some say that you are John the Baptist; some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”  And Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”  — Matthew 16:13-16 Who do you say that Jesus is?  It seems like a strange question for an audience that is already primarily Christian. Jesus is God from eternity. – In our day, as during Jesus’ time on earth, many people think they honor Him by acknowledging that He was a good man, a profound teacher, and a prophet.  Some “Christian” seminaries teach, and ordain ministers who teach, that it is acceptable to believe Jesus was these things and nothing more.  Yet John 1:1 declares, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Jesus is the Son of God. – Muslims also “ho...

Occupy Until He Comes (Part 3)
2011-01-10 17:20:00
– by Joan Driessen We’ve been examining the life of Joseph (Genesis 37-41) and seeing that God puts us through a preparation process before He allows us to come into our full destiny.  He wants to build our character so that we can successfully do what we have been called to do. Genesis 39 and 40 detail the chapter of Joseph’s life in Egypt as the servant of Potiphar and later, in prison.  What do you think Joseph’s attitude was in Potiphar’s house?  It must have been hard to get used to a culture that was different than what he was used to, and he undoubtedly missed his family.  But Joseph had a heart to serve Potiphar, and because God saw his heart attitude, God prospered him.  Joseph was occupying where he was planted.  He did whatever he needed to do to the best of his ability.  He could have said, “I don’t like my circumstances, so I’m not going to serve wholeheartedly.”  It’s all a matter of choice.  Joseph chose the right way, and God blessed ...
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The Benefits of Christmas
2010-12-20 20:39:00
– by Paul Rubsam What does Christmas mean to you? For the over-taxed letter carrier or retail clerk, it is the end of a hectic season. For children, it can be a time of getting toys.  For the Christian, it can be a lot of things — a church service, a decorated home or yard, the reading of the Christmas story. What does Christmas mean to God our Father? Basically, Jesus’ birth was the beginning of God’s plan to bring man back into right relationship with Himself.  Luke 15:11-32 gives us a picture of what that right relationship is like. The prodigal son thought, “Maybe I can be a servant to my father.” But his father announced, “My son has come home! Kill the fatted calf, put a robe and a ring on him. He was dead, but now he is alive!” That is how God views Christmas. We are not servants, but sons. We are friends of God. Eden has been restored. We can have an intimate relationship with God like Adam and Eve once did. No longer are we on the outside looking i...

The Decision to Wait
2010-12-13 19:25:00
– by Lee Ann Rubsam When God tells us He is going to do something, there is usually a time lapse between the promise and its fulfillment.  Discouraging circumstances sometimes start popping up all over the place in opposition to whatever God has said.  We have a choice when that happens: we can either hold fast to the Promiser and stay connected to Him in our spirit, or we can panic and try to fix things in our own power – or worse yet, throw our word from the Lord out the window entirely. In 1 Samuel 13:5-15, King Saul was faced with just such a situation.  Samuel had instructed Saul at the time he anointed him as king, “Go down before me to Gilgal and … wait for me seven days, until I come to you and show you what you are to do” (1 Samuel 10:8).  This was not a random appointment time that Samuel was scheduling; it was spoken as a word from the Lord. Two years went by, and Saul and his army were now at Gilgal facing imminent battle with a vast number of Philistin...
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Abundant Life on the Narrow Road
2010-12-01 14:49:00
– by Marcia Hoehne God seems to be showing me contradictions lately. Not true contradictions in the sense of “these cannot both happen,” but pairs of Scriptures where the emphasis is on opposite things. For example, John 10:10 records these words of Jesus: “The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” But Jesus also said this, according to Matthew 7:13–14: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” So which is it, we may wonder? The abundant life or the narrow road? Is life to be much fuller than anything we could know outside of Christ, or must we walk hemmed in, not stopping to look at this or that lest we be found on the broad road to destruction? First, I think we have to look at the g...
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True Freedom Through Thankful Praise
2010-11-22 14:55:00
– by Jennifer Fuentes When you hear the word, “freedom,” what comes to mind? We talk of freedom in conjunction with news of the war on terror. Freedom involves our speech, our attire, and our rights.  We are aware that freedom comes with a price tag; but somehow, one important freedom often gets overlooked: our freedom to worship. Believers have a freedom to worship that no one can take away from us.  Jesus died to pay for our freedom – regardless of our nation, tongue, or tribe.  I’m not talking about the freedom our country gives us to gather for worship. I’m talking about the freedom God provides, by His Holy Spirit, to enter into heavenly worship — worship that is experiential and revelatory. When the Israelites were freed from the Babylonian captivity, their heartfelt desire was for worship to be restored.  The old men remembered the first temple — their first experience with God — and as they saw the new temple being built, they were fille...
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Occupy Until He Comes (Part 2)
2010-11-15 14:53:00
– by Joan Driessen In our last newsletter, we said that the road to fulfillment of our destiny is filled with detours that are purposefully planned by God so that we mature and are capable of handling what He has had in store for us all along. In Genesis 37-41, we read the story of Joseph’s life-journey into his destiny.  God gave dreams to Joseph about ruling over his family — about his brothers, father, and mother bowing down to him.  But Joseph wasn’t ready at that point to handle with maturity what God had shown him.  If God had given him the fulfillment of his dreams right then, it would have crippled him – even devastated him. Joseph was eager to boastfully tell his brothers his dreams.  But God will not allow us to move into destiny that we are not yet ready for, because it would destroy us.  He does not allow us to succeed before we are ready.  We need to go through a preparation process. Joseph’s brothers understood the dream interpretation just as...
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Putting God’s Purposes First
2010-11-01 14:17:00
– by Lee Ann Rubsam “To be effective at what we are here for, we must always keep obeying God first.” – Rick Joyner This quote is from a story Mr. Joyner tells about a time he obeyed God by faithfully speaking a word from the Lord which he knew would not be well received. He chose obedience over his personal comfort, fully realizing the consequences could have been the complete end of his ministry. When he did so, God blessed him in response. How many of us understand that we are here, not for our own pleasure, but for the plans of God to be worked out in the earth?  How many of us are aware that even in the seemingly small decisions we make, obeying or not obeying the voice of the Lord has a ripple effect – either for good or for bad – in God’s Kingdom? “I know God told me to attend __________ Church, but this one has a better time schedule – and I like their style of worship better.”  “Yes, God said I should give an offering of $___...
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Fulfilling Your Destiny
2010-10-18 15:43:00
–by Lee Ann Rubsam One of the primary ways the enemy of our souls attempts to shut down the advancement of the Kingdom of God is by discouraging individual Christians from stepping into or continuing in their destiny calling.  He does this by erecting roadblocks of various sorts – discouragement, insecurity, opposition from other people, offense, financial setbacks, and circumstances that distract or even overwhelm us. Your personal destiny calling is not just important for your own satisfaction and fulfillment.  It is vital to the moving forward of God’s plans for the earth.  We don’t usually see ourselves as being all that significant, but the truth is – we are. Think of it this way: one small hole in a knit or woven garment eventually becomes larger if it isn’t mended.  One broken thread causes breakdown of the entire piece of cloth as time goes on.  At the very least, the article of clothing is somewhat marred.  At worst, major unraveling takes place....
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Occupy Until He Comes (Part 1)
2010-10-11 15:00:00
– by Joan Driessen Every one of us has a destiny, a promise, or a prophetic word that we are waiting to see the fulfillment of.  What do you do until that time comes to pass?  Do you sit down, put your feet up, and do nothing, waiting for God to do it all for you? If you have heard God say that He is going to give you an evangelistic ministry and you are going to hold healing crusades in Ethiopia, what are you doing while you are waiting?   How are you preparing for that day?  Do you say, “I can’t serve in the local church I am in right now, because I’m waiting on God?”   God wants us to occupy where we are.  Where has He planted you – in your job, your church, your neighborhood, your city?  Wherever God has planted you, that is where you are to occupy. For some of us, our destiny, our vision, our dream is ever before us.  It’s like we are pregnant with it, especially with so many prophetic words coming forth right now about the time of fulfillment being ...
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Passing the Tests
2010-09-27 02:07:00
– by Lee Ann Rubsam I’ve noticed a pattern in my life and in the lives of faithful people around me: every time we take a stand on an important point or make a conscious commitment, it gets tested.  Do I tell the Lord I believe a certain promise He has given me?  There will be apparent setbacks to challenge my belief.  Do I take a stand for healing?  Health conditions arise to test that faith.  Do I commit to forgiveness and mercy-giving in my relationships?  Someone will shortly thereafter do or say something particularly hurtful.  Do I say yes to God about sacrificial giving of a specific amount?  That’s when the car breaks down.  Passing the tests by following through on commitments is how we come up into higher places of maturity in the Lord.  It is never easy to take higher ground, and God knows that.  But He allows tests to come to see if we really mean what we’ve said.  It is a way He builds strength in our integrity.  Sad to say, many of us don’t c...

Increase Our Faith!
2010-09-20 03:00:00
– by Marcia Hoehne “Increase our faith, Lord!” This was the cry of Jesus’ apostles. He replied that faith as small as a mustard seed can uproot trees (Luke 17:5, 6). Faith is powerful! As new Christians, we learn that righteousness comes through faith in Jesus (Romans 3:22), and that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). The word “faith” in its various forms takes up more than 1½ pages in my Bible’s “mini” concordance. Nothing is more important than faith.   It’s no wonder, then, that God tests our faith. And, like it or not, we need these tests, because how often do fear and doubt rear their heads when some new problem knocks us for a loop? It’s a normal reaction, and we don’t have to pretend it doesn’t happen, but we can take bold, practical steps to increase our faith.  “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). Gather all the Scriptures you can that relate to the issue.    Mark them, ty...

Becoming a Voice to the World
2010-09-14 16:00:00
SALT International – by Steve Driessen There are problems all around us and people who need answers.  How do we take our  experience with Jesus and bring it in practical ways to our everyday world?  I believe God is raising up a people with real answers to real issues – people with wisdom, knowledge, and understanding for the purpose of speaking into circumstances to shift them.  God is preparing His Church to become His feet, His hands, and His voice.  Families are falling apart, people are losing their jobs, and some are even facing life and death situations.  They don’t want us to just quote Scripture to them.  They want real-time solutions for their problems.  They aren’t looking for a verse; they’re looking for the principles behind the verse that will help them.  James said if someone comes to your house, naked and banging on the door, he doesn’t want you to pray over him and recite a Scripture.  He needs clothes.  If he’s hungry and all you do is ...
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When Prayer Is Dry
2010-09-07 15:52:00
– by Paul Rubsam Sometimes when we come to prayer we feel like a blank page in a book. We are at a loss for words, thoughts, and direction. What to do? At times like this, we can turn to God’s Word for fresh inspiration.  Psalm 92 has some key thoughts to propel us into vibrant prayer and communion with the Lord. Let’s look at a few of them:  Verse 1 and 2: “It is good to give thanks to the LORD …” Recall the things Jesus has done for you and thank Him for them. Remember that He bore our sins and carried our diseases at the cross so that we could have health, freedom, and eternal life. Remember His mercies that are new toward us every morning, His love, and His constant presence with us through the Holy Spirit Who lives in us. Recall how our Father longs for us to be with Him. Salvation is all about God restoring our fellowship with Him – just because He wanted to. Mankind was pretty content to go his own way, but God wouldn’t settle for that.  “...
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Cherish What You Carry
2010-08-23 14:01:00
–by Lee Ann Rubsam A Great Awakening is coming, and there are many of us who have carried it with yearning in our hearts for a long time.  We have bathed it in prayer and tears, and we have cried out to God, concerning our own local church houses, “When it comes, Lord, choose us!  Use us!”  We carry the seed of that Awakening within us.  But this is what I heard the Lord say: if we are ever to be among the “chosen” of that coming Awakening, it will cost us – and the area in which it will cost the most is holiness, even in things we might consider of little significance.  “… For to whom much is given, of him shall much be required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more” (Luke 12:48).  The responsibility to move in holiness, especially holiness issues which we are already aware of, is weighty, and whether or not we pay attention to God’s nudgings about the “little” sins, the “gray areas,” is of paramount importance.  ...
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Heavenly Injection (Part 3)
2010-08-18 15:04:00
  — by Steve Driessen  Then [Jesus] said, “To what can the kingdom of God be likened? What does it resemble?  It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and tossed into his garden; and it grew, and increased into a great tree; and the birds of the air lodged in its branches.” – Luke 13:18, 19  We’ve been talking about being the invasive seed that God has planted in our sphere of influence.  God means for us to overtake the “garden” He has planted us in, influencing its very nature, becoming a refuge for hurting people.  He wants us to show them the love of God in human form, so that they can understand His love for them.  How will they know that Jesus loves them, if they don’t experience His love first through us?  When I was in chemistry class in high school, we did an experiment where we mixed water with certain chemicals and it turned a dark blue that you couldn’t see through.  And then we added another chemical, one drop at a time, wi...
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A Time to Restore
2010-08-09 14:37:00
– by Lee Ann Rubsam How many of us have broken relationships?  I dare say most of us.  Some are our own fault – but sometimes relationships break due to circumstances and decisions that we weren’t responsible for.  There is good news: God is bringing a season of relationship restoration for those who are open to it.  I have been thinking and praying quite a bit lately about the fragmentation in the Body of Christ in my own region.  A lot of splintering has gone on among us through the years.  Often it is over a difference in viewpoints or misunderstanding of what someone has said.  Sometimes it is due to listening to lies or half-truths and believing them.  However it has come about, some of us have left a trail of wreckage behind us.  We’ve tried to move on and begin again, but the brokenness remains in our hearts.  I believe God is saying it is time to reconnect severed relationships.  And He is going to give us the grace to do it.  Our part is to be the on...
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It’s Not Over
2010-07-19 14:34:00
– by Lee Ann Rubsam Do you ever feel like you have so much destiny inside – so many God-given promises and desires in your heart, but it doesn’t seem like any of it is progressing into fulfillment yet – and it’s been a long wait already?  I think we’ve all been there, or still are.  I remember going through a season when my promises seemed to be at a hopeless standstill.  I had prayed them through diligently for years, nurtured them up in my heart with longing, done everything that I could to prepare for them, and yet I felt like I was in prison, with no way out in the foreseeable future – maybe ever.  So I had a conversation with God:  “Lord, I have been in the crucible too long, and I’m afraid the time for my promises has passed.”  “Do you think Joseph ever felt that way?” He responded. “I suppose He did.”  “But was it too long for him?”  “Well, no.  Not so long that it was over and hopeless, I guess.”  “And I brought him out int...

Heavenly Injection (Part 2)
2010-07-12 14:52:00
– by Steve Driessen Then [Jesus] said, “To what can the kingdom of God be likened? What does it resemble?  It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and tossed into his garden; and it grew, and increased into a great tree; and the birds of the air lodged in its branches.” – Luke 13:18, 19 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and to take care of it. – Genesis 2:15  Last time we said that true ministry does not take place just within the four walls of the church.  It is about influencing the everyday world God has placed us in.  You are the seed of the garden of society.  God has planted you in your culture, your city, your neighborhood, for a purpose.   He has planted you in a generation.  The media and entertainment industries are bringing false identity to so many, particularly the young people.  That false identity is destroying their virtue, their beauty, their hearts, and their future.  But God ...
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In the World
2010-06-29 15:04:00
– by Marcia Hoehne What does it mean to be in the world but not of it? Jesus’ discourse and prayer in John 15-17 are often summed up in this phrase. We seem to have an easier time with the theory than the practice. We nod when we hear “be in the world, but not of it”; we get what the words mean. Yet, as some Christians engage with culture, business, politics, arts, and friends, we see them adopt the world’s attitudes and cool off toward God. On the other hand, some people retreat to Christian enclaves where they live among or do business with professing Christians only, or those whose behavior they consider Christian. We may even have been these people. But in the first instance we’re of the world, and in the second we’re not in the world — exactly opposite of what Jesus wants for us. What can we do?  One thing we can do is meditate on how faith figures in. Paul writes, in Romans 14:2, “One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose...
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