KEITH's Spiritual Steps

May God bless you this day...with a good heart!


It was the best of limes. It was the worst of limes.
One day I strolled among the fruits and vegetables at my local grocery, everything neatly arranged in a bright array of colors. Purple onions, red apples, yellow squash, cherry cherries, lemon lemons…well, you get the picture. Near the green limes was a young man finishing a pyramid made entirely of bottles of spices. The display stood 4 feet and took up much of the aisle. Seeing my interest, he proudly told me it had taken over an hour to complete.
Nearby a lady was instructing her son in the fine art of lime selection. "This one is OK. We don't want ones that are too mushy or too firm. We'll keep this one," she decided. "Roger, are you listening?" Roger wasn't but nodded anyway. She placed her lime in a metal pan suspended from scales that hung from the ceiling. "Now you pick one," she said, "and don't forget to squeeze it." Roger sighed.
He grabbed the nearest lime, a rather firm one, and squeezed…hard. I don't recall ever seeing a citrus rocket before. The lime shot from his hand as though fired from a cannon. With amazing accuracy, it hit the lady square in the middle of her forehead, bounced away, struck the scales and, having lost its momentum, fell straight down into the awaiting pan where the first lime had been placed.
I believe the lady yelled but I can't be certain because when the lime hit the pan, it made a clanging racket heard throughout the grocery. But the show wasn't quite over. When the lime landed, the pan acted like a child's seesaw and flung the other lime into the air. Obviously having received its orders from the first, the lime made a beautiful arch, tumbling its way toward…the perfectly arranged pyramid.
It was a direct hit. Instantly a great avalanche of clattering bottles cascaded across the floor. Greatly embarrassed, the lady grabbed Roger, who was laughing hysterically, and off they went. The young man, shocked at seeing his masterpiece so quickly and utterly destroyed, stood a moment in stunned silence. Then I and a few other customers helped him clean up the mess.
Bizarre, huh? Yet even here are lessons to be learned if we'll just pay attention to what's going on around us. Take that lime for example. It's like a person's heart. The Bible speaks of the heart as being who a person truly is. It holds desires, feelings, and attitudes. It is the place for integrity, honor, and courage. And it is where faith can begin and understanding grow. But when a heart is hard…
In speaking of those with a hardened heart, Jesus said, In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes." (Matthew 13:14-15a) Paul wrote that they have a stubborn and unrepentant heart. (Romans 2:5)
When we fail to listen to God, choosing instead to follow our own course, our hearts become hard. We no longer see the see the plight of others, nor the joy in their lives. We no longer hear the cries of our neighbors, nor the praise from their lips. And we no longer see God with us nor recognize His voice. Our lives become our lives, and like that lime, have nothing to show but a lot of noise and a great big mess.
But it doesn't have to be that way. Each day we outwardly grow older, but God can take the hardest of hearts and have it ripen into something truly new and useful. The first step is to choose to become like Jesus in a very important way. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:29)
Learn from me…I am gentle…I am humble. This is where we begin. We must decide to be gentle and humble…toward our family who may not believe us…toward our friends who may not understand us…toward our neighbors who may not like us. Do you want to know God better? Be gentle. Do you want to follow Him? Be humble. Or like the lady with her son, we could just simply walk away.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16
Take care and be God's,

Chuck

Bathe In His Presence
Beloved Servant
Apr 3, 2008

Lord we love you, you are so beautiful! We long for your Presence, we long for you to take us higher, we want more of You. Give us a hunger, for more of Your Presence. Lord we want you to flow through us, we long for Your love to fill us
and flow through us to others. Lord You are all we need..
We long for you!
We must go lower, until we are a helpless grain of sand, until we are completely utterly abandoned to You, laying in Your hand that you may fill us with your Presence, until there will be no more of us but only You.
Lord we want to be so full of You, that there is no more room for self, to do our own thing. Lord we want to bathe in Your Presence. Lord cover us, fill every cavity of our cells, with Your Presence, so that we can not even think our own thoughts, speak our own words but speak only that which comes from your lips.
That our mind is that of Christ, thinking only that which is true, noble, just,
pure lovely words, speaking only good, virtuous and praise worthy words.
Lord You are our Beloved, You are our One desire. We want to see you face to face, you are beautiful to our eyes, we long for Your touch, we long for Your voice to speak to us. Come Lord Yeshua, Come Lord Yeshua, we look for that time when we will be made One as your bride.
You are My Beloved, You are my friend. Come away with Me My love.......
Lord look at us, Lord we want to be beautiful to you, we want to be pure, we want to have you look at us with Love. Lord take away all that offends that we might be without spotless and white. Lord we are Your bride and we look forward to Your return so that we can be forever side by Your side.
Come to Us Lord, come away with us Lord. We love you, You are our heart.........
We want to bathe in Your Presence, for there we find fullness of Joy.

Believer,
Can you love the Lord for No Other Reason?
Or is your love predicated that because He did, or will do such-and-such for us, that He is worthy of your love?
Why, O why does there have to be a Reason to love Him?
He is worthy of our love because of Who He Is, and for No Other Reason.
Not because He created the universe and everything in it.
Not because He saves us (although it is a very good reason).
Not because He has made great and mighty promises (although He has made them).
Not because He answers prayer (although He does answer prayer).
Not even because of His grace and mercy extended unto us, freely, richly, far beyond and in contrasts to our just desserts...
His name, the great "I Am" intrinsically means: the Self-Existent One.
The pure worship and adoration due to Him, we should give for No Other Reason.
He is Who He is, and that is enough.
Oh, we tag on this and that, to fill in the gaps in our appreciation.
But to give pure love to the One who is pure Love,
there are no qualifications of a great enough magnitude to match the Glory of the Matchless One.
One can love Him, nothing more. One must love Him, with nothing attached....for No Other Reason.
What if we stripped away all reasons to love Him from our church worship services? Does that thought alarm you? Does it fill you with a certain dread that, if we were to actually do that, there would be little to nothing there to sing about or "praise" about?
If we were to love Him, in church, for No Other Reason, what would our worship service look like? Most or all of our songs would be gone....even our prayers, for the most part, revolve around what we want Him to do for us, or what He has done for us... not just loving Him for Who He is.
Is it possible to get to that place where we love Him only for Who He is, and for No Other Reason? Or does our very existence as beings separate in individuality from Him demand that there be reasons?
I am calling you to this High Plane of Pure Love, pure adoration. I am calling myself there, as well. Set everything else aside.
Do not allow your attention, your focus, to drift from gazing upon Him to your wants, needs, desires, promises, ministries, or even to past things that have come from Him--- keep the gaze of the eyes of your heart fixed, yea,riveted upon Him alone, to where you are only involved in total and complete GIVING the love to Him that is the echo back, or the mirror-image response, of the Love that He is continually pouring out. "We love Him, because He first loved us." (I John 4:19) That's not bad! But, can we move higher than that, and just love Him, not because He first loved us, but for No Other Reason, than that He is worthy of it? True love is Giving. Agape means "self-sacrificial love". Some have tried to place a connotation of "unconditional" onto it. True love then, in sacrficing its own needs and desires, "seeks not its own" (I Corinthians 13: 5); and in true worship, that is, in the pure adoration of the Highest, we need to come to that place of Giving with no conditions attached.
This will be the "image and likeness" (Genesis 1:26) fulfilled in us, that He created us to be. For as He created us to love each other, so also He created us to love Him, as He loves: in total giving, in total sacrifice out of a free will, without coercion. Let us rise to that glorious standard.
Love from L. Alex Smith

Kieth From Donna to Bless you

From Proverbs




"Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways & become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest - then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber."
-Proverbs 6:6-11 NLT

"The rich man's wealth is his fortress, the ruin of the poor is their poverty."
-Proverbs 10:15

Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.
-Proverbs 11:4

"A rich man's wealth is his strong city, & like a high wall in his own imagination."
-Proverbs 18:11

"The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty."
-Proverbs 21:5

"The rich rule over the poor, & the borrower is servant to the lender."
-Proverbs 22:7

"When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings like an eagle that flies toward the heavens."
-Proverbs 23:5

Becoming a Generous People

READ Acts 10:1,2
God is the ultimate Giver. He sent His Son Jesus to die in our place, gave us the right to be called children of God, & provided us w/the riches of eternal life at no cost. In return, He asks us to follow His example & be generous people.
It all starts w/biblical thinking. We are to acknowledge that God owns all of the world's resources, & whatever we have is a gift from His hand. Remember His goodness & love, which prompted Him to sacrifice His Son. Accept that belonging to Him means releasing our grip on our finances & trusting Him to meet our needs.
The next step is to adopt God's priorities as our own & to invest in His kingdom work. Old Testament law required that a tithe (1/10 of all income) be given. Now, we are under the new covenant of grace, & our entire life - which includes our time, talent, & treasure - is to be offered to the Lord (Rom. 12:1). The tithe is just the minimum.
God has established the church as a primary means for spreading His good news, helping those who hurt, & worshiping Him corporately. As His children, we are to give faithfully to the local church (1 Cor. 16:2).
EARLY LIGHT The Lord promises great return on our investment in His work (Mal. 3:10). Sometimes it comes in the form of financial prosperity. More often, it will be through greater intimacy w/Him, peace of mind, harmonious relationships w/others, & satisfaction of spirit. These blessings are of far greater value than anything our material world has to offer.

It's all right to have an open mind when we know what to let in.

Keith from Rupert to bless you
Telling people about Christ is an artless testimony, a sincere, but forthright witness. Witnessing is not a form of salesmanship where the art of persuasion take over from the proclamation of the saving grace of the almighty God. In our eagerness to convince people to our faith, I am afraid we have lately been guilty of adopting the techniques of modern salesmanship, which is of course to present only the desirable features of the product and with their corresponding benefits. We go to men and present to them a comfortable view of Christ, portraying Him like a salesman offering a happy home on the sunny side of a hilltop. If they will but accept Christ, He will give them the benefits of a peace of mind, solve their problems, prosper their business, protect their families and keep them happy all day long. They believe us and come, and the first cold wind sends them shivering to some counselor to find out what has gone wrong; and that is the last we hear of many of them. Our God is not a God for profit! If we just read the whole chapter of Hebrew 11, we could see that the true believer in the Lord, must be willing to pay the heavy price and endure to the end. A believer in the Lord feels the wind blowing upon his face, but will not turn back though the wind grow into a storm, for he knows that he must endure it through the sufficient grace of the only living and true God Almighty. By playing down the Gospel of peace, we have caused a high rate of casualties among the converts won in such terms and condition mentioned above. In short we have deceived this people. Our zealousness and persuasiveness has missed the mark of the great commission. To sweeten the Gospel of peace for the sake of persuasion is not only unscriptural but also diabolical. The very first thing the new convert must realize is the fact that he is a sinner and apart from Christ, he is exceedingly lost. That conviction does not come, however, through a planned program of quick responses by way of rehearsed questions. We have reform the Christ to meet the taste of the new age. In the process, churches perhaps unconsciously, adopted the classic salesmanship thinking of all times. Salesmanship is a systematic series of active responses to existing conditions that is geared toward reaching specific goals. The difficulty here is not that salesmanship principles is inherently evil, but it depends upon human dynamics. I am concern that by employing it into our witnessing, it will insert human dynamism into the process in an inappropriate way, displacing the work of the Holy Spirit and generating false, merely human, results.

It would also seem to be obvious from the record of scriptures that witnessing was propelled by the power supplied by the Holy Spirit. "You shall receive power...." This, the disciples were told, they had to have; they could not proclaim the message in their own strength- -nor even with a heightening or deepening of their own capacities. They must receive power from "on high" (Luke 24:49) - -transcendent, supernatural power to do the job. The necessity for this was undeniable, for the task of evangelistic witness was that of bringing people to genuine repentance and to a new life in Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38). Natural means were insufficient; only the power of God could break through human self-sufficiency and create a new beginning. So it was with the early church: it is hardly different today. This brings me to the matter of my specific concern. Do we as a church today- -as ministers, as laymen, as individuals- -have that power? Do we have that power, or, to use the words of Acts 1, have we "received" it? Surely if we are lacking here, everything else- -no matter how sincerely, vigorously, even relevantly done- -is to no avail. Churches are so filled with people but empty and powerless! Now I should like to do a brief re-examining of the record in Acts and raise three basic questions: first, who were they who received the Holy Spirit, what was required for this to occur, and what was it like when it happened? These, I believe, are important matters that point the way to a new power. If so, we need to grapple with them, and ask how the answers apply to us today. It is striking to observe that Peter's sermon on the Day of Pentecost brought people to a deep conviction of sin: they were "cut to the heart" (Acts 2:37). The word of Peter to them is sharply etched: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins: and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (2:38). Here, again, to those who pass through a life-transforming repentance and faith, wherein the grace of God's forgiveness is realized, the Holy Spirit is promised. Only such truly changed- -or converted- -persons could possibly receive the promised Holy Spirit if we are to evangelize.

The primary thing therefore that we must do is to ask ourselves, who are we who are talking about evangelistic witness? Is it possible that some of our failures in this realm have been due to a far too facile assumption that we are believers- -in the radical New Testament sense of the word- -but actually are not? If such is the case, our evangelism must begin at home, for unless we have truly appropriated the divine forgiveness through repentance and faith, we cannot witness to others. We must be evangelized; if we are to help others to pass from death to life we must have made the passage ourselves. There is no substitute for this: the conversion of the church must precede the conversion of the world.

Here, then, briefly by way of summary: the so called church of Christ- -that means all of us, pastors, teachers, laymen alike- -needs a candid re-evaluation of who we are. Are we "true members," that is, having we truly known and appropriated God's work of redemption? Have we existentially been led by God's Spirit into such conviction of sin that we have cried out for God's mercy in Jesus Christ? Have we received God's gracious forgiveness- -or been satisfied just to talk about it, or maybe forget it altogether? Without this salvation there can be no effective witness for Jesus Christ. The church can grow numbers wise but it does not always mean it is the Lord adding to it. Look at the tremendous growth in the cults. Spiritual growth is what counts in the end; maturity should be the goal rather than today’s popular emphasis on numbers. Church health is imperative than church numbers. A healthy Church need no gimmicky to survive and grow. Growth is a natural phenomenon of a healthy church. Abnormal growth is a symptom of malnutrition. History teaches us that growth achieved by a compromise of principles is always short- lived. Apostle Paul's own efforts were a never-changing perpetual steadiness: "For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2). Paul focused his efforts on the straightforward proclamation of the Gospel, so that the Corinthians' faith "would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God" (1 Corinthians. 2:5). He very carefully chose his methods lest he wind up with a situation where their faith rested on his own human ingenuity rather than the Spirit's work.

FROM KEITH
Tears
by Ron Walters


“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears.” Hebrews 5.7
Physiologists love to dissect that verse, explaining that a human’s cries and tears are “a complex secretomotor
phenomenon characterized by the shedding of protein laden fluids from the lacriminal apparatus that both cleans and lubricates the eyes.”


Thanks. That’s really helpful…if you’re writing a medical journal!


But to those of us in the people business, sequestered behind a door labeled Pastor’s Office, tears are more than a lubricant.
They’re the visual sign of heartbroken people dealing with uncontrollable reality. And, more times than not, the tears are ours.


It’s amazing how much fluid can come from those two small tear glands—each about the size of an almond and
sitting behind the upper eyelids. But once those babies let go—watch out!


Whereas we may be bashful about our tears, scripture isn’t. Page after page offers vivid pictures of our heroes who’d
conquered their enemies, but not their tears. Biblical writers routinely used the words “pray” and “cry” interchangeably
because one usually led to the other. And the words are typically saddled with emotionally charged modifiers like distress,
joy, doubt, confidence, agony, triumph, and sorrow. At times, scripture even uses “cry” as a silent, unuttered emotion.


Truth be told, tears are a stock and trade in our work. We come from a long line of criers.


* The stress in David’s life brought so many tears that he asked God to fill a bottle with them as a memorial of his suffering.
On another occasion he confessed to causing his couch to dissolve because of his constant weeping.


* God twice declared Job to be “blameless and upright.” Yet that didn’t stop the tears when the poor guy lost everything.


* It was Hezekiah’s tears that moved the heart of God to add fifteen years to the king’s life. And as an added bonus,
God rid Jerusalem of the dreaded Assyrians.


* Jeremiah—the weeping prophet—used his tears as sermon material: “My soul will sob and my eyes will bitterly weep
if Judah does not repent of her sin.” And sure enough, they didn’t, and he did.


* Timothy, Paul’s young protégé and heir apparent to his ministry, wept as he watched his mentor leave town, possibly
seeing him for the last time.


And let’s not forget the Apostle Paul—another of the Bible’s chief sobers. But it wasn’t the 39 lashes that brought the
tears, nor was it the many beatings, or when he was left for dead having been stoned, or the three shipwrecks he endured.
No, these were only, as Paul called them, “momentary, light afflictions.”


The thing that drove Paul to tears was people’s indifference to the things of God. He could never get over that.
And therefore it shouldn’t surprise us that the Bible details Paul’s tears more than anyone else’s—telling the why of each occasion.


Paul was driven to tears:


* Because false teachers were leading unsuspecting sheep to tumble hopelessly down a cliff.


* Because immature churches had aligned with the ways of the world instead of conforming to the plumb line of Scripture.


* And, because lost souls didn’t know the love of God and forgiveness in Christ.


Paul knew what was important and what wasn’t. His tears told it all. The ministry wasn’t about him. It was about
the Savior and those for whom Christ died. Anything less wasn’t tear-worthy.


At age 19, Charles Spurgeon was called to pastor the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London. His powerful preaching developed
the world’s largest congregation. But Spurgeon’s real power may have come from the many times he barricaded himself in his
office weeping over his inadequacy for the task. Yet during his 36 years of preaching nearly 15,000 people came to know Christ.

Now that’s something to cry about.
Ron Walters
Senior Vice President Ministry Relations
© Copyright 2012 by Ron Walters
Our sacrifices do not please God, our ways do

The omnipotent God is your God!

(James Smith, "The Believer's Companion in Seasons of Affliction and Trouble" 1842)

"With God all things are possible!" Matthew 19:26

The omnipotence of Jehovah is ruled by His wisdom and holiness, His justice and love. He can do everything consistent with those attributes--but nothing contrary to them.


God's omnipotence is altogether on the believer's side. All that God consistently can do--He willdo for His people. Nothing is too hard for the Lord.


He can make us contented in the most trying circumstances--and happy in the deepest affliction. He can so bring down our minds to our condition--that we shall glory in tribulation. He can turn darkness into light, and bitter into sweet; and bring the richest joy out of the deepest sorrow.


The omnipotent God is your God! His omnipotence is engaged for you!


Do not look at your difficulties--but at the omnipotent God as engaged for you!


Do not look too much at what you are--but at what your God can make you!


Do not dwell on your own weakness--but on the Lord's strength!

Call nothing impossible. "Is anything too hard for Me? Do not I fill Heaven and earth, says the Lord?" His ways are in the sea, His paths in the mighty waters, and Hisfootsteps are not known! It is possible for God to hold you fast . . .
in the most slippery path,
when surrounded by the most determined foes,
and feeling the greatest weakness--and He will do so!
None shall be able to pluck you out of His hand!


It is possible for God to supply all your needs, in the most trying times; as He did Elijah by the ravens, and the poor widow by the increase of the oil and meal. And He will do so! Only seek the Lord, trust in the Lord, leave difficulties with the Lord--and you shall not lack any good thing. He will display His wisdom, sovereignty, pity, and power in dealing with you; and perhaps fill you with wonder, surprise, and love, at His ways.

All that God is--He is to you!

All He has--He has for you!

All He has promised--He will fulfill in you!

Ever, ever remember that all things are possible to . . .
your God,
your Father,
your Savior,
and your Friend!


"I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength!" Philippians 4:13

Behold your God!

(James Smith, "The Attributes of God" 1863)

The more we have to do with man--the more his littleness, fickleness, and emptiness appear.
But the more we read, think, or have to do with God--the more His greatness, majesty, and infinite sufficiency is discovered! He proclaims Himself, "the Great and Mighty God, the Lord Almighty is His name--great in counsel and mighty in work!"Infinity, omnipotence, and eternity--find a home and a center only in Him.

"His Greatness is unsearchable!" There is more in the works of His hands--than even the angels have ever discovered! There is more in the words of His mouth--than mortals ever conceived. His glory is great unto and above the heavens. "Behold your God!" Isaiah 40:9

Look at His goodness--it runs an endless circuit supplyingmillions, and supporting all created existences. O how great is His goodness!

Look at His grace--
saving innumerable multitudes from Hell;
saving them at the greatest expense--in the freest possible way;
saving them to the highest honor and greatest glory!
O the exceeding riches of His grace!

Look at His judgments--
He sweeps the ancient world with His broom of destruction!
He makes the cities of the plain into a Hell on earth!
He overthrows Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea!
He encaverns Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and their households in the belly of the earth!

O if we could look into Hell, or listen for a moment at the door of the bottomless pit--how dreadful would His judgments appear! We cannot fathom them--but we must exclaim with the apostle, "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!"

Look at His power. He speaks a world into existence, sustainsit, supports every creature upon it--and perhaps millions of worlds beside it. All these things are alike easy for Him. Difficulty is with man--not with God. "Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the Heaven and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for You!"

Look at His wisdom. It is infinite. Read it in creation's ponderous folio! Then turn to the glorious plan of grace. Here is a display of "the manifold wisdom of God." Angels are learning it--and we can scarcely make out its alphabet at present! But we have . . .
God for our teacher,
eternity for our duration, and
Heaven for the place where we shall fully learn the greatness of the wisdom of God.

Look at His holiness. It is so bright that no mortal eye has seen, or can see it--in its unveiled glory! "Now we see but a poor reflection!" We have but some faint discoveries--for He is . . .
glorious in holiness,
fearful in praises,
constantly doing wonders!

Look at His mercy. It is a boundless ocean--without bottom, bank or shore!
The manifestations of mercy are innumerable!
The proofs of His mercy are like mountains piled on mountains, reaching to the heavens!
The overflowing of His mercy has supplied the needs of unnumbered multitudes.

"Who is so great a God as our God?"

He is a mighty and awesome God--yet so glorious and kind that the feeblest petitioner need not fear!

From Keith to bless you
"Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor
wanderer with shelter-when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn
away from your own flesh and blood?" Isaiah 58:7


Do you want to please God and make your life matter? We often get so caught
up in living of our lives day to day that it is easy to forget why God has
given us this wonderful gift of life. It is to serve and glorify Him. That
is the bottom line of why we are here. Unfortunately, we can get far, far
away from that purpose during the course of our years here on earth.

Obviously, one of the enemies goals is to keep us distracted so that we
cannot fulfill that God-given purpose. Once a person comes to know Christ by
faith, the enemy has lost the battle for that person's soul. However, the
battle then centers around making us as ineffective as possible in serving
God in our daily lives. The more he can keep us distracted with the burden's
of life, the less effective we are in our service to God.

This passage of scripture in Isaiah helps us to focus on what this life is
really all about. It is not about seeing how much wealth we can accumulate
in this life, or how much power we can acquire, or how well-known we can
become. All of the things the world judges us by are absolutely meaningless
when this brief journey is over. It is the wood, hay, and stub
ble the Bible
talks about that will burn up when tested by fire (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).
The gold, silver, and precious stones are those things we do in this life
that stand the test of eternity. It is our true service to our Lord.

If you want a starting point of how to please God, what kinds of things we
can do in our life to follow our Lord and have an eternal legacy, get your
Bible out and read verse 7 in the 58th chapter of Isaiah. This is what our
life really is all about. Being there for those in need. Helping those who
are lost in this life. Sharing the love and hope of Jesus Christ with those
we meet along our journey.

I love you and care about you so much. One of the questions I get every day
is how to be in the will of God. There are so many passages in the Word of
God that help us know what we can do in our life to be in the will of God.
This verse in Isaiah is a great place to start. I will be praying with you
today that the Lord helps you to realize no matter what problems you are
facing, no matter how many obstacles there might be this very moment, there
are always others who are in worse shape, always others who are struggling
even more than you are. We have a responsibility to be an ambassador for
Christ in our daily lives. This is how we fulfill our purpose in life.

My challenge to you today is to be aware
that there is an enemy out there
who will try everything possible to distract you from fulfilling your
God-given purpose. Be aware of this trap. Rise above it no matter what you
may be dealing with and find ways each day to share the hope and love of
Christ with someone. God did not place people in your life, in your path
each day by accident. It is your opportunity to serve Him, and lay up
treasures in heaven for eternity as opposed to focusing on the treasures of
this life that will all one day pass away.

The goal of every child of God should be to please HIM, and let God use our
lives to make a difference for HIS Kingdom!
In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller

From Keith to bless you
Do You Know the Difference?

Do you know the difference between “Doing Church and Being the Church?” That was the discourse recently by Rev. Dr. Stansell as he brought the message for our church’s 42nd anniversary. Whether we gave it thought previously, there is a big difference.

My definition of “doing church” is being in the building each Sunday, filling up the pews…“spiritual shoplifting,” if you will…

If we are hungry enough to “be the church” there is one ingredient that needs to be eliminated – pretense. As our preacher witnessed, one doesn’t have to represent something that he or she isn’t. If we followed that path (pretense), we’d miss the mark of what God wants us to be.

Rev. Dr. Stansell also reminded us not to play with God either as HE knows all. We need to be our authentic selves. The people in the pews make the church and each will create their own story, journey and therefore, testimony!

Any one of us can demonstrate the power of miracles. Rev. Dr. Stansell’s definition of a miracle is the “supernatural intrusion into the natural; an act of God contrary to laws of nature.”

He also emphasized that it’s not the size of the church that matters, it’s who comes with authenticity. God doesn’t work in pretense and neither should we. God may have to bring us low, so HE can bring us up.

There are seven principles that a spirit-filled church has to be –

1. Must be Unified
2. Must Fellowship (not a meet and eat; but honest, inclusive and caring)
3. Must be Worshipful
4. Must be Evangelistic
5. Must be Loving
6. Must be Submissive
7. Must minister
Are you “doing church or being the church?” Be careful when you answer. Remember, God knows all. We are called to be HIS children and HE has an expectation. Take off the airs, the pretense and be authentic.

Prayer: Father, help us take off the mask, to be Your child with authenticity. Help us to minister to those who need to know You. Each of us, in a unique place, is on a journey according to Your plan for us. No two gifts are exactly alike, but by Your perfect design. We needn’t question why our paths are different; why our strengths and struggles are different; because we know that all will work together for the good of Your Kingdom here on earth.

Thank You, Father for Your blessings for each and every one of us. And, for the many miracles that are right in front of our eyes and for not forsaking us when we have only “done church.”

We want to serve You by “being the church.”

In His Love,
Carla ÿ

derek prince part 2
From: "keith hobkirk"

The fruit we should look for

I have been emphasising the principle that 'a tree is known by its fruit.' Logically, therefore, in evaluating the current move in the church, we should ask: If this move is from God, what kind of fruit should we look for? In reply, I would suggest five main kinds of fruit that would authenticate the present move.

1. The fruit of repentance

All through the New Testament the first thing that God demanded was not faith, but repentance. John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus by calling for repentance (Matthew 3:2). When the religious people came to him for baptism, he demanded that they first produce in their lives the fruits of repentance (Matthew 3:7-8).

The first word that Jesus preached was, 'Repent' (Mark 1:15). He told the multitudes,'Unless you repent, you will perish' (Luke 13:3-5). After his resurrection he told his disciples that repentance, first, and then forgiveness of sins should be preached to all nations (Luke 24:17).

On the day of Pentecost the first demand that Peter made of the convicted but unconverted multitude was 'Repent - then be baptised (Acts 2:38).

Speaking to the people of Athens, Paul said, 'God now commands everyone everywhere to repent' (Acts 17:30). Throughout his ministry he required, first repentance toward God, then faith toward Christ (Acts 20:21).

True repentance is not an emotion, but a decision of the will - a decision to turn away from all sin and unrighteousness and to submit unreservedly to the Lordship of Jesus.

Repentance is the first of the six foundational doctrines listed in Hebrews 6:1-2. Those who have not truly repented can never have a solid foundation for their lives as Christians. Over the years I have counselled hundreds of Christians with various problems in their lives. As a result, I have concluded that at least 50 per cent of the problems in the lives of Christians are due to one simple fact: they have never truly repented.

I believe that a renewed emphasis on repentance is the most urgent need of the contemporary church in the West. To be effective, any move in the church must deal with this issue.

2. Respect for Scripture

A second decisive factor in our lives as Christians is our attitude to Scripture. Jesus called the Scripture 'the word of God' and he set his personal seal upon it by five simple words: 'the Scripture cannot be broken' (John 10:35). No amount of 'higher criticism' can set aside the plain meaning of these words. If we believe in Jesus then we believe in the Bible. If we do not believe in the Bible, then we do not believe in Jesus.

In Isaiah 66:2 the Lord says: 'This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word' (NIV). God here combines repentance - a humble and contrite spirit - with faith in his word.

Why should we tremble at God's word? First, because it is the way that God the Father and God the Son come to us and make their home with us (John 14:23). Second, because God's word will one day be our judge (John 12:48).

From creation onwards, God has worked through two main agents: his word and his Spirit. First, the Spirit of God moved; then God's word went forth (Genesis 1:2-3). The result was creation.

Ever since then the Spirit and the word have always worked together in harmony. Anything that the Spirit does harmonises with what the word says. Furthermore, all Scripture is inspired by his Holy Spirit and he never contradicts himself (2 Timothy 3:16).

This means that every kind of spiritual manifestation must be tested by this standard: Is it in harmony with Scripture? If so, we can receive it. If not, we must reject it.

3 Exaltation of Jesus
In John 16:13-14 Jesus promised his disciples, 'When he, the Spirit of truth has come, he will guide you into all truth... He will glorify me...'

Jesus here reveals two important facts about the ministry of the Holy Spirit. First of all, his supreme function is to glorify Jesus. This provides an authoritative test of any spiritual manifestation. Does it focus our attention on Jesus? Does it exalt Jesus?

As soon as human personalities are allowed to take the centre of the stage, the Holy Spirit begins to withdraw. The exaltation of human personalities has many times quenched what was originally a genuine move of the Holy Spirit.

Then we need to notice that Jesus is careful to emphasise that the Holy Spirit is not an 'it' but a 'He'. When people begin to explain spiritual experience in terms of getting 'it', it can easily happen that they get the wrong 'it'.

Jesus is a person and the Holy Spirit is a person. The Holy Spirit, as a person, draws believers together around the person of Jesus. When we make a doctrine or an experience the focus of our gathering, we are spiritually 'off centre'.

4. Love for our fellow Christians
In John 13:35 Jesus told his followers, 'By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.' In 1 Timothy 1:5 Paul said, 'The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith' (NASB). Any form of religious activity that does not produce this result, he dismissed as 'fruitless discussion'.

In 1 Corinthians 13:2 Paul applied this test to himself: If I have all the spiritual gifts of power and revelation, but have not love, I am nothing.

Before we apply this test to others, we need to do the same as Paul and apply it to ourselves. We each need to ask: Has my faith made me a loving person?

Then - and only then - can we apply this test to the present move in the church. Is it producing Christians who sincerely love one another - regardless of denominational labels? Will it cause the unbelievers to say of these people what the world said of the early church: 'See how these Christens love one another?'

5. Loving concern for the unreached
In John 4:35 Jesus told his disciples, 'Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are white already for harvest.' If those words were true even in the time of Jesus, they are certainly more true today. I have been privileged to travel and minister in many nations and I have formed one firm conclusion: We are living in the harvest hour!

Yet, alas, many Christians, who could be working in the harvest fields of the world, are caught in a snare of materialistic self-centredness. I believe that any genuine move of the Holy Spirit will result in multitudes of new labourers being thrust forth into the world's harvest fields. Otherwise it does not truly reflect the heart of God.

If a significant number of Christians in the current move successfully pass all, or most, of the five tests outlined above, then it is safe to conclude that this is, essentially, a move of God. This does not mean that everyone or everything in it is faultless. God has no faultless people to work with.

It is amazing what he can do with weak and fallible people who are truly surrendered to Him.

(c) Derek Prince, Uproar in the Church, available from Derek Prince Ministries, 2/14 Pembury Road, Minto, NSW 2566. Used by permission.

Renewal Journal #5 (1995:1), pp.12-17.

http://www.renewaljournal.com/

Reproduction is allowed as long as copyright is included with the text.

Uproar in the Church Derek Prince
Dr Derek Prince holds a Ph.D. from Cambridge University and held a Fellowship in Philosophy at King's College, Cambridge. He has produced many books and teaching videos on renewal.
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that is how I was saved more than 50 years ago
--------------------------------

Reports have been coming in from Christian groups in widely separated locations of what appears to be a strange new phenomenon. Believers of different ages and widely different social backgrounds are being overcome by prolonged outbursts of laughter which have no obvious cause. Sometimes they may also act as if they are drunk.

Often this laughter appears to be contagious. Those who have experienced it apparently 'transmit' it to others. Large groups may be seized by it simultaneously.

Both ministers and lay people from a wide range of denominations have been affected in this way. Some testify that it has had a stimulating effect on their faith and has brought them closer to the Lord. On the other hand, there are those who are sceptical and view this kind of experience as a deception of the enemy.

As a result of all this, I am frequently being asked whether I believe that the Holy Spirit at times produces in people prolonged, exuberant and apparently causeless laughter. 'I have to believe it,' I reply, 'because that is how I was saved more than 50 years ago.'

In the summer of 1941, I was part of a medical unit of the British Army billeted in a hotel on the North Bay of Scarborough in Yorkshire. The hotel had been gutted of all its furniture and fittings. Our 'beds' were simply straw mattresses on the floor.

While in Scarborough I had some brief contacts with Pentecostal Christians, who confronted me for the first time with my need to receive Christ as my personal Saviour. At that point in my life I was a nominal Anglican, who never voluntarily attended church. I had never before heard of Pentecostals, and I had no idea what they believed or what kind of people they were.

About nine months previously, however, I had started to read the Bible through from beginning to end. I had no religious motive. I regarded the Bible merely as a work of philosophy. As a professional philosopher, I felt it was my academic duty to find out what the Bible had to say. At that point I had come as far as the book of Job - but it had been a dreary task!

Confronted in this was with the claims of Christ, however, I decided about 11 o'clock one night to pray 'until something happened'. I had no idea what I might expect to happen. For about an hour I struggled in vain to form some kind of coherent prayer. Then about midnight I became aware of a presence and I found myself saying to some unknown person what Jacob had said when wrestling with the angel at Peniel:'Unless you bless me, I will not let you go' (Genesis 32:26).

I repeated these words several times with increasing emphasis: 'I will not let you go, I will not let you go ...' Then I began to say to the same unknown person, 'Make me love you more and more'. When I got to these last words, I began to repeat them: 'more and more and more ...'

At this point an invisible power came down over me and I found myself on my back on the floor, with my arms in the air, still saying, 'more and more and more ...'

After a while my words changed to deep sobbing which rose up from my belly through my lips, shaking my whole body convulsively. The sobs did not proceed out of anything in my conscious mind. I had no special sense of being sinful.

After about half an hour, without any act of my volition, the sobbing changed to laughter. I had no more conscious reason for laughing than I had had for sobbing. The laughter, like the sobbing, flowed from my belly. At first, it was quite gentle, but it gradually became louder and louder. I had the impression that I was being immersed in a sea of laughter that reverberated around the room.

At this point the soldier who shared the room with me woke up to find me on my back on the floor clothed only in my underwear, with my arms in the air, laughing uproariously. Rising from his mattress, he walked around me rather helplessly two or three times, keeping at a safe distance. Finally he said, 'I don't know what to do with you. I suppose it's no good pouring water over you.' An inaudible voice within me responded, 'Even water wouldn't put this out!'

However, I remembered dimly having heard years earlier in church that we should not blaspheme the Holy Spirit. Contrary to all my natural reasoning, I knew that what was in me was the Holy Spirit. In order not to offend my friend, I rolled over onto my face and laboriously crawled to my mattress. Pulling the blanket over my head, I eventually fell asleep, still laughing - quietly.

A totally different person

Next morning I awoke to an amazing, but objective fact: I was a totally different person. No longer did vile language flow out of my mouth. Prayer was no longer an effort, it was as natural as breathing. I could not even drink a glass of water without pausing to thank God for it.

At six o'clock, as was my usual custom, I went to the pub for a drink. But when I got to the door, my legs 'locked'. They would not carry me inside the pub. I stood there having an argument with my legs. Then, to my surprise, I realised I was no longer interested in what the pub had to offer. I turned round and walked back to my billet.

Back in my billet once again, I opened my Bible to continue reading. At this point, however, I discovered the most amazing change of all. Overnight the Bible had become a completely new book. It was as if there were only two persons in the universe - God and me. The Bible was God speaking directly and personally to me. This has never changed, and it is equally true of the Old Testament and the New.

I opened by chance at Psalm 126:1-2: 'When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter...'

At that point I paused. 'That's exactly what happened to me,' I thought. 'It wasn't I who was laughing. My mouth was being filled with laughter from some other source!' Upon further reflection, I saw that this strange, supernatural laughter was the way that God's people expressed their joy and excitement at being delivered from captivity. ...

One evening about ten days after my first encounter with the Lord, I was lying on my back on my mattress in the billet and I began to speak an unfamiliar language that sounded to me like Chinese. Once again, I dimly recalled something I had heard in church about 'speaking with other tongues'. I knew it was connected somehow with the day of Pentecost. At first I spoke timidly and hesitantly, but as I relaxed, the flow of words became free and forceful.

Once again, the initiative did not come from me. I was responding to a powerful inner force that came very specifically - like my previous laughter - from my belly.

The following evening I again found myself speaking an unknown language, but it was obviously different from the language I had been speaking the previous evening. This time I noticed that the words had a very marked poetic rhythm.

After a few moments of silence, I began to speak in English, but the words were not of my choosing, and their content was on a level far above that of my own understanding. Also, they seemed to have a rhythm similar to that of the words that I had previously spoken in an unknown language. I concluded that my words in English were an interpretative rendering of what I had previously said in the unknown language.

One brief section of what I said in English remains indelibly impressed upon my memory. In vivid imagery, it outlined God's plan for my life. Looking back over more than 50 years, I can see how God's plan has been - and is still being - progressively worked out in my life.

In retrospect, too, I have gained a new understanding of my initial experience of supernatural laughter. Unconventional as it was, it proved to be the divinely appointed door through which I entered a lifelong walk of faith. It also had the effect of liberating me from many preconceptions of my background and culture which could have been a barrier to my further spiritual progress.

In Matthew 12:33 Jesus states the most decisive test that must be applied to all forms of spiritual experience: 'a tree is known by its fruit.' I have to ask myself therefore: What has been the fruit of my strange experience? Is it possible to give an objective answer?

Yes, the fruit of that experience has been a life converted from sin to righteousness, from agnostic dabbling in the occult to unshakeable faith in Jesus Christ as he is revealed in the Scriptures - life that has been bringing forth fruit in God's Kingdom for well over 50 years. Certainly that was no transient product of autosuggestion or of some mere emotional extravagance.

From time to time, in the succeeding years, I have received a renewed experience of supernatural laughter. I have also seen other believers touched by God in a similar way, but this has never been a main emphasis of my teaching. Almost invariably I have found this kind of laughter has a double effect: it is both cleansing and exhilarating. At times it has been accompanied by miracles of physical healing or of deliverance from emotional conditions such as depression. ...
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cleansing and exhilarating - at times accompanied by miracles of physical healing or of deliverance

Keith to bless you
WALKING WITH GOD


Scripture: Genesis 5:22 "Enoch walked with God ..."

This is a simple testimony of a man that pleased God. God was so pleased with Enoch that his name is recorded among the other giants of faith (Hebrews chapter 11). Yet, Enoch didn't spend 120 years building an ark like Noah, offer his son on the altar like Abraham, roll back the Red Sea like Moses, shout the walls down at Jericho like Joshua, or stand faithful in a lion's den like Daniel. In today's world, he didn't write books, hold conferences all over the nation, go to the foreign field, and wasn't a radio personality or the host of an evangelistic television program. Enoch just simply walked with God. One day at a time, one step in front of the other, he remained faithful in that walk for three hundred years.

Sometimes we make Christianity too hard. We substitute works for relationships with God, conference attendance in place of our communion with God, and sacrifice instead of obedience to God. Yet in reality, what God really wants is for us to walk with Him, one step at a time. He wants our every moment engulfed in His perfect will for that moment. If He goes to the left, He wants us to go to the left. If He goes to the right, He wants us to follow. If He picks up the pace and begins to run or slows down, He wants us to follow suite. If He stops to rest for a while, He wants us to be there right by His side, sitting next to Him, and resting in His presence. He wants us to be where He is and He doesn't want us to be anxious about the time or fretful over the future, for there are no wasted moments in His presence.

God invites us to walk with Him and to be conscious of His presence, knowing that He is going to direct this day that He has made. Time and again the Lord said that He would be with us always. We just have to acknowledge this awesome fact and be assured that He is with us for every battle and for every celebration. Walking in the natural is healthy, for it strengthens every area of your body and gives you energy. So it is with walking with God. As we walk with Him, we grow stronger and He restores and regenerates our spirits. Today, do not dwell upon what you must do for God, but dwell upon where you must be with God. Simply make a determination to walk with God as Enoch did, one step at a time. You may not become famous in the eyes of the world, but you can be assured that you will become famous in the eyes of the Lord as you walk with Him at His bidding. +++

Copyright © 2009 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved

From Keith to bless you
Coffee Break

"It"

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Philippines 4:6


Earlier this year one of the churches in our area made yard signs that said, "Let's Pray About It". You can see them in front of many houses, but the question arose, "What is 'It'"? What is the thing that we are going to pray about? The church may have had one specific thing in mind when they made them up.. I don't know.

This morning I want to talk about the "it" in our lives. Sometimes "it" is a wayward child that desperately needs to come back to the Lord. Sometimes "it" may be a failing marriage, a broken relationship, rejection by a friend. Perhaps "it" is a decline in your health, a bad report, the loss of a job, a material need, grief over the passing of a loved one. "It" might be a misunderstanding that needs to be corrected. "It" could be a trial, a mountain in your path, a roaring lion, a fiery furnace, a storm that's raging. "It" could be a besetting sin that you can't seem to get victory over. "It" can be many things. "It" can occur at anytime- especially when you least expect "it". "It" comes in all sizes- big and small. To be such a little word, "it" sure carries a big load.

There is one thing about "it" though-- "it' is not bigger than God or too big for Him to handle. "It" is not in control. "It" is not stronger or wiser than God. "It" cannot withstand the power of God. "It" has to yield to the name of Jesus. "It" has to submit to and obey God. If "it" is a storm when He speaks, "Peace be still", "it" has to be still. If "it" is a mountain "it" has to move.

I don't know what your "it" is, but I do know that when you pray about "it", when you take "it" to God, when you cast "it" upon the Lord, "it" will be taken care of. So don't continue to carry "it", don't keep struggling with "it", don't keep allowing "it" to defeat you, give "it" to God... He can handle "it".

Have a great day. Whatever "it" is, take "it" to God in prayer.

1Samuel 9:27

Just Use Me!
Most of us resent being "used," but here is something
which could change the world,
and it is crying out to be used:

Just use me ~ I am the Bible.
I am God's wonderful library.
I am always ~ and above all ~ the Truth.

To the weary pilgrim, I am a good strong staff.
To the one who sits in gloom, I am a glorious light.
To those who stoop beneath heavy burden,
I am sweet rest.
To him who has lost his way, I am a safe guide.
To those who have been hurt by sin,
I am healing balm.
To the discouraged, I whisper glad messages of hope.
To those who are distressed by the storms of life,
I am an anchor.
To those who suffer in lonely solitude,
I am a cool, soft hand resting on a fevered brow.

O, child of man, to best defend me, just use me!
(Author Known to God)

The Bible must always be at the heart of our
preaching, teaching, and way of living.
If the Scriptures do not guide our lives, we have no
guide better than ourselves. No human document
can compare in the least with the Word of God.

There is no comparison:
The Bible is the best guide, and the believer's life is
the best guided through its use.
Don't be deprived of the Bible's rich blessings.
Read it daily. Study it often.

And if you have not yet discovered that wonderful
Book we call the Bible, it's time you did.
In the words of Samuel to Saul,
"Stand thou still a while, that I may show thee
the word of God."
(Inspired of God)
Serving in His Unconditional Love,
Sandy

Keith to bless you
Coffee Break

"The Wedding Dress"

"And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless." Matthew 22:12

It seems like all night I dreamed about weddings. Mostly about wedding garments- namely wedding dresses. The first dream dealt with a young lady who was looking for a wedding dress. Everything she tried on was as far from a wedding dress as you could get. There was another lady who had on one of the most beautiful and elaborate dresses I had ever seen. She looked like a princess in it. There was one more wedding dress in the dream. It wasn't as elaborate, but extremely beautiful. Then I saw a stack of bridesmaids dresses- they were all very lovely.

The more I thought about the dream the more it made me think about the wedding to end all weddings that will take place one day- hopefully in the near future- the marriage of the Lamb.

Wedding gowns are reserved for the bride. The gowns that were so beautiful and tradition in my dream were all designer originals. The garments that will be worn at the marriage of the Lamb are garments that the Master Designer Himself has prepared for the bride. They are made of fine linen, clean and white. The Bible calls them the righteousness of the saints.

As I was thinking about the young lady who was looking for a wedding dress but nothing she tried on looked like something a bride would wear- they were made of cotton, one was pants, one outfit was black, one was short another was long, they were non-traditional- I thought about the many people who are trying to be a part of the "bride" their own way. Many are trying to do enough good works and deeds to be a part. Others are trying to go through "other ways"- thinking "all ways" will get them there. Some are trying to be religious in their attempt to be a part of this marriage. Their efforts are in vain, they will not have on the proper wedding garment. (The young lady in my dream never did find her dress.)

The only wedding garment that will be acceptable at the Marriage of the Lamb is the one that is designed by the Father and purchased through the blood of His Son Jesus. These garments are His righteousness that has been applied to the lives of those who have come to Him and made Him Savior and Lord of their lives.

Have a great day. There is a great marriage coming one day. We may all have a part in it, but only if we have on the right wedding garment. Do you?

For further reading:
Revelation 19:6-9
Matthew 22:1-13; 7:21-23
Ephesians 2:8,9
Titus 3:5
2 Corinthians 5:21