Can't Do it On Your Own?

Do you feel like you can't do it on your own? You don't have to, Jesus will help you. Today, when you find yourself in an overwhelmimg situation, remember He's just a prayer away. He will rejoice with you, comfort you in times of sadness and rescue you from peril.

Jesus is the only one you NEED to call...

Here is a song called Rescue by Don Moen.

Be blessed...



Scriptures for Your Day

Matthew 10:37-39 (New International Version)
37"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

The Meaning of the Parable of the Sower
Luke 8:11-15 (New International Version)
11"This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 14The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

Jesus Calms the Storm

Jesus Calms the Storm
Luke 8:22-25 (New International Version)
22One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out. 23As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
24The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!"

He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25"Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples.
In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."

Could You Be as Strong as Mary?

Do you think that you would treat your child differently if you knew he would find the cure for AIDS? Do you think that Thomas Edison would have been mistreated by his teachers and called dumb, if they knew that he would be one of the greatest inventors of our time? Could the knowledge of the future bring favor upon these individuals that would alter history? Perhaps, if we all treated others the way that we would like to be treated...Thomas Edison would not have suffered so much. If we treated others with the knowledge that God has a great destiny for them, we could lift others to greatness. It's something to think about...

What if you knew your child would be a great preacher, but he would die at the hands of Christian persecutors? Would you be strong enough to raise him and let him go do the will of the Lord? What if you were told by the angel of the Lord that God had favor upon you? Do you think that would make your life easier? This world is not perfect. Being a child of God does not exempt you from trials and tribulations. It gives you tools to overcome. The favor upon your life should be funneled to others believers and non believers. We are called to be the light, so shine.

Mary was told that the favor of the Lord was upon her. She chose to be obedient, but take note that it didn't mean life was easy. Be encouraged. God gives us the strength to fulfill our destiny. All we need to do is surrender and follow Him. Staying before his presence, praying, fasting and meditating on His Word are key to being able to finish the race.

What if God asked you to give the ultimate sacrifice? What if he asked you to be chastised by your own people, like Mary was? Would you be able to say...Yes Lord? Mary watched as her son was beaten, mocked and crucified. This is the same son that was exalted only days before. Some of his persecutors may have been the same people he healed. Still, she waited on the Lord. She stood on God's promises. She was faithful, although her heart was breaking as she watched her baby boy die on a cross. Interesting, isn't it? To realize that Jesus was someone's baby. Mary nursed Jesus, bathed him and protected him from danger. Now, she watched as the sweat and blood dropped down his head. The crown of thorns piercing his scalp. Incredibly, although he was in pain hanging on that cross...he audibly forgave those that had particpated.


Here's the song Mary, Did You Know? I pray that this video blesses you today...



Scriptures for your Day

Luke 1:29-31 (New International Version)
29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.

Luke 23:34 (New International Version)
Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version)
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Follow Him. He is the Good Shepherd

When you are going to a new destination, it is often scary. Relying on maps doesn't always get you there without getting lost. I've often had to travel out of state. To avoid getting lost and arriving late, I downloaded directions from randmcnally and mapquest. What happened? I still got lost. Why? Places change. New developments are built and new streets are added. Map creators are not always aware of these new roads.

With God, you don't have to worry. Even if you go off the right path, he will wait for you to find your way back. He will lead you and guide you through rough terrain and gently prod you back to your destination.

Why not let God be the Good Shepherd? Follow him, he will keep you safe from harm and on the right track....

Here's The Good Shepherd by Yolanda Adams.



Scriptures for Your Day

John 10:11 (New International Version)
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

John 10:14 (New International Version)
"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—

Psalm 23 (New International Version)

Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,

3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, [a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

Why Do We Lift Our Hands in Praise?

For those of you that don't understand why we lift our hands while we sing praises to Our Lord and Savior Jesus, here's my explanation.

Although he was free from sin, he let men nail him to a cross. He died for us, even though we may deny him or are unfaithful. He has me engraved in the palm of His hands.

He loved me when I was in my mother's womb.

He gives me peace.

He is my fortress in my time of trouble.

Heard all of that before? Here's what he's done for me.
1. He healed my daughter from bacterial meningitis.
2. He healed my son from chronic asthma.
3. He healed me of early stages of cervical cancer.
4. He's saved me from accidents.
5. He's provided for me and my children.
6. He blesses me even though I am unfaithful and don't deserve it.
7. He gives me a peace that surpasses all understanding.

THAT'S WHY I SING AND RAISE MY HANDS TO JESUS.

Here's the song: Why We Sing by Kirk Franklin.

Be blessed....



A Few Scriptures for Your Day

2 Samuel 22:1-3 (New International Version)
David's Song of Praise
1 David sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. 2 He said:
"The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
3 my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation.
He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior—
from violent men you save me.

John 20:26-27 (New International Version)
26A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" 27Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."

Philippians 4:7 (New International Version)
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

7%

One day a while back, a man, his heart heavy with grief, was walking in the woods. As he thought about his life this day, he knew many things were not right. He thought about those who had lied about him back when he had a job.

His thoughts turned to those who had stolen his things and cheated him. He remembered family that had passed on. His mind turned to the illness he had, that no one could cure. His very soul was filled with anger, resentment, and frustration.

Standing there this day, searching for answers he could not find, knowing all else had failed him, he knelt at the base of an old oak tree to seek the one he knew would always be there. And with tears in his eyes, he prayed:

"Lord- You have done wonderful things for me in this life. You have told me to do many things for you, and I happily obeyed. Today, you have told me to forgive. I am sad, Lord, because I cannot, I don't know how. It is not fair Lord, I didn't deserve these wrongs that were done against me and I shouldn't have to forgive. As perfect as your way is Lord, this one thing I cannot do, for I don't know how to forgive. My anger is so deep Lord, I fear I may not hear you, but I pray you teach me to do the one thing I cannot do: Teach me to forgive ."

As he knelt there in the quiet shade of that old oak tree, he felt something fall onto his shoulder. He opened his eyes. Out of the corner of one eye, he saw something red on his shirt. He could not turn to see what it was because where the oak tree had been was a large square piece of wood in the ground. He raised his head and saw two feet held to the wood with a large spike through them.

He raised his head more, and tears came to his eyes as he saw Jesus hanging on a cross. He saw spikes in His hands, a gash in His side, a torn and battered body, deep thorns sunk into His head. Finally he saw the suffering and pain on His precious face. As their eyes met, the man's tears turned to sobbing, and Jesus began to speak.

"Have you ever told a lie?" He asked?

The man answered - "Yes, Lord."

"Have you ever been given too much change and kept it?"

The man answered - "Yes. Lord." And the man sobbed more and more.

"Have you ever taken something from work that wasn't yours?" Jesus asked?

And the man answered, "Yes, Lord."

"Have you ever sworn, using my Father's name in vain?"

The man, crying now, answered - "Yes, Lord."

As Jesus asked many more times, "Have you ever"? The man's crying became uncontrollable, for he could only answer - "Yes, Lord".

Then Jesus turned His head from one side to the other, and the man felt something fall on his other shoulder. He looked and saw that it was the blood of Jesus. When he looked back up, his eyes met those of Jesus, and there was a look of love the man had never seen or known before.

Jesus said, "I didn't deserve this either, but I forgive you."

It may be hard to see how you're going to get through something, but when you look back in life, you realize how true this statement is.

Read the following first line slowly and let it sink in.

If God brings you to it - He will bring you through it.

When Jesus died on the cross, he was thinking of you! If you are one of the 7% who will stand up for Him, forward this with the Title 7%

93% of people won't forward this.

One of my good friends sent this to me by email. I don't know who wrote it or where it came from. If you ae the author or know who is, please send me the information so that I can give proper credit.

Do You Know Who Will Always Love You?

Divorce can be compared to death. Although your spouse is alive, the emotions that you experience are the same as the death of a loved one. You feel anger, sadness and denial. The song by Darlene Zschech: Jesus, Lover of My Soul helped me. Why? Well, because even though I had been rejected by my husband-I knew that Jesus still loved me and would never leave me. I took comfort in knowing that somehow He would work everything out for my good.

Who's care do you want to be in? Someone that has unconditional love and knows the future or someone that tells you the right things at the right time? I choose Jesus because He is the lover of my soul...

Darlene Zschech Jesus, Lover of My Soul



Here are some Scriptures for your day:

Joshua 1:5 (New International Version)
No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

2 Corinthians 4:8-10 (New International Version)
8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

Never Leave Home Without Him

There are a series of commercials from American Express that made this phrase famous: "Never leave home without it." It is soceity's way of making you believe that your credit card will save you from all and every unexpected event.

I'm here to tell you all you need is God. Never leave home without HIM.
1. God will encamp around you, to protect you.

Psalm 34:7 (New International Version)
7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.

2. He will NEVER leave you nor forsake you.

Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

3. He is the lamp before your feet.

Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

4. He will take your cares away.

Psalm 55:22
Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.

5. He will heal your diseases.

Isaiah 53:5
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Why would anyone leave home without HIM?

We live in an age where there are many things competing for our time. There are many things we believe we SHOULD do. The only thing we should never forget to do is to put God on. The Armor of God is everything we need. (Ephesians 6:11
Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.)

Are you desperately looking for something, but you don't know what? Look above, our help comes from the hills.
Psalm 121:1-3
A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;)

Call out to God because He will answer you.

Here is a video of the song Breathe by Michael W. Smith. Be a vessel. Let God use you to touch other people's lives. Be desperate for him today...

When You're Under Attack: Pray, Stand and Believe

When you stand for Christ, you become a target for the fiery arrows of the enemy. Be encouraged. For you are more than a conqueror. Whether the battle has brought you physical ailments, financial woes or relationship problems-don't give up. Pray and stand on His Word. Stand because God will see you through...


This is a song called Stand by Donnie McClurkin. In this version, he is accompanied by BeBe and CeCe Winans. Oprah is the host of this program created to bring healing to the tragic events of September 11, 2001.



Some scriptures for your day:

Romans 8:36-39 (New International Version)
36As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."[a] 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.


Ephesians 6:15-17 (New International Version)
15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

A Song of Strength

This week has been one trial after the other. First, the computers started acting up. I lost complete internet access. (It figures, it happens after I start this site.) The minivan that was supposed to be repaired, had one more problem. This and the fact that they failed to mention their original price didn't include tax meant the outstanding bill was increased by $229.00. After paying for the minvan, it died at a gas station over 1 hour and 30 mintues from my home. It has a malfunction that DRAINS the battery. Oh and I lost out on about 48 hours worth of income, due to the loss of computer access...

In times like this, I still praise God. Why? It brings freedom. Remember, Paul and Silas were jailed and their songs of praise caused them to become FREE from the bondage. The walls of Jericho came down with the blare of the trumpets and the sounds of praise.

Here's a song of praise to sing in the time of a storm. A Song of Strength by Fred Hammond.



Here are a few scriptures for your day.

Acts 16:24-26 (New International Version)

24Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose.


Joshua 6:4-6 (New International Version)
4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5 When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in."

6 So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant of the LORD and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it."

Are You Tired?

Life can be overwhelming. Spouses, children, extended family, work, household responsibilites, church resposbilities, your health and finances are all competing for your time and attention. Have you ever felt like you were exhausted even after a long night's rest? That's when you need to go before the presence of The Lord. He can refresh your spirit. He can give you the strength to go on and to endure whatever storms come your way.

Here is a song that helped me in time when I was in the deepest valley. Only a few of my closest friends and family were there to pray me through. That's all we really need. A few to pray in agreement and the presence of The Lord...




This is Paul Wilbur in a worship service that took place in Tel Aviv.

Some Scriptures for your day. (NIV)
2 Corinthians 12:10
That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Exodus 15:2
The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.

Isaiah 12:2
Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation."

Where Was God on September 11?

Many people ask this question over and over. My faith lets me know, God was with every person that called out his name.

For a beautiful inspired explanation of where God was follow this link:
Where was God on September 11?

Where was I? I was expecting my fifth child. My father called from the Bronx, to tell me an airplane had flown into one of the towers. I turned on the TV and watched as a second plance flew into the other tower. The shock of watching such a catastrophe, caused me to go into labor. I panicked because I knew people in those buildings. My son's god father, one of my neighbors upstate and a former neighbor from the Bronx were just a few that came to mind. My son's god father made it out, all the while thinking about his children that were a few months old. My neighbors didn't.

As I went to the school to get my children, there were kids waiting. Several children waited, but their parents never came. Although I live 1 hour and 45 minutes from the Towers, our lives were effected. Many lives were lost that day. Our lives were changed forever...

God is a God of Order

Our God is attentive to the most minute detail. He created laws and rules that would govern gravity, the ocean tide, day and night. Your skin holds your insides in place. Your heart never forgets to pump the blood throughout your body and you can't forget to beathe. (Thank God, because some of us would be in trouble if breathing was not an involuntary reflex.) :)

He is a God of order.

Be blessed as you listen to this song by Nicole Mullen (My Redeemer Lives) that reminds us of his omni-potence.

The September 11, 2001 Rolling Memorial

A September 11, 2001 related email was sent to me yesterday by my niece's step mom. It didn't say who created it, where it came from or any form of credit to an author. If you are author or know who is, send me an email. I will immediately put the appropriate credits on the entry...

Have you heard about the trucker who has painted his cab and trailer with the names of all those who lost their lives in 9/11 ? The trucker's name is John Holmgren from Shafer, Minn. He has been "pulled over" numerous times just so the troopers can get their picture taken with the truck.

You can be a witness too.

Be Mindful of God

Have you ever been through a storm and questioned God? Have you become angry at the trials that surround you? Being in the potter's hands can be very painful.

Know that we serve an awesome God. He is powerful, yet loving. Let us never forget that he is the Creator of ALL.