Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Warning - Beware of the Darts -- This Is NOT a Game



I've been thinking lately about darts -- I was never very good at playing darts, but one thing I know -- in order to play you need at least one dart and a target. A game of darts is not much fun without a target. Or if you never hit the target. But it's really not fun if you ARE the target!




In the Bible there is a passage that talks about the armor of God --  we are told to wear the breastplate of faith, by which we will be able to withstand the fiery darts of the wicked one. 
Darts of the wicked one? Really? 
Well, yes. If you believe the Bible as I do, this has to make you stop and think....so, I have been thinking - what are those darts, and, really, what damage can a little dart do? 
I have been making a list of those Dangerous Darts, and the list is growing. As I think about these "little darts" I have come to see that they are painful, damaging to my faith, and destructive to the Church of Christ.  

Disappointment, Discouragement, Distraction, Division, Despair, Depression, Debauchery, Defeat, Disparagement, Disillusionment, Doubts, Deceit....and the list keeps on going 
                         Down 
                                    from 
                                               there...


                                               THIS CAN BE DEPRESSING!
                  
                                                                                             and would be...if it were not for...

                      GRACE, which brings us HOPE and the best defense EVER.....


***GOD'S ARMOR***

Ephesians 6:10-13 
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, 
to stand firm. 

So before stepping out into your life-battle each day...spend some regrouping time with the Commander and, for goodness sake, 
don't forget your armor! 

To be continued....

Sunday, September 11, 2011

The Butterfly Bush

 Just as the floodwaters carved out a new landscape in my backyard, the tide of fear, shock, sadness, and anger that followed carved out a new reality for me. Life is different now. In some ways, it will never be the same again.

The pictures above were taken in our yard on 8/27/2011 - the afternoon before Irene arrived.  This is our yard just 4 days later...The force and power of the water was incredible...

I was thinking today about Noah's flood...how incredibly powerful that must have been. Imagine the fear that filled Noah's heart as the rain pelted the ark and all living creatures outside perished. Imagine the faith, as he waited in the ark for the waters to dry up. Imagine the hope that welled up in his heart when that dove returned with an olive leaf!

Imagine the mud they must have stepped into when they exited the ark!

I found my "olive leaf" today -- a single, straggly stalk of green. It had been badly battered by the power of the flooded creek;  power that had downed trees, moved trucks, relocated boulders and bridges, had even moved houses off their foundations. It had stolen away large chunks of grass and yard, plants and flowers. Yet here, on the very edge of the eroded lawn, still rooted in the earth where I had planted it just this spring, reaching toward the sun, was my butterfly bush -- the survivor. This little bush not only hung onto its scrap of dirt - it waited until the waters receded and then mustered up all its strength to produce -- a blossom. A beautiful purple flower. Promise of another season to come, when all the debris will be finally cleared, grass will be planted, and (I promise) there will be new butterfly bushes planted alongside my survivor to keep him company....

 Irene may have taken much, but I am finding so much more that she has given. But that is the subject of another blog.....

Today is a new day. Tomorrow is a new tomorrow. I will hope, trust, stand, and reach toward heaven, and rooted firmly in the soil of my Father's garden, I will blossom, just like my little butterfly bush.

"For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Revelation 7:17

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Girlfriends in God - Daily Devotion

http://www.girlfriendsingod.com/Default.aspx?tabid=97
God really, truly loves us. He takes notice of what we do, our joys and tears. Isn't that amazing? I enjoyed these devotional thoughts by Gwen Smith of GIG --

Saturday, July 31, 2010

In Memory and Faith

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1

Please join us in prayer for our friends John and Diane and family.
John's daughter Kimberly passed away very suddenly today.
 

 

 

Monday, June 7, 2010

Did I Make the Right Decision?, Christian Careers, Jobs, Employment

Did you ever face a big decision wondering how to find God's will? There's a song that David Patillo sings, called "When To Do What" which I have sometimes felt is the recurring theme song of my life. Did I make the right choice yesterday? Last week? 20 years ago? Am I making the right choice now?

"Sometimes I say yes, sometimes I say no, sometimes I hold on, sometimes I let go; sometimes I am right, but not always so; when to do what, that's what I want to know."

I have found that, in my life, the right choice is always to stay close to God. He will lead, and He will bless and use me as I seek His will. It's not easy to see where the path is leading today or tomorrow, but if I keep my hand in His we won't go wrong! The following article gives some insight on this too. Blessings!

Link

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Happy Valentines Day

God's Valentine to us: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son; that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" John 3:16,17.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

GOD IS SO GOOD

The Table Cloth

The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned 

to their first ministry, to reopen a church 

in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October 

excited about their opportunities. When they saw 

their church, it was very run down and needed 

much work. They set a goal to have everything 

done in time to have their first service


On Christmas Eve. 



T
hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, 

painting, etc, and on December 18 were ahead

Of schedule and just about finished.

On December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving 

rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
 



O
 n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.. 

His heart sank when he saw that the roof had

leaked, causing a large area of plaster about

20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the 

sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about 

head high.



T
he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, 

and not knowing what else to do but postpone
 


the Christmas Eve service, headed home. 

On the way he noticed that a local business was
 

having a flea market type sale for charity so he 

stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
 

handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
 

with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross 

embroidered right in the center. It was just 

the right size to cover up the hole in the front
 

wall. He bought it and headed back to the church.
 

B
y this time it had started to snow. An older 

woman running from the opposite direction was 

trying to catch the bus.. She missed it. The pastor 

invited her to wait in the warm church for 

the next bus 45 minutes later. 




She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor 

while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put 

up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor 

could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and 

it covered up the entire problem area. 


T
hen he noticed the woman walking down the center

aisle. Her face was like a sheet. 'Pastor,'

she asked, 'where did you get that tablecloth?'

The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check 

the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into 

it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had
 


made this tablecloth 35 years before, in  Austria
 

T
he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor 

told how he had just gotten the Tablecloth. The 

woman explained that before the war she and 

her husband were well-to-do people in Austria . 

When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. 

Her husband was going to follow her the next week. 

He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her 

husband or her home again. 


T
he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; 

but she made the pastor keep it for the church.

The pastor insisted on driving her home, that

was the least he could do.. She lived on the other

side of Staten Island and was only in  Brooklyn  

for the day for a housecleaning job.
 


W
hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas 

Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the
 

spirit were great. At the end of the service, the 

pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door
 

and many said that they would return.
 

One older man, whom the pastor recognized
 

from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the 

pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
 

wasn't leaving.
 

T
he man asked him where he got the tablecloth on 

the front wall because it was identical to one 

that his wife had made years ago when 

they lived in Austria before the war and how 

could there be two tablecloths so much alike. 


H
e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he 

forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was

supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and

put in a prison.. He never saw his wife or his home

again all the 35 years in between. 


T
he pastor asked him if he would allow him to 

take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten
 

Island
 and to the same house where the pastor 


had taken the woman three days earlier. 


H
e helped the man climb the three flights of

stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on

the door and he saw the greatest Christmas

reunion he could ever imagine.
 


T
rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid 

Who says God does not work in mysterious ways... 

I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for 

you today, to guide you and protect you as you go 

along your way. His love is always with you, His
 

promises are true, and when we give Him all our
 

cares you know He will see us through.. 


S
o when the road you're traveling on seems 

difficult at best... Just remember I'm here 

praying and God will do the rest. Pass this on 

to those you want God to bless and don't forget 

to send it back to the one who asked God to bless 

you first.
 


W
hen there is nothing left but God, That is when 

you find out that God is all you need. Take 60

seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply

say the following small prayer for the person

who sent you this.
 



F
ather, God, bless all my friends and family in what 

ever it is that You know they may be needing this 

day! May their life be full of your peace,

prosperity and power as he/she seeks to have a 

closer relationship with you. Amen.
 


Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Jay Witham Concert

Start:     May 8, '09 7:00p
End:     May 8, '09 9:00p
Location:     Lighthouse Bible Church, Main Street, Hunter, NY (across from the Hunter PO)
Pastor and Christian Country singer Jay Witham will be in concert at Lighthouse Bible Church in Hunter on Friday at 7 pm. Jay has been a pastor for many years as well as a recording artist, and has two new CD projects that were recently released. His ministry is the simple message of Christ in song, and his music and message appeal to all ages. You are invited to come and be blessed as you enjoy an evening of Christian Country Music. This is a free event. A love offering will be taken for Jay's ministry. For further information, call 518-263-4167

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

True Woman | Instructed to love

Link

Why do I have to be commanded to love God, my Creator, my Heavenly Father, my Rock? Could it be because of my rebellious, fallen nature?

How can I help but love Him? Click on the link above for some thoughts on the subject.

In His Love,

Nancy

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Come What May

This is amazing, and worth the few minutes it takes to read/watch....At the end of the article is a link to watch the film.....Enjoy! -- Nancy

Moviemaker’s Goal: Real Life Imitating Art

Homeschoolers, production company depict challenge to Roe v. Wade

World Net Daily Article

October 11, 2008

Debate teams representing the 300 students at Patrick Henry College have won the Moot Court national debate crown twice in the school's eight-year existence, and they've defeated debating bastion Oxford twice, including once in England using UK laws, but now they're reaching higher. They are hoping that real life will imitate their art.

Combining with Advent Film Group, the Virginia evangelical school's debaters are featured in a new film presenting arguments that one day could be used to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that found a right to abortion in the U.S. Constitution. "Come What May," which already has been shown to packed houses in Grants Pass, Ore., and Harrisonburg, Va., is expected to

be available for screening online later this month.

In the movie, Caleb, a Christian student attending Patrick Henry, is caught in a moral tug-of-war as he challenges Roe v. Wade at the National Moot Court Championship. At the same time, the character's mother, a feminist attorney, argues the case at the U.S. Supreme Court, but on

the opposing side.

The microbudget project – essentially created with a volunteer team of students advised by a handful of movie professionals – already has had half a dozen offers for distribution, according to George Escobar of Advent Film Group. He told WND the plans are for the movie to be streamed online on GodTube later this month, but exact details still are being worked out.

"Our intention is that people see the compelling arguments for overturning Roe v. Wade if there are the right Supreme Court justices on the bench," he said.

In the Roe v. Wade opinion, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun hinted the decision eventually could be overturned, leaving abortion laws up to individual states. He concluded that if the "personhood" of the preborn could be established, "the case, of course, collapses, for the fetus' right to life is then guaranteed specifically by the [14th] Amendment."

The advances in scientific and medical knowledge over the past four decades have created huge conflicts over the issue of the beginning of life. Voters in Colorado will decide Nov. 4 on a ballot initiative that would recognize the unborn as a person – given the same constitutional protections as anyone else – from the moment of conception.

Grants Pass Valley Family Forum director Dean Welty believes the time for the issue to be given to American citizens is now. "This movie tells how Roe v. Wade can be reversed by the U.S. Supreme Court," he said.

"Moviegoers [at a screening] were excited or agitated on both sides, because the movie shows in dramatic fashion just how flimsy the legal footing stands for Roe. "New Justice appointees who believe in constitutional original intent will likely overturn Roe," he said.

Since the next president is expected to appoint at least a few new justices during the coming term, the tipping point for many of the previous 5-4 decisions that have upheld abortions could be approaching.

Welty noted it's possible a handful of voters in each precinct across the nation could make the choice between GOP candidate Sen. John McCain, who has a long record of largely pro-life votes, and Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, who has advocated for abortions beyond even the demands of the

National Abortion Rights Action League.

"If this new movie gets widely known, and it could break out because it's very controversial, then watch out," Welty said.

Escobar has worked in the American Film Institute and in Hollywood as a freelance story analyst. He was assistant to the director on several television shows and vice president of product technologies for Tele-TV, which then was headed by Howard Stringer, now CEO of Sony. The founder of Advent Film Group in 2007, he confirmed distributors already are bidding for the rights to distribute the movie.

"We know that Christians love 'Come What May,'" said Escobar. "What surprised us were the secular, pro-choice audiences, some of whom have told us that 'Come What May' is causing them

to reconsider their position." He cited the huge impact of recent low-budget movies, "Facing the Giants," and "Fireproof," as a sea change in the movie industry. "Giants," about a high school football team, was made by Sherwood Baptist Church in

Albany, Ga., on a budget of $100,000. It earned $10 million in box office sales and – so far – has sold more than a million DVDs. "Our mission is to change culture for Christ through media," said Escobar. "We are drawing from the outstanding talent and strength of the homeschooling community.

"If homeschoolers can turn the public education monopoly upside down, they can do the same for cinema," he said.

Statistics indicate homeschooling is growing at a rate many times the rate of growth for schools nationwide, and there now are estimates of more than 2 million students who are homeschooled.

Endorsing the project were Michael Farris, founder and chancellor of Patrick Henry College, the nation's only Christian liberal arts college established to serve homeschooled students; Graham Walker, president of the college; and Michael Smith, president of the Home School Legal Defense Association.

The project, in which students also received on-the-job training in the film industry, already has been

honored. It was given a Redemptive Storyteller Award for 2008 from the Redemptive Film Festival.

Kurt Ramspott, founder of the pro-life group Guys-For-Life, said the film "could be a tipping point in this dramatic battle of Good vs. Evil in our lifetime." "It is a 'must see' that will spur you onto action," he said.

Click below to watch the film (it's free):

http://www.onenewsnow.com/comewhatmay/default.aspx

 

Monday, June 9, 2008

Cardboard Testimonies




Life before and after Christ changed them. Don't miss this video -- it's a simple yet profound way to show how God is at work in the lives of His people today. It may encourage you and bring you joy, as it did for me!

Monday, May 5, 2008

A Father's Love

Job 19:25 But as for me I know that my Redeemer liveth,

And at last he will stand up upon the earth.

This is a beautiful example of a father's love -- and what great love our Father has shown us, that we should be called the children of God!

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=8cf08faca5dd9ea45513