Take Your Foot Off The Brakes

By: Bishop Vashti McKenzie

Published: August 01, 2010

How much of what you do everyday is by your own inclination, or by the power of the Holy Spirit? Everyday we make direction and destination decisions. We make them based on our own knowledge, learning and understanding, or we make them based upon the truth of God’s Word.

E. Stanley Jones writes that most people plot and plan themselves into mediocrity. The Holy Spirit will tell the believer, however, when to speak up, when to be quiet, what to say, where to go, when to leave, and will give direction to our daily movements.

It’s like the bitter cold winter race, the Iditarod. Dogsled teams race between Anchorage and Nome, Alaska. It is a brutal test of the skill and endurance of both humans and dogs.

There is an often-told story about a novice in the race excited to be apart of a race that could cost you your life. Excitement didn’t last long against the elements and he came in last. He asked an experienced racer to critique his efforts. The experienced racer responded that the dogs know where to go. You kept trying to tell the dogs where to go and you kept your foot on the break.

We are limiting our direction and destination efforts of this Christian race when we are led by our own inclination instead of being led by the Holy Spirit.

In the epistle to the Roman Christians, Paul, the attributed author, makes a masterful argument that three walls surround all of humanity. All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. This is the wall of universal guilt. The good we try to do, we don’t; and the sin we don’t want to do, we do. This is the wall of sinful nature. Whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved represents the wall of sovereign election.
Paul references the Holy Spirit many times in this chapter. The Holy Spirit breaks through the walls of sin, guilt and shame because there is now no condemnation. The Holy Spirit elevates our view off of earthly things and onto the things of God, spiritual things that are eternal. The Holy Spirit assures us of this new relationship as inheritors or heirs with Christ to both his suffering and glory.

The text states those who are led by the Spirit (NIV) and the English translation Bible states we are moved by the Spirit; James Peterson’s interpretation states with His Spirit living in you, your body will be alive as Christ’s! So don’t you see that we do not owe this old do it yourself life, one red cent. There is nothing in it for us. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God’s Spirit beckons; there are things to do and places to go!

Being led by the Spirit is taking your foot off of the brakes. It is allowing yourself to be led because the Holy Spirit knows the way just like the Huskies know the way to Nome.

Jesus promised us another comforter and the day of Pentecost has fully come. The Holy Spirit was given to us. He is fruit to conform us to the character of Christ and gifts that transform and empower to edify the body of Christ.

Scripture Of The Day: "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." - Romans 8:14

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Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie is the presiding bishop of the 13th Episcopal District of the AME, and serves as a guiding example for women and church leaders throughout the country. For more on Bishop McKenzie, visit http://www.13thame.com or hear her messages daily at http://www.thisisyourwakeupcallonline.com.…

What Confucius Can Teach You About Living a Happier Life

By 

Henrik Edberg.

“It is better to play than do nothing.”

 

“Men’s natures are alike; it is their habits that separate them.”

“Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change.”

About 2500 years ago there lived a man called Confucius. He was Chinese philosopher and thinker and has had a big influence on life and thought systems in countries like China, Korea and Japan for a long, long time. His teachings became the system of philosophy called Confucianism.

Today I’d like to share a few of my favorite happiness tips from Confucius.

What goes around, comes around.

“What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.”

• A very simple rule for how life often works. The Law of Reciprocity is strong in people. How you treat others, they are likely to treat you. So be honest and think about what you do to others and what they are doing to you. And think about how you can change and improve what you do to them.
• The payoff may not be instant though. So let go of your need for instant gratification and continue to act in a way that you feel is right rather than quickly giving up doing positive things just because you didn’t get validation and positive feedback right away.

You have to do to understand.

“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”

• This is a key piece of advice. It’s easy to confuse what you read in a book or see happen to someone else as having an idea of how it is to do or experience such a thing for yourself. Sometimes it gives you a good idea of what it is about. Other times it’s quite different than you thought it would be.
• So while books and seeing someone doing something can be useful, the key to really understanding what something is about is to do it yourself. You can argue with yourself or others about an idea for years. Have logical discussions and theories. But until you actually try it for yourself you won’t understand it.

Shoot for something.

“If you shoot for the stars and hit the moon, it’s OK. But you’ve got to shoot for something. A lot of people don’t even shoot.”

• The most important thing is to start and to do. You may fail, you may stumble. And that’s OK. You may not wind up exactly where you wanted to go. And that’s OK too.
• But if you don’t try then nothing will ever get started. You’ll probably just spend days, months and years sitting around waiting for something to happen.

Focus on what you want.

“The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large.”

• What you focus on, you will see in your world. Changing what you think about most of the time can change the world around you radically. Things you never noticed before come into focus. Things you previously spent a lot of time thinking and worrying about seem insignificant and sink into the background of your world.
• And your actions tend to align with your dominant thoughts. So if you replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts then you will probably start to take more positive action in your world and so you world tends to become a better world. This can of course spread outside your own little world since people tend to treat other people as they are being treated. And so a positive, upward spiral of thought and action can grow.

Let go of the past.

“To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.” 

“Things that are done, it is needless to speak about…things that are past, it is needless to blame.”

• People can hold on to things that have happened long, long after they happened. One reason for that is that it inflates the ego. If you have or have had important problems then well, you must be a person of importance. Or so you can tell yourself and others to gain sympathy and attention.
• So you feel a sense of importance by bringing these past things up in your mind and perhaps by discussing or arguing with others about them. This may be seen as normal and something a whole lot of people do. But it is not useful. It is not necessary. You get some pleasure out of it but in the end it always leads to a lot more misery and suffering.
• So ask yourself: “what is in it for me?”. Or: “who cares?”.
• Is it really a lot of value in it for you to be thinking and feeling negatively for perhaps hours each week about things that is already in the past, things you can’t change anyway?
• Now, just saying that you should drop negative stuff that happened to you in the past is easy. Doing it isn’t always that easy. These memories have a tendency to want to cling to you. Or jump out at you once again even though you thought you had moved past them.
• But with time, they can become less and less frequent visitors. Until one day, you may even have forgotten about them altogether.

Delay the impulse and avoid the consequences.

“When anger rises, think of the consequences.”

• No matter if you train your mind, you are still human and in the heat of the moment it’s easy to take less helpful path. In those moments it’s good to look into the future. It is easy to get lost in the anger and act based upon that. But is it worth it? And what may happen if you do?
• When anger rises, take 10 breaths and think about that.

You are here.

“And remember, no matter where you go, there you are.”

• It’s easy to get lost in the past or future. But you aren’t there now. You are right here right now. Most of the moments you spend thinking and feeling about the past or future is simply you being stuck in an unnecessary habit and it is a distraction from what is here in front of you.
• So return to where you are right now by focusing on your breathing for a minute or two. Or by focusing on what is in front of you and around you right now. Then be where you are.

Recognize the simplicity of life.

“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”

• The mind loves to think. So it thinks and thinks about things. Making them more and more complex than they ever really were. And so you bog yourself down with too many thoughts and perhaps a lack of action due to things just seeming too complicated and hard.
• Don’t get lost in details and unimportant things. Realize what is most important in your life and discard what you don’t need.
• Then spend more time and energy on the important things in your life. And stop thinking so much and instead take action to gain a better understanding of life and of yourself.

Copyright 2006-2010 Henrik Edberg.

It’s Not the Title, It’s the Testimony

By: Pastor Marvin Moss

Published: July 22, 2010

The time has come for the church, church folk, the children of God, Christians to realize that it’s not the title, it’s the testimony. It’s the story that we tell with the way we live our lives. It’s the story that we tell by the way we execute the word of God. It’s in the execution that one recognizes another as a child of God or a child of the devil.

It’s what people see you do that makes all of the difference in the world. When you’re trying to get a job, it’s good to have the degree relative to the position you’re applying for, but you still have to undergo a battery of tests. Then there are interviews, more tests, and more interviews. That degree, diploma, and certificate are good but you still have to prove that what you’re saying is true.

They may call you Doctor, but are you board certified?
They may call you Attorney, but have you passed the bar?
They may call you Reverend, but is there anything about your life that would testify to the fact that you’re anything other than a Reverend?

It’s not the title, it’s the testimony.

How are you living? What kind of report would your family give about you? Is there a good report on you outside of the church as well as in the church?
It’s not the title, it’s the testimony.

Peter. Bold, big mouthed, boisterous Peter, has just allowed himself to be used by God to perform a miracle. You know the story, Peter and john were heading to the temple one afternoon to take part in the afternoon prayer. As they approached the temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the temple gate so he could beg from the people going into the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money.

Peter looked at the man intently and said, “Look at us! I don’t have any money for you. But I’ll give you what I do have, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” Up until this point, Peter and John were just like everybody else. They were two people who could meet the beggar’s need or what the beggar thought his need was. All too often, we think that it’s us meeting the needs of those whom God has trusted us with. This is where the ego comes into play; where we begin to wear our feelings on our sleeves. This is where we want to take credit for everything that only God can do.

God uses us as instruments to fulfill His purpose. We are called and the call has more to do with God’s divine purpose. It’s not about you! We’ve all been called to be leaders. We’re to lead the lost to the lamb. We’re to lead the left out to the One who can let them in.

God calls us to lead not by title but by testimony. How can you tell somebody else about the goodness of God if you’ve never experienced it for yourself? You might be able to tell them what you’ve seen happen to somebody else. You might be to tell them what somebody else has told you. But oh, there’s nothing like a firsthand account. Isaiah said in the year king Uzziah died, “I saw the lord.”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, walked through the fiery furnace with an angel of the Lord. Somebody has been walking with Him all week. Somebody called on Him the midnight hour. And when they called on the name of Jesus, He answered them.

He turned their midnight into morning.
He turned their sorrow into a shout,
He turned their problem into praise.
He turned their worry into worship.
He gave them a testimony.

It’s not your title, but it’s your testimony.

Scripture Of The Day: " ...And why look at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power and godliness? For it is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of all our ancestors who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this..." - Acts 3:12-13v (NLT)

Pastor Marvin Moss is senior pastor of Cascade United Methodist Church, located in Atlanta, Georgia. Pastor Moss is extremely active within the Atlanta community, and serves on the Board of Trustees at Gammon Theological Seminary.

For more information about Pastor Moss, log onto http://www.cascadeumc.org.

The Power of Your Testimony

In our justice system, one of the most powerful pieces of evidence is eyewitness testimony. In the days before DNA and other scientific and forensic advances, the testimony of an eyewitness could make or break a case. An eyewitness could identify the guilty party or solidify an alibi and free an innocent person. The assignment for an eyewitness is to tell the truth about what they saw, heard, and experienced.

When Jesus ended his earthly ministry and gave us the Great Commission, he declared, "You will be my witnesses." We are called - commanded, even - to be eyewitnesses to the saving, healing grace of Jesus. In the Bible, there is a wonderful story of someone who did just that. The story in found in the 9th chapter of John. The story begins with a theological discussion, continues with a miracle, and ends with a powerful testimony.

As Jesus and His disciples were traveling, they saw a man who had been blind since birth. The Disciples (sadly like many of us sometimes) were more interested in the theological ramifications of the man's situation than they were in the man himself. "why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents' sins?" they asked Jesus. Jesus replied, "It was not because of his sins or his parents' sins. This happened so the power of God could be seen in him."

Jesus then told His disciples, "We need to be energetically at work for the One who sent me here, working while the sun shines. When night falls, the workday is over." For many years, I didn't understand why He said this - it didn't seem to fit with the rest of the story. But I believe what Jesus was saying to the disciples was you are wasting precious time trying to find someone to blame for this man's blindness when you should be ministering to him. (There's a sermon unto itself there, but that is a devotional for another day...)

Immediately after saying this, Jesus made mud, put it on the man's eyes and told him to go wash in the Pool of Siloam, which ironically means "sent." As soon as the man obeyed, he was able to see for the first time in his life! The town, which had known him all his life as a blind beggar, was buzzing with the news that he could now see. There was such a change in him that people who had known him all his life didn't think it was the same person.

There was a problem, though. The man had been healed on the Sabbath, and that was, according to Pharisaic Law, not legal. So they marched this man to the Pharisees to see what they thought. When they heard the story, there was a deep division among the Pharisees. Some of them were still spiritually minded enough to realize this was of God. Others, sadly were so mired in their self-imposed legalism that they refused to believe this was of God or that Jesus might be a prophet, much less the messiah.

They called the formerly blind man to appear before them to hear his story.

Some of the Pharisees thought they were being tricked, so they hauled the man's parents in front of them to identify him. The parents, who were deathly afraid of the Jewish leaders, acknowledged this man was their son and that he used to be blind, but said they had no idea what had happened to him. "He is of age, ask him yourself" they said.

The Pharisees would love to have discredited this man and thereby discredited Jesus. One thing stood in their way: his simple yet powerful personal eyewitness testimony.

"All I know is this: Once I was blind, and now I can see!"

You and I are often given the opportunity to use the power of our eyewitness testimony to persuade others of God's grace, love and mercy and to encourage our brothers and sisters. Let's be alert for opportunities that the Holy Spirit will give us today to tell our story of His working in our lives!

Scripture Of The Day: "Then I heard a strong voice out of Heaven saying, "Salvation and power are established! Kingdom of our God, authority of his Messiah! The Accuser of our brothers and sisters is thrown out, who accused them day and night before God. They defeated him through the blood of the Lamb and the bold word of their witness." - Revelation 12:10-11 (The Message)

Karen Clark and FAMU GOSPEL CHOIR I Won t Complain

A Prayer From Sister Helen

God of Compassion

You let your rain fall on the just and the unjust.

Expand and deepen our hearts

so that we may love as You love,

even those among us

who have caused the greatest pain by taking life.

For there is in our land a great cry for vengeance

as we fill up death row and kill the killers

in the name of justice, in the name of peace.

Jesus, our brother,

you suffered execution at the hands of the state

but you did not let hatred overcome you

Help us to reach out to victims of violence

so that our enduring love may help them heal.

Holy Spirit of God,

You strengthen us in the struggle for justice,

Help us to work tirelessly

for the abolition of state-sanctioned death

and to renew our society in its very heart

so that violence will be no more.

Amen.

Training Up a Child

By: Pastor Andre Butler


Let’s say that you are training your body to run in a marathon, or maybe you’re training yourself to play well on the basketball court. Well first, you have a goal that you’re trying to accomplish. There’s some result that you want, whether it’s being able to make a jump shot every time or being able to run a mile in five minutes.

Second, you have some type of training curriculum. In other words, you have a plan that you’re following to reach that goal. This of course then involves repetition. You have to do it over and over again so that you’re trained to do it. So now let’s apply this to what the scripture is saying. Well, there’s obviously a goal you’re trying to reach with your children. There’s a result that you want, which is for them to be Godly, mighty, and blessed seed in the earth. And the curriculum that you need to use in training them is the Word of God.

This of course involves the need for repetition.

I’ve learned with my own daughters that what this scripture is really talking about is similar to programming a computer. What you’re doing is programming their spirits. You’re teaching them the Word of God so that this becomes a part of their own spiritual programming. As a parent you need to keep giving the Word of God to your children so that the Word abides on the inside of them, becomes a part of their programming, and eventually they can automatically make the right decisions.

You have to keep teaching them the Word of God and making sure that they understand the boundaries that the Word has given them. If you don’t give your children boundaries, they will absolutely ruin their lives. They have to learn about boundaries in the home before they’ll really be able to stay within the boundaries outside of the home. You have to teach them about things that they can and cannot do, and then you have to repeat it over and over.

Training requires constant attention. Sometimes we can get so caught up in regular life—and in many cases just surviving--that we forget about training. And before you know it, your child’s all grown up and you never really trained them, and then you wonder about the result that you see. One of the most important things that you will ever do on this planet is train up your own children.

Doing that should be a high priority in your life. So ask yourself: what kind of job am I doing in training my children so that they can be the type of person that God wants them to be and therefore a person that will be blessed?

Scripture Of The Day: "Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it." - Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV)

Pastor Andre Butler is a young man anointed and commissioned by God to spread the Good News of Christ. A 1996 graduate of Rhema Bible Training Center, Pastor Butler serves as Co-Pastor of Word of Faith International Christian Center in Southfield, MI.s. For more information about Pastor Andre Butler, log onto http://www.andrebutler.tv.…

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Thoughts For Today

"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth -- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up-- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the

only one we had." 

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

DICK GREGORY Urges Mass Support for the Gray-Haired Witnesses Fast for Justice!

P r e s s R e l e a s e

Contacts:

B.J. Janice Peak-Graham / Marpessa Kupendua 1- 866-968-1188, Ext. 2 ghwitnesses@gmail.com http://www.grayhairedwitnesses.blogspot.com/

WASHINGTON, June 3/Gray-Haired Witnesses for Justice News --Fiery human rights activist, Dick Gregory, urged everyone to support the June 21, 2010 Gray-Haired Witnesses Fast for Justice in DC in an interview yesterday. The upcoming day-long event is to call attention to the shocking case of the Mississippi Scott Sisters, two women who each received double-life sentences for an alleged robbery of $11.00 almost 16 years ago. The public fast, press conference and rally also calls attention to the entire system of justice which increasingly incarcerates and oversentences non-violent Black female first time offenders, such as Jamie and Gladys Scott, punishing and many times actually destroying entire families.

"This is one of the worst cases I have ever heard of in my life," exclaimed Gregory, "My jaw dropped when I read that these women have been in prison for almost 16 years and aren't even charged with laying a hand on anyone! This country should be embarrassed to have such a blatant travesty of justice exist while wagging our finger at people abroad for human rights abuses. What we have going on here is the epitome of cruel and unusual punishment and is outrageous, even for Mississippi!".

The Gray-Haired Witnesses Fast for Justice was prompted by the very serious illness of now 38-yr. old Jamie Scott who entered prison in 1994 a healthy young woman yet suffered kidney failure this past January and was deprived adequate medical treatment for an extended period of time. Jamie has quickly declined to stage 5 (end stage) kidney disease and has suffered many life-threatening medical emergencies in an unclean environment.

Mr. Gregory was dumbfounded as to why MS Governor Haley Barbour has ignored all calls to pardon the women. "They went in at the ages of 19 and 22 with no prior criminal record, have consistently maintained their innocence, and even the testimony against them is documented as having been coerced! Even if they were guilty, we are talking about double-life sentences each, how does that make any kind of sense, don't their lives mean anything at all? If Gov. Barbour won't do the right thing then we need Eric Holder and President Obama to immediately step in! Washington, DC should be packed with people on June 21, demanding the immediate release of the Scott Sisters!".

On June 21, 2010, the Gray-Haired Witnesses will commence a Fast at the Department of Justice in a 10:00 a.m formal appeal to Eric Holder, rejoin at the White House at Noon with a press conference and formal appeal to President Obama, and then continue at Lafayette Square Park from 1PM until 9PM for the duration of the fast with speakers, live performances and artists. The Gray-Haired Witnesses are calling on all people of good will to join them on that day and demand justice for the Scott Sisters and an end to the oversentencing, degradation and dehumanization of Black women in this system and nation as a whole.

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GOSPEL ACCORDING TO AL GREEN

I Am The Good Shepherd

By: Bishop Keith Butler

Published: June 04, 2010

The day is coming when you're going to either follow the Shepherd or go your own way. But I'm here to tell you, your way will lead you to trouble. As sheep, our goal should be to follow the shepherd.

There is only one Shepherd, and his name is Jesus. The Bible says He is the good Shepherd. The word 'good' is a descriptive word. That tells us then that there can be bad shepherds, right? Well the good Shepherd has certain attributes: He gives His life for the sheep, He knows His sheep, and His sheep know Him.

The word 'shepherd' means one who tends to or one who looks after. Now the word 'pastor' is translated the same word 'shepherd' throughout the Scripture; however, Jesus is the Chief Pastor.

In Jeremiah 3:15, God said, "And I will give you pas tors according to my heart which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding and it shall come to pass when you be multiplied and increased in the land..." In other words, you will multiply and increased because of knowledge and understanding coming from your Chief Shepherd/Pastor.

A good Shepherd also provides knowledge and understanding. He provides the sheep with information. That is what's available to us when we spend time with Him.

Now, in order for the sheep to have the protection and receive the knowledge and understanding of a Shepherd, he must follow the Shepherd---that is the key ingredient.

Jesus is the door of the sheep; the sheepfold is the population of the earth. Well, He breaks down the sheepfold into those who follow him. The Shepherd is coming back to take over all things and to set up His kingdom. There is only going to be one sheepfold and one Shepherd.

And I'm telling you today that there is only one Shepherd who is comi ng back for His sheepfold; it's not going to be Buddha, Rev. Sun Young Moon, Hare Hare Krishna or anyone else. It is going to be Jesus. So make a choice to follow Him.

For He is the Shepherd of your soul (mind, will, and emotions). He does the rewarding, and He will lead and guide you to still waters and green pastures. For he declares of Himself, " I am the good Shepherd."

Scripture Of The Day: "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep." - John 10:11 (NKJV)

Bishop Keith A. Butler is the founder and pastor of Word of Faith International Christian Center in Southfield, MI, and Word of Faith Christian Center in San Antonio, TX. For more information about Bishop Butler, visit http://www.woficc.com.

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Vickie Winans "Shake Yourself Loose" At West A (Part 3 of 3)

In God’s Hands

By: Pastor Olu Brown

Published: June 02, 2010

A few weeks ago, I thought I was going to miss my flight to Chicago. I was in Washington D.C. speaking at a conference with very limited time to finish speaking, load up, race to the airport and catch my flight. I am sure you know what happened next. Of course, I ran into traffic. It was absolutely the worst traffic ever. Initially, I was optimistic, thinking the traffic would break and that I would make it in time. The longer I was in traffic the more I realized I would not make the flight. My friend who was driving the car did his best to encourage me but I knew I was going to miss this one.

I dialed the 800 number for the airline to request a flight change and was disappointed because as I was preparing to book a later flight and pay a flight change fee, suddenly my phone disconnected. Little did I know it was for the best. I decided to wait and change my flight plans once I arrived at the airport and pay the flight change fee on site. I arrived at the airport 30 minutes before my flight was scheduled to depart and I knew I was cooked. I walked up to the ticket counter and said to an agent, “I know I missed my flight and would like to be placed on the later flight to Chicago.”

In a moment, something happened that had never happened to me before. The wonderful agent asked for my driver’s license, keyed in my information and told me that I could make the flight. She hurried through her task and told me to follow her. Unbelievably, this wonderful ticket agent walked me to the security checkpoint and through the line of people waiting all the way to the security screening section.

I know this sounds crazy but she even went through the security screen with me. She was my angel in disguise. Because of her, I made the flight without a minute to spare and as I sat on the plane, I was grateful for the ticket agent because she went out of her way to make sure I made the flight.

Lately, I have been experiencing many moments like this when I am pressed for time or pressed to make a decision. These moments come no matter how much I prepare, wake up early or hope for the best. In these moments, I have a tendency to become afraid and set my mind towards failure or the worst possible outcome. The flight attendant gave me a good lesson on life that reminded me when I think it is over there is always hope.

God has a unique way of providing angels who step into our lives and help us navigate through the tough and uncertain times. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us to trust God in spite of what we see, feel or think. God has a way of helping us navigate through life’s maze to achieve the ultimate God Goal. This is an amazing category of faith that I have not conquered. To be honest, there are times when I do not trust and I depend on my own understanding.

What impressed me the most about the ticket agent is that her badge gave her the power and authority to move me through places and situations that I could not maneuver on my own. When I think about her power and authority, I think about God’s power and authority to guide my life and my journey towards God’s preferred destination. It truly is in God’s hands.

Scripture Of The Day: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)

The lead pastor of Impact Church, located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, Pastor Olu Brown has helped grow Impact into one of the fastest growing new church starts in America. For more information about Pastor Brown, log onto http://www.imp

Direction, Not Intention

By: Milan Ford


I'll never forget a trip my family and I took to Washington D.C. to attend the high school graduation of my wife's little brother. As the parents of two daughters (then ages 4 and 2), and a 6 month old baby boy, I'm sure you can imagine just how difficult that road trip was for us.

If it wasn't for our children's godmother (who came along with us), we would have certainly had to check into a psychiatric ward once we got back.

During this trip, I learned a few things about myself that I hope (after reading this) will help radically reshape the way you and I have long perceived the direction and path God may be leading us to follow.

My wife and I go absolutely nowhere without our GPS system. From locating the nearest restaurants and gas stations, to discovering what roads and highways serve as the best shortcuts, our GPS has been like a distant cousin to us both. So much so we gave it a name: Anne.

Although we had been to D.C. a few times before, navigating in and around the city has always been a daunting task. Not only are the multiple Beltway interstates (I-95, I-295, I-395 & I-66) a never ending maze, the number of two-way streets that turn into one-way roads will make your head spin. So needless to say, having Anne around with us on this trip was extremely vital.

On the morning we were set to return, I had the bright idea of stopping through downtown to take some pics of the family in front of a few monuments; been a big fan of them ever since I was a kid.

We packed up the car, fastened all the kids in their seats, and then took our favorite person in the whole wide world (Anne) out of the glove compartment. I turned her on, overwhelmed with joy to begin entering in the addresses for the monuments we wanted to visit before leaving town. But suddenly, my joy quickly turned into shock as Anne uttered these four very frightening words:

Unable To Locate Satellite.

This message from Anne was something (I'll admit) I had seen once or twice before. It happens every time I would forget to charge her up over night. Without a full battery, Anne became useless. So being the revolutionary man that I am, I decided to take matters in my own hands, and tried to drive downtown without Anne's assistance. (In my mind) I didn't have the time to wait on Anne to charge back up; I wanted to get there by myself.

I'm sure you can just imagine where this story is heading now, right?

It never ceases to amaze me how we as believers find it difficult to wait on the guidance and direction of God concerning our lives. Despite the fact that He has proven time after time that He will never lead us astray, many of us still seek to take the wheel of our lives in our own hands and navigate along certain paths that He may (in many circumstances) never intended for us to take.

I learned a very valuable lesson nearly two years ago from a message by Pastor Andy Stanley. It serves as the underlining message of his brand new book, The Principle of The Path.

Here it is: Direction, Not Intention, Determines Destination.

No matter how much you and I intend on doing the right things in life, we need to assure that it is God who is directing and guiding our decisions, and not our individual pursuits and desires. More often than not, the paths many of us find ourselves on are driven by how we feel, and what we see, rather than the paths God may have for us, which are never bound or dependent on our senses.

Is there anything wrong with wanting a better job? Absolutely not. Is there anything wrong with wanting a bigger home, or nicer car? Again, not at all. And yes, I realize the timetable you set for getting married has come and passed, but before you try to grab the wheel and make something happen, allow these words to redirect you as they did for me this weekend:

Direction, Not Intention, Determines Destination.

If you're heading down the wrong direction, it doesn't matter what destination you intend on reaching, you will never get there (no matter how hard you try or how hard you pray). God's laws of guidance do not bend towards us. We bend towards them.

Funny thing happened once we finally got downtown to visit one of the monuments (a 45 minute trip that on any other day would have taken less than 10). As soon as I parked the car, Anne (our GPS device) found the satellite and prompted us to enter in our directions.

God is quite the comedian, isn't He? Gotta love Him.

Scripture Of The Day: "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;I will guide you with My eye." - Psalms 32:8

Milan Ford has been a leader (and survivor) of ministry within the local church for most of his life. The author of the brand new book, 83 Things I Wish The Black Church Would Stop Doing, you can find Milan rambling and writing at http://www.thepewview.com.…

Do You Lack Wisdom?

By: Alan Riley


Of all the things that we might desire, the Bible clearly recommends one thing highly: wisdom.

An attempt to gain wisdom through a "short cut" was part of the reason for the original sin in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:6 says, "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it."

The book of Proverbs was written by King Solomon, a man who God blessed with such wisdom that the whole world sought an audience with him to hear the wisdom that God put in his heart. (1 Kings 10:24). Virtually the entire book of Proverbs is a plea for us to embrace, to seek, and to ask God for wisdom.

Near the beginning of His earthly ministry, Jesus went to his hometown, and the people there were amazed at his miracles, yes, but also by the wisdom that God had given to Him. "Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" (Matthew 13:54, NIV)

It's not that Jesus didn't have this wisdom as He was growing up - we know that even as a young boy, His wisdom and insight confounded the learned scholars in the Temple. I suspect that prior to the beginning of His ministry, Jesus quietly went about His work as a carpenter with His father, waiting for the time when all would know Who He was.

What is it about wisdom that makes it more desirable than silver or gold, more precious than any earthly possession? It is because with wisdom is the key to properly leveraging knowledge and experiences. During our lifetimes, we all have many experiences and we all learn things. Whether or not you apply those academic and life lessons to your present circumstances shows whether or not you possess wisdom.

Ever had someone about whom you said, "He's got a lot of book learning, but no common sense whatsoever"? That person lacked wisdom. They may have boundless amounts of knowledge stored in their brains, but without wisdom, they don't know how to apply that knowledge in a practical way to their daily lives.

A nutritionist who has a degree in knowing what they should eat, but who pigs out on junk food and weighs 400 pounds lacks wisdom. An oncologist who daily sees cancer ravage his patients yet smokes two packs of cigarettes a day lacks wisdom. A counselor who has versed in the principles of relationships, understands the importance of the family, and can give advice to others about their marriage, yet leaves his wife and kids for another woman lacks wisdom.

A person who is aware of their sinful condition, and understands the message of the Gospel, yet fails to give his or her life to Jesus Christ clearly lacks wisdom. Wisdom is that precious gift of insight and understanding from God that leads us to make wise choices in our lives. Samuel Taylor Coleridge said, "Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom."

Has your life been marked by poor choices?
Have you demonstrated time and time again that you do not have wisdom?

I have really good news for you. God is a God of second chances. Not to mention third and fourth and fifth...

If the Bible is true - and it is - and the words contained within it are reliable - and they are - then the beginning of wisdom for you is just a prayer away. James 1:5 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." It is never too late to begin walking in wisdom.

Scripture Of The Day: "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." - James 1:5 (NKJV)

Eliminate the Noise

Milan Ford

Does anyone remember the days when T.V. just went off? Although I'm not exactly sure when, I believe it used to happen right after midnight. You begged your parents to let you stay up just five more minutes to watch the end of that late-night movie, but then all of a sudden, there it was:

The waving American flag.
The Star-Spangled Banner.
That annoying mono-tone sound.
And then yes of course, those infamous color bars.

Ah, those were the days. For those you (like me) who tried staying up a little longer than you were supposed to, you may have discovered that nothing else came on till the morning. Throughout the night, all you would see were those color bars, accompanied with a dead silence.

My how things have changed.

With the emergence of cable television, XM radio stations, iPods, social media networks, and cellular phones that are admired more for their video and music playing ability, than their ability to effectively make or receive a call, it is nearly impossible for you and I to even imagine a world that silence can be effectively pursued. If even slightly appreciated.

Whether we may believe it or not, noise is now very much a part of our daily lives. Whether we are entering our homes, our cars, or even our churches, it is often the first thing we seek: Noise.

What is it about silence that we no longer appreciate? Why has it become so difficult for us to take just a few minutes out of our day...and pursue silence?

In 1 Kings 19:11-12v., God provides us with a great reason why silence may be something you and I (as believers) may no longer want to overlook:

Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord." And behold the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire...

...and after the fire a still small voice."

This passage of scripture is just amazing to me. Here we find God, who through an angel, provided a prophet by the name of Elijah, with some instructions as to where to meet Him. For those of you who may not be familiar with him, Elijah had had some pretty good on-the-job work experience on knowing how and where to find God in the past (see 1 Kings 17:2-4; 1 Kings 17:8-9; 1 Kings 18:36-38v).

Yet this time, God revealed himself to Elijah in a way he may have never expected. While standing on the mountain, God allowed a strong wind to pass by Elijah. But God, surprisingly, wasn't there.

Then God allowed Elijah to experience an earthquake. But God still wasn't there. God even allowed Elijah to witness a raging fire, and although God had used fire before with Elijah, God could not be found in the fire this time. And then it happened.

After the wind passed.
After the earthquake ceased.
And after the fire disappeared...there it was.
A still small voice.

It is amazing how many of us have difficulties spending time with God, yet fail to recognize one important element that remains absent throughout our pursuit of Him: Silence.

As believers, the noise we have surrounded our daily lives with is very much a distraction to achieving the type of intimacy and quality time with God that He so desires for us to have.

Time alone with God is imperative to our spiritual growth. And while I realize many of us already know this to be true, I wonder if you and I can consider something together on today:

Aside for the need of more silence and quality time with Him, are there any noises around you now that you simply can NO LONGER hear God speaking through?

Remember, fire was something Elijah had once found God in. But this time, He wasn't there.

Be sure to spend enough time alone with God to know when He has changed His methods of communication with you. This day, hunger after His voice.

Eliminate the noise.

Scott Sisters Update

Scott Sisters Update – CNN HLN 3/6/2010

Posted using ShareThis

Scott Sisters-1/18/10 EMERGENCY ACTION ALERT!

Mrs. Rasco just received a phone call from Gladys Scott
that both of Jamie Scott's kidneys have shut down and that
she has been in the prison infirmary since last Saturday
hooked up to IV fluids with a heavy build-up of
toxins in her body. Jamie has yet to be sent to a
hospital due to "paperwork." Jamie pleaded that Gladys
not contact their mother because she didn't want to burden
her with anymore worry on top of caring for all of the children.

Gladys has offered to donate a kidney to Jamie and
was told that she cannot because she is a state prisoner
and that it would be too expensive. The greatest
heartbreak of all is that Jamie has asked to be allowed
to die because she wants to come home so badly
and no longer believes that it will ever happen.

JAMIE SCOTT, #19197, MUST BE TAKEN TO THE
HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY! Her physical and mental
state require the highest levels of professional care.

Margaret Bingham, Superintendent of Central Mississippi Corrections Facility
(601) 932-2880
mbingham@mdoc.state.ms.us
FAX: (601) 664-0782
P.O. Box 88550
Pearl, Mississippi 39208

Christopher Epps, Commissioner of Prisons for the State of Mississippi
601-359-5600
CEPPS@mdoc.state.ms.us
723 North President Street
Jackson, MS 39202

Emmitt Sparkman, Deputy Commissioner
(601) 359-5610
esparkman@mdoc.state.ms.us

Please reply back to us and let us know of every response you
get so that we can keep track of what people are being told.

=============

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Subscribe to our group: Send a blank e-mail to scottsistersupdates-subscribe@yahoogroups.com and share information
Facebook Group: Free The Scott Sisters
Petition: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Free-Jamie-Gladys/index.html
Flyer: http://www.scribd.com/doc/22154749/Scott-Sisters-Flyer
Legal Transcripts: http://www.scribd.com/Scott%20Sisters

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Scott 1/18/10 EMERGENCY ACTION ALERT!

Scott 1/18/10 EMERGENCY ACTION ALERT!

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His Eye Is on the Sparrow

Civilia Martin

1. Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heav’n and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
* Refrain:
I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
2. “Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
3. Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Out with the Old, In with the New

Brent Barnett

Luke 5:36-39 says, "And He was also telling them a parable: 'No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, "The old is good enough."'"

Jesus' ministry came at a time when Judaism had been severely perverted into an outrageous system of rule keeping with self-righteous teachers presiding as rulers over the people of Israel. Rather than look at how the Old Testament foretold of Christ's coming and sacrifice, they ignored what had come in the person of Christ in exchange for what had been.

The Pharisees and many of the Jews had become enslaved to a thinking process that loved the old ways. Now, there is nothing wrong with being nostalgic or reflecting upon the past, but it becomes wrong when it controls us to the extent that we are unable to put it out of our minds. The Jews were so consumed with Moses and the Law that they could not recognize God Himself in their midst. Though they wanted a Messiah, they wanted it their way.

They wanted a Messiah Who would bring back the glory days of an earthly kingdom as it had been under David and Solomon. They wanted the past, and because they thought that the old was good enough, they missed the future which was right before their very eyes. They were satisfied with the old wine, and their clouded view of the past led them to miss the new wine in Jesus which was far better.

In order for them to receive the new wine, they needed to realize that they would have to lay aside their system of self-righteous Law-keeping. Jesus preached a message of forgiveness, healing, grace, and life. He didn't come to set up an earthly empire, but He came to demonstrate His eternal power and overcome the world. He didn't come to show that Law-keeping was the way to eternal life, but He Himself fulfilled the Law because no man could do it (Romans 3:23, 8:4). The Law brought condemnation and showed man his inability to keep it (Galatians 3:24). Jesus came to bring life, and life to the full (John 10:10).

Old wineskins were fitting for the old wine. The Law did its job, and it did it well (Romans 7:12). But its job was to point people to the cross and to Christ, Who had come in the flesh. If new wine was available in Jesus, then it made no sense to put it into old wineskins which would break as soon as the wine was poured in. The Law had done its job, and the new wine needed new wineskins.

The new wine of forgiveness in Christ needs to go in the new wineskin of grace. We were under law, but now we are under grace (Romans 6:14). The old covenant is over, and the new covenant has been established. Christ is the centerpiece and the focus. We must drink of Him (John 7:37).

If we find ourselves still trying to earn our way into God's favor, we need to lay aside the old and receive the grace and forgiveness of Christ. If we are attempting to manipulate God into giving us what we want in life, we need to stop drinking of the old wine and simply receive the blessings which He graciously gives as He knows best.

Trying to do things on our own strength apart from Christ is like pouring wine into a leaky wineskin. It will never work. Do we want to be full in Christ? Do we want to experience the promised abundant life? Life to the full is found in abandoning the old wine, taking hold of the new wineskin by faith in Christ, and allowing Him to fill us and empower us as He pours the new wine of His grace into our hearts.

Follow And Trust Your Heart?

Cindy Beall

Um, I don't think so.

Pretty sure that is not what the Bible instructs us to do. Why?

Because our heart can really jack with stuff.

It can lead us into situations simply because it feels right especially when an old boyfriend enters the picture. It can cause us to make decisions that are not thought through completely when those new pair of boots are screamin', just screamin' at us.

Our heart can be dangerous which is why you'll find this verse in Proverbs 4:23:
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

The Hebrew word for "wellspring" is towtsa'ah. And in its simplest term means "goings out, going forth." Meaning that basically what is in our heart is where our life will lead.

I've been in that place where you battle thoughts left and right and oftentimes entertain them. And entertaining them can and usually leads to destruction, which pretty much scares the living daylights out of me.

Just being honest. So, I have really taken this to heart and am making sure that my heart is where I want my life to begin.

Make sure you guard that heart of yours and "trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not in your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Cindy Beall is a Christ follower who uses her gift of exhortation by writing and mentoring women. She uses her past experiences, including the near death of her marriage, to encourage people that God truly does redeem. For more information about Cindy, log onto www.cindybeall.com

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All Things New

by Dr. David C. Cooper

One of the greatest needs in our lives is the need for restoration. To restore means, "to bring something back into existence or effect again; to bring back to a former or original condition; to put back in a former place or position; to reinstate; to return." We talk about restoring relationships, renovating antique furniture, reinstating a political leader and returning something that was stolen or lost. These all demonstrate the idea of restoration. The essential meaning of salvation is restoration. To be saved means that we have experienced the miraculous restoring power of God to make all things new in our lives spiritually, psychologically, emotionally, and relationally.

From Genesis to Revelation, we see the God of restoration. We hear God's message to the nation of Judah: "I will restore your judges as in days of old, your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City" (Isa 1:26).

The Psalmist prayed, "Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me" (Ps 51:12). God promises, "I will restore you to health and heal your wounds" (Jer 30:17a). Paul the Apostle declares, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are new" (2 Cor 5:17).

When the Apostle John received the Revelation on the Isle of Patmos concerning the restoration of all things and the beauty of the new heaven and the new earth, he says, "And he that sat upon the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new'" (Rev 21:5). As you surrender your failures, problems and challenges to your Heavenly Father in faithful prayer, He will make all things new for you.

Dr. David C. Cooper serves as Senior Pastor of Mount Paran Church of God in Atlanta, GA. He received his bachelor's degree from Lee College, his Master of Education from the University of Georgia, and his Doctor of Ministry from Erskine Theological Seminary. Currently, Dr. Cooper serves as chairman of the Board of Directors and as an instructor in Counseling at the Psychological Studies Institute in Atlanta, Georgia.

© Dr. David C. Cooper all rights reserved.