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God's Helpers - 6/18/03 | |
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Links in the Chain - 6/9/03 | |
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In God We Trust - 5/20/03 | |
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The 30-Day Experiment - 5/19/03 | |
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How Satan Keeps Christians from Christ - 3/27/03 | |
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Because God Loves Me - 3/15/03 | |
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My Mother Taught Me - 3/6/03 | |
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Please Pray - 2/27/03 | |
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The Whole World - 2/8/03 | |
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Prescription for Unhappiness - 2/2/03 | |
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House Prayer - 8/16/02 | |
Archives
We hate to throw anything away that could be useful, so I added this page. If it appeared on one of our pages in the past (especially the "member spotlight" section), and was removed only to make room for another (newer) article, etc. - you'll find it here! Just click on one of the links on the right sidebar to go to that article. We'll keep them here until we run out of space. Enjoy!!
God's Helpers - 6/18/03
Think about it! Aside from the creation, God does not do anything without using human beings. He has chosen to inlcude mere mortals to join Him in His plan of the ages from beginning to end. Consider the following . . .
GOD'S HELPERS
God's decision to allow mere, imperfect humans to help Him build His Kingdom, and fulfill His will in the earth, is a constant source of amazement. He is omnipotent. He can do anything, anytime, anywhere, without limit. He has innumerable angels, each of whom has great power. He could use one, or a million, to do whatever He wants done. Yet he chooses us - finite, earth-dwellers, made of clay, sin-prone and mistake-prone. Why?
It helps us to better understand if we consider His fatherly relationship with us. Leadership magazine tells the story of Rusty Stephens, a Navigators director in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Rusty relates the following:
What a beautiful analogy! God has chosen to use us to help Him.
Paul wrote,
"We are God's fellow workers" (1 Corinthians 3:9, NKJV).
Paul also wrote:
"We are Christ's ambassadors, and God is using us to speak to you." (2 Corinthians 5:20, NLT).
( Adapted from a newsletter authored by Bill Bright )
Marvel of marvels! He is worthy of our constant praise!
Submitted by
Keith Dyer
6/18/03
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Links in the Chain - 6/9/03
The next time you are discouraged because you think you may have been ineffective in your witnessing efforts, consider the following true story!
On June 17, 1873, Moody arrived in Liverpool, England, for a series of crusades. The meetings went poorly at first, but then the dam burst and blessings began flowing. Moody visited a Baptist chapel pastored by a scholarly man named F. B. Meyer, who at first disdained the Americans unlettered preaching. But Meyer was soon transfixed and transformed by Moodys message.
At Moodys invitation, Meyer toured America. At Northfield Bible Conference, he challenged the crowds saying, If you are not willing to give up everything for Christ, are you willing to be made willing? That remark changed the life of a struggling young minister named J. Wilber Chapman.
Chapman proceeded to become a powerful traveling evangelist in the early 1900s, and he recruited a converted baseball player named Billy Sunday. Under Chapmans eye, Sunday became one of the most spectacular evangelists in American history. His campaign in Charlotte, North Carolina, produced a group of converts who continued praying for another such visitation of the Spirit. In 1934 they invited evangelist Mordecai Ham to conduct a citywide crusade. On October 8th Ham, discouraged, wrote a prayer to God on the stationery of his Charlotte hotel: Lord, give us a Pentecost here. Pour out thy Spirit tomorrow.
His prayer was answered beyond his dreams when a Central High School student named Billy Graham gave his heart to Jesus.
And Edward Kimball thought he had botched the job!
"I am not praying just for these followers. I am also praying for everyone else who will have faith because of what my followers will say about me. I want all of them to be one with each other, just as I am one with you and you are one with me..."
--John 17:20,21a
Submitted by
Keith Dyer
6/9/03
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In God We Trust - 5/20/03
IN GOD WE TRUST
Considering recent events in our nation affecting our rights as Christian citizens, I felt the following was appropriate. This was originally sent to me as an email with instructions to forward it to everyone in my address book. You have, no doubt, received similar emails. Although I like the message, it is not my practice to forward these kind of emails to those in my address book. I did, however, think it would make a good "spotlight" article, so I post it here for your consideration. I have also included a downloadable version at the end, in RTF format, if you would like to copy and print it for yourself.
* * * * * * * * * *
Samuel Thompson wrote:
I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December.
I don't agree with Darwin, but I didn't go out and hire a lawyer when my high school teacher taught his theory of evolution.
Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game. So what's the big deal? It's not like somebody is up there reading the entire book of Acts. They're just talking to a God they believe in and asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans going home from the game.
"But it's a Christian prayer," some will argue. Yes, and this is the United States of America, a country founded on Christian principles. And we are in the Bible Belt. According to our very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all others better than 200-to-1. So what would you expect-somebody chanting Hare Krishna?
If I went to a football game in Jerusalem, I would expect to hear a Jewish prayer. If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad, I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer. If I went to a ping pong match in China, I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha. And I wouldn't be offended. It wouldn't bother me one bit. When in Rome...
"But what about the atheists?" is another argument. What about them?
Nobody is asking them to be baptized. We're not going to pass the collection plate. Just humor us for 30 seconds. If that's asking too much, bring a Walkman or a pair of ear plugs. Go to the bathroom. Visit the concession stand. Call your lawyer. Unfortunately, one or two will make that call. One or two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do. I don't think a short prayer at a football game is going to shake the
world's foundations.
Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights. Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating, to pray before we go to sleep. Our Bible tells us just to pray without ceasing. Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying. God, help us. And if that last sentence
offends you, well..........just sue me. The silent majority has been silent too long.. it's time we let that one or two who scream loud enough to be heard, that the vast majority don't care what they want. It is time the majority rules!
It's time we tell them, you don't have to pray. You don't have to say the pledge of allegiance, you don't have to believe in God or attend services that honor Him. That is your right, and we will honor your right. But by golly you are no longer going to take our rights away.
We are fighting back. And we WILL WIN! After all the God you have the right to denounce is on our side!
God bless us one and all, especially those who denounce Him...
God bless America, despite all her faults. Still the greatest nation of all.....
God bless our service men who are fighting to protect our right to pray and
worship God...
May 2003 be the year the silent majority is heard and we put God back as the
foundation of our families and institutions.
Keep looking up......
In God WE Trust
Submitted by
Keith A Dyer
5/20/03
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The 30-day Experiment - 5/19/03
The 30-Day Experiment
Have you ever been reluctant to witness to someone because you were afraid he would argue with you and you wouldn't know how to answer?
If so, I have good news for you -- you don't have to be frightened by the intellectual-sounding arguments of atheists and agnostics. I want to share with you an effective response to many of the arguments you might hear in a witnessing situation.
One day a young man said to me, "I'm an atheist. I don't believe there is a God."
I asked him, "Greg, are you an honest person?"
"Of course I am," he replied.
I said, "Greg, a scientist goes into the laboratory to do research to perform an experiment without preconceived ideas. He goes with an open mind and considers all truth objectively. Would you be willing to perform an experiment for thirty days, as a matter of intellectual integrity?"
I described to him what I call the 30-Day experiment. "Read the Bible every day, starting with the Gospel of John," I emphasized. "Just one hour a day, for thirty days. And every day, begin your reading with a prayer: "God, if you exist, and if Jesus Christ is your revelation to man and He truly died for my sins, I want to know you personally. Come into my life and be my Savior and Lord."
Greg agreed to the experiment, and since he had no classes that day, I encouraged him to spend the whole day reading the Gospel of John.
That evening, I was speaking to a group of several hundred students. As I looked out over the crowd, I saw Greg beaming at me with a big smile that could have lighted the whole auditorium. When I finished, he darted through the crowd to meet me. "I did it," he grinned. "I did what you told me. I read the first, second, third, fourth chapters, then more of John."
I'll never forget his next statement: "I was in the eighth chapter when Jesus stepped out of the pages of the Bible and into my heart."
Greg's story is only one of hundreds I could share with you about the effectiveness of "the 30-Day experiment." Try it.
Bill Bright
Submitted by
Keith Dyer
5/19/03
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How Satan Keeps Christians from Christ - 3/27/03
How Satan Keeps Christians from Christ
Satan called a worldwide convention. In his opening address to his evil angels, he said, “We can’t keep Christians from going to church. We can’t keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can’t even keep them from conservative values. But we can do something else. We can keep them from forming an intimate, abiding experience in Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken.
“So let them go to church. Let them have their conservative lifestyles. But steal their time so they can’t gain that experience in Jesus Christ.”
“Here is how I want you to do this. Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day.”
“But how shall we do this?” shouted one of his angels?
“Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent numerous schemes to occupy their minds,” he answered. “Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, then borrow, borrow, borrow. Convince the wives to go to work and the husbands to work 6-7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their life-styles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their families fragment, soon their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work.”
“Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive, to keep the TV, the VCR, their CDs going constantly in their homes. And see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ. Fill their coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day and invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, sweepstakes, mail order catalogs, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes.”
“Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from it exhausted, disquieted and unprepared for the coming week.”
“Don’t let them go out in nature. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts and movies instead. And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotion.”
“Let them be involved in soul-winning. But crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Christ. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family unity for the good of the cause.”
Well, in the end it was quite a convention. The evil angels went eagerly to their assignments, causing the Christians everywhere to get busy, busy, busy and rush here and there.
Has the devil been successful in his scheme? You be the judge.
Source unknown
submitted by
Keith Dyer
3/27/03
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Because God Loves Me - 3/15/03
Because God Loves Me: 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Because God loves me,
He is slow to lose patience with me. So shall we do the same with others?
Because God loves me,
He takes the circumstances of my life and uses them ina constructive way for my growth. So Shall we trust Him?
Because God loves me,
He does not treat me as an object to be possessed and manipulated. So do we manipulate others?
Because God loves me,
He has no need to impress me with how great and powerful He is because he is in control, nor does He belittle me as child in order to show me how important He is. So do we treat others with respect?
Because God loves me,
He is for me. He wants to see me mature and develop in His love. So do we do this with each other?
Because God loves me,
He does not send down His wrath on every little mistake I make, of which there are many. So do we with each other?
Became God loves me,
He does not keep score of all my sins and then beat me over the head with them whenever He gets the chance. So do we with each other?
Because God loves me,
He is deeply grieved when I do not walk in the ways that please Him, because He sees this as evidence that I don't trust Him and love Him as I should. So do we trust Him?
Because God loves me,
He rejoices when I experience His power and strength and stand up under the pressures of life and persevere by His grace.
Because God loves me,
He keeps on working patiently with me, even when I feel like giving up, and when I can't see His love for me. Even when I can not see His plan, do I trust Him?. So do we give Him our trust? Do we give up on with each other?
Because God loves me,
He keeps on trusting me when at times I don=t even trust myself. So do we trust Him?
Because God loves me,
He never says there is no hope for me, rather He patiently works with me, loves me, and disciplines me in such a way that it is for my benefit. So do I understand the depth of His concern for me?
Because God loves me,
He never forsakes me, even though many of my friends might.
Because God loves me,
He stands with me when I have reached the rock bottom of despair, when I see the real me and compare that with His righteousness, holiness, beauty, and love. It is at a moment like this that I can really believe that God loves me.
Yes, the greatest of all gifts is Gods perfect love!!!
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My Mother Taught Me - 3/6/03
Here is something humorous I thought you would enjoy...
My Mother Taught Me:
1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just
finished cleaning."
2. My mother taught me RELIGION.
"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."
3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL.
"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the
middle of next week!"
4. My mother taught me LOGIC.
"Because I said so, that's why."
5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC.
"If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not
going to the store with me."
6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.
"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an
accident."
7. My mother taught me IRONY.
"Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."
8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper."
9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM.
"Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"
10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.
'You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."
Submitted by
Keith Dyer
3/6/03
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Please Pray - 2/27/03
The following was sent as an email.... perhaps many of you have seen it already, but I thought it was worth posting here for all to read. I have forwarded the email to many my address book. Feel free to copy it and send it to your address book also!
Submitted by
Scott & Darlene DePriest
2/27/03
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The Whole World... One at a Time - 2/8/03
The Whole World...
One At A Time
What if every Christian won another person to Christ every 6 months and discipled that new convert to do the same?
Think of it!! What a concept!!!
Submitted by
Keith Dyer
2/8/03
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Prescription for Unhappiness - 2/2/03
Prescription for Unhappiness
*** USE THIS PRESCRIPTION REGULARLY FOR AWHILE AND YOU WILL ***
*** GUARANTEE UNHAPPINESS ***
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You may have read or heard the now-famous prayer from a couple of years ago, spoken by a Wichita pastor before legislators in the Kansas House of Representatives. The prayer was widely circulated, but it would be good to remember it.
Pastor Joe Wright of the Central Christian Church, prayed: "We confess we have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it moral pluralism. We have worshiped other gods and called it multiculturalism. We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem."
One legislator walked out. But Wright continued. "We have abused power and called it political savvy. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment." Pastor Wright closed with a plea for God's forgiveness, blessing and wisdom.
Reflecting the values of many in secular society, one legislator called the prayer "divisive, sanctimonious, self-serving, and overbearing." Though what Pastor Wright prayed was politically incorrect, he told the truth. The truth is not popular with some people. It offends the guilty. Jesus Christ was the Master of telling the truth, which cut to the quick of the religious hypocrites and offended the guilty. He said of Himself, "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice" (John 18:37). What is a witness? A witness is one who has firsthand, personal knowledge and/or experience of something. Have you ever considered this? The things Jesus said are truth, not because Jesus said it... No! Jesus said them because they are truth! He came to bear witness unto the truth... in fact, He said "I AM ... THE TRUTH ..." (John 14:6).
Let us, like Pastor Joe Wright, be fearless, and willing to speak "the truth in love" (Eph 4:15 ) regardless of how others may perceive us. Truth is a rare comodity in our day and age, but as Christians, we have access to it thru The Word of God, and in fact, the "living truth" abides in us! Let's make good use of that reality!!
Submitted by
Keith Dyer
- 8/16/02
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