“Love does not seek its own, but hurt people become more and more self-seeking and self-contained.  In this climate the love of God waxes cold.  A natural example of this is the two seas in the Holy Land.”

“The Sea of Galilee freely receives and gives out water.  It has an abundance of life, nurturing many different kinds of fish and plant life.  The water of the Sea of Galilee is carried by way of the Jordan River to the Dead Sea.  But the Dead Sea only takes water in and does not give it out.  There are no living plants or fish in it.  The living waters from the Sea of Galilee become dead when mixed with the hoarded waters of the Dead Sea.  Life cannot be sustained if held onto:  It must be given freely.”

“So an offended Christian is one who takes in life, but because of fear cannot release life.  As a result, even the life that does come in becomes stagnant within the wall or prison of offense.  The New Testament describes these walls as strongholds.”

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”  (2 Cor 10:4-5)

We must pray and help these “offended” Christians release the flow of life through them if we want to see our churches Alive with God.

Ever find yourself in a situation like these?

I spilled spot remover on my dog.  He’s gone now.

I bought some powdered water, but I don’t know what to add.

I put instant coffee in a microwave oven and almost went back in time.

It doesn’t matter what temperature the room is; it’s always room-temperature.

If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the precipitate.

It’s a small world, but I wouldn’t want to have to paint it.

You can’t have everything…where would you put it?

I went to a restaurant that serves “breakfast at any time” So I ordered French toast during the Renaissance.

Right now I’m having amnesia and deja vu at the same time. I think I’ve forgotten this before.

I went to a general store. They wouldn’t let me buy anything specific.

I went down the street to the 24-hour grocery. When I got there, the guy was locking the front door. I said, “Hey, the sign says you’re open 24 hours” He said, “Yes, but not in a row”

Well, I trust that you are receiving all of God’s Blessings 24 hours in a row.

BE BLESED!!!!

Don Milner

“That is the way it is for us who follow in His steps.  Beyond denying self and crucifying the flesh awaits RESURRECTION LIFE.  Beyond the sufferings of the flesh is the glory of God!  “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” [Emp. added] (Romans 8:18)”

“God’s glory will be revealed in the Church prior to His return.  The magnitude of it will be so great that it will draw cities and nations to His salvation.  Never before has the earth seen such a demonstration of His power as will be manifested in the ones who have allowed God to purify them.  This revival, which will lead into the great harvest, will need no promotion by man.  It will be promoted by His power and glory!

May we all be in that place of Revival and Renewal.

Now a smile or two.

REAL STORIES OF THE NON-TECHNICALLY INCLINED

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

1st Person:  “Do you know anything about this fax-machine?”

2nd Person:  “A little.  What’s wrong?”

1st Person:  “Well, I sent a fax, and the recipient called back to say all she received was a cover-sheet and a blank page.  I tried it again, and the same thing happened.”

2nd Person:  “How did you load the sheet?”

1st Person:  “It’s a pretty sensitive memo, and I didn’t want anyone else  to read it by accident, so I folded it so only the recipient could open it and read it.”

I recently saw a distraught young lady weeping beside her car. “Do  you need some help?” I asked.  She replied, “I knew I should have  replaced the battery in this  remote door unlocker.  Now I can’t get into my car.  Do you  think they (pointing to a distant convenience store) would  have a battery for this?”

“Hmmm, I dunno.  Do you have an alarm, too?” I asked.  “No, just  this remote’thingy,’”she answered, handing it and the car keys to me.  As  I took the key and manually unlocked the door, I replied, “Why don’t you  drive over there and check about the batteries…it’s a long walk.”

Tech Support:  “What does the screen say now.”

Person:            “It says, ‘Hit ENTER when ready’.”

Tech Support:  “Well?”

Person:            “How do I know when it’s ready?”

My friend called his car insurance company to tell them to change  his address from Texas to Vermont.  The woman who took the call asked where Vermont was.  As he tried to explain, she interrupted and said,  “Look, I’m not stupid or anything, but what state is it in?”

Several years ago we had an intern who was none too swift. One day  he was typing and  turned to a secretary and said, “I’m almost out of typing  paper.

What do I do?”  “Just use copier machine paper,” she told him. With that, the intern took his last remaining blank piece of paper, put it on the  photocopier and proceeded to make five blank copies.

I was working the help desk.  One day one of the computer operators  called me and asked if anything “bad” would happen if she dropped coins into  the openings of  her PC.  I asked her if this was something she was  thinking of doing. She  said, “never mind” and hung up. So I got out my trusty  tool kit and paid her a visit.  I opened her CPU  case and sure enough, there was 40 cents.

One of our servers crashed.  I was watching our new system  administrator

trying to restore it.  He inserted a CD and needed to type a path  name to a directory named “i386.” He started to type it and paused, asking me,  “Where’s the key for that line thing?”  I asked what he was talking about,  and he said, “You know, that one that looks like an upside-down exclamation  mark.”

I replied, “You mean the letter “i”?” and  he said, “Yeah, that’s it!”

This person had a broken lamp which he wanted to discard.  Unfortunately, the power cord ran under his refrigerator, making it impossible to  move the lamp while the cord was attached.  He decided to cut the cord, since  the lamp was unusable anyway.  He didn’t remember to unplug it first. I found  him in the hallway rolling back and forth.

I was in a car dealership a while ago when a large motor home was  towed into the garage. The front of the vehicle was in dire need of repair  and the whole thing generally looked like an extra in “Twister.”  I asked the  manager what had happened.  He told me that the driver had set the cruise  control, then went in back to make a sandwich.

I called a company and asked to speak to Bob.  The person who  answered said, “Bob is on vacation.  Would you like to hold?”

Don’t worry, I won’t keep you on hold any longer.  HAVE A BLESSED DAY!!

Don Milner.

“For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.”   Col 2:9-10

We were never designed by god to function independently of Him. God created Adam and Eve spiritually alive; their souls were in union with Him. Only in this way could not fulfill the purpose for which they were created.

Wherever I am in my process of maturity, if I am not operating by the power of the Holy Spirit, I can accomplish nothing. I am complete only in Christ.

God’s gracious provision and offer to all Christians is that they might have a full assurance that they are, RIGHT NOW, complete in Christ.

DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER, I thank You for Your love and for making me aware that I was incomplete without You. I thank You that I am now complete in Christ. I choose to no longer seek my purpose in life in any way independent of You. I put no confidence in the flesh. I now declare my dependence upon You and seek to fulfill my purpose by asking You to fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I renounce every occasion when I have sought power or fulfillment from any source other than You. I choose to be strong in You, Lord, and in the strength of Your might. In Jesus’ precious name I pray. AMEN.

Neil T. Anderson. Living Free in Christ (p. 95-100). Kindle Edition.

Laugh of the Day:

The coast guard recently stopped a boat off the California coast that was loaded with marijuana. There was so much of the stuff that they were in a quandary as to how to dispose of it. Finally they located a company on the nearby shore that had a huge kiln with a tall chimney rising high into the sky and they made a deal with the owners to burn the hemp. For a time all went well, but suddenly a flock of birds flew right through the smoke pouring out of the top of the stack. As it turned out, these were terns that were native to the area and were endangered. So naturally, the environmentalists had to follow them to see what had happened.  And of course, they discovered that NO TERN WAS LEFT UNSTONED.

If you’re having one of those days where everything seems to go wrong, this is a true story that should help put everything in perspective.

Seems a couple got a brand new, top of the line, Jeep Grand Cherokee  last December and drove it to visit relatives in Michigan.  The guys decided to do that male bonding ritual of duck hunting.  So they load  up the Grand Cherokee with decoys, food, beer, guns, warm clothes, dog (Labrador Retriever) etc. and head off for the lake.

Now it’s a little known fact that when duck hunting in cold climates  like that, it’s common to drive the truck out onto the ice.  It’s  also a little known fact that, to break a hole in the ice for the  decoys (and a place for the ducks to land),  a stick of dynamite is  commonly used.  (We are talking Michigan.)

Now this particular stick of dynamite had a short fuse, estimated at  20 seconds or so.  Normally you put the dynamite on the ice, light  the fuse, and run away.  But with only 20 seconds they didn’t want to do that, because they might slip while running.  So one guy lights  the fuse and throws the stick of dynamite out onto the ice.  So far,  so good.

Next thing you know, however, their well-trained Labrador Retriever  decides this must be another game of  “fetch the stick.”  He dashes out onto the ice and, just as he’s done many times before, picks up the stick in his mouth (not understanding that this time it’s lit  dynamite), and starts running back to the group of guys.

The guys start yelling at the dog but, as he’s played fetch so many  times before, he just keeps bringing the stick back to his master.  One of the guys thinks fast, loads his shotgun, and shoots at the  dog.

Since the gun is loaded with bird shot the dog isn’t hurt much, but he is confused.  The guy shoots again.  The dog gets scared, looks for a safe hiding place, and runs, stick in his mouth, under the new Grand Cherokee.

The Jeep is now at the bottom of the lake.  The insurance company  won’t pay up because it was destroyed due to an illegal use of explosives.

The first payment of $475 was due December 15. Only 59 more to go…

QUESTION:   Do you feel sorry for anyone but the dog?

Be BLESSED on this Friday when it’s too hot to go Ice Fishing.

Don Milner

“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13-14

In my early years of ministry, I had no idea how evil and utterly black is the domain of darkness  Because I was blessed with good parents and a rich country heritage, I was not subjected to the incredible evil I now confront almost daily.

The historical and orthodox teaching of the Church is that God paid a ransom price, the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ at the cross, to buy sinners from the slave market of sin (see 1 Peter 1:18-19)

When spiritually imprisoned people are set free, they become zealous for good works.

Suppose you were a prostitute, and the king had declared that all prostitutes were forgiven. You saw the decree and the seal on it. That would be great news wouldn’t it? You probably would rejoice, but would that news alone change your perspective of yourself? You would probably still perceive yourself as a prostitute. Would it change your behavior? Possibly not. You would just not have to sneak around and practice your trade in secret anymore. But what if the king’s decree said that you were not only forgiven, but that the king had made you his bride? If you had become the queen, would that change your perspective of yourself? Would it change your behavior? Of course it would! Why in the world would you live like a prostitute if you were the queen?

DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER, thank You for rescuing me from the domain of darkness. Because of Your great grace, I announce that I am no longer a child of darkness but a child of light, and I choose to walk in the light and ask that You would enable me to do so. I renounce the lie that I am just a product of my past, and I announce the truth that I am a product of Christ’s work on the cross. I ask You to reveal to me anything in my life that would keep me in bondage to my past or to the lies of Satan. I ask for the grace to renounce all former activities of darkness and the lies of Satan. I now commit myself to You for all eternity. In Jesus’ precious name and through His shed blood I pray. AMEN.

Neil T. Anderson. Living Free in Christ (pp. 89-93). Kindle Edition.

   Don’t you love the modern convenience of those digital answering machines?  You can leave a message without spending 30 minutes finding out everything about the other person.  I especially like the creative ones like those below:

 ”Hi. I am probably home. I’m just avoiding someone I don’t like. Leave me a message, and if I don’t call back, it’s you.”

 ”Hi, this is George. I’m sorry I can’t answer the phone right now. Leave a message, and then wait by your phone until I call you back.”

 ”If you are a burglar, then we’re probably at home cleaning our weapons right now and can’t come to the phone. Otherwise, we probably aren’t home and it’s safe to leave us a message..”

 ”You’re growing tired. Your eyelids are getting heavy. You feel very sleepy now. You are gradually losing your willpower and your ability to resist suggestions. When you hear the tone you will feel helplessly compelled to leave your name,

number, and a message.”

 ”You have reached the CPX-2000 Voice Blackmail System. Your voice patterns are now being digitally encoded and stored for later use. Once this is done, our computers will be able to use the sound of YOUR voice for literally thousands of illegal and immoral purposes. There is no charge for this initial consultation. However our staff of professional extortionists will contact you in the near future to further explain the benefits of our service, and to arrange for your schedule of payment. Remember to speak clearly at the sound of the tone. Thank you.”

 ”Hi. Now you say something.”

 ”Hi! John’s answering machine is broken. This is his refrigerator. Please speak very slowly, and I’ll stick your message to myself with one of these magnets.”

 ”Hello, this is Sally’s microwave. Her answering machine just eloped  with her tape deck, so I’m stuck with taking her calls. Say, if you want anything cooked while you leave your message, just hold it up to the phone.”

 ”Hello, you are talking to a machine. I am capable of receiving messages. My owners do not need siding, windows, or a hot tub, and their carpets are clean. They give to charity through the office and don’t need their picture taken. If you’re

still with me, leave your name and number and they will get back to you.”

 ”This is not an answering machine – this is a telepathic thought-recording device. After the tone, think about your name, your reason for calling, and a number where I can reach you, and I’ll think about returning your call.”

(in a bored, deep voice) “Heaven, God speaking….”

 ”Greetings, you have reached the Sixth Sense Detective Agency. We know who you are and what you want, so at the sound of the tone, please hang up

  My sixth sense says you’ve had enough of this today, so just be Blessed !

Don Milner

“He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” Eph 2:`7-18

There is only one way to approach God – through Jesus Christ (John 14:6) Jesus is the door, He is the access through which we have the right to come to the throne of Grace.

I would not want to approach God on any other basis that through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

By what right do we approach the throne of God? Through the shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and by His grace alone. Because of Jesus, our Great High Priest, we have confidence to enter the most holy place. We stand there in His righteousness. The writer of Hebrews says, “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith . . . Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (Heb 10:22-23). On the basis of Christ’s finished work on the cross for us, we can pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, You are the holy and sovereign Lord of the universe, and I acknowledge Your authority. I come before Your presence by way of the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. I acknowledge that I have no other right to be in Your presence. I honor You as the Lord of my life, place my trust in You and commit myself to obey You. Because of Your love, I no longer fear punishment. Instead, I seek Your presence as the only place of safety and security. I renounce the lies of Satan that You do not love me or that I don’t have any right to be in Your presence. So I come to You in freedom and in confidence with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith. In Jesus’ precious name I pray. Amen

From God’s Little Instruction Book.

“The Bridge you burn now may be the one you later have to cross.”

“If possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”    Rom 12:18

An American and a Japanese were sitting on the plane on the way to LA when the American turned to the Japanese and asked :”What kind of -ese are you?”

The Japanese confused,replied,”Sorry but I don’t understand what you mean.”

The American repeated,”What kind of -ese are you?”

Again,the Japanese was onfused over the question. The American,now irritated,then yell “What kind of -ese are you…Are you a Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, etc……”The Japanese then replied, Oh, I am a Japanese.”

A while later the Japanese turned to the American and asked what kind of ‘-key’ was he.

The American, frustrated, yelled,”What do you mean what kind of ‘-key’ am I? ”

The Japanese said, “Are you a monkey, donkey or a Yankee?”

A little girl says, “Grandpa, can I sit on your lap?

“Why sure you can,” her grandfather replied.

As she is sitting on grand dad’s lap she says, “Grandpa, can you make a sound like a frog?”

“A sound like a frog?  Well, sure Grandpa can make a sound like a frog.”

The girl says, “Grandpa, will you please please MAKE a sound like a frog?”

Perplexed, her grand dad says, “Sweet heart, why do you want me to make a sound like a frog?”

And the little girl says, “‘Cause Grandma said that when you croak, we’re going to Florida!”

Don’t croak today………. just be Blessed…….

Don Milner

“To the Saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus.”  Eph 1:1

If I walked into any church in America and asked how many perceive themselves as a sinner saved by grace, almost everyone would raise their hands. But if I asked how many perceive themselves as saints, few, if any would raise their hands. My response would be: Which is the most biblically accurate statement of who you are as a Christian? Does the Bible refer to the believer as a sinner or as a saint?

The overwhelming and consistent message of the New Testament is that we are all saints by the grace of God, sanctified because we are in Christ Jesus.

The most overwhelming concept in the early parts of Ephesians is the tremendous inheritance we have in Christ. Forty times in the one book of Ephesians, references are made either you being in Christ or Christ in you.

All that is needed for godly living is ours by divine power, which is inherent in the Christ-life within. The believer’s identity and purpose is in Christ. He becomes a doer of the Word because of who he already is.

Ephesians 5:8 says, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.” The problem is not that we are not saints; it is that we do not live like saints. DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER, I renounce the lie that I am just a sinner. I acknowledge that I am a saint not due to any effort on my part but because of my redemption in Christ. I receive and appropriate my new identity in Christ as a saint and I choose to do so by faith. I ask You to fijj me with Your Holy Spirit and enable me to live out my true identity as a saint so I may not sin. I choose to walk in the light that I may glorify You. I pray this in the wonderful name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. AMEN.

Neil T. Anderson. Living Free in Christ (pp. 67-73). Kindle Edition.

The following is taken from a Florida newspaper:

A man was working on his motorcycle on his patio and his wife was in the house in the kitchen.  The man was racing the engine on the motorcycle and somehow, the motorcycle slipped into gear.  The man, still holding the handlebars, was dragged through a glass patio door and the motorcycle dumped onto the floor inside the house.  The wife, hearing the crash, ran into the dining room, and found her husband laying on the floor, cut and bleeding, the motorcycle laying next to him and the patio door shattered.  The wife ran to the phone and summoned an ambulance.

Because they lived on a fairly large hill, the wife went down the several flights of long steps to the street to direct the paramedics to her husband.  After the ambulance arrived and transported the husband to the hospital, the wife uprighted the motorcycle and pushed it outside.  Seeing that gas had spilled on the floor, the wife obtained some paper towels, blotted up the gasoline, and threw the towels in the toilet.

The husband was treated at the hospital and was released to come home. After arriving home, he looked at the shattered patio door and the damage done to his motorcycle.  He became despondent, went into the bathroom, sat on the toilet and smoked a cigarette.  After finishing the cigarette, he flipped it between his legs into the toilet bowl while still seated.  The wife, who was in the kitchen, heard a loud explosion and her husband screaming.  She ran into the bathroom and found her husband laying on the floor.  His trousers had been blown away and he was suffering burns on the buttocks, the back of his legs and his groin.  The wife again ran to the phone and called for an ambulance.

The same ambulance crew was dispatched and his wife met them at the street.  The paramedics loaded the husband on the stretcher and began carrying him to the street.  While they were going down the stairs to the street accompanied by the wife, one of the paramedics sked the wife how the husband had burned himself.  She told them and the paramedics started laughing so hard, one of them tipped the stretcher and dumped the husband out.  He fell down the remaining steps and broke his ankle.

So, “Is your day as bad as you think?”

Be Blessed Today

Don Milner

“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”  1 Corinthians 12:27

Anybody who regularly relates to people on a deep level knows that they don’t inherently feel good about themselves. We are not born with an innate sense of worth or value.

Who we essentially are is not determined by what we do or the roles we live out in society. It is who we are that determines what we do, and then what we do brings sense of satisfaction and fulfillment.

Our identity or worth is not found in our talents, our intelligence, our beauty or even our spiritual gifts. Out identity comes from knowing who we are as children of God, and out sense of worth grows out of our commitment to become like him.

The only way you are going to live a productive life, feel good about yourself and carry out your calling in life is to discover who you really are. Find out what God has built into you, the talents He has given you. Use those gifts for the glory of God to edify the Body of Christ, and you will be fulfilled. Trying to be something you are not will only lead to failure and frustration.

DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER, I thank You for making me a member of Your Body I renounce tke lie that I have no part to play or no significant contribution to make in the Body of Christ. I accept what You have created in me and the special spiritual gifts that come from You. I commit myself to grow in Your likeness so that my gifts and abilities can be used to edify Your Church. I renounce the lie that my identity and sense of worth is found in my ability to perform. I accept the truth that my identity and worth is found in Christ and will be realized increasingly as I grow in Christ’s likeness. I thank You for being a part of Your family and that I can realize I not only have You as my Father, but I have brothers and sisters in Christ with whom I can share my life. In the wonderful name of Jesus I pray. AMEN.

Neil T. Anderson. Living Free in Christ (p. 64-66). Kindle Edition.

Baseball in the Bible.   A Play by Play account of a Baseball game written by Freddie Russell of the Nashville Banner.  All quotations are from the KJV.

Part 1 of 2

The people gathered (Numbers 11:32)

to see the battle  (1 Sam. 14:28)

and sat down to eat and drink  (Ex. 32:6)

old corn…. and ( Joshua 15:12)

sweet water.  (James 3:11)

Eli sat upon a seat by a post (1 Sam 1:9)

and he stretched himself   (I Kings 17:21)

that he may see good.  (Ps 34:12)

So the people shouted:  (Joshua 6:20)

“Where are the nine?  (Luke 17:17)

Let the young men now arise and play before us.”  (2 Sam 2:14)

The first came out  (Gen 25:25)

and went into the field  (Num 22:23)

and stood every may in his place  (Judg 7:21)

And Peter called  (Mk 14:72)

whether it be good or bad  (Lev 27:12)

As one mocketh, another do.  (Job 13:9)

with loud voices:  (Lk 23:23)

“Thou art blind !” (Rev 3:17)

And he stooped to  (1 Sam 28:4)

make clean… the platter (Lk 11:39)

and the trumpeters sounded:  (2 Chron 29:28)

“Kohath shall pitch.” (Num 3:29)

And Samson went and caught  (Judg 15:4)

David was up (2 Sam 24:11

on the left side (Eze 1:10)

and he struck it into the pan  (1 Sam 2:14)

foul.  (Matt 16:3)

The second was offered:  (Judg 15:4)

he striketh–  (Job 34:26)

he missed ! (1 Sam 20:18)

On the third (Gen 22:4)

he struck him out !  (2 Sam 20:10)

So Levite went in  (judg 17:10)

he stood and measured the earth; he beheld, and drove  (Hab 3:6)

for an homer.  (Hos 3:2)

And all the people shouted with a great shout.  (Ezra 3:11)

And Noah went in  (Gen 7:7)

and did fly   (2 Sam 22:11)

into the field  (Num 22:23)

And Jotham ran away  (Judg 9:21)

and looking back  (Lk 9:62)

gathered it.      (Isa 62:9)

And Aaron went in (Ex 5:1)

and he worketh it  (Isa 44:12)

two and two.  (Gen 7:9)

And Samson said:     (Judg 15:3)

“Strike it!”     (Ex  12:7)

and Aaron spake:  (Ex 4:30)

“A good man would   (Rom 5:7)

be not one of them that strike.”   (Prov 22:26)

And the man refused to smite.      ( 1 Kings 20:35)

And Aaron took,       (Num 16:47)

and he walked,  (1 Kings 15:3)

Amon sacrificed (2 Chron 33:22)

and Aaron ran     (Num 16:47)

into the second,  (Heb 9:7)

and overran !  (2 Sam 18:23)

And with the bag   (Micah 6:11)

afar off–  (Gen 22:4)

a good man out.    (Matt 12:35)

Now Jeremiah came in   (Jer 37:4)

Then he went out.   (Gen 31:33)

being caused to fly,  (Dan 9:21)

And the men of Israel retired.    (Judg 20:39)

Continued Later

As you can see, you can take the Bible and pull words out of context to prove anything….. but you don’t have to pull out of context to discover that you ARE BLESSED……

I Belong to God

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were brought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”   1 Corinthians 6:19-20

The world’s definition of freedom is to do your own thing, to exercise your independence by being a “free agent” morally. God’s definition of true freedom is for us to voluntarily to do His thing, which requires us to be dependent upon Him, the One who brought us with a price, the One to whom we belong.

As one who belongs to God, we have freedom in three ways:

1. 1.    We are free from the law. Gal 5:1
2. 2.    We are free from the past Gal 4:6-8
3. 3.    We can be free from sin

Now that I belong to God I carry a sense of responsibility. When people say, “Well, who does he belong to?” the answer is, “I belong to God.”. It is not a negative thing to be a servant of God. It is a joyful thing to say that I have been bought with a price, and I belong to God.

DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER, I thank You that You have purchased me from the slave market of sin and brought me into Your own kingdom of light. I joyfully announce the fact that I belong to You. I renounce the lie that I am unworthy to be Your child and that You don’t love me. I accept and proclaim the truth that You loved me and died for me while I was still a sinner. I am now alive in Christ, I have been bought with a price, and I belong to You for all eternity. I commit myself and my body to You as a living sacrifice, that I may glorify You. In Jesus’ precious name I pray. AMEN N.

Neil T. Anderson. Living Free in Christ (p. 53-59). Kindle Edition.

Now for the lighter side………

How many Youth Ministers does it take to change a light bulb?

Zero. Most youth ministers aren’t around long enough for the old bulb to burn out.

How many Pentecostals does it take to change a light bulb?

Only one – they always have their hands in the air anyway!!!

How about the Teen side….

Why did God ask Abraham to offer Issac as a sacrifice when he was 12 years old?

If he had waited until he was a teenager.. it wouldn’t have been a sacrifice !!

Dad: “Son don’t you know what happens to you when you break one of the ten commandments?”

Son: “Sure. You have nine left.”

About the Ten Commandments….

One man after reading the 10 commandments sighed: “Well at least I never made any graven images.”

One time a proud Bostonian was talking about how he was going to go to Mt. Sinai and stand where Moses received the Ten Commandments.

Mark Twain interupted him and said: “Why don’t you just stay in Boston and keep them?

About all other things….

A man sat between a Rabbi and a Protestant minister at a banquet.  He said “I feel like I am between the Old and the New Testament.”

The Rabbi replied, “That page is usually blank.”

A preacher had himself cloned so that he might reach more lost souls for the Lord.  His clone looked like him, but did not act like him.. The clone was a bad person, cursing at every breath, staying out all night bar hoping, etc.  The preacher knew he must get rid of this clone before he completely ruined his reputation.  The preacher invited the clone to a wild party on the 9th floor of a hotel, and while the clone was drunk, the preacher pushed him out of a window.     When the preacher was arrested for murder, he argued that he had not committed murder, he had only made “an obscene clone fall.”

Dear God, so far today, I’ve done all right.

I haven’t gossiped, and I haven’t lost my temper.

I haven’t been grumpy, nasty or selfish, and

I’m really glad of that !

But in a few minutes, God, I’m going to get our of bed, and from then on, I’m probably going to need a lot of help……

Be Blessed Today

Pastor Don

A friend is someone who takes you into his confidence. It’s a reciprocal relationship. At

A friend is also someone who loves you, who has your best interests at heart, who stands by you in your lowest moments and sacrifices himself to meet your need.

In Christ, you have the best friend you could ever have. Many may desert you during times of trouble, but Jesus invites you to draw near to Him.

Another proof that Jesus is the ultimate friend is that He purposely gave Himself for us. He sacrificed Himself to meet our greatest need.

DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER, what a privilege to call You Father, and how thankful I am that You have chosen me to be Your friend. I renounce the lie that I am not worthy to be Your friend, because You have made me worthy. I renounce the lie that everybody is Your friend except me. And I announce the truth that I, too, am Your friend, because You have chosen me. From this day forward, I want to express my love toward You by being open and honest about myself to You and by loving and being real with the brethren. Thank You for the privilege, thank You for the calling, thank You for choosing me. In Jesus’ precious name I pray. AMEN.

Neil T. Anderson. Living Free in Christ (p. 32,34, 37). Kindle Edition.

Now for those things that I know you all have been wondering about.

Why isn’t there mouse-flavored cat food?

Is it possible to be totally partial?

What’s another word for thesaurus?

Would a fly without wings be called a walk?

Why do people who know the least know it the loudest?

If a turtle doesn’t have a shell, is he homeless or naked?

  I don’t know about the last one, but if he does have a shell, I know HE IS BLESSED!!!

John 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God– 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

The most important belief about ourselves is that we are children of God and that being His child is a right given to us by God Himself.

My relationship with my dad was born out of natural descent, based on the human decision of my parents. Years later, I was privileged to enter a new relationship, to be born of God. The decision to enter into that relationship was not of my mother, nor of my father. The only one who had a volitional choice was me. I alone could choose to believe and receive Christ.

If I thought it was my obedience that determined whether or not I would stay related to God, I would be subjecting myself again to legalism. And if I did, I would logically conclude that I was related to God by my obedience, so if I disobeyed I would lose my relationship with Him. But that’s not true; we are saved by grace, through faith, not by works.

DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER, thank You for dying on the cross, taking my place and taking my sin upon Yourself I realize that I could not have any relationship with You on the basis of my works. But I thank You that in Christ I am forgiven, and right now, if I have never done so before, I receive You into my life. I believe that Jesus died for my sin, was raised on the third day, and I confess now with my mouth that Jesus is Lord. I come to You as Your child. I thank You for giving me eternal life. I renounce any lie of Satan that I have no right to be called Your child, and I thank You that You have given me that right. I no longer put any confidence in myself my confidence is in You and the fact that I am saved, not by what I have done, but by what You have done through Christ on the cross. I now accept myself as a child of God because of the free gift You have given to me. I gladly receive it and accept it for all eternity. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen

Neil T. Anderson. Living Free in Christ (p. 25, 26,27, 29). Kindle Edition.

Are these people blond?

I just got skylights put in my place.  The people who live above me are furious.

I played a blank tape on full volume.  The mime who lives next door complained.

Instead of talking to your plants, if you yelled at them, would they still grow?  Only to be troubled and insecure?

Is there another word for synonym?

Where do forest rangers go to “get away from it all”?

Be Blessed today.

Don Milner