Arise and SHine God Says It's TIME

Arise , Shine God Says It Is Time!!!




Faith Filled Thoughts
April 28th 2010
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Arise , Shine God Says It Is Time!!!



Scripture: Isaiah 60:1 "Arise, shine; for your light is come,

and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you."




God encourages us to rise to a new life.

The Amplified Bible reads, "Arise from the depression ... in which circumstances have kept you." We all face disappointments in life, either through circumstances or in our relationships. When we do not deal with those disappointments, we become discouraged.

Then as we give in to discouragement, depression follows.Depression is like being in a dark room. In the natural, if you find yourself in darkness,

you must make an effort to get up and turn the light on.

When you turn the light on, you do not have to battle

with the darkness any more. The light itself dispels the darkness.

Likewise, when your inner man is in a dark room

of depression, you must do the same thing.

God is there with the light of His Word,

but you must arise and allow that light to

illuminate your spirit and renew your faith.




In this upcoming New Year this is a good

resolution to make for yourselves.

Someone out there has been living in darkness for far too long.

He is placing His hand upon your head right now, Can you feel it?


Verse two says that as you arise,

"His glory shall be seen upon you."

It is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit

as He draws you out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom

of light.King David faced this darkness when his city

was burned and his possessions and family were taken captive.

If that wasn't hard enough,

his own men blamed him for the loss and wanted to stone him

I Samuel 30:4 says that David cried until he couldn't cry any more,

but then he began to encourage himself in the Lord his God.

He arose and began to allow the light of God

to shine in his darkness.

As he did, new plans developed.

He pursued the enemy and took back what the enemy had stolen.

He could have sat there forever in depression

and defeat and never regained what belonged to him.

The choice was his.

I Peter 5:8 tells us that the devil

goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.


You are in his path, but you are to give him no place in your heart.

You must encourage yourself in the Lord as David did.

From the beginning, you must refuse to allow disappointment

to lodge in your heart and take root until it turns into discouragement.

Learn to trust God's word which says,

"All things work together for good to

those that love God and are called according to His purpose."




Arise, shine, and allow God's light to supernaturally dispel the darkness.

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Does Your Little Light Shine?

Faith Filled Thoughts
April 23rd 2010
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Does Your Little Light Shine?

What does the Bible say about light?
Below, I have given some of what I believe
to be the most important uses of this word in scripture.

The first specific creative
act of God, in Genesis 1 is the creation of light.

God's first creative act was the creation of light.
It is also possible that the earth was already present
when God created light,
because Genesis 1:1-2 describe the creation of the earth first.
James 1:17 describes God as the "Father of lights."

After the flood, God promised
never to destroy the earth again by a flood,
and He chose a rainbow, a phenomenon caused
by light passing through water, to signify this.

During the Exodus,
God showed Himself to the Israelites
(at night, at least) as a light-giving pillar of fire,
light enough to travel by.

In Exodus 25, and elsewhere,
the Israelites were commanded
to prepare light in the Tabernacle,
as part of their worship of God.

In 2 Samuel 22, David said:
"For you are my lamp, O Lord,
and my God lightens my darkness." (verse 29)

Perhaps this is the first time that God's presence
and communication with humans is compared to light.
In Psalm 27:1, first part, David wrote that
"The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?"

Job refers to the day when he was born,
and wishes that it had never happened
(chapter 3) saying that he wishes it had been condemned to darkness.
Darkness and evil, and light and good, are often linked, in the Bible.

Psalm 119:105 says
"Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path,"
comparing God's word to light.

1 John 1 is one of the places in the New Testament
where God's revelation to humans is compared to light.

In Isaiah 9, Isaiah,
apparently speaking of the coming of the Messiah,
compares this event to the appearance of a great light.
(This passage is quoted in Matthew 4:12-16.)

Jesus, in Matthew 5:14-16,
compares the God-honoring life of his followers to light.

In John 1:1-13,
the revelation of God in Christ Jesus is compared to light.
John 3:16-21
says that that revelation of light has brought judgment.

In John 8:12,
Jesus describes Himself as the light of the world.

1 Timothy 6:11-16
says that Jesus "dwells in unapproachable light. . ."

As the first chapter in the Bible refers to light,
so does the last,
Revelation 22:1-5,
which says that the only light necessary in heaven is God, Himself.

I believe that God has been well aware of the importance of light,
and has used it as a symbol of Himself,
throughout the time of His interaction with humans.

So Lord, until I see You..
This Little Light Of Mine I’m Gonna Let It Shine!!

And Lord I truly believe that there is goodness
In everyone…it’s just a place where the Sun
Hasn’t shined yet, so take me there with your light.
I want to help them see you
SHINE!!



May He Bless You and Keep You Today!
With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Pastor Connie
Please click below to see something Jesus left for your Spirit!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFBUgPNcCcE&feature=related

Are You Hurting Let Me Help You!

Faith Filled Thoughts
April 22st 2010
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Are You Hurting Let Me Help You!

Psalm 145:17
The LORD is just in all His ways,
and kind in all His doings.
Listen to the Music That Jesus Left For You at the end…..

Today I write from personnel experience, that many of us have felt from time to time.
Hurt is a inner feeling that can crush a person’s Spirit so much,
that we begin to see ourselves not trusting anyone or anything.
Is this where you are at?
A hazard of the boxing ring is the distinct possibility of getting physically hurt.
Every boxer, professional or amateur, knows the risk of, for instance,
a broken nose, a cut eyebrow,
being winded by a body punch or even being knocked out cold,
risking long-term brain damage.
This kind of life in general though is also the distinct possibility
of getting hurt in some way.
Here, I am not referring to something as unsubtle as a black eye,
but to the more insidious pain of inner hurt,
and that crushing feeling of inward offence.
To be human is to be sensitive.
Being on the receiving end of a deliberate or accidental offence
and consequently feeling hurt inside so powerful
that it can be a great problem for us all at some time.
What do we do at such times?
Does the Bible—God's Word—address this issue?
Yes it does.
Consider the following:
First of all, it is not wrong for us to feel hurt.
Mark 3.5 describes an occasion when the Lord Jesus Himself
looked around at them with anger,
grieved by their hardness of heart.
Then in 2 Timothy 4:14 Paul relates how Alexander

the coppersmith did me great harm...
We are only human and we are part of a fallen world.
It is unrealistic not to expect it at some time.
Though are we meant to react?
The Bible teaches non-retaliation.
By this it warns us not to add fuel to the fire
and make a bad situation worse.
Jesus said in
Matthew 5:39

But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil.
But if any one strikes you on the right cheek,

turn to him the other also.

Paul wrote in Romans 12:17 and 19:
Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought

for what is noble in the sight of all...
Beloved, never avenge yourselves

but leave it to the wrath of God,
for it is written 'Vengeance is mine,
I will repay, says the Lord.
I don’t know about you , but there are times in the
Old me before I became a Christian
I wanted to knock their socks off!!
But the Christian Faith is not natural—it is a supernatural Faith.
God's Holy Spirit, living within us,
enables us to live and empowers us to live, think, act and not act,
in a way and manner altogether differently from the normal.
Call upon Me in the day of trouble (Psalm 50:15).
Cast your burden on the LORD and He will sustain you (Psalm 55:22).
Even our pain then will turn out ultimately for our blessing,
Romans 8:28 says that without exception
We know that in everything God works for good with those who love Him
, who are called according to His purpose.
We Hold Many internal scars we carry them, and we can feed them.
But then they will never go away.
Do Not Let Our offences smother us,
so that they steal our Joy, Happiness, and Peace
Paul Said it Beautifully
Ephesians 4:32:
Be kind to one another, tender hearted
, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

I feel Your Hurt Today and Send My Love to You
Also A great Big Hug To Comfort You.


May He Bless You and Keep You Today!
With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Pastor Connie
Please click below to see something Jesus left for your Spirit!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3e1VhGGp9s

God Calls For Respect In Everything We Do

Faith Filled Thoughts
April 21st 2010
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God Calls For Respect In Everything We Do

Proverbs 22:6
“Train a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not turn from it.”

Perhaps we have all encountered a situation
such as I experienced a few days ago.
As I pulled into the parking lot of a super market,
I noticed an empty space across from where I had parked.
I noticed a car pause near the space, then drive on.
I walked over and sure enough, there was a shopping cart
that some thoughtless person had left in the middle
of the parking space instead of returning it

to the cart storage area a few steps away.
(I returned it clear into the store).

My mind began to reflect upon this

and other types of inconsiderate behavior
that seems to be the norm of our modern life.
Someone recently sent a u-tube video of a

wonderful rendition of our national anthem.
I was enjoying the remarkable talent
when I happened to observe the players lined up on the edge
of the playing surface.
They slouched, talked and never paid honor.
It was distressing!

What is the reason for this breakdown in respect and appropriate behavior?
I think the answer is to be found in today’s Scripture.
Parents have delegated their God given responsibility for training
their children to the church, school or just not caring enough
to take the time to train their children in the way they should go.

So what can we do?
If we have children, train them Biblical patterns of behavior.
Try as best as you can to develop godly character qualities.
If you do not have children of your own,
pray for God to show you kids that need you.
Then share from your heart the things that God shows you.



May He Bless You and Keep You Today!
With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Pastor Connie
Please click below to see something Jesus left for your Spirit!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyXx6mjSCwU

Bearing Good Fruit

Faith Filled Thoughts
April 13th 2010
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Bearing Good Fruit

John 15:16
“You did not choose Me,
but I chose you and appointed you to go
and bear fruit—fruit that will last.
Then the Father will give you
whatever you ask in My name.”

Orchards are interesting places.
Almost always the limbs of the trees are gnarled and twisted.
During the winter months some trees look more dead than alive.
A walk through the orchard in winter is a stark contrast with summer.
During the dormant period an expert orchardist
appears with what seems to be instruments of torture: saws, clippers and shears.
As the expert passes through the orchard,
limbs are sheared off and taken away to be burned.
The scene of carnage does not seem to be healthy for the fruit trees.
Oh But it is!
It is this constant pruning that stimulates new growth
and to produce more fruit and better fruit.
Our Christian life works very much the same.
Sometimes when we are going through the dormant periods of our life,
our wonderful skillful Master Orchardist (Jesus)
appears in our life to lop off those branches
that prevent us from bearing the fruit He desires.
Oh Yes Pruning hurts!
There is no other way to look at it.
When we experience painful surgery in our life it is never easy.
but it will produce the most delightful fruits.
Those around us that we witness to say, hey look at the beautiful Apple.
Come On Start Your Pruning Today!
And Be the Apple Of His Eye
The Lord has never promised us a life of comfort and ease,
but He has promised to make us fruitful when we follow Him.
We are called us to produce good fruit in His orchard.


May He Bless You and Keep You Today!
With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Please click below to see something Jesus left for your Spirit!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_EFS5i39l8

There Is No Such Thing As Coincidence

Faith Filled Thoughts
April 12th 2010
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There Is No Such Thing As Coincidence

.” Hebrews 13:1-3
“Keep on loving each other as brothers.
Do not forget to entertain strangers,
for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.
Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners,
and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering

How would you act if an angel came to your door?
How about an itinerant preacher you encounter on the street?
It may be a clerk, policeman, meter reader, repairman
as a matter of fact it could be anyone.
Would you be able to discern if any or all of these may be angels?

In Scripture we read that from time to time angels appear to humans.
There have been reports in our modern era of encounters with angelic beings.
Personally I have had some experience in this,
and I believe it is safe to say that most of you
have never had one either, or do not know you had one, or blew it off as coincidence.
There is no such thing as Coincidence.
God knows each day we have and harkens his angels down
To protect us.

In Genesis chapter 18, we read that Abraham was visited by three men.
As it turns out, two of the men were angels and the third was Jesus Himself.
It was one of the rare instances where Jesus
visited the earth in human form prior to His birth in Bethlehem.

Abraham’s reaction to the visitors was to leap to his feet and greet them.
He opened his heart and home to them and insured that they received nourishment.
Hospitality was shown before he became aware of who they were.
In giving them water and food he entertained angels
(and the Lord) unawares.
That is what today’s Scripture from Hebrews 13 says we may experience.

The bottom line is that we are called to be the friendliest
and most gracious people on the face of the earth.
People should see Jesus in the way we reach out
and make people feel welcome.
There are scores of lonely people who are starving for hospitality.
Are you and I willing to open our hearts to them?
Remember ― it may be an angel calling!


May He Bless You and Keep You Today!
With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Please click below to see something Jesus left for your Spirit!:
Unbelievable
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5t19KWmx8U

Take Up My Yoke And Be REFRESHED!”

Faith Filled Thoughts
April 9th 2010
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Take Up My Yoke And Be REFRESHED!”
For Daddy

Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me
, for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Do you ever feel so tired that you can hardly take another step?
There have been times in my life that I experienced these feelings.
As a young person I was taking a full college load
and working 48 hours a week as a waitress.
It makes me tired just to recall those days.
I averaged about 5 hours of sleep each day.
These days, I find it difficult to jump out of bed and place my feet upon the floor
At age 52.
Believe me young ones! At this age it feels like you need oiled
Just to get to the bathroom.
As I retired, I felt at last I could rest and enjoy painting and teaching
God’s Word.
I could hardly believe that the Lord would ask me to do more
than I was already doing, but in obedience
I volunteered to help take care of a lonely elderly women.

I cannot really explain the feeling, but the one thing I know
is that I suddenly felt more energy and strength than I had felt before.
The few hours of sleep I received refreshed me more than they had before,
and I was able to make a difference in many lonely lives in the nursing home,
that needed to hear about Jesus.
In coming obediently to the Lord I received renewed strength.

Humanly speaking, it does not make sense to take more responsibility
when I was so tired, but the Scripture is so very plain.
Those who are at ease are ignored.
It is the weary and burdened believers that Jesus invites to take on His Yoke.
If you feel that your load is crushing you down,
take His Yoke and you will feel His refreshing touch in your life.

Blessings dear hearts.
Draw near to God today,
trust Him completely and be a blessing!


May He Bless You and Keep You Today!
With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Please click below to see something Jesus left for your Spirit!:
Unbelievable
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31D2g7t5Bjs&feature=related

Grassroots sweeping the nation

Faith Filled Thoughts
April 8th 2010
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The Grassroots sweeping the nation
In Prayer

Psalm 50:15
“And call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you will honor me”

There’s a deep wave of grassroots giving back sweeping the country.
A surge of people across all age groups is volunteering like never before.
But giving back doesn’t mean that you don’t get anything in return.
Helping others reach us for a new day rejuvenates us in ways
that another margarita-soaked vacation, more stuff, a fatter resume,
or a supersized house can’t begin to.
We want to feel useful.
We want to find meaning.
We want to feel this alive and on fire with possibility.
Here are some ways serving others can serve you
from finding your true calling to improving your health
to boosting your overall sense of joy.
One of the greatest things any of us can do in life is reach out
and do a good deed for another human being.
Whether it means offering your love and compassion,
or making a charitable donation of time,
energy or money, there are many ways
to bring sunshine into the lives of others.
Prayer can be rich when it's simple and spontaneous.
In fact, we can pray anywhere, at any time.
It doesn't require lofty language in a sacred space.
All we need to do is see our ordinary moments
as the perfect occasions for communicating with God,
then speak from our heart.
A Prayer for Resting in God's Love
Father God, I come into your presence so aware of my human frailty
and yet overwhelmed by your love for me.
I thank you that there is no human experience
that I might walk through where your love cannot reach me.
If I climb the highest mountain you are there
and yet if I find myself in the darkest valley of my life,
you are there.
Teach me today to love you more.
Help me to rest in that love that asks nothing more
than the simple trusting heart of a child.
In Jesus name,
Amen


May He Bless You and Keep You Today!
With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Pastor Connie
Please click below to see something Jesus left for your Spirit!:
Unbelievable
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyXx6mjSCwU

Is Grace Enough?

Faith Filled Thoughts
April 7th 2010
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Proverbs 4:18
“The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,

shining ever brighter till the full light of day”


Is Grace Enough?

How do we understand, how do we experience grace today?
I often
think of it in terms of a statement I once heard:
"You are accepted."
You and I are accepted,
fully and totally accepted by God, now,
always, without condition, without deserving,
without question.

To be accepted in this way means to be cherished,
to be loved, to be
guarded from ultimate evil.
It means that who we basically are is
valued, honored and respected.
It means that we don't have to earn
or deserve such care;
it is simply there for us, ours as a gift
outright.
The grace of God is given to us at God's initiative. It
is an expression of God's love for us,
of God's desire, of God's
unconditional acceptance, an expression of the very nature of God's
being.

In many of our communities,
even acknowledging brokenness is not welcome or safe.
To expose vulnerability is to invite judgment, risk shame,
or fear standing out as "the only one." If the truth be known,
I too am sometimes reluctant.

Our fears that no repair is possible are real.
Some brokenness can literally destroy us; any residency has its limits.
For some, counseling is one of the few places where their fractures are felt,
where their brokenness is bared.

At such times, I recall that often the difference between suffering
which destroys us and suffering which transforms us begins
with the presence of a caring, thoughtful other who is willing
to acknowledge that brokenness with us.

I can say at this very moment, there are many right now harboring anger.
Anger against a friend , a neighbor, a stranger, and even a family member.
I recently had the pleasure of watching a movie, which I seldom do called,
Amish Grace.
I was astounded at how an Amish community could hold such high esteem
for forgiveness.
In one part of the movie, the explanation of grace came up.
The explanation to me was so profound,
I felt God strongly wanted me to share this with you today.
The Amish believe that if you harbor so much hate and anger in your heart.
There leaves no room for Love.
It begins to eat away all that which made you as Christians in the
Image of Christ himself.
I began to really look at my heart as open doors.
A lot of baggage was stored their… bitterness …hurt…anger..
So on and so forth.
At that very moment, I decided it was time to clean out the closets of my heart.
I wanted enough room for as much Love to come in and overflow.
So I ask You Today?
Come Clean Out Your Closets With Me.. Will You?
And
Please Believe
HIS GRACE IS ENOUGH

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!
With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Pastor Connie
Please click below to see something Jesus left for your Spirit!:
Unbelievable
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtnE_e1LylY

What Does God Say About Promises

Faith Filled Thoughts
April 9th 2010
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What Does God Say About Promises
Numbers 30:2 If a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind
himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to
all that proceeds out of his mouth.
God said, "Abraham!" "Yes?" answered Abraham. "I'm listening." He said,
"Take your dear son Isaac whom you love and go to the land of Moriah.
Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I'll
point out to you." . Abraham told his two young servants, "Stay here with
the donkey. The boy and I are going over there to worship; then we'll come
back to you." Genesis 22:1-5 M
As a mother who gave her son away, this is the passage of the Bible that I
have always claimed as my own. Who else on this earth can better understand
what Abraham was feeling than us? We have been at that place and have chosen
a different life where we then became unable to have children. To this day,
I get emotional thinking about what God asked Abraham to do. I am also awed
by the faith Abraham had to have in order to follow God's direction to the
letter.
Notice what Abraham says to the servants. He says that he and the boy are
going to worship and then we will come back. God had asked him to sacrifice
his one and only son, yet Abraham's faith was so big that he was sure his
son would be returning with him.
When I signed those papers and released my son into the care of another, it
was this passage. I had no promise that I would ever see him again. I had no
idea what the days ahead would hold. I just did it. In the same way, the
Bible says nothing of Abraham's state of mind. We don't hear him
complaining. We don't even see him hesitating. What we see is him snapping
to attention and doing exactly what God has asked of him. God doesn't
intervene until that last possible moment. God wanted to know if Abraham was
really going to follow through. The Bible says '. he reached out his hand
and took the knife to slay his son.' That is when God stopped him, at the
last possible second.
It's interesting that God chooses Abraham instead of Isaac's mother.
Obviously, God is preparing him for a higher calling. As a result of meeting
this challenge with obedience, God promises to make Abraham's descendants as
numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. This is a
promise that God fulfills throughout the rest of the Bible.
Are you willing to trust God no matter what he asks you to do?
Are you willing to follow him despite obstacles and difficulties?
Take a minute and reflect on your relationship with God.
Are You able to Keep the Promises You Make To Others?


May He Bless You and Keep You Today!
With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Please click below to see something Jesus left for your Spirit!:
Unbelievable
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=et-4WksmFkk