THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE

“Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost." (Isaiah 55:1, NASB95) On a hot fall day our high school marching band took part in the Apple Festival in Chilhowie, Virginia.

WHY ARE THE POEPLE OF NAPHTALI,ISSACHUR OR ZEBULON JEALOUS?

Not that we're told.

Why not?

Because they learned an important lesson: Be happy with what you have been given in life!

 

And this is the lesson that these tribes have to teach us. We need to learn to enjoy God's blessings, and stop wishing for something better or different. Remember what Paul tells us? "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (Phil 4:12-13 NIV)

Finally, let's look at the allotment given to the tribe of Dan. They received a large allotment, but the Bible tells us that they couldn't drive out the people in their land: "But the Danites had difficulty taking possession of their territory …" (Josh 19:47a NIV).

But Dan was far too independent to worry about such tiny details. They simply took things into their own hands: "…so they went up and attacked Leshem, took it, put it to the sword and occupied it. They settled in Leshem and named it Dan after their forefather." (Josh 19:47 NIV)

HEDGE OF PROTECTION

;Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around

    all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and

    his possessions have increased in the land.&quot;</i> (Job 1:10 NKJV)<br>



    We always enjoy our vacations on Skidaway Island in Savannah,Ga. On this

    island a small population of deer leisurely roam the neighborhood, eating

    anything they choose along the way . Some homeowners have protected their

    favorite shrubs and flowers with wire or electric fencing which prevent the

    deer from stripping the plant.<br>

    <br>

    On one trip I noticed a bed of roses which was enclosed in a wire fence and

    protected from the deer. In their eating spree, the deer would rob the roses

    of their beauty, sap the life out of them, and basically just consume them.<br>

  
    Satan would like to do that to the Christian. He would enjoy stealing God’s

    beauty from our lives - the splendor of a spirit of giving, loving and

    serving. He would like to devour our lives by filling us with a spirit of

    greed, lust or fear. However, God puts a hedge of protection ( Job 1:10)

    around His children, much as the homeowners protected their roses from the

    onslaught of the deer. He also has taught us how to dress ourselves with His

    armor; but mostly, He has allowed Jesus to shed His precious blood to cover

When Life is Like a Washing Machine

"You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance." (Ps 32:7 NIV)

When Life is Like a Washing Machine. The Heart of the Matter, Part 24 (Praising) It had been a rainy day all the way from Hampton Falls, New Hampshire to Pownal in Vermont. Nevertheless, it didn't stop us from visiting some of the amazing covered bridges in the region.

BECOME A WATCHMAN

There seems to be a presumptuous triumphalism affecting-rather, infecting-the Western church, especially in America. This attitude, based on poor theology and ignorance of history, causes believers either to be unaware of or to deny outright the existing crisis regarding the future of Christianity in the face of jihadist Islam.

Sabbath in the Bible

The last thing that G-d created in the story of creation was the Sabbath, the day of rest. The Sabbath is actually the seventh day of the week; it marks the ending of one week and the beginning of a new one. This is by no means the most important day of the week. The verses tell us that on the seventh day, G-d stopped His creation. This was a day after the male and female were created, as written in Genesis 2:1–3:
“And the heaven and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day G-d finished His work which He had done; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work, which He had done. And G-d blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it;

The Fullness of Times

That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ. —Ephesians 1:10

Our eternal God created time to provide a measuring stick by which mortal men could recognize seasons in Him (Genesis 1:14), and a means by which they could gauge their own mortality.
Right now you have time—your most valuable commodity—but the time is quickly approaching when Jesus Christ will come to announce that time is no more.

Get the mind of Christ and all of its benefits.(PART 2)

The Bible tells us how it is possible to have the mind of Christ in spite of our life history. We are to “be transformed by the renewing of [our] mind[s]” (Rom. 12:2).

One method we can use to renew our minds is to meditate on God’s Word. The psalmist says: “My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times. Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors” (Ps. 119:20,24, NIV). Like the psalmist, we can find joy and knowledge in the Word when we choose to dwell on it.

Get the mind of Christ and all of its benefits.

One of the instructions given to us in the Bible is to have the mind of Christ. We read in Philippians 2:5, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (NKJV). Have you ever wondered how this is possible?

Certainly, we know how important it is.

THE TIME IS NOW

It is imperative that the body of Christ accurately discern the times and seasons we find ourselves in.  As the sons of Issachar, we too, must be aware of not only what God is doing at the moment, but we must be aware of what is looming before us.

THE HOLY SPIRIT BRINGS JOY

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. —Romans 14:17
Joy is not a happiness that comes from outside things—like a pay raise, a new job, vindication, a letter with good news, or receiving a coveted invitation. It is the Spirit's own witness, indeed the person of the Holy Spirit Himself, coming right inside of you that brings joy.

NEED FOR LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE

All of us are born with a need for love and acceptance. God made us this way. Studies show that babies who are held and loved do far better than those who are not. Because of this innate need, many of us spend our lives looking for love—sometimes in all the wrong places. We want to belong, to be part of something or someone. We seek acceptance and a sense of belonging wherever we go.

THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN HERE OR NEAR

"Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons." (Matthew 10:7-8, NLT) Jesus directed the disciples with these words after giving them power (grace) to minister (Matthew 10:1, NLT). They were to declare the kingdom.

AROUND THE WORLD ON 365 DAY ARE YOU COMING OR NOT

Luke 12:35-59 Remember the game "hide and seek"? One child closes his eyes and counts to ten while the other child hides. At the count of ten, the child opens his eyes and begins his search by saying

THE LANGUAGE OF FAITH

True faith originates in our core being. We are not saved by mental awareness, warm emotions, or even

ARE you free or are still on bondage

Saturday, December 25, 2010

ARE YOU FREE OR ARE YOU STILL IN BONDAGE?
“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36 KJV)



The precious blood of Jesus makes us free from the bondage of Satan and sin. Thank God for the redeeming blood of Jesus! However, there are times when we act like we are still in bondage to Satan. Have you been set free by the blood of Jesus or are you still in bondage to Satan?

Did you know there is no such thing as a gloomy Christian? Yes, we have heartaches, disappointments and crises so we can’t smile all the time. No matter how many trials we have in our lives, Jesus doesn’t leave us and He still loves us. That should be enough to fill our hearts with joy and happiness.

CHRIST IS BORN AND ARE WE READY TO RECEIVE HIM?

Psalm 89:37 It will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky.
I See the Moon

As a kid, I always enjoyed looking up at the moon. I could see it clearly from my bedroom window and sometimes I would stay up late into the wee small hours of the morning, enjoying its shape, movement, and brilliance. Occasionally, I would recite a child's prayer about the moon:

"I see the moon and the moon sees me.

God bless the moon and God bless me."

A GRACE BEYOND FORGETFULNESS

2 Cor 12 :9 My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness Growing old brings many different challenges. For me, one the biggest ones has been adapting to sleep apnoea, and especially to one of its consequences: forgetfulness
. I've become forgetful all of the time, but it seems that the worst moments of forgetfulness seem to happen most frequently after a day at work. Last Wednesday was a good example.

"PRAY ME HOME" ,MOTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                                                                                For several years before Alzheimer's forced Mama to go to a nursing home, I'd often drive to where she lived and spend several days with her, sometimes a week or more. Since I was staying an extended time, I'd go by myself, which always caused Mama to worry more about me than she would have if my husband had been traveling with me. Knowing she was worried, I'd call her every time I stopped to take a break during the four-hour trip.

THE PRAYER FOR WOMAN OF THE WORLD

 “In reply Jesus declared, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’ " John 3 :3 The People Please pray for the women of the world. In many places, women do not have full rights. Please pray that God will pour out His Holy Spirit on women all over the world and that hundreds of millions of women will come to know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

Truth and Love Jesus said “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

WE HAVE TO EQUIPE OUR LIFE IN YEAR 2011 FOR GOD TO USE US

As I sat on the porch of our rental condo at Ponte Vedra Beach recently, I saw an awesome sight. Swimming in the Atlantic, close to shore, were schools of dolphin. Each group had quite a few fish in it, and the multiple number of schools was unbelievable.
I spotted this profusion of dorsal fins slicing through the waves,

GETTING THROUGH THE STORM

Matt 8 :24-25 Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown! Surviving a Storm Today within minutes of each other, I read two messages of hope.
One was a story about a man who won millions. The other was about a man who just lost his job. So, how do I see hope in either story?

WHAT A PROSTITUDE CAN TEACH US

2. Stand up for what is right! When Rahab initially hid the spies, she was, in essence, taking a stand against her own people. She knew who the men were. She knew what people they represented and what God they served. In her own words: "I know that the Lord has given this land to you …

NOW THAT YOU ARE FREE FROM SLAVERY OF SIN INTO NEW LIFE

  : "Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.
What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.

THE COFFEE DRINKER (JUST LAUGH)

For Coffee Drinkers: You know you are addicted to coffee if ... You grind your coffee beans in your mouth. You sleep with your eyes open. You have to watch videos in fast-forward. The only time you're standing still is during an earthquake.

STUDENT BODY AND THE PROFFESSOR

College A college's student body is composed of the sons and daughters of the very rich who could not meet the academic requirements of any other college. Lo and behold, the college basketball team wins every game and dominates their league. All this success is due to one amazing player - a cross between Larry Bird and Michael Jordan.

THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER

Ps 51 :17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.


While on my trek through New Hampshire this past summer, I encountered quite an unusual sight. It was a Norwegian Spruce tree that had been struck by lightning many years ago.
But instead of splitting in two or shrivelling up like the ones we often encounter in forests, the lightning-struck limb on this tree grew into an enormous second tree!

A DECLARETION FOR ALL

I was driving to a town in southern Ontario when I first heard the song. It had a catchy beat and tune, so I turned up the volume. That's when the words drew me in, the words, deep in meaning, rich in their correcting power: "are we caught in the middle!"* I didn't immediately understand, but it didn't matter
. The tears began were streaming down my face anyway, and as I reached for a tissue, I heard God's voice loud and clear: "You are not accessing the power I have given you! You're caught in the middle!" But wait a minute! Did this mean that I was not being all that God meant for me to be? It all reminded me of a familiar passage from the book of Revelation :

CALL ON HIM HE IS ABLE

When I was a little boy we lived in a house by a river. The only way to reach our home from the road was to walk across a rickety, old, swinging bridge. It made for a long trip unloading the groceries from the car. Once when I was six years old I decided to help my Dad and big brothers carry the things in from the store
. As soon as my brothers started across the bridge with their bags I quickly grabbed a big bag full of canned goods and left the bag of bread for my Dad.

YOU NEED A POTHOLE

Heb 11 :6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.



Would it be possible for us to make a perfectly round hole in a solid mountain rock? Shovels and pickaxes wouldn't be of much help, nor would our bare hands. Dynamite sure would be handy, but would likely not leave a perfectly round hole. If only we had one of those mega drills that tunnels are made off! But now that I think about it, no tunnels were ever dug in ancient times. Bridges yes, but no tunnels. It was humanly impossible! If we can't even make a round hole in a solid rock, how can we even consider moving mountains? But Jesus was adamant that we could! When asked by his disciples why they could not drive out a demon from a boy (See Matt 17 :19) , His response was revolutionary

THE DENGEROUS TIME (PART2)

And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.” –I Cor 10 :13 Divine reason for allowing you to be tempted (mind you, even the Son of God was not exempted from the temptations-Heb 2 :10) ? Let Scripture itself give the answer… Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.-James 1 :2-4 When we are toughened by the various God-permitted trials, we get going when going gets tough

. The ultimate result of it all! Our Great trainer gets glorified and the people around us are attracted to Him by our perseverance. Going through tough times? Do you for the deliverance pine? As per His time and will, ultimately everything is going to be just fine! Remember the Plimsoll line!!! Prayer: I praise and thank Thee Lord Jesus for just what
YOU ARE! Amongst several of Thy outstanding attributes, is the one of being a GREAT COACH.
You went the way of suffering first and have shown us the way. In our difficulties, enable us to trust you, believing that our difficulties, however big they are, would never cross Thy intended limit. Amen!

THE DANGEROUS TIME (PART1)

Thursday, January 6, 2011

For the uninitiated, a Dictionary definition of the term “Plimsoll line” is that it is a line drawn on the lower end of ships, marking the maximum level to which the ship can sink into water after its tare capacity is full. Simply put, it is an indication of the vessel’s maximum loading capacity.

WHEN WORDS WON'T DO WHAT LOVE CAN

Rev 8 :1 There was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

 When Words Won't do What Love Can She stood in the long line to pay her respects. She was just a few people ahead of me when we got close enough to see the family. The father stood, appearing uncomfortable with all the fuss while mom sat unable to find the will nor the strength to greet each of us.

WE ARE IN BIG TROUBLE GOD IS "MISSING"

Two little boys, ages 8 and 10 , are excessively mischievous.

They are always getting into trouble and their parents know if any mischief occurs in their town, the two boys are probably involved. The boys' mother heard that a preacher in town had been successful in disciplining children, so she asked if he would speak with her boys.

THE HEART OF THE MATTER

Today's Bible Verse :
Ps 25 :9 He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.

"Make your dad's birthday memorable!"

This is what my wife told our sons as we left for Nova Scotia . She wouldn't be joining us for
another week, and during our "solo" time, my kids would be celebrating the day I first appeared on this planet.

AN AVOIDABLE THOUGHT IN OUR LFE

TODAY;S BIBLE VERSE :
Psalm 23 : 1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

It started out with a tickle in my throat.
I immediately mixed some salt and warm water and began gargling. But by the following morning, I had a headache, a sore throat , plugged ears, and a runny nose, and in between somewhere, I had lost my voice. (My husband was very happy about that one!) I also lost my sense of smell and taste. I had absolutely no energy, and all I wanted to do was sleep, sleep, sleep, and sleep some more. Today is the first day that I am back in the "land of the living." It has been over three weeks since this unwanted visitor came and invaded my body. Not feeling too energetic, I was able to make a doctor's appointment. The end result: I had contracted a bronchial infection, and I needed antibiotics. It is at times like these that the body just wants to rest. It just wants to lie there, drift off to sleep, and awaken to drink some water, juice, or-- my favorite-- ginger ale, in order to keep from becoming dehydrated. My interest in writing was waning.

JESUS CHRIST UNDERSTANDS

JESUS CHRIST UNDERSTANDS OUR WEAKNESSES It is comforting to know that Jesus faced temptation without giving in to sin. Jesus is the only perfect human being who has ever lived. "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God , let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4 :14-16) Knowing Jesus as our High Priest matures us in the faith and draws us more intimately to Him. When we see the greatness of Jesus in this role, our steadfastness is strengthened.

THE TREE CLAPS

Isaiah 55 :12 You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

DO WE EVER TRUST GOD FOR WHO HE IS?

Ps 27 :1 The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?



The first time we took her outside for a walk, she was completely relaxed in my arms. Until a car zoomed by that is. Scared to death by the noise of that "gigantic" Cooper Mini, her claws came out, her hair stood up on end, and she did everything she could to escape. Nowhere was considered safe any longer and she desperately needed to run and hide.

JESUS CHRIST UNDERSTANDS

JESUS CHRIST UNDERSTANDS OUR WEAKNESSES It is comforting to know that Jesus faced temptation without giving in to sin. Jesus is the only perfect human being who has ever lived. "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God , let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin

THE TREE CLAPS

Isaiah 55 :12 You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

On a wide curve on the Charleston Side Road between Airport Road and the village of Caledon , north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada , stands a lone elm tree .

OH YE OF LITTLE FAITH GET OUT OF THE BOAT!!!!!!!!!!!

Matthew 14 :28-30 Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, " Lord, save me! Getting Out Of The Boat After my "conversion/collision" with God in 1988 , life did not exactly smooth out, but instead, became more challenging.

YOU MOST BE BORN AGAIN

Scripture “In reply Jesus declared, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’ " John 3 :3 The People Please pray for the women of the world. In many places, women do not have full rights.

YOUR KINGDOM COME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ps 25:9 He guides the humble in what is right and  teaches them his way.



It's interesting how we like to focus on ourselves. One of the best ways to chitchat with someone is to ask
his/her opinions about certain topics or to dwell on one of his/her favourite hobbies. All of a sudden even the shy person comes to life, talking almost non-stop.

LILY OF THE CANAL MAN

Proverbs 4:18 The path of the righteous is like the morning sun,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.



In our apartment, we have a balcony where we can look out towards the mountains. We love the view. One day, a friend brought up a heavy pot containing a plant and deposited it on our balcony.

FAILURE IS NOT A DISEASE

"FAILING DOESN'T MEANS A FAILURE,
IT JUST MEAN I HAVE NOT YET SUCCEEDED;IT DOESN'T MEAN I HAVE ACCOMPLISH NOTHING,
IT JUST MEAN I HAVE LEARN SOMETHING ; IT DOESN'T MEAN I HAVE BEEN A FOOL,
IT JUST MEAN I HAVE HAD THE COURAGE TO TAKE A RISK; IT DOESN'T MEAN I'M INFERIOR ,

The Gibeonite Disaster

As news of the fall of Jericho and Ai began to spread through Canaan, the people of the land,who had also heard of the fall of Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, became terrified. They didn't have to consult with their tactical analysts or their political advisors to know that Israel was coming and no one was
safe!

Many of the kings of Canaan reacted by banding together to make war: "Now when all the kings west of the Jordan heard about these things … they came together to make war against Joshua and Israel." (Josh 9:1-2 NIV)

A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN AND DOCTOR JUST LAUGH

A beautiful woman one day walks into a doctor's plaza en the doctor was bowled over by how stunningly awesome she is.beautiful.
all his professionallism goes right out the window.... he tells her to take her pants.

REASONABLE THOUGHT

IN THE FACE. THE ONE WHO GOT SLAPPED WAS HURT, BUT WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING, WROTE IN THE SAND: TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE.

A KID AND THE CHURCH MINISTER

 A 5- year-old boy went to visit his grandmother one day. Playing with his toys in her bedroom while grandma was dusting, he looked up and said, "Grandma, how come you don't have a boyfriend now that Grandpa's gone to heaven?" Grandma replied,

A THOUGHT OF KNOWLEDGE USED VERSES LOVED

While a man was polishing his new car, his 4 year old son picked up a stone and scratched lines on the side of the car. In anger, the man took the child's hand and hit it many times; not realising he was using a wrench. At the hospital, the child lost all his fingers due to multiple fractures.

THE PASSION OF CHRIST

Rom 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship.



The Passion: The Heart of the Matter, Part 15 (Our Response)Amidst criticism, Christian bands perform in public. Sadly, this criticism often comes from Christians:

WHEN THER SUN STAND STILL

"The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a man. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel !
Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal ." (Josh 10 :13-15 NIV)