The Tornado

As I sit here today at work, I see the world around me and I see individuals with turmoil in their lives. I am not excluded from this turmoil. Life in this world can be like being in a severe wind storm.
Have you ever seen the movie Twister starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton? In this movie at one point they get stuck in a major tornado and everything around them is sucked into the sky. They are holding onto a steel pipe that runs deep within the ground and is the only thing stable to hold onto. They have a belt that they can us to aid them in holding onto the pipe. Now the tricky part is that they have little time to brace themselves for this stage 5 tornado coming at them. The barn that they had gone into is now gone. This is a life and death situation and their only safety is this pipe. They Use the belt for added assistance and they soon find that their feet are flying in the air and they are close to being sucked up by this tornado. Once it is gone we can see that the pipe that went deep into the ground was the only thing that saved them.
Our lives as Christians are a lot like this picture. Take a moment to reflect on 2 Sam 22:2. “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer.” Think about your life. Think about the things going on around you in the world. There are trials and tribulations going on all around you. Some folks are dealing with a sick loved one, some with the stress of losing a job or have lost their job and now face foreclosure. Some are facing the death of a loved one. There are some who have lost their jobs, then their homes and cars and are on the streets now losing their hope and their faith. These are their own personal stage 5 tornadoes that are facing them threatening to take their lives. If you find yourself in the midst of your own stage 5 tornado, don’t give up and let Satan win. Satan isn’t going to love and cherish you for all eternity, but there is one who will and that is God. When you ran from the tornado chasing you, you came up on a steel pipe that runs deep in the ground, it is very sturdy, and cannot be moved. You cannot run anymore. On the walls around you, you will notice a strap. Grab it, loop it around the pipe and then around your self. Grab hold of the pipe with everything you have, it’s the only way to survive. In doing this you have grabbed your Bible and a firm grip on God’s hand. God is the sturdy pipe in our lives and the strap we have used is our Bible. The reason this is our only way to survive is that Jesus is the only way to heaven.
So if you are having a rough time with life these days, don’t give up. Let go and Let God direct you. Don’t let go of God, let go of the worldly ways. People will see how close you are to God, they will see that the storm you are in has not gotten the best of you and that you are holding firm with Jesus by your side.
As we face a New Year, lets all let go of 2009. For some it was a great year, but for many it was an awful year. Stay in prayer, stay in your Word of God and listen for God’s voice. He is the calm of the storm. He cannot be moved or destroyed or sucked up by a tornado. He is the anchor of life.

Any thoughts or comments on this?

The crocheted tablecloth

The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October excited about their opportunities. When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything
done in time to have their first service
on Christmas Eve.
They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc, and on December 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished.
On December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high.
The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home. On the way he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity so he stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover up the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church.
By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later.

She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.
Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet. 'Pastor,' she asked, 'where did you get that tablecloth?' The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .
The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten the Tablecloth. The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria . When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her husband or her home again.
The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church. The pastor insisted on driving her home, that was the least he could do. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn
for the day for a housecleaning job.
What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return.

One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
wasn't leaving.
The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike.
He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home again all the 35 years in between.
The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier.
He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on the door and he saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.
True Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
Who says God does not work in mysterious ways. I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for you today, to guide you and protect you as you go along your way. His love is always with you, His promises are true, and when we give Him all our cares you know He will see us through.
So when the road you're traveling on seems difficult at best. Just remember I'm here praying and God will do the rest.

Don’t Check NO

Don’t Check NO
Guest Speaker Wed Night Service Notes



How man of you remember being a kid and writing a note to someone you had a crush on that said “Do you like me check yes or no?” How about the note you got back that said the same thing, because they wanted your answer first. In our walk with God its much the same thing. God doesn’t want to be rejected by us, just as we don’t want to be rejected by him. Read these verses: Zechariah 1:3/Malachi 3:7/James 4:8. These verses all have something in common. They all speak of Turn, Return, and draw an eye unto the Lord and he will do the same. I am going to break this down for you as it was broken down for me.

1. Turn to Christ. Seek the saving grace of Christ, he will then turn to us and give us all the benefits of salvation. God wants us to have fellowship with him. He doesn’t NEED us—he WANTS us.
2. Return to God. We have broken fellowship with God. We need to repair this fellowship with him. Once we do this he will return to us as well. 1 John 1:9/Isaiah 59:2. We need to re-establish our relationship with god by Confessing our sin before we pray for about other things, and we must also repent of the sin as well.
3. Draw close to God. Get to know God by
a. Reading your Bible each Day
b. Praying every day
c. Be in church every chance you can
We are the branches that should be bearing fruit for God.

God has already given us the invitation. It’s our move. We must make the decision to RSVP to His invitation. Once we answer Him and Turn, Return, and draw close to Him, He will do the same to us.

***Have you accepted Christ into your life today? Have you responded to His invitation to join Him in Heaven and live eternally? If you haven’t you really should get back with God about that. There are only 2 places to go once our earthly bodies give up life. We will either live eternally in Heaven with God where there will be no pain and suffering, no starvation, no evil, no illness, and there will only be good things to come. Or we will spend our eternity in Hell with Satan in a lake of fire longing for a drip of water on our tongue. I pray that each of you will make the decision not to allow Satan to drag you down into the pits of despair with him. Answer God’s invitation and become a child of God. Walk in faith hand in hand with our creator.***

Message from God:

Will you follow me?
___________Yes _____________No

Brag on God

Brag on God
"Rejoice and exult in hope; be steadfast and patient in suffering and tribulation; be constant in prayer."
(Romans 12:12)


We're to live in hope. We're to rejoice. So, when Satan comes to steal your victory and tell you that God is not going to help you this time, you just think on the Word of God and start rejoicing. Rejoice that you're in Him. Rejoice that heaven is your home. Rejoice that greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. Rejoice. Brag on God today. The devil can't stand it!

"Be steadfast and patient in suffering and tribulation...." Tribulation means "being under pressure." When pressure comes, don't cave in. Don't faint. Instead, go to the throne of grace. Go boldly in the Name of Jesus and get the help you need.

Remember this: When things get hard isn't when you let go of the Word. That's when you double up on it. That's when you are "constant in prayer" so that you are unmovable.

Rejoice. Be patient under pressure. Be constant in prayer. The devil won't be able to steal one thing from you!


TODAY'S CLEAN LAUGH

One Hard Question

There was a student who wanted to be admitted to the University.

He was smart enough to get through the written test, a GED, and was to appear for the personal interview. Later, as the interview progressed, the interviewer found this boy to be bright since he could answer all the questions correctly. The interviewer got impatient and decided to corner the boy.

"Tell me your choice," said he to the boy, "What's your choice: I shall either ask you ten easy questions or ONE real difficult. Think well before you make up your mind."

The boy thought for a while and said, "My choice is ONE real difficult question."

"Well, good luck to you, you have made your own choice!" said the man on the opposite side. Tell me: What comes first, Day or Night?"

The boy was jolted first but he waited for a while and said: "It's the DAY, sir."

"How???????" the interviewer shot back, smiling. ("At last, I got you!" he said to himself.)

"Sorry sir, you promised me that you will not ask me a SECOND difficult question!"

The student was admitted to the University.

Walking with God and not alone

Walking with God and not alone


Are you tired? Do you feel like you’re alone? Are you just plain worn out emotionally? Fear not for you are not alone. I was reading my daily devotional this morning by Dr Charles Stanley and he talks about this very subject. I have so much on my plate right now from work, kids, and kid’s other parents. It’s a very stressful time of life right now, but I am taking comfort knowing that God is there with me. I am reminded that in the Christian walk it was never promised our troubles and trials would disappear, but that we would no longer have to deal alone. Read Galatians 5:16-26.

Life is full of trials and conflicts. A Christian’s life seems to continue that way, but now we have nonbelievers watching and observing how we deal with these issues. Instead of throwing in the towel and giving into Satan, we must stand firm in our faith and walk in step with the Holy Spirit. Doing this will help us get thru the conflicts we are traveling thru and it will also show the nonbelievers God’s presence. We rely on God for our strength and just when we feel like we are just too wobbly and weak to continue, you find new strength. This is God picking you up and helping to you continue forward.

WOW! Doesn’t that just take your breath away? To know that you are not alone in this world and you won’t fall on your face. Sure times are hard and sometimes we do hit the bottom, but in that case it’s not because God is being cruel and wanted to see you fail, it’s the exact opposite. God wants your attention and if your not doing as he is telling you to do, you actually cause your self to fall, once you fall, then you can look up and start again, but this time on the right path. Remember no matter what God is there. So, say a prayer today, let God know of the things you are troubled with, let Him know you need guidance and strength thru this time. I promise if you completely release it to Him, you will feel lighter and you will have found renewed strength to move on.

Hang on tight, the roller coaster of life is sure a wild ride and can be scary at times especially thru the dark tunnels and when you feel upside down, but scream if you must, pray each minute of each day, and rely on God to get you thru. Don’t rely on yourself or your human nature. We humans have a tendency to make a bad situation much worse.

I pray that you will allow God to guide you thru life. Let Him be your light on the path. Hold His hand and stick to Him. I pray that as Christians you learn to lean on God for strength and you also learn to lean on your fellow Christians as well. I pray that God will bless you in a very special way today. In Jesus name I pray, Amen!!!

Please have a joyous day.

Questions/comments?

I am A Soldier

Veterans Day:
"I Am a Soldier"
David Langerfeld
Nov 11, 2009

Today is Veterans Day. Originally, it was a day set aside to honor the Veterans of World War I because the signing of the Armistice which ended World War I took place on the 11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour. Since that time, it has become a day to honor the Veterans of all wars. To all of our Veterans, thank you. We salute you, we are grateful for your courage and your sacrifice. We are blessed by your commitment and your service. As we honor our Veterans on this special day, I share with you an "Encourager Classic", a poem dedicated to Christian Soldiers... "I Am A Soldier" I am a soldier in the army of my God. The Lord Jesus Christ is my Commanding Officer. The Holy Bible is my code of conduct. Faith, Prayer, and the Word are my weapons of Warfare. I have been taught by the Holy Spirit, ...trained by experience, ....tried by adversity, ....and tested by fire. I am a volunteer in this army, and I am enlisted for eternity. I will either retire in this Army or die in this Army; But, I will not get out, ...sell out ....be talked out ....or pushed out. I am faithful, reliable, capable, and dependable. If my God needs, me, I am there. I am a soldier. I am not a baby. I do not need to be pampered, ...petted, ....primed up, ....pumped up, ....picked up, ....or pepped up. I am a soldier. No one has to call me, ...remind me, ....write me, ....visit me, ....entice me, ....or lure me. I am a soldier. I am not a wimp. I am in place, ...saluting my King, ....obeying His orders, ....praising His name, ....and building His Kingdom! No one has to send me flowers, gifts, food, cards, candy, or give me handouts. I do not need to be cuddled, cradled, cared for, or catered to. I am committed. I cannot have my feelings hurt bad enough to turn me around. I cannot be discouraged enough to turn me aside. I cannot lose enough to cause me to quit. When Jesus called me into this Army, I had nothing. If I end up with nothing, I will still come out even. I will win. My God will supply all my needs. I am more than a conqueror. I will always triumph. I can do all things through Christ. Devils cannot defeat me. People cannot disillusion me. Weather cannot weary me. Sickness cannot stop me. Battles cannot beat me. Money cannot buy me. Governments cannot silence me, and Hell cannot handle me! I am a soldier. Even death cannot destroy me. For when my Commander calls me from this battlefield, He will promote me to a captain. I am a soldier, in the Army, I'm marching, claiming victory. I will not give up. I will not turn around. I am a soldier, marching, Heaven bound. Here I stand. Will you stand with me?

Mistaken Beliefs

Mistaken Beliefs

Read Mark 10:17-22

There are 3 that I will cover today, but as you think about life and your walk with God, I am sure you can think of so many more. Make sure to examine each thing to see if it is real or mistaken.

1. What I have is enough to get me to heaven.
Why would this be a mistaken belief? Many people of today and even people throughout scripture thought that because they were rich, young with bright futures, were leaders, live with morals and values that guaranteed them a spot in heaven. I am sorry to bust your bubble on this, but God is not into the material things of your life. He wants your heart, He wants you to live right and be a servant to others.

2. If what I have isn’t enough, I can do more to be acceptable
Well many people feel that their works will get them into heaven. How do you define works? Works would be anything you are doing. Yes God wants us to serve others, but we also have to have a relationship with him. So if you have lots of volunteer activities you do for charities, and you also help out in the food pantries, and you live with morals, but you lack a relationship with God, you will not be acceptable.

3. I can trust Jesus with part of my life and still be right with God.
What does that mean? We are all guilty of this factor at some point. We give our troubles to God and something comes up. Before we check with God to see if this is His answer, we jump on it and before we know it our problem has not gone away, but gotten worse. Or we pray that God will ease our pain and then we rely on other means. Not saying that taking an aspirin for a headache is bad, it’s more emotional pain. Another way we do this is by not trusting in God to do the things He promises. You give Him all the time in the world on Sunday until noon, then its lunch time. You say you love God, but you are not willing to tell your friends about Him. You’d rather keep that part a secret so you don’t offend your friends.

So these are the 3 that come to mind for now. Now that you have read them how do you fit in this category? Make sure you are giving God 100% if yourself, not just 99% you want to give. With God we have to have a balance of a good solid relationship with Him as well as being a good servant. If you have works that you are involved in and have a solid relationship with God, then the works now become of God. Do you see the difference? Give God what He wants, your heart and soul. He cares nothing about your money, how young or old you are, or anything of that nature. He strives for a relationship with His creations. I say give it to Him. After all He did send His son to pay for our sins.

**TRUTH**
Christianity is about your relationship with God
Religion is what you do
Questions/Comments/Concerns?