Wake up and smell the coffee....I am a debtor...I have been praying of late for a couple of situations where there are hurting people and this morning as I was e-mailing one person to encourage him, my eyes fell on these verses in the book of Romans. Chapter 13 and verses 6-14: Owe no man anything except to love one another; for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, "you shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbour as yourself." Love does no harm to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. " This is the first part of the equation and ends at verse 10.
The second part says, beginning with verse 11: "And do this knowing the time, that now it is high time to awaken out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness, and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts." This scripture says to all who name Christ as Savior...wake up! We have been sleeping and it is time to wake up And love your neighbour as yourself. The night is long gone and it's daytime, we've wasted too much time already, so let's get busy for God. There's a hurting world and it needs to see some real love; the love of God and the only way it can see that love is in the life of a Chrisdtian. There is no law that can stop us loving one another; loving people is God's way. So wake up and smell the coffee.

My Dad used to sing solo's in church and he sang a lot of them at home. He had the joy of the Lord in his soul and one song he used to sing(it must have been his favorite) went like this:
"In shady green pastures so rich and so sweet, God leads His dear children along, while the waters cool bathe o'er the weary ones feet, God leads His dear children along." Then the chorus went thusly: "Some through the waters, some through the flood, some through the fire but all through the blood; Some through great sorrow but God gives a song..in the night season and all the day long." Lately I have been made aware of many hurting Christians and hurting people in general; one might say what is new? And one might be right in thinking that way but the Bible says that we need to bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. It also says in the book of Romans, chapter 15 and verses 1-2, "We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. But let each of us please his neighbour for his good, leading to edification." We as Christians are to bear one another's burdens and there is no criteria that the other person has to meet; no qualifying merits for you to judge in order to help them. Just that they are hurting in some way whether or not it's their fault.
That old hymn that Dad loved so much said that some will go through deep waters, some through floods, some may even have to face a trial by fire, but the good part is that it's all through the blood. And that is what I am so thankful for ...the precious blood of Jesus that He shed on Calvary for every man's soul. It is still washing away sins. Are you having a tough time facing reality today? Is there a past that you want to hide? The Bible talks about King Dvid in Psalm 55 and how he was under a heavy load. His enemies were giving him so much trouble and he said, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. Indeed, I would wander afar off, And remain in the wilderness." Ever felt like David did that day he wrote this psalm? I have and I think if we were honest ....we all have at one time or another. But later in the psalm he discovered something revolutionary, it was this in verse 22, "Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you. He shall never permit the righteous to be moved." Not feeling righteous this morning? Cast your burden on the LORD. Be honest, be open and be yourself and God will change you and that will make the difference. He may not always change your circumstances but He will change you . It's through the blood.

Our strength IN CHRIST. I couldn’t help but think of revisiting the topic of IN CHRIST when I first heard the news of the damage to the BC Dome a week or so ago.

In 1984, I had the great privilege of touring Vancouver’s BC Dome Stadium (opened in 1983), which was built to be a small part of Canada’s Expo 86 world fair in Vancouver in 1986. It was a massive building with seating for 60,000, the largest air-supported domed stadium in the world. What an incredible place - I was totally impressed.

This fabric panelled roof was thought to be strong enough to withstand any amount of rain and so on which might fall in Vancouver. However, when the recent storm brought rain and heavy snow at the same time, together with high winds, it was too much for the roof. Now, it will take much time and expense to repair it to ensure its readiness for the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Olympic games.

All that has reminded me that not much can be depended on for strength except the strength that Christ gives. Many scriptures gives us the assurance of His strength - when we are IN HIM, we can tap into His strength when ours is gone or is weak. Strength that we can depend on.

Isaiah 43: 2, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” And Isaiah 41: 10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

We often use the analogy of the branch which can be bent but not be broken. The New Testament also reminds us of the strength of the Lord, 2 Timothy 2: 1, “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”

We cannot be strong in ourselves, but IN CHRIST, we can withstand the wind and the elements that come against us. 2 Corinthians 12: 10b, “For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

So, my friends, when we need extra strength, to keep from breaking or tearing at the seams, we can depend on HIS strength - when we are weak, then we are strong, because we are in HIS STRENGTH.

Submitted by Naida

The Wind Blows Wherever It Wants To….Yesterday my brother and I went for a drive to visit our 83 year old uncle on the island of my birth. Afterward we went down the road to where the old house still stands where I was born. It is the same house my Dad was born in some 40 years earlier. It is a special place to us albeit no longer in our families’ possession.
It was great to see the old place again and to walk the beach where we played as children. We listened to the “our our luck, our our luck" of the Old Squaw’s (sea ducks for the non initiated) and we watched them as they played and splashed about in the open water of the harbour where we grew up. What memories flooded our minds as we recalled many childhood memories and a time long ago when life was simpler and people were kinder and gentler as the first Pres. Bush referred to a few years ago. It was a time when we did not have very much of this world’s goods but we had close knit families and you could trust your neighbor. They still leave their doors unlocked on that island. Even when they go on a vacation, some still do. As we drove by one particular neighborhood we recalled the little Pentecostal church building on the hill where we first heard the Pentecostal message of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost in the upper room. The wind was blowing there in those early days as it was on the island yesterday and I remembered that little gust of wind that blew into my families’ lives there in that little church building almost 60 years ago. It was a little foretaste of the Wind that would shape our lives and direct us the rest of our lives as we all without exception received one by one the fullness of His Holy Spirit. Mom , Dad and we three brothers in that order. Yes we have experienced the rushing mighty Wind of the Spirit and I pray that it will not just touch this family but all who will ask for it “for the promise is unto you and to your children, and to all who are afar off,even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”
Yes those days of childhood are gone forever and we shall never see them again but we seek a city who’s Builder and Maker is God. It is a city that He has prepared for the blood washed and the redeemed; for those who are looking for Him to take them to be with Him forever. But before that event happens let us pray for one more rushing mighty Wind of the Holy Ghost. I yearn for it, I long for it and this world desperately needs to see it; the church needs it to get ready for His return. Let us determine in our hearts to make it the first priority of our day; that is to pray for the outpouring of the Holy Ghost. Childhood was great; the future will be far, far greater when we get to our heavenly home.
It will be out of this world.

The visitation of God’s Holy Spirit

We are reading the Bible through in one year in our church congregation and I have personally chosen to read and listen from an audio version found in www. BibleGateway .com from the NIV.
On Tuesday evening of this week we gathered for prayer at the church house and a message in tongues and interpretation was given and part of the message said, “behold, I come quickly and My fan is in My hand and I will thoroughly purge my floor.”
That next morning which was Wednesday as I was reading and listening to the third chapter of Matthew’s gospel, verse 12 says, “His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” The King James says “purge”. Coincidence? I don’t think so. I believe that God is telling us to get ready for a visitation of His Holy Spirit.
THE WINNOWING PROCESS (if not already) will soon begin.

That verse is taken from Matthew 3 as already stated and it was quoted by John the Baptist and I want to give it to you in it’s context. Matthew 3:5-12 (King James Version)
King James Version (KJV)
Public Domain

5Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
6And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
9And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
10And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
11I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
12Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
It speaks here of separation…the wheat and the chaff and it speaks of the fire of God the Holy Ghost burning up the chaff after the threshing floor has been swept clean. The winnowing process separated the chaff from the wheat..
Notice that when the Holy Ghost comes He burns up the chaff in our lives. We must live a separated life; that is a life that is separated from sin; not people.
There has been chaff in my life and I pray that God will burn it up with His unquenchable fire so that all that is left is good. What about you today? Has the winnowing fan separated the wheat from the chaff; do you know the process that God is using?
In the book of Romans ch. 7, the apostle writes about our sinful flesh and he also speaks in verse 18 concerning the fact that in our flesh dwells no good thing even though we want to do good we can’t because of sin. Verse 19 says, “For the good that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20) Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me. “Then down in verses 24,25, “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? (Sin is like the albatross around the Ancient Mariner’s neck) The answer comes resoundingly from the pen of Paul here in verse 25, “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”….chaff needs to be burnt. With my mind I too serve the law of God; but like Paul I find myself many times failing and serving the law of sin…..thoughts,attitudes, feelings,lusting after things,wasting precious time following “trivial pursuits” the list goes on and on. Anyone else know what I am talking about?
I cry Lord send the fire! Burn up the chaff! Burn up the dross! It is coming folks and I don’t want to miss it! I am determined not to miss it. It is the Divine visitation of the Spirit for these last days!! Get ready and pray for it to come your way….pray that the wind of the Spirit blows in your direction…Jesus said “the wind blows wherever it wants to” so let us pray that it will blow on us. Don't miss it! There's nothing like it!