Waiting on God 
Psalm 33:20-22

Because our God is an all-knowing, wise, and loving heavenly Father, we'll always benefit when we follow His schedule. However, waiting on Him can feel difficult.

Throughout the Bible, we read of people who experienced delays before God acted on what He had promised. In the following examples, notice how patience and obedience led to blessing: 

1. Noah was told to build an ark because a flood was coming. When the rain did not arrive, his neighbors must have thought him a fool. Yet Noah trusted God and continued to work (Gen. 6:12-22). 
2. After reluctantly agreeing to approach Pharaoh about releasing the Jewish slaves, Moses learned it would take a number of warnings before God's plan would be fulfilled (Ex. 7:1-7). 
3. Jesus' disciples were told to wait in Jerusalem until they received the promised Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4).

When I was a young boy, I learned the importance of patience. After having me plant some seeds in her garden, my mother explained what would happen. First, green sprouts would appear, and then the plants would develop. I kept a close watch on that area, but nothing seemed to be happening. One day I decided to dig up those seeds to see if there was any progress. I found no plants at all. My impatience did not produce any fruit.

The Lord has a plan for each of us, and the timing of every detail is always right. Are you living according to His schedule?

LAMB OF GOD POEM

Mary had a little Lamb,
His fleece was white as snow.
And everywhere that Mary went,
The Lamb was sure to go.

He followed her to school each day,
When it wasn't against the rules.
He made the children laugh and play,
To have a Lamb at school.

Then the rules changed one day,
Against the law it became
To bring the Lamb of God to school,
Or even speak His Name.

Every day got worse and worse,
And days turned into years.
Instead of hearing children laugh and play,
You heard them crying tears.

What must we do to stop the crime,
That's in our schools today?
Let the Lamb come back to school,
And teach our kids to pray.

-- Author Unknown

MEETING GOD

There once was a little boy who wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long
trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a
six-pack of root beer, and he started his journey. When he had gone about
three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in the park just staring
at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He
was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old
lady looked hungry so he offered her a Twinkie.

He gratefully accepted it and smiled at him. Her smile was so pretty that
the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer. Once again,
she smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon
eating and smiling, but they never said a word. As it grew dark, the boy
realized how tired he was and he got up to leave, but before he had gone
more than a few steps; he turned around, ran back to the old woman, and gave
her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever.

When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later; his mother
was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you
do today that made you so happy?" He replied, "I had lunch with God." But
before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? She's got the
most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"

Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her
son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and he asked, "Mother, what
did you do today that made you so happy?" She replied, "I ate Twinkies in
the park with God." But before her son responded, she added, "You know he's
much younger than I expected."

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a
listening ear, and honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of
which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives
for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.

Embrace all equally!

-- Author Unknown

LETTER IN THE NIGHT

This is pretty deep and definitely worth reading! You just can't keep it to
yourself, you've got to tell somebody about the love of God! Be blessed!

One day a woman named Louise fell asleep in her bed and dreamed a very
fitful dream. She dreamed that someone in Hell wrote a letter to her, and
it was to be delivered to her by a messenger.

The messenger passed between the lakes of burning fire and brimstone that
occupies Hell and found his way to the door that would lead him to the
outside world.

Louise dreamed that the messenger walked to her house, came inside, and
gently but firmly woke Louise. He gave her the message, saying only that a
friend had written it to her from Hell.

Louise, in her dream with trembling hands, took the letter and read:

My Friend,
I stand in Judgment now,
And feel that you're to blame somehow.
Never did you point the way.
You knew the Lord in truth and glory,
But never did you tell the story.
My knowledge then was very dim;
You could have led me safe to Him.
Though we lived together on the earth,
You never told me of the second birth,
And now I stand this day condemned,
Because you failed to mention Him.
You taught me many things, that's true.
I called you "friend" and trusted you,
But I learn now that it's too late,
You could have kept me from this fate.
We walked by day and talked by night,
And yet you showed me not the Light.
You let me live, and love, and die,
You knew I'd never live on high.
Yes, I called you "friend" in life,
And trusted you through joy and strife.
And yet on coming to the end,
I cannot, now, call you "My Friend."
Marsha

After reading the letter, Louise awoke. The dream was still so real in her
mind and sweat dropped from her body in pools. She swore she could still
smell the acrid smell of brimstone and smoke from her room.

As she contemplated the meaning of her dream, she realized that as a
Christian, she had failed in her duty to "go out to all the world and preach
the gospel." As she thought of that, she promised herself that the next day,
she would call Marsha and invite her to church with her.

The next morning she called Marsha, and this was the conversation:

"Hello Bill, is Marsha there?"

"Louise, you don't know?"

"No, Bill, know what?"

"Marsha WAS KILLED LAST NIGHT IN A CAR ACCIDENT. I thought you knew."

Fellow Christian, is this your testimony? Are you witnessing to your
friends that you are with everyday? Or will there be friends of yours in
Hell, asking you why you did not tell them about JESUS?

As your friend. . .

If you don't know Jesus, here's how:

If you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus died on
the cross for your sins and God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
(Romans 10:9 - 10)

If you have not done so, just pray this prayer:

"Dear God, I confess with my mouth and believe in my heart that Jesus is
your son and that He died on the cross for my sins. Jesus, forgive me of my
sins and come into my heart and become my personal Lord and Savior. In
Jesus's name, Amen."

PS. If you are a believer - new or old, send this to others and let them
know you are a true friend.

-- Author Unknown

The Command to Forgive
Matthew 6:9-15
Mercy is best understood when we have experienced it on both the giving and receiving ends. The truth is, we simply may not realize the gift's high price until we've pardoned someone who wronged us--as much as we long to be given clemency, our human nature struggles against offering it. So a warning follows the Lord's Prayer: God won't forgive those who withhold forgiveness from others.
Jesus is not saying that an unforgiving spirit cancels our salvation. When we receive Him as Savior, our sin-debt is paid in full. But even believers will sometimes fail to do right. Though these wrongs pose no danger to our eternal destiny, they do obstruct fellowship with God. Think of our connection with Him as a long pipe which sin can clog. Then our prayers cannot go up, and His blessings are prevented from raining down. So Christians must do regular spiritual "housecleaning"--confession and repentance from sin.
A bitter spirit toward another person will "clog" our fellowship with the Father--when we allow anger into our heart, it tends to squeeze Him out of His rightful place in our life. Furthermore, negative feelings will seep into other areas and affect what we think, say, and do. Then when we most need the Lord's help or comfort, His Spirit will not move.
Is a lack of mercy blocking your fellowship with the Lord? If so, you have a choice. Either continue hindering His love, or cry out to Him from under your bitter load. God will hear the prayer, cleanse your heart, and patiently teach you to forgive.

Defeating False Teachers
2 Peter 2:1-3
Outside a grocery store one evening, I watched two young men confronting shoppers with an erroneous statement about scriptural teaching. Anyone who seemed vague about Christian faith was invited to learn "what God really said" at a Bible study. I was not invited. In fact, the men abandoned me quickly when I used the Word to defend my beliefs.
A false teacher wants to create uncertainty in his listeners. In order to gain followers, he must persuade his audience that he possesses knowledge they lack. The people who accept this misleading information as absolute truth will usually return to the false teacher for more. Having followers strokes his ego and provides "proof" that he is right.
Those who have a sound doctrine won't be led astray. That's why it is so important for our faith to rest on biblical truth--for example,  Jesus Christ died for the sins of mankind, the Holy Spirit dwells in believers, and Christians will be resurrected bodily. Defeating false teachers takes more than "my pastor says . . ."When confronted, we must defend our faith with Scripture we ourselves have studied. By regularly reading and applying God's Word, we will be better prepared when confronted with untruth.
Building a sound doctrine protects believers from misleading messages and arms them to defend the faith. Do not be caught unprepared. If you haven't already started, begin to study the Bible today. Should you need help, ask your pastor or a godly mentor for guidance.

Exposing False Teachers
Matthew 7:15-20
New Testament writers warned about false teachings that sounded good but defied truth (2 Tim. 4:3; 1 John 4:1). Believers today must still heed these warnings! Ungodly leaders subtly twist truth with such conviction that unprepared Christians can be charmed by their lies. That's why the Bible instructs us to evaluate the message of whoever desires to lead us (Matt. 7:20).
The false teacher is deceptive. Verse 15 of today's passage describes him as a wolf in sheep's clothing. He appears to want people to know the "real" truth about God, but his interpretation of Scripture may contain outright lies or a distorted mix of fact and error. Since wise believers study God's Word, they can detect a "sheepskin" starting to slip. The wolf is further exposed by his personal life, which won't be consistent with righteousness (Matt. 7:16). A close study of his decisions, actions, and words will reveal that he does not follow the Lord's will or biblical principles.
The false teacher's life and message are self-indulgent. His enticing ideas appeal to his listeners' fleshly nature. In fact, he'll often permit activities prohibited in Scripture. Some deceivers describe God's grace as a license to live without restraint (Jude 4). Paul clearly denounces this lie, teaching that believers have died to sin and shouldn't live in it (Rom. 6:2).
The body of Christ is expected to use Scripture as the standard against which to measure a leader's lifestyle and words. When we seek divine truth, we are given the discernment to know a holy message from a misleading one.

God Won't Ask

God won't ask the square footage of your house...but He'll ask how many
people you welcomed into your home.

God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet...but He'll ask
how many you helped to clothe.

God won't ask what your highest salary was...but He'll ask if you
compromised your character to obtain it.

God won't ask what your job title was...but He'll ask if you performed
your job to the best of your ability.

God won't ask how many friends you had...but He'll ask how many people
to whom you were a friend.

God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived...but He'll ask how you
treated your neighbors.

God won't ask about the color of your skin...but He'll ask about the
content of your character.

God won't ask why it took you so long to seek Salvation... but He'll
lovingly take you to your mansion in heaven, and not to the gates of Hell.


always remember psalms 37:4

It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we
shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives even in the midst of
pain and suffering. Remember, next time your little hut is burning to
the ground it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God.
For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves, God has a
positive answer for it:

YOU SAY
GOD SAYS
BIBLE VERSES

You say : "It's impossible"
God says: All things are possible
(Luke 18:27)

You say: "I'm too tired"
God says: I will give you rest
(Matthew 11:28-30)

You say: "Nobody really loves me"
God says: I love you
(John 3:16 & John 3:34)

You say: "I can't go on"
God says: My grace is sufficient
(II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)

You say: "I can't figure things out"
God says: I will direct your steps
(Proverbs 3:5-6)

You say: "I can't do it"
God says: You can do all things
(Philippians 4:13)

You say: "I'm not able"
God says: I am able
(II Corinthians 9:8)

You say: "It's not worth it"
God says: It will be worth it
(Roman 8:28)

You say: "I can't forgive myself"
God says: I Forgive you
(I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

You say: "I can't manage"
God says: I will supply all your needs
(Philippians 4:19)

You say: "I'm afraid"
God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear but of love, power and a sound mind.
(II Timothy 1:7)

You say: "I'm always worried and frustrated"
God says: Cast all your cares on ME
(I Peter 5:7)

You say: "I don't have enough faith"
God says: I've given everyone a measure of faith
(Romans 12:3)

You say: "I'm not smart enough"
God says: I give you wisdom
(I Corinthians 1:30)

You say: "I feel all alone"
God says: I will never leave you or forsake you

__

Enrich your life and others around you by having the Word of God on the tip of your tounge. It will make you Strong in the power of His might. (1 Peter 3:15)

Take a 3x5 card and write out a scripture on it. Carry the card with you till you have it memorized.

ONE A WEEK you can do that. Here are some to start you off...

God's Plan: Romans 3:23; 6:23; 10:9,10; 1
John 1:9; 2 Corinthians 5:17;
Rom 8:16

Validity of the Scriptures: 2 Tim 3;16,17; 2 Pet 1:19,.20
Natural man blind to truth: 1 Cor 2:14; 1 Cor 1:18
Controlling yr thoughts: 2 Cor 10:5
Your body a temple of the Holy Spirit, 1 Cor 6:12-20: 3:16,17
Don't be unequally yoked: 2 Cor 6:14-18
What God says He will bring to pass, Isaiah 46:11
God gives all a measure of faith: Rom 12:3
One Mediator between God & man. 1 Timothy 2:5
God has not given you a spirit of fear.. 2 Timothy 1:7
You and God can do it! Phil 4:13