Fri, May 17th - 8:04AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! FAITHFUL
Her husband had been slipping in and out of a coma for several months yet she stayed by his bedside every single day. When he came to, he motioned for her to come nearer. As she sat by him, he said, "You know what? You have been with me all through the bad times. When I got fired, you were there to support me. When my business fell, you were there. When I got shot, you were by my side. When we lost the house, you gave me support. When my health started failing, you were still by my side. Well, now that I think about it, I think you bring me bad luck!
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Fri, May 17th - 7:56AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
It’s impossible to lose your footing when you’re on your knees.*
*Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. Luke 18:1 (NRSV)
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Thu, May 16th - 7:01AM
THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH
One of the clearest evidences of a Spirit-filled Christian is his hunger for Scripture and his humble submissiveness to the authority of Scripture as God’s written Word. But show me a person who claims to be a Christian yet is not devoting himself to the apostles’ teaching, who rather neglects and even disregards it, and you give me cause to question whether he has received the Holy Spirit at all. For the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth (as Jesus called him). He is given us to be our teacher, and those who are filled with him have a keen appetite for his instruction.
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Thu, May 16th - 6:52AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! RAED TIHS
Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Pettry amzanig huh?
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Thu, May 16th - 6:44AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"The Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next...It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at Heaven, and you will get earth 'thrown in'; aim at earth and you will get neither"* (Mere Christianity 118).
*3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:3 - 12 (NRSV)
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Wed, May 15th - 6:52AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"Reflect upon your blessings, of which every man has plenty, not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some."* -- Charles Dickens
*"Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Philippians 4:8 (NRSV)
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Wed, May 15th - 6:46AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! NOW WHAT?!
A preacher was walking down the street when he notices a little boy trying to ring the doorbell but it's just out of his reach. he watches his efforts for some time and walks over to press the the bell. After he pressed it he leveled down to the boy and asked' "Now what?" to which the boy turned and shouted, "NOW WE RUN!!"
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Tue, May 14th - 8:26AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! SHY PROPOSAL
Frank was madly in love with Susan, but couldn’t get up enough courage to pop the question face to face. Finally he decided to ask her on the telephone. “Darling! He blurted out, “Will you marry me?”
“Of course, I will, you silly boy,” she replied, “Who’s speaking?”
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Tue, May 14th - 8:20AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Whenever we're hit with a trial, if we don't allow ourselves to become angry and bitter, we'll become much more empathetic toward others who are experiencing similar problems and more sensitive to their feelings. All these things make us more loving and a better friend.* - From "It Takes Two to Tango" by Gary and Norma Smalley
*James 1:3-4 "Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."
Romans 5:3-4 "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4And patience, experience; and experience, hope:"
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Mon, May 13th - 8:40AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! KIDS AND CATS
For all of you with teenagers or who had teenagers, you may want to know why they really have a lot in common with cats:
1. Neither teenagers nor cats turn their heads when you call them by name.
2. No matter what you do for them, it is not enough. Indeed, all humane efforts are barely adequate to compensate for the privilege of waiting on them hand and foot.
3. You rarely see a cat walking outside of the house with an adult human being, and it can be safely said that no teenager in his or her right mind wants to be seen in public with his or her parents.
4. Cats and teenagers can lie on the living-room sofa for hours on end without moving, barely breathing.
5. Cats have nine lives. Teenagers carry on as if they did.
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Mon, May 13th - 8:03AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think.* -Edwin Schlossberg, designer (1945- )
*"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)
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Sun, May 12th - 7:44AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! INTELLIGENCE
Dolphins are so intelligent that within a few weeks of captivity they can train a man to stand on the edge of their pool and throw them fish three times a day.
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Sun, May 12th - 7:34AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"Courage, it would seem, is nothing less than the power to overcome danger, misfortune, fear, injustice, while continuing to affirm inwardly that life with all its sorrows is good; that everything is meaningful even if in a sense beyond our understanding; and that there is always tomorrow."* -- Dorothy Thompson
*"Be strong, and let us be courageous for our people and for the cities of our God; and may the LORD do what seems good to him.” 1 Chronicles 19:13 (NRSV)
"Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! Psalm 27:14 (NRSV)
28We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 (NRSV)
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Sat, May 11th - 8:11AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! POOF!
A man was walking on the beach one day and he found a bottle half buried in the sand. He decided to open it. Inside was a genie. The genie said,” I will grant you three wishes and three wishes only." The man thought about his first wish and decided, “I think I want 1 million dollars transferred to a Swiss bank account. POOF! Next he wished for a Ferrari red in color. POOF! There was the car sitting in front of him. He asked for his final wish, " I wish I was irresistible to women." POOF! He turned into a box of chocolates.
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Sat, May 11th - 8:06AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"There are always enough hours in the days we give to God." If you don't have time to do all you have planned to do, maybe some of your plan was not God's will for you to do!*
*"On the day when the LORD gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the LORD; and he said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and Moon, in the valley of Aijalon.” And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in midheaven, and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD heeded a human voice; for the LORD fought for Israel." Joshua 10:12-14 (NRSV)
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Fri, May 10th - 11:56AM
The Measure of Faith and Love
God has emphasized the truth to me: Faith and love to the Lord Jesus Christ are measured by obedience. Thank You Lord Jesus and Holy Spirit of God for this insight. In Jesus' Name.
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Fri, May 10th - 8:23AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! INSURANCE COMPANY
A Charlotte, North Carolina man, having purchased a case of rare, very expensive cigars, insured them against .... get this .... fire. Within a month, having smoked his entire stockpile of fabulous cigars, and having yet to make a single premium payment on the policy, the man filed a claim against the insurance company. In his claim, the man stated that he had lost the cigars in "a series of small fires." The insurance company refused to pay, citing the obvious reason that the man had consumed the cigars in a normal fashion. The man sued ... and won!! In delivering his ruling, the judge stated that since the man held a policy from the company in which it had warranted that the cigars were insurable, and also guaranteed that it would insure the cigars against fire, without defining what it considered to be "unacceptable fire," it was obligated to compensate the insured for his loss. Rather than endure a lengthy and costly appeal process, the insurance company accepted the judge's ruling and paid the man $15,000 for the rare cigars he lost in "the fires." After the man cashed his check, however, the insurance company had him arrested... on 24 counts of arson! With his own insurance claim and testimony from the previous case being used as evidence against him, the man was convicted of intentionally burning the rare cigars and sentenced to 24 consecutive one year terms.
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Fri, May 10th - 8:08AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"We aim above the mark to hit the mark." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
*"Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:48 (NRSV)
"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.} Matthew 5:48 (NRSV)
"Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is." 1 John 3:2 (NRSV)
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Thu, May 9th - 6:40AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! Hi, Mom!
A young man was walking through a supermarket to pick up a few things when he noticed an old lady following him around. Thinking nothing of it, he ignored her and continued on. Finally he went to the checkout line, but she got in front of him. "Pardon me," she said, "I'm sorry if my staring at you has made you feel uncomfortable. It's just that you look just like my son, who just died recently." "I'm very sorry," replied the young man, "is there anything I can do for you?" "Yes," she said, "As I'm leaving, can you say 'Good bye, Mother'? It would make me feel so much better." "Sure," answered the young man.
As the old woman was leaving, he called out, "Goodbye, Mother!" As he stepped up to the checkout counter, he saw that his total was $127.50. "How can that be?" He asked, "I only purchased a few things!" "Your mother said that you would pay for her," said the clerk.
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Thu, May 9th - 6:32AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
The enabling grace of God not only forgave me of my sin, but Jesus paid the debt and set me free. The new birth not only results in forgiveness of sins, but Jesus paid the debt and set me free.*
*17So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NRSV)
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Wed, May 8th - 6:54AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! KNITTING
This police officer sees an old lady driving and knitting at the same time so after driving next to her for awhile he yells to her,"PULLOVER". She replies,"No a pair of socks".
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Wed, May 8th - 6:45AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Persistent love--like the dripping of water on a rock--can wear away a person's resistance. It's nearly impossible to stay angry with or emotionally distant from someone who unconditionally loves and values you.*
*"Love never faileth" 1 Corinthians 13:8 (KJV)
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Tue, May 7th - 8:14AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! TUTORING MATH
A young man tutored his sweetheart maths,
he thought of it as his mission,
he kissed her once then once again and said
"There, that's addition!"
She took it upon herself to return the pleasant action,
she kissed once and once again,
smiled and said "and that's subtraction!"
Now she'd learned the basics without too much complication,
they kissed each other once, then twice,
and said "that must be multiplication!"
Meanwhile the young lady's father
had this 'lesson' in his vision,
he kicked that boy ten foot out the door and said
"Then that is long division!"
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Tue, May 7th - 8:07AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"The reason why many miracles are not now wrought is not so much because faith is established, as that unbelief reigns."* - Bengel.
*19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a£ mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:19-20 (NRSV)
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Mon, May 6th - 3:32PM
Jesus' Economics
Some people often misquote the Bible. They say the Bible says: Let him who is not working not eat. But the Bible doesn’t say that. Listen to what it says in 2 Thessalonians 3:10 (NRSV)
....Anyone unwilling to work should not eat.
It does not say anyone who isn’t working should not eat, but anyone unwilling to work should not eat. Some conditions in the economy prevent people from working even though they would work if given the opportunity.
Notice the parable Jesus gave in Matthew 20:6-7 (NRSV)
And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ 7They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ Jesus was very interested in an economy that paid a man what it takes to live each day. We need to be very careful how we judge people who may be poor because the economy that a nation provides doesn’t provide work at a living wage.
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Mon, May 6th - 9:15AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
One of the basics of effective leadership is clarifying what good results will look like. Without a clear vision and understanding of where we are headed it’s easy to get sidetracked or stop short of our final destination. This holds true for our journey to understand the heart condition of Exalting God Only.* (Inspiring thoughts from Lead Like Jesus: Beginning the Journey Participant’s Study Guide - Page 62)
*Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into His hands, that He had come from God, and that He was going back to God. So He got up from supper, laid aside His robe, took a towel, and tied it around Himself. Next, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciple feet and to dry them with the towel tied around Him. John 13:3-5
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Mon, May 6th - 9:09AM
FRUITS AND GIFTS
What are the marks of a person filled with the Spirit of God today? There can be no doubt that the chief evidence is moral not miraculous, and lies in the Spirit's fruit not the Spirit's gifts. JOHN STOTT
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Sun, May 5th - 8:17AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! TIGHT SHOES
A man walks into a shoe store, and tries on a pair of shoes.
"How do they feel?" asks the sales clerk.
"Well ... they feel a bit tight." replies the man.
The assistant promptly bends down and has a look at the shoes and the mans feet.
"Try pulling out on the tongue." offers the clerk.
"Nath theyth sthill feelth a bith tighth." He says.
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Sun, May 5th - 8:11AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
God is able to give my prayers His undivided attention without neglecting anyone else’s!*
*3then come, let us go up to Bethel, that I may make an altar there to the God who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.” Genesis 35:3 (NRSV)
28 so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him, and he heard the cry of the afflicted— Job 34:28 (NRSV)
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Sat, May 4th - 8:50AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE!
One day a man is walking down the street when he sees an old man with a nice looking dog. He goes over to the man and asks: 'does your dog bite?' the old man replies 'No never'. When the man bends down to stroke the dog, it immediately takes a snap at his hand. The man says 'I thought you said your dog did not bite! 'I did' replies the old man, but this isn't my dog!'
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Sat, May 4th - 8:44AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
Hayden cut his throat when his eyesight and hands failed. He lived only for painting. What do you live 'only' for? Is what you live 'only' for perishable? Only God and persons are imperishable--eternal. Live for God and people only.*
*"He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’" Matthew 22:37-39 (NRSV)
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Fri, May 3rd - 6:44PM
Economy Improving Jobs Up
Dow, S&P 500 close at record levels after jobs report
ReutersBy Ryan Vlastelica | Reuters – 2 hrs 24 mins ago
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Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange, May 1, 2013. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
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Reuters/Reuters - Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange, May 1, 2013. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
By Ryan Vlastelica
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Dow and S&P 500 advanced to all-time closing highs on Friday, with major indexes jumping 1 percent after an unexpectedly strong April jobs report eased concerns about an economic slowdown.
The S&P closed above 1,600 and the Dow briefly traded above 15,000 for the first time as stocks extended this year's rally. Bellwether companies, including Chevron Corp , Boeing Co and Johnson & Johnson , reached 52-week highs.
The Russell 2000 <.rut> stock index of mid- and small cap companies also hit a record, confirming the broadness of the rally. About 70 percent of stocks on both the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq ended in positive territory.
Non-farm payrolls rose by 165,000 last month and the unemployment rate fell to 7.5 percent, a four-year low, from 7.6 percent, the government said. In addition, hiring was much stronger than previously thought in February and March.
Investors welcomed the gains after weeks of disappointing data, including tepid manufacturing reports, that suggested the economic recovery was losing steam.
"We were all wringing our hands over the past month but this alleviates fears about a sharp spring slowdown," said Brad Sorensen, director of market and sector analysis at Charles Schwab in Denver.
The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> was up 140.61 points, or 0.95 percent, at 14,972.19. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> was up 16.63 points, or 1.04 percent, at 1,614.22. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> was up 38.01 points, or 1.14 percent, at 3,378.63.
Both the Dow and S&P ended at all-time closing highs. For the week, the Dow rose 1.8, the S&P gained 2 percent and the Nasdaq rose 3 percent in its biggest weekly climb since the first week of the year.
Sectors tied to the pace of economic growth and to commodity prices were among the strongest gainers. U.S. Steel Corp rose 6.3 percent to $18.14 while WPX Energy Inc was up 5 percent to $16.56. U.S. crude oil futures rose 1.5 percent to settle at $95.43 a barrel.
"Commodity stocks are outperforming with the jobs number alleviating fears over a slowdown," said Sorensen. "The group has pulled back over the past months and they got a bit overdone. There are still really good growth opportunities there."
Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc closed up 2.6 percent at $31.13, after prices of copper posted the biggest daily gain since late October 2011.
General Electric , up 1.1 percent at $22.57, led gains among industrials after it won approval to buy oilfield pump maker Lufkin Industries for about $3 billion. The deal will allow GE to sharply increase its presence in the market to extract oil and natural gas from shale.
Gilead Sciences shares rose 5.7 percent to $55.15 after reaching a record high of $56.35. The world's largest maker of branded HIV drugs reported a big rise in quarterly profit late on Thursday.
LinkedIn Corp shares fell 13 percent to $175.59 a day after the social network reported disappointing revenue forecasts.
Of the 404 companies in the S&P 500 that have reported earnings so far, 68.3 percent have beaten earnings expectations, but only 46.3 percent have reported revenue above expectations. Over the past four quarters, 67 percent of companies beat on earnings and 52 percent beat revenue estimates.
In other economic reports on Friday, U.S. factory orders fell sharply in March while the pace of growth in the vast U.S. services sector eased in April to the slowest pace in nine months.
About 6.33 billion shares changing hands on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and NYSE MKT, below the daily average so far this year of about 6.36 billion shares.
(Editing by Kenneth Barry and Nick Zieminski)
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Fri, May 3rd - 8:49AM
SPIRITUAL GIFTS
The list of seven spiritual gifts in Romans 12 is much less well known than either the two overlapping lists in 1 Corinthians 12 (nine in the first list and eight in the second) or the short list of five in Ephesians 4:11. It is important to note both the similarities and the dissimilarities between them. First, all the lists agree that the *source* of the gifts is God and his grace, although in Romans it is God the Father, in Ephesians God the Son and in 1 Corinthians God the Holy Spirit. Being gifts of trinitarian grace (*charismata*), both boasting and envying are excluded. Secondly, all agree that the *purpose* of the gifts is related to the building up of the body of Christ, although Ephesians 4:12 is the most explicit, and 1 Corinthians 14:12 says that we should evaluate the gifts according to the degree to which they edify the church. Thirdly, all the lists emphasize the *variety* of the gifts, each seeming to be a random selection of them. But, whereas students of the 1 Corinthians lists tend to focus on the supernatural (tongues, prophecy, healing and miracles), in Romans 12 all the gifts apart from prophecy are either general and practical (service, teaching, encouragement and leadership) or even prosaic (giving money and doing acts of mercy). It is evident that we need to broaden our understanding of spiritual gifts. JOHN STOTT
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Fri, May 3rd - 8:44AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! PRAY FOR MY HEARING
Mo attends to a revival and listens to the sermon. After a while, the pastor asks anyone with needs to come forward and be prayed over. Mo gets in line and, when it’s his turn the pastor asks, “Mo, what do you want me to pray about?” Mo says, “Pastor, I need you to pray for my hearing.” So the pastor puts one finger in Mo’s ear and the other hand on top of his head and prays for a while. He removes his hands and says, “Mo how’s your hearing now?” Mo says, “I don’t know pastor, it’s not until next Monday."
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Fri, May 3rd - 8:30AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"You can no more separate yourself from your influence than you can separate yourself from your shadow as you walk in the noonday sun."* (George Truett)
*A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold. Proverbs 22:1 (NRSV)
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Thu, May 2nd - 7:58PM
LETTER TO SPIRITUAL BUT NOT RELIGIOUS
A letter to the SBNR
3 Instead of spending so much energy trying to repackage religion for the religious “nones,” maybe churches should focus on being faithful to God.
By Amy Butler Dear Spiritual But Not Religious Friends, Are your ears burning? You’re causing quite a stir in my circles these days. Many of my colleagues claim you are the biggest challenge of the church today.
You probably didn’t know this was going on. You are Spiritual But Not Religious (SBNR) and most of us talking about you all the time are Spiritual And Also Religious.
No offense, but the endless strategizing about you is getting a bit wearisome to me, so I wondered if we could have a frank conversation.
As I am sure you’ve noticed, the institutional church in America is in decline. All the studies show this is true. I myself like to think of it as “change” or “transformation,” but whatever you call it, our numbers are down and church as we’ve known it looks different these days. This makes all of us church professionals kind of nervous.
Because of your growing presence and influence, our instinctive response to these trends is to do everything we can to try to make you happy -- because if we can figure out how to do that, well, then we can get church back to the way it always was, right?
You may have noticed all the effort currently being expended to bring you into the fold. Some of us are apologizing profusely for the failings of the institutional church and its people. Others are packaging church in innovative and exciting ways (yet again), hoping to catch your attention.
I understand that being SBNR is the latest and coolest way to talk about spirituality these days. And a spiritual designation must be important, since you have to choose one on your Match.com profile. But when we talk about yours, I don’t even know what it means.
Maybe it means seeing God in sunsets and going to yoga class. What I really think is that identifying as SBNR is just a trendy way of saying you believe what you want and practice it whenever you feel like it with whomever you choose, or not. And that’s how you prefer it.
Many of you have told me you’re done with the church. What you see as an ineffectual and often destructive presence in the world has led you to wash your hands of the formal institution. You’re just not going to put up with it anymore. No societal norm says you have to.
You’ve seen the church do too much harm. Pastors are running around embezzling money and sleeping with the church secretary. Churches hate gays. Women cannot lead in the church. You must believe a certain way and not ask questions. People are so mean to each other at church. Have you seen those people from Westboro Baptist Church?
All of these things are true in some churches, and also in some of any other human institution or group. But all of the apologizing we’ve been doing on behalf of the church is exhausting to me.
You’re smart. You know as well as we do that there are many healthy, justice-minded, welcoming and mission-focused communities of faith. They may not be the norm, but they’re around. And you know how to use the Internet, so I don’t think finding a church that isn’t corrupt and exclusive is really the issue, is it?
The thing is, SBNR folks, you may know more about what we’re supposed to be doing than we do. I mean, church -- if it’s done right -- involves inconveniences like missing brunch with friends on Sunday morning, money that could be spent elsewhere given away, old people calling you by the wrong name and occasionally boring sermons.
Being transformed and transforming the world together takes commitment and hard work. It’s a messy engagement that sometimes hurts. It’s caring and sticking around, changing systems and continuously inviting a world in desperate need to witness communities of transformation and prophetic witness.
It’s a fair question to ask why you would add that kind of inconvenience to your life if you didn’t have to.
But I want to tell you that despite our collective panic attacks here on the Spiritual And Also Religious side of things, I am increasingly finding myself less and less interested in trying to find just the right song and dance to make you wake up one day and want to be part of a faith community.
It’s not you. It’s me. I just think that finding a way to be popular again may not be the most pressing work of the church these days.
I suggest to my angst-ridden colleagues that your blatant rejection of the church, rather than a challenge to us to scramble for new ideas and back peddle when churches screw up, is actually a glimpse of what the church of the future will be: less attractive, more alternative, kind of edgy, largely inconvenient and a little strange.
I hear you when you say the church is irrelevant. I get that you don’t care what we’re doing to catch your attention. If we’re smart, we’ll listen to what you’re saying to us and believe that you mean what you say. And then we’ll stop trying to package the institution to make it palatable and just get busy leading the church to faithfully do its work in the world.
I just wanted you to know that I’m not ignoring you. I’m just tired of talking about you constantly in every professional forum I encounter, and I’m exhausted by all the effort expended to manufacture some version of church that will entice you. So I think I’m going to stop.
I’m going to take you at your SBNR word and believe you when you say the church is irrelevant to you. And I’ll just keep on trusting that the message of Jesus will keep calling to us all, inviting whomever is up for the challenge to join right in.
You are welcome anytime, occasionally boring sermons and all.
And even though I’m not talking about you incessantly anymore, I hope you’ll still invite me to brunch once in awhile. On Saturday.
Love, Amy
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Thu, May 2nd - 7:44PM
PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAIMATION
2013
PRESIDENTIAL
PROCLAMATION
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Americans have long turned to prayer both in times of joy and times of sorrow. On their voyage to the New World, the earliest settlers prayed that they would "rejoice together, mourn together, labor, and suffer together, always having before our eyes our commission and community in the work." From that day forward, Americans have prayed as a means of uniting, guiding, and healing. In times of hardship and tragedy, and in periods of peace and prosperity, prayer has provided reassurance, sustenance, and affirmation of common purpose.
Prayer brings communities together and can be a wellspring of strength and support. In the aftermath of senseless acts of violence, the prayers of countless Americans signal to grieving families and a suffering community that they are not alone. Their pain is a shared pain, and their hope a shared hope. Regardless of religion or creed, Americans reflect on the sacredness of life and express their sympathy for the wounded, offering comfort and holding up a light in an hour of darkness.
All of us have the freedom to pray and exercise our faiths openly. Our laws protect these God-given liberties, and rightly so. Today and every day, prayers will be offered in houses of worship, at community gatherings, in our homes, and in neighborhoods all across our country. Let us give thanks for the freedom to practice our faith as we see fit, whether individually or in fellowship.
On this day, let us remember in our thoughts and prayers all those affected by recent events, such as the Boston Marathon bombings, the Newtown, Connecticut shootings, and the explosion in West, Texas. Let us pray for the police officers, firefighters, and other first responders who put themselves in harm's way to protect their fellow Americans. Let us also pray for the safety of our brave men and women in uniform and their families who serve and sacrifice for our country. Let us come together to pray for peace and goodwill today and in the days ahead as we work to meet the great challenges of our time.
The Congress, by Public Law 100-307, as amended, has called on the President to issue each year a proclamation designating the first Thursday in May as a "National Day of Prayer."
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 2, 2013, as a National Day of Prayer. I join the citizens of our Nation in giving thanks, in accordance with our own faiths and consciences, for our many freedoms and blessings, and in asking for God's continued guidance, mercy, and protection.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.
BARACK OBAMA
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Thu, May 2nd - 5:53PM
A PERSONAL STATEMENT!
On March 19, 1985 I re-evaluated my self-worth in thelight of the price of the Life of Jesus Christ with which I was bought. My self-worth is incalculable, more than the whole world: (Mark 8:36) "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" I love myself because Jesus first loved me and gave Himself for me while I was yet a sinner. The moment I believed on Jesus Christ, I was joined to the Lord, united with God, His Spirit, and His people. I possess in embryo every organ, attribute, sense, sympathy, and affection: that is possessed by God Himself. These qualities are mine in rudimentary, embryonic, state subordinate to Jesus Christ, my Lord. These Characteristics will gradually grow into the very image of Jesus Christ: (I John 3:2) "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” I will, meditate upon the portrait of Jesus Christ anticipated by the Prophets of the Old Testament, realized in the New Testament, the Gospels, and especially the Sermon on the Mount in view of becoming who I am in Christ. If I want not to please Him in every thought, word, and deed every moment, how can I claim to be a Christian? (Mat 5:48) "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" This is the most dynamic truth I ever contemplated and I fear dying without setting this example before the generation in which I live.
A WORTHLESS PERSON DOES NOT EXIST! THEY ARE A FIGMENT OF SOME PEOPLE'S IMAGINATION!
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Thu, May 2nd - 8:27AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! SECRET BOX
When a woman got married she put a shoebox in the closet and told her husband not to open it. After over 50 years of marriage she was dying and told him to open the box. When he opened it there were 2 doilies and $85,000.00 He ask why this was in the box. She replied “when I got married my mother told me to crochet a doily every time I got mad at you. He smile thinking she was only mad twice and ask what the $85,000.00 was. She replied that's the money from selling the doilies.
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Thu, May 2nd - 8:20AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"The reason why many miracles are not now wrought is not so much because faith is established, as that unbelief reigns."* - Bengel.
*19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a£ mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:19-20 (NRSV)
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Wed, May 1st - 6:54AM
THE INDWELLING SPIRIT
Romans 8:9 is of great importance in relation to our doctrine of the Holy Spirit for at least two reasons. First, it teaches that the hallmark of the authentic believer is the possession or indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Indwelling sin (Rom. 7:17, 20) is the lot of all the children of Adam; the privilege of the children of God is to have the indwelling Spirit to fight and subdue indwelling sin. As Jesus had promised, 'he lives with you and will be in you' (Jn. 14:17). Now in fulfilment of this promise every true Christian has received the Spirit, so that our body has become 'a temple of the Holy Spirit' in which he dwells (1 Cor. 6:19). Conversely, if we do not have Christ's Spirit in us, we do not belong to Christ at all. This makes it plain that the gift of the Spirit is an initial and universal blessing, received when we first repent and believe in Jesus. Of course there may be many further and richer experiences of the Spirit, and many fresh anointings of the Spirit for special tasks, but the personal indwelling of the Spirit is every believer's privilege from the beginning. To know Christ and to have the Spirit are one. Bishop Handley Moule was wise to write that 'there is no *separable* "Gospel of the Spirit". Not for a moment are we to advance, as it were, from the Lord Jesus Christ to a higher or deeper region, ruled by the Holy Ghost." JOHN STOTT
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Wed, May 1st - 6:44AM
LAUGHTER DOES GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE! SHINGLES
A man walked into a doctor's office and the receptionist asked him what he had. He replied, "I got shingles."
She said, "Fill out this form and supply your name, address, medical insurance number. When you're done, please take a seat."
Fifteen minutes later a nurse's aide came out and asked him what he had. He said, "I got shingles."
So she took down his height, weight, and complete medical history, then said, "Change into this gown and wait in the examining room."
A half hour later a nurse came in and asked him what he had. He said, "I got shingles."
So she gave him a blood test, a blood pressure test, an electrocardiogram, and told him to wait for the doctor.
An hour later the doctor came in and asked him what he had. He said, "Shingles."
The doctor gave him a full-cavity examination, and then said, "I just checked you out thoroughly, and I can't find shingles anywhere. " The man replied, "They're outside in the truck. Where do you want them?"
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Wed, May 1st - 6:36AM
THOUGHT FOR TODAY!
"Faith is to believe what you do not yet see; the reward for this faith is to see what you believe."* -- St. Augustine
*"For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen?" Romans 8:24 (NRSV)
"So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11:24 (NRSV)
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Name: Doyle Purifoy
