PHILIPPIANS 4:23

Phil. 4:13 states:

"I can do all things through Christ
which strengthen me......." 

A young man who had been raised as an atheist was training to be an Olympic diver.
The only religious influence in his life came from his outspoken Christian friend.

The young diver never really paid much attention to his friend's sermons,
but he heard them often.

One night the diver went to the indoor pool at the college he attended.
The lights were all off, but as the pool had big skylights and the moon was bright,there was plenty of light to practice by.

The young man climbed up to the highest diving board and as he turned his back to the pool on the edge of the board and extended his arms out, he saw his shadow on the wall.

The shadow of his body,was in the shape of a cross. 

The man felt a strange feeling,like someone was speaking to him.

Instead of diving,he knelt down and
finally asked God to come into his life.

As the young man stood,a maintenance man walked in and turned the lights on.

The pool had been drained for repairs. 

Remember this story and share it with everyone.

Repeat This After Me:

Yes, I Love Jesus.
He is my source of existence and Savior.
He keeps me functioning each and everyday."Without Him, I will be nothing. Without him, I am nothing
but with Him I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me." 

GRACE AND PEACE IN 2013.....

FROM ARTHUR & HELEN HENRY

IF WE LIVE FOR JESUS

1. If We Live For Jesus, We THINK Like Jesus.

Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, ...

Building Houses

· --One builder builds a cathedral where another builds a prison!

· --The bathroom is built where the living room should be.

· --The concrete porch is poured under the bedroom window

If we Live for Jesus, we must have a mind like His.

Colossians 3:2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If any one loves the world, love for

the Father is not in him.

John 8:29 And he who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is

pleasing to him."

If we live for Jesus, our minds will be like His. If our minds are not like Jesus, we do not...

2. If We Live For Jesus, We SPEAK Like Jesus

Our words are important

Colossians 3:17 whatever you do, in word or deed, do ALL ...

Matthew 12:35 The good man out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil man out of

his evil treasure brings forth evil.

Our words identify us!

Matthew 26:74 Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, "I do not know

the man." And immediately the cock crowed. (RSV)

Our words determine our eternal future!

Matthew 12:36-37 I tell you, on the day of judgment men will render account for every careless

word they utter; 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you

will be condemned."

If we live for Jesus, we will speak for Him. If we do not speak for Jesus, we do not...

3. If We Live For Jesus, We ACT Like Jesus.

Philippians 1:27 let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ,

· Jesus did not tell us to treat others the way they treat us

· Jesus did not tell us to get even or even take the first punch.

Matthew 7:12 "Do to others as you would have them do to you."

Jesus even told us to do better than the normal--

Matthew 5:41 "go the second mile."

Matthew 5:39 "turn the other cheek."

Matthew 5:44 "love your enemies."

If we live for Jesus, our manner of life will be like His.

· Do you claim to be a child of GOD yet think UNGODLY things?

· Do you claim to be a Christian, yet talk nothing like Christ?

· Do you claim to be led by the Spirit, yet behave like the Devil?

1 John 1:6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not live according to the truth; (RSV)

If we do not live LIKE Jesus, we do not live FOR Him.

If we do not live FOR Jesus, we will not live WITH Him.

If you desire new life in Christ, repent of your sins, confess His name and be buried with Him by baptism into His death so that you may have new life with Jesus and for Him. 

Remember to "Live Jesus and not Play Jesus"!

E-MAIL ADDRESS

An unemployed man is desperate to support  his family of a wife and three kids. He applies for a janitor's job at a large firm  and easily passes an aptitude test. The human resources manager tells him,  'You will be hired at minimum wage. Let me have your e-mail address so that we can get you in the loop. Our system will automatically e-mail you all the forms and advise you when to start and where to report on your first day.' Taken back, the man protests that he is poor and has neither a computer nor an e-mail address. To this the manager replies, 'You must understand that to a company like ours that means that you virtually do not exist. Without an e-mail address you can hardly expect to be employed by a high-tech firm Good day.' Stunned, the man leaves. Not knowing where to turn and having $10 in his wallet, he walks past a farmers' market and sees a stand selling 25 lb. crates of beautiful red tomatoes. He buys a crate, carries it to a busy corner and displays the tomatoes. In less than 2 ! hours he sells all the tomatoes and makes 100% profit. Repeating the process several times more that day, he ends up with almost $100 and arrives home that night with several bags of groceries for his family. During the night he decides to repeat the tomato business the next day. By the end of the week he is getting up early every day and working into the night He multiplies his profits quickly. Early in the second week he acquires a cart to transport several boxes of tomatoes at a time, but before a month is up he sells the cart to buy a broken-down pickup truck At the end of a year he owns three old trucks. His two sons have left their neighborhood gangs to help him with the tomato business, his wife is buying the tomatoes, and his daughter is taking night courses at the community college so she can keep books for him. By the end of the second year he has a dozen very nice used trucks and employs fifteen previously unemployed people, all! selling tomatoes. He continues to work hard. Time passes and at the end of the fifth year he owns a fleet of nice trucks and a warehouse that his wife supervises, plus two tomato farms that the boys manage. The tomato company's payroll has put hundreds of homeless and jobless people to work. His daughter reports that the business grossed over one million dollars. Planning for the future, he decides to buy some life insurance. Consulting with an insurance adviser, he picks an insurance plan to fit his new circumstances. Then the adviser asks him for his e-mail address in order to send the final documents electronically. When the man replies that he doesn't have time to mess with a computer and has no e-mail address, the insurance man is stunned, 'What, you don't have e-mail? No computer? No Internet? Just think where you would be today if you'd had all of that five years ago!' 'Ha!' snorts the man. "If I'd had e-mail five years ago I would be sweeping floors at some high-tech firm and making minimum wage. Since you got this story by e-mail, you're probably closer to being a janitor than a millionaire.  Sadly, I received it also.  Which brings us to the moral of the story:  If You Trust God........He Will Turn Your Scars Into Stars............. God Doesn't Use Email; God Uses Faith........................................ God Is A God Of Multiplication.................................................... This Story Shows What A Little Bit Of Faith Can Do....................... Not Only Did God Pour Out A Blessing On This Man and His Family But Through One Man's Faith; Many Others Received A Blessing.... So If You Ever Feel Like Throwing In The Towel............................ If Life Has Got You Hedged In On Every Side................................ Begin To Look For God In The Mundane....................................... And Watch God Change Your Name From Victim Into Victor...........

STRICTLY GOSPEL

Please. Open your Bibles' and turn to the Book of Genesis. We are going to start reading from Chapter one and we will read until verse twenty-five.  Notice, "God said", and each time that He spoke something happened. God spoke the world into existence.............Are we clear on that?

Now when we get to verse twenty-six notice a change: Then God said " Let us make a man, someone like ourselves (and I am reading from The Living Bible), to be master of all life upon the earth and in the skies and in the seas."  Verse twenty-seven describes how God did it: So God made man like his Master.Like God did God make man; man and maid did He make them. And verse twenty-eight and twenty-nine and thirty gives man dominion over all the earth. God was pleased with what He spoke into existence but verse thirty-one says: Then God looked over all that He had made, and it was excellent in every way.

You see God was pleased with what He had done from days one to five but on the sixth day, God made man and He was EXCELLENT IN EVERY WAY!

 

 

God spoke everything into being but you--------

He shaped you with His Hands----------

Because He wants you to be-------------

A reflection of Himself.

 

 

Chapter two and verse seven tells how God did it: The time came when the Lord God formed a man's body from the dust of the ground and breathed into it the breath of life (Holy Spirit). And man became a living person. You are a spirit-being, living in a body with a soul which consists of your mind-will and emotions.

 

 

And not to be out-done......God said in verse eighteen: "It isn't good for man to be alone; I will make a companion for him, a helper suited to his needs." Verses nineteen and twenty: Nothing God spoke into existence was a suitable helper so God in chapter twenty-one: Then the Lord God caused man to fall into a deep sleep, and took one of his ribs and closed up the place from which he had removed it, and made the rib into a woman. She is called woman because she was taken out of man.  One body - One Spirit..........

 

Verse twenty-four: This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife in such a way that the two become one person. So whatever you do to your wife, husband; you do to yourself!

 

 

God spoke everything into being but you--------

He shaped you with His Hands----------

Because He wants you to be-------------

A reflection of Himself.

 

 

                                             And that's Strictly Gospel

 

 

SEVEN UP

1 . Wake Up !

Decide to have a good day.   "Today is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalms 118:24

 

 

2. Dress Up !

The best way to dress up is to put on a smile.  A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance; but the Lord looks at the heart." I Samuel 16:7

 

 

3. Shut Up !

Say nice things and learn to listen.   God gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking. "He who guards his lips guards his soul." Proverbs 13:3

 

 

4. Stand Up !

For what you believe in.   Stand for something or you will fall for anything. "Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good..." Galatians 6:9-10

 

 

5. Look Up !

To the Lord.  "I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me". Philippians 4:13

 

 

6. Reach Up !

For something higher.  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

 

 

7. Lift Up !

Your Prayers.   "Do not worry about anything; instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING."  Philippians 4:6

 

THE TYPICAL STORY WE HEAR IS.............

"It's about 2013 years ago, the evening of December 25. Mary rides into Bethlehem on a donkey, urgently needing to deliver her baby. Although it's an emergency, all the innkeepers turn them away. So they deliver baby Jesus in a stable. Then angels sing to the shepherds. Afterwards, they all join three kings with camels in worshipping the quiet, newborn."

The problem is, this story may be almost entirely wrong. The events surrounding the birth have been retold so many times and in so many ways -- in plays, poetry, books and movies -- that most people have a distorted view of the true events. The only accurate record is found in the Holy Bible, God's Word.

                      

                     Did Mary ride a donkey to Bethlehem? Perhaps, but there are various other possibilities. The Bible doesn't say how she got to Bethlehem. It only says that she came with Joseph.

                     Did Mary arrive in Bethlehem the night she gave birth? The Bible does not suggest this. They could have arrived weeks earlier. God's Word simply states, "while they were there [in Bethlehem], the days were accomplished that she should be delivered" (Luke 2:6). Arriving in town well before her due date would make more sense.

                     Did Joseph or Mary talk to any innkeepers? Perhaps, but there is no solid, biblical reason to believe that they did. Although innkeepers play a prominent part in many Christmas plays, no innkeeper is actually mentioned in the biblical record of Christ's birth. Furthermore, it is likely that Mary and Joseph actually stayed in a house with relatives, not behind some kind of Bible-times hotel. (See below)

                     Was Jesus born in a stable? Or a barn? Or a cave? The Bible does not mention any of these three places in connection with Christ's birth, only a manger. Scripture simply reports that they laid Jesus in a manger because there was no room for him in the guest room. The Greek word used in Scripture is kataluma, and can mean guest chamber, lodging place or inn. The only other time this word was used in the New Testament, it means a furnished, large, upper story room within a private house. It is translated guest chamber, not inn (Mark 14:14-15). According to our Bible archaeology experts, Jesus was probably born in the house of relatives, but outside (under) the normal living and guest quarters. (Learn more: Was Jesus born in a stable? / What is a manger? / What is an inn?

                     "Away in a manger the baby awakes, but little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes." Although this is part of a beautiful song, we cannot be sure that Jesus did not cry. The Bible does not report this.

                     Did angels sing to the shepherds outside of Bethlehem? Perhaps, but the Bible doesn't specifically say that the angels sang. It says that first an angel appeared and spoke, and then appeared "a multitude of the heavenly host praising God" (Luke 2:13).

                    

                     Were angels present at the birth? It seems logical to assume that they were, however, Scripture does not report it, and there is no evidence that angels were visible to Mary and Joseph at this time.

                     Did three kings riding camels come to Jesus' birth? The Bible does not say that any kings or camels visited young Jesus.

                     It does report wise men ("magi") came, but it does not say how many. None of the early Church Fathers, suggested the magi were kings. Since the word "magi" used in the Bible is plural, there were apparently at least two, and there could have been more -- even several more. The Bible simply mentions three costly gifts they presented -- gold, frankincenseand myrrh, but this does not necessarily indicate the number of magi. There is also no proof of what country these men came from.

                     Also, the wise men clearly did not visit Jesus when he was still lying in the manger, as is commonly shown on greeting cards and in plays. The magi did not arrive until sometime after Christ's presentation in the Temple in Jerusalem (Luke 2:22-39).

                     At this time, Scripture calls Jesus a "child," not a "baby." It is possible that little Jesus was walking and talking by then. Based on the calculations of King Herod and the magi (Matthew 2:16), Jesus could been two years old or under. [Learn more: About the "wise men" (magi)]

                     Was Jesus born on December 25, or in December at all? Although it's not impossible, it seems unlikely. The Bible does not specify a date or month. One problem with December is that it would be unusual for shepherds to be "abiding in the field" at this cold time of year when fields were unproductive. The normal practice was to keep the flocks in the fields from Spring to Autumn. Also, winter would likely be an especially difficult time for pregnant Mary to travel the long distance from Nazareth to Bethlehem (70 miles).

"A more probable time would be late September, the time of the annual Feast of Tabernacles, when such travel was commonly accepted. Thus, it is rather commonly believed (though not certain) that Jesus' birth was around the last of September. The conception of Christ, however, may have taken place in late December of the previous year. Our Christmas celebration may well be recognized as an honored observation of the incarnation of 'the Word made flesh' (John 1:14).

…The probability is that this mighty angel, leading the heavenly host in their praises, was Michael the archangel; this occasion was later commemorated by the early church as Michaelmas ('Michael sent'), on September 29, the same as the date of the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles. It would have at least been appropriate for Christ to have been born on such a date, for it was at His birth that 'the Word was made flesh and dwelt (literally tabernacled) among us' (John 1:14).

This would mean, then, that His conception took place in late December. Thus, it might well be that when we today celebrate Christ's birth at what we call Christmas (i.e., 'Christ sent'), we are actually celebrating His miraculous conception, the time when the Father sent the Son into the world, in the virgin's womb. This darkest time of the year--the time of the pagan Saturnalia, and the time when the sun (the physical 'light of the world') is at its greatest distance from the Holy Land--would surely be an appropriate time for God to send the spiritual 'light of the world' into the world as the 'Savior, which is Christ the Lord' (Luke 2:11)" [Dr. Henry M. Morris, The Defender's Study Bible (notes for Luke 2:8,13)].

SUPERNATURAL

Hi Pastor,

 

We were really encouraged by this story. I remember you saying that we will not have to attend the Lakeland revival because we will experience revival in our own churches. Let me share with you the miracles that come out of our church thru the power of ministry and prayer.

**Our neighbor had a stroke, she was in a coma on life support, after talking with her daughter the Lord directed me to go to the hospital to pray for her. We arrived at the hospital she was in the same room the Lord raised my mother out of, I prayed for her anointing her with oil and spoke life into her as the lord told me to. 2 days later I went next door to check with her daughter on her condition and she replied I just talked to mom and she was eating. I could not contain myself I started to praise God in the foyer. One of the patients there was an old pentecostal mother and she began to praise God with me, and the daughter told me "here is the miracle this mother praising God with you can't hear but when someone talks about God her ears open up and she can hear that." . The next day we heard someone yelling across the yard "hey there" It was our neighbor, she had be released from the hospital.

 

**My assistant Kathy, her mom was diagnosed with cancer 3 months ago. Kathy stood in proxy for her as we prayed and continued to pray for her healing, this past Sunday we celebrated her mother being cancer free.

 

**A church member worked in security and she was concerned about her job due to down-sizing. Well we prayed for her, this past Sunday she testified that she got a promotion on her job. When she first came into the church she looked as if she had just stepped out the club a few hours before she came to church. She use to club, drink everyday, and smoke since that Sunday she came to church that lifestyle is no longer a part of her and her countenance bears witness. Now she is in the process of getting a house.

 

**My grandson from birth was diagnosed with bilateral club feet and he has 1/3 heel in 1 foot and less than a 1/3 in the other foot, so the doctors said he would never be bale to walk. Well he is walking and when he went back to the doctor the doctor said I can't explain it. My daughter said it was the power of prayer. The doctor said we don't pray like that in our church but hey we need to.

 

** My daughter went to pay her light bill and had a credit of $900 on her bill. Well she told them it was not her who paid it and they traced it to a company and it was accidently credit to her bill. The power company said there is nothing they can do about it. Is the credit ok with you, of course she said yes.

 

These are some of them, there are more. God bless you. I am sincerely praying blessing for you.

 

Love,

Hattie

 

---

*This is the 21st Century New Testament Church and the Holy Spirit is still touching the lives of God's children. God has given the ministry a new vision and mission statement. We are no longer expecting the Supernatural; we are performing the SUPERNATURAL...............(We dare u to join up!)

THE EPIPHANY STORY (MATTHEW)

 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

    But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

    All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us."

    When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

    After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."

    When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: "'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'" Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."

    After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

    On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

    When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."

    So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."

    When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."

    After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead."

    So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."

        --Matthew 1:18 - 2:23 New International Version

THE CHRISTMAS STORY (LUKE)

    In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

    Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

    "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

    The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."

    "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

    At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"

    And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me--holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers."

    Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

     In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

    So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

    And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

    Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

    When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

    So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

    On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived. When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord"), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."

    Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."

    The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."

    There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

    When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

        --Luke 1:26 - 2:40 New International Version

 

OPEN DOOR

God guides me through open doors to greater good.

 

Open doors are my opportunities to learn, grow, and improve.

They lead me to corridors of life where I receive and contribute

gifts of inspiration, talent, and physical substance. Open doors are

part of the divine order in my life.

 

 

I have often heard the saying, "When one door closes, another

one opens." Yet instead of waiting for another door of opportunity to

open as in this analogy, might I actually find that a closing door is

responding to the powerful draft from a door that has already opened?

I expect doors of opportunity to be swinging on their hinges with the

momentum of the powerful action of God's good.

 

God leads me to and guides me through open doors to greater,

more abundant good.

 

"There in heaven a door stood open! And the first voice, which

I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, 'Come up here,

and I will show you what must take place after this.'"--Revelation 4:1

 

My prayer is that anyone reading this message that doesn't believe that in heaven there is a door with your name on it;

That doesn't believe that God is real and that Jesus is alive and that He lives in your heart. That doesn't believe that they are not of this world but you are, I said,You Are, are citizen of a place called Heaven.................................

Would you kindly walk with me today...........Walk with me...............................................................................

Through the open door ministry of Christ, Inc.?..............You are Christ,Inc............Your Heart is the place where He lives............Christ, Inc.(is the Home of God)................Will you invite Jesus in today?.......................................

Not just for a pre-arranged visit but an unannouced visit to stay?....................................................................

I encourage you to open up your heart and share what this prayer has done for you...........................................

(Many of you think you know God but do you really know Jesus..........Do you believe that Jesus is God come in the flesh?..............Do you believe that Jesus wants you to have victory in every area of your life?............................

I would like you to answer this (1) basic question: Why did Jesus have to die?................................................

Can you answer it?