Fw: Words of LIFE: Heavenly Peace

Heavenly Peace By James Robison Why were the tears suddenly filling my eyes until they began to stream down my cheeks? Just a few moments earlier, my hands were lifted to heaven in worshipful praise. I had noticed Betty's hands also lifted, along with many others, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw my daughter Rhonda with hands lifted high, tears filling her eyes, as she, too, praised our Savior. But now my head was nearly in my lap, and I was weeping. We had been invited to simply gather with friends for a Christmas fellowship, and some of our family—including four grandchildren—also attended. We were blessed by two gifted musicians, Tim Sheppard  and Brent Lamb, who had been asked to lead Christmas songs, worship and praise. I was moved from previous times of exultation to complete brokenness over the simple phrase from Away in a Manger, "the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay." So help me, I could see the precious, beautiful, most-special baby boy. In recent months, it has been as though this old Baptist preacher keeps seeing visions. I guess it just fulfills the prophecy that "old men shall see visions." The "old" part is true, but our kids and grandkids keep telling me not to say it—I'm not old, they say.  But the fact is, I am seeing visions, and I'm not hallucinating. So help me, I saw baby Jesus asleep on the hay, wrapped in rags. Somehow it just didn't seem right for Him—the Messiah, the Promised One, the hope of all humanity—to be lying there in the straw. But I must tell you, He was altogether so amazingly beautiful, as the Christmas favorite Silent Night so clearly proclaims. There He was, sleeping "in heavenly peace." I am telling you, I could see Him, and there I, too, along with the shepherds and wise men, worshiped the Promised One—the One who came to pay for and offer peace on earth. Peace to me, you and all who will receive it. Oh, how I long to see people receive the peace that only God can give. It is within and can overflow, inspiring everyone He contacts. This peace can only prevail on earth when it resides in us. It can only come when we yield our lives to the Prince of Peace—to Jesus, the holy child, the perfect demonstration of life and truth, the lamb that was slain, the reigning Lord of all and King of Kings. As I glanced around the room, I saw many mothers, fathers, grandparents and young people who had come to Jesus as I shared the gospel over the past 50 years. I saw in their countenance the heavenly peace in which Jesus surely slept. Some of them have recently lost loved ones. Others are battling cancer or other debilitating diseases. Some of them have had family members challenged by addictions or financial pressures. But through it all, there was Jesus, revealed so clearly. What a Savior! What a "friend we have in Jesus!" Once again, that baby asleep on the hay reappeared in my mind's eye, and I saw indescribable love, grace and forgiveness, "joy unspeakable and full of glory." My mind was exploding with phrases from treasured Christmas carols, songs, hymns and Bible verses—all increasing my gratitude for the little baby lying in a manger but now living in my heart as the closest possible friend. He is the only one who knows me fully, understands me, and will never leave me nor forsake me. Suddenly, I, too, felt the "peace that passes all understanding." This peace is available to everyone through the One whose birth I pray you openly and joyfully celebrate this weekend. Read more of James' personal commentaries at www.jamesrobison.net   Video Words of LIFE: Sheila Walsh talks about "When God Asks Too Much." Watch now.   Revisiting Regret: Beth Moore tells us to stop confessing the same sins over. Watch now.   Get in the Game: The best player can't win a game alone. We all need a team! Learn to be a team player with this week's "Get in the Game" Bible study.   Did someone forward this to you? Subscribe to Receive your own Words of LIFE every week!

Fwd: Words of LIFE: When Praying, Listen

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: LIFE Today <devotional@loi.org>
Date: Sun, 14 Nov 2010 03:00:30 -0600 (CST)
Subject: Words of LIFE: When Praying, Listen
To: rkbc1947@gmail.com

Words of LIFE

When Praying, Listen
by James Robison

God has not only called me to preach, He has called me to prayer. It
is important to note that Jesus commanded His disciples to preach, but
He taught them to pray. The ministry God gave me was birthed and
bathed in prayer and I am grateful that millions have heard the Gospel
proclaimed and professed their faith in Christ.

But even while blessed in my ministry, I found myself out of the will
of God. I was too busy preaching to spend necessary and important time
in prayer. I once foolishly and almost arrogantly responded to a
sincere woman's question, "When you travel and preach so
many places so many times a day, how do you have time to pray?"
I looked at her and said, "I preach you pray!"

How sad. I had lost intimacy with God. I had unwittingly left my first
love. I was burnt out, burned up and defeated. God in His grace broke
my heart. I missed intimacy with Jesus. I am so grateful that 30 years
ago the Lord accomplished a marvelous work of deliverance and fullness
to restore me to my first love. Jesus made me a servant to others to
ministers, missionaries, the church and the suffering around the
world.

In the last two years, God has called me to meditate on His Word,
research history and spend much time in prayer. When I pray, most of
my time is spent primarily seeking to hear God's heart. In my
weekly commentaries and through the LIFE Today television program, I
have been sharing the impressions, concerns and directions He has
given me while praying. Hopefully you can hear God's heart with
supernatural enabling through what I share.

In this commentary and for the next few weeks, I will communicate the
impressions and messages that come as I seek to know the mind of God.
It will be up to you, along with me and other godly counselors I
consult, to discern if what I hear is His heart and His word. I find
what I hear consistent with scripture. If I could not, I would
seriously question what I heard or thought I heard. Keep in mind, when
we pray, we seek insight, instruction, wisdom and divine guidance
related to every aspect of life. Jesus said, "My sheep hear My
voice," and I believe Him.

As I have prayed and listened, these are impressions that came to my
mind:

I can be an answer and help others be an answer to Jesus'
prayers. It is important even imperative that we seek to become one
with the Father's heart just as Jesus was. Our Lord did not pray
amiss. It is possible! As Christians we can be perfected in
supernatural unity and heart harmony.

Love never fails, but is seldom fully received or freely released. Its
eternal effect is not always revealed within our expected time frame.
Last week the Spirit of God overwhelmed me as I sensed His joy over
the possibility of believers coming together to put His arms around a
suffering world.

During the past 12 months, God has made it very clear to me that our
nation stumbles because the church slumbers. Our national freedom will
be lost if Christians do not allow God in His power to set them free
from the bondage of this present world and become light piercing the
darkness and helping illuminate the way to restore freedom's
foundation. Only an act of God can give elected representatives the
dedication, determination, tenacity and wisdom to hammer out the
details necessary to correct national problems related to taxation,
immigration, the economy, national security, social concerns,
injustice and lawlessness.

Idolatry is the issue. Individually and nationally the first of the
Ten Commandments is too freely cast aside. God is not first for many
church goers, professing Christians or citizens of the United States,
even as they carry money with "In God We Trust" written on
it. All who hold to idols are fellowshipping with demons. Idolaters
are jerked around like puppets on strings. Who is pulling the strings
of your heart? Who is farming the field of your life?

Money is not our problem; the love of money is the problem. This leads
to all manner of evil expressions and foolish trust in false gods. The
fertile field of opportunity and freedom is not the problem. The
farmer who does not understand that his own life is to be God's
cultivated field and His fruitful garden is the problem. We must give
God the field of our lives and let Him root out any weeds that can
hinder fruitfulness. God wants us to be rooted and grounded in love.
He wants believers to be fruitful and multiply His blessings.

Government is not God and must never be presented as all-provident or
foolishly perceived as such. Once God is not first and the primary
pursuit of our heart, we will foolishly look to inappropriate sources
and ineffective solutions. It is a crime to allow children to think
anyone owes them a life or a living. There is not an affective
charitable act on this planet apart from compassion in action hands
out, not just hand-outs.

I will close with this clear and startling image: When I witnessed the
rage and riots in Greece, God spoke to my heart very clearly:
"What you see is a microcosm of what will happen here in the
United States if we do not see a return to God and a spiritual
awakening within the church. Businesses and corporations will be
attacked and ransacked. Normal activity will be disrupted. Perceived
luxury items (cars and houses) subject to damage. Anything giving the
appearance of success or prosperity will be damaged. Darkness will
prevail spiritually and energy sources will be short-circuited.
Communication lines will be severed. All this organized by evil
factions who are controlled by the powers of darkness and who are the
enemies of liberating truth and true freedom." God forbid that
Islamic extremists should get their hands on nuclear weapons. The
former Soviet threat pales in comparison with what these radicals
desire to unleash on the United States and our allies.

Misguided media and manipulators of people will place blame on and
accuse those who have dared to proclaim the truth as being a major
cause of the riotous acts. People who are filled with love, compassion
and truth will be blamed for the despicable acts perpetrated by those
who seek to bring the United States and free nations under their
control.

The only possibility of preventing such actions will be the love and
power of God released through the people of faith. There will be no
healthy redirection of this nation apart from God's wisdom along
with the influence and the bold witness of Spirit-filled God-loving
Christians. The government and Marshall Law will not be adequate. God
is the answer and His love expressed freely through His people is the
only way to miss what will surely come our way apart from repentance
and the return to truth and to the God of our fathers. Consider
Nineveh! Repentance offers hope.

I have been sharing and will continue to share the impressions I have
while praying and seeking God's will with all my heart.
When you spend much time with someone and get to know them well,
it's amazing how clearly you hear and recognize their
voice.  Because I do hear God's heart, I am unable to hold
back the release of the river of love, truth and concern that fills my
heart to overflowing.

God has not just given me a sermon, He has given me a message. A
sermon is often about something, but a message is to someone. A sermon
is heard, but a message must be heeded. Sermons are preached. Messages
are delivered. There is a difference. The latter demands a response
and calls for immediate, appropriate action. As with hearing God,
messages from Him will always be in perfect harmony with the Word of
God.

The invitation of Jesus to come as little chicks to the shelter and
shadow of His covering is the image I keep seeing and the clear word
that I keep hearing. He offered this invitation while praying over
Jerusalem and He could see clearly the coming desolation because
God's Word through the prophets had been spurned. If Christians
will pray and listen and then stand boldly and fearlessly, faith and
freedom will prevail. I am praying continually, "Oh Lord, let us
hear and respond to Your invitation and not experience the desolation
that can be avoided through your grace and our response to Your heart
and Your Word."

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Fwd: [BurmaCampaign] Burma update - Aung San Suu Kyi to be released?

Dear friend
 
Fake elections
On 7 November Burma's dictatorship held its sham elections. It was clear what the result would be before a single vote had been cast.
 
The dictatorship's election laws prevented Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy from taking part. Severe restrictions on parties and candidates prevented any real campaigning and there were widespread allegations of voter intimidation and bribery during the election.
 
But even if the elections had been free and fair, it still wouldn't have made a difference because the new constitution is designed to maintain dictatorship.
 
See our press release for more details:
http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/index.php/news-and-reports/news-stories/new-burma-government-does-not-have-to-include-any-elected-mps/8 <http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/index.php/news-and-reports/news-stories/new-burma-government-does-not-have-to-include-any-elected-mps/8>
 
Aung San Suu Kyi to be released?
Aung San Suu Kyi's detention expires on Saturday 13 November and under Burmese law she should be released.
 
There is much speculation about whether or not Aung San Suu Kyi is about to be released. Burma's generals may be calculating that by releasing Aung San Suu Kyi they will receive so much positive publicity it will counter the negative attention on the election.
 
Obviously, we hope that Aung San Suu Kyi will be released. However, if she is released, the international community must not make the same mistake it has made in the past, hoping that this is a sign of change. Aung San Suu Kyi has been released twice before without there being any political change in the country. It is more likely that the dictatorship will try to use her release to try and persuade the international community to relax pressure on them.
 
Download our briefing on Aung San Suu Kyi here:
http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/index.php/news-and-reports/burma-briefing/title/aung-san-suu-kyi1
 
Show your support for Aung San Suu Kyi – wear our Free Burma t-shirt!
They are fairtrade and organic and all profits go to the Burma Campaign UK.

Buy yours here:
http://www.backstreet-merch.com/bands/burma/default.asp <http://www.backstreet-merch.com/bands/burma/default.asp>
 
Thank you for your support.

Anna
Burma Campaign UK

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MountainWings:Saturday - The Ticket

MountainWings       A MountainWings Moment #2085          Wings Over The Mountains of Life -------------------------------------------------   The Ticket =========   Jack took a long look at his speedometer before slowing down: 73 in a 55 zone.   When his car had slowed to 10 miles an hour, Jack pulled over, But only partially off the road. Let the cop worry about the potential traffic hazard. Maybe some other car will tweak his backside with a mirror.   The cop that stepped out of his car was Bob; Bob from Church?   Jack sunk farther into his seat. This was worse than the coming Ticket, a Christian cop catching a guy from his own church.   Jumping out of the car, he approached a man he saw every Sunday, A man he'd never seen in uniform.   Jack - "Hi, Bob."   Bob - "Hello, Jack." No smile.   Jack - "Guess you caught me red-handed in a rush to see my wife And kids."   Bob - "Yeah, I guess."   Jack - "I've seen some long days at the office lately. I'm Afraid I was going a little fast. Diane said something about Roast beef and potatoes tonight. Know what I mean?" Jack toed at a pebble on the pavement.   Bob - "I know what you mean. I also know that you have a Reputation for speeding."   Ouch. This was not going in the right direction. Time to Change tactics.   Jack - "What'd you clock me at?"   Bob - "Seventy. Would you sit back in your car please?"   Jack - "Now wait a minute here, Bob. I checked as soon as I saw You. I was barely nudging 65."   Bob - "Please, Jack, in the car."   Flustered, Jack hunched himself through the still-open door. Slamming it shut, he stared at the dashboard. The minutes Ticked by. Why hadn't he asked for a driver's license? A tap on the door jerked his head to the left. There was Bob, With a folded paper in hand.   Jack rolled down the window a mere two inches, just enough room For Bob to pass him the slip.   "Thanks a lot!" Jack could not quite keep the sneer out of his Voice.   Bob returned to his police car without a word as Jack unfolded The sheet of paper. How much was this one going to cost?   Jack began to read: "Dear Jack, once I had a daughter. She was six when killed by a Car. You guessed it - a speeding driver.   A fine and three months in jail, and the man was free. Free to Hug his daughters (all three of them). I only had one, and I'm Going to have to wait until Heaven before I can ever hug her Again.   A thousand times I've tried to forgive that man for killing my Daughter. A thousand times I thought I had. Maybe I did, but I Need to do it again. Even now. Pray for me. And be careful. My son is all I have left.   Bob"   Jack turned around in time to see Bob's car pull away and head Down the road. Jack watched until it disappeared. A full 15 Minutes later, he too, pulled away and drove slowly home, Praying for forgiveness and hugging a surprised wife and kids When he arrived.   Life is precious so handle it with care. Drive safely and carefully.   Remember, cars are not the only things recalled by their maker.   ~by Bill Stephens~     This is important; please pass it along to your friends.    Forward this issue to a friend or click the link below to Print, Share by Email, Facebook, Blog or other services: http://www.mountainwings.com/past/2085.htm   MountainWings, POBox 43725, 120 Selig Dr., Atlanta, GA 30336 USA

DO OTHERS SEE JESUS IN YOU?

Was just sent this:-

Bill was a drunk, converted in a Skid Row Mission. Before his conversion, he had gained a reputation as a tramp and an alcoholic for whom there was no hope. But when he gave his life to Christ, everything changed.

He became the most caring person at the Mission and spent his days there doing whatever needed to be done. There was never anything he was asked to do that he considered beneath him, whether it was cleaning up vomit left by some sick alcoholic, or scrubbing toilets used by men who had left them filthy, Bill did it all with a heart of gratitude. He could be counted on to feed any man who wandered in from the streets, undress him and tuck him into bed, when he was incapable of taking care of himself.

One evening after the Mission Director had delivered his message to the usual crowd of solemn men with drooped heads, one of them came down to the altar and knelt to pray, crying out for God to help him change.

The repentant drunk kept shouting, “O God, make me like Bill! Make me like Bill! Make me like Bill!” The Director of the Mission leaned over and said, “Wouldn’t it be better if you prayed, ‘Make me like Jesus’?”

After thinking about it for a few seconds, the man looked up and asked, “Is he like Bill?”

Live, so that others see Jesus in you!

+++ Indian, Orthodox & Christian : How we live ...

Robin Brookes has sent you a link to a blog:

Worth musing over....

Blog: +++ Indian, Orthodox & Christian
Post: How we live ...
Link: http://one-christ.blogspot.com/2010/10/how-we-live.html

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Fwd: Words of LIFE: Goodwill Hunting with Dr. Eggerichs

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: LIFE Today <devotional@loi.org>
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 2010 03:00:23 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Words of LIFE: Goodwill Hunting with Dr. Eggerichs
To: rkbc1947@gmail.com

Words of LIFE

Goodwill Hunting with Dr. Emerson Eggerichs
by Michelle Brown

Sometimes people give me funny looks when they learn that I'm reading
a book on marriage.  As a single person who has never been
married this particular genre isn't one which fits my current
life.

Recently a copy of Dr. Emerson Eggerichs' latest book, The
Language of Love & Respect, came my way. The target audience is
married people, but there are many good points which are helpful for
all relationships.

Dr. Eggerichs addresses the issue of "goodwill" in the
fourth chapter of his book, stating:

A simple definition of goodwill is "the intention to do good
toward another person." But there is much more to it than that.
A spouse may intend to do good, but fail to deliver. Good intentions
do not necessarily guarantee good results.

As Jesus said to His disciples when they went to sleep on the
job in the Garden of Gethsemane, "the spirit is willing, but the
flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41). Jesus knew His disciples had
goodwill toward Him even though their follow-through didn't
match their good intentions.

The apostle Paul captured the reality of good intentions but poor
follow-through when he wrote about his own struggles with the flesh in
Romans 7:19: "I don't do the good things I want to do. I
keep on doing the evil things that I don't want to do." (NIRV)

Take what Dr. Eggerichs says and put it in the context of any
relationship - friend, coworker, boss - and consider the
implications of these statements:

When your spouse fails to follow through on good intentions, your
definition of goodwill must also include the idea that goodwilled
people do not mean any harm; they do not intend real evil toward one
another. Your spouse may be neglectful, forgetful, or make a careless,
even thoughtless remark. As a result, you may be hurt or angry and may
lash out in some way to retaliate. But despite all these failings,
deep down you both care for each other. Beneath the turmoil on the
surface of what is going on, your goodwill remains intact.

We are goodwilled people - or at least want to be - but
sin still holds us in its grip. This is why, even though we have
goodwill toward our mate, we can still sin against our mate in all
kinds of ways. So, my counsel to married couples who are serious about
practicing Love and Respect is always the same: whenever your
spouse's good intentions fail to produce loving or respectful
actions toward you, you have only one good option, and that is to make
a deliberate choice to trust your spouse's goodwill.

What would happen if we based all of our responses on the premise that
the other person has goodwill toward us?

Let's say, for example, that a friend recently did or said
something to deeply hurt me. I could respond based on my feelings of
hurt, which say that my friend is an inconsiderate jerk who
doesn't care for anyone else's feelings, or I could choose
to believe that my friend genuinely has goodwill toward me.  If I
respond out of my hurt then it is likely that I will do or say
something equally hurtful which, as Eggerichs says, is "designed
to send the message, 'You hurt me, so I am going to hurt you so
you will stop hurting me!'"  In other words, I will
try to take some sort of emotional vengeance and perpetuate a cycle of
hurt - I get hurt and I hurt the other person in return.
However, if I choose to respond with belief in my friend's
goodwill toward me then, even though it doesn't negate the
emotional pain I feel, I am able to extend grace toward my
friend.  With grace we are able to work through the difficult
feelings and toward reconciliation.

Along with his Romans 7 confession of not being able to always do what
he wants and not do what he doesn't want, Paul also teaches
that, despite our weaknesses, goodwill is a reality. Following through
on our good intentions is possible when we seek to do God's will
from our hearts and "with good will render service, as to the
Lord, and not to men." (Ephesians 6:7)

Paul tells us not to pay back evil for evil, but to live honorably
and, as much as possible, peacefully with everyone (Romans 12:17-19).
If we hunt for the goodwill in others, we will find that our lives
work more smoothly.  Moreover, if we exhibit goodwill toward
everyone then we will love people the way Jesus loves them, which is
the same way He love us.

In the end, that is what our relationship with Christ is all about,
especially since we are His Bride and He is our Groom.  Dr.
Eggerichs' teachings about love and respect in marriage have a
broader application than the relationship between husband and wife. As
we choose to seek goodwill in every relationship, we begin to more
truly live out Jesus' directive to love our neighbor as
ourselves. That is the quintessential definition of goodwill.

Excerpts taken from The Language of Love & Respect: Cracking the
Communication Code with Your Mate by Emerson Eggerichs. (Thomas
Nelson)

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Fwd: A favour for a friend

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Tim Norman <tnorman1@mac.com>
Date: Thu, 07 Oct 2010 07:09:15 +0100
Subject: A favour for a friend
To: Tim Norman <timnorman1@gmail.com>

I'd like to ask a favour for a good friend of mine, if I may.

Professor Richard Wilding has been nominated for the European Supply
Chain Excellence Awards, which in itself is a great honour. However,
now in order to win it he needs votes – apparently anyone can enter
their vote.

So I wonder if you would spare a minute to support him. There is a
brief profile of him on the voting website and he also has his own if
you wish to know more. Winning the award would mean a lot to him and
his University – Cranfield School of Management.

http://www.supplychainexcellenceawards.com/Vote.aspx

If you are able to encourage others in your network including friends,
family or colleagues to vote for him it would be very much
appreciated!

Thank you so much. Please email me or him if you want to know more.

Many thanks

Tim Norman

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Fw: Help make the climate connection big

Welcome to Global Action email. There's only one month to go until the Big Climate Connection and we need your help to make it truly big. Big for MPs who have the power to push for more climate action. Big for our communities to gather together for a greater impact and big for poor people - our neighbours - who are being hit hardest by the changing climate. Click here to see what's happening in your constituency. HELP MAKE THE CLIMATE CONNECTION BIG Thanks to everyone who has already signed up to connect with their MP and their community as part of the Big Climate Connection on 5 and 6 November. You have to sign up via the map to join in, and people have flocked to do so - but we'd love to see it crammed full of even more people eager to call on their MPs for urgent climate action. We'll provide you with everything you need to talk to your MP including a briefing on the issues and email updates to help you prepare - ready and waiting for you at www.tearfund.org/lobby. With the impacts of climate change already hitting our poorest neighbours we need to speak up for urgent action at the climate talks this December and through the UK's Energy Bill. So, please connect in your community, connect with your MP, connect the issues and sign up today! Click here to add your name to the map. PS - don't forget that it's 10-10-10 this weekend, join millions of Christians around the world praying for a more just world. Whatsyourpromise.org.uk With thanks for all you do, Tom, Ben Helen, Jay, Laura and Heather. The Campaigns Team Follow Tearfund's campaigning on Twitter at www.twitter.com/superbadger and take the latest SuperBadger action at apps.facebook.com/superbadger Why not also sign up for twelve, Tearfund's monthly e-newsletter. News, views and wit delivered straight to your inbox every month. Visit www.tearfund.org/twelve today. ©Tearfund is a registered charity No. 265464 (England and Wales) No. SC037624 (Scotland)