GATHERING FEATHERS

There was a lady in the congregation who often talked about a man she did not even know. She talked to the preacher who confirmed it was gossip and she should repent. She asked him what she should do? He said to take her pillow to a high place and rip it with a knife. She returned to the pastor. He asked her if she had followed his instructions. She said yes. He asked what happened and she told him feathers flew out of the pillow and were scattered by the wind. He then instructed her to go now and gather every feather. She hung her head sadly as she told him she could never gather all the feathers. The moral to the story is quite ovious. God bless, Linda

A GROAN CAN MAKE IT TO THE THRONE

WHEN you do not have a prayer..... a groan will make it to the throne. A moan of self pity will never make it but God hears the groan of bondage and injustice. When the children of Israel were in bondage with no hope they groaned and the Bible says God heard their groans and delivered them. Many years ago there was a tragedy in my family that devastated me, left me so powerless I could not lift up my head or call for help. The Lord woke up an intercessory prayer warrior and gave her some words, told her to call me and speak these words to me. Those words broke the bondage I was in.... lifted me out of the dark loneliness I was suffering and gave me back the power of faith. All I could do was groan and it reached the throne. I often think of the demoniac in the tombs who could not call out for help and I believe God heard his groans of bondage and sent Jesus with his deliverance. When you do not have a prayer a groan can reach the throne.

FRIENDS FOREVER AND ETERNITY

I received a Christmas card today from an evangelist friend of mine and his wife. The message said they appreciated my support of their ministry that they thought God had brought us together to be partners and signed it friends forever and eternity. I had never heard it put like that before and it blessed my heart. I have often heard friends forever or I love you forever but friends forever and eternity were life giving blessing words. Think of it saints with Jesus we will be friends forever and eternity. What a promise belov-ed.

WORDLESS ACTIONS CAN DESTROY THE WELL LOVED

We have talked many times of the power of words to bless or curse..to heal or maime....to lift up or destroy but I don't think we have ever discussed wordless actions. They have the same power. College professors set up an experiment. They took a group of workers. The boss was well loved by all. Bosses give orders. The workers loved him and always went the extra mile for him. This day however they had been instructed to ignore the man as if he had not spoken as if he was not there. This went on for several hours. The man was beside himself. He did not understand why this was happening. Finally he went to his workers with tears in his eyes begging them to tell him what he had done wrong to deserve such treatment. He was devastated. They broke down as well. It had hurt them as much to treat the well loved one this way as the well loved was hurt by the treatment. A little food for thought. Wordless actions have power to heal or hurt. God bless Linda

COME LET US REASON TOGETHER

Come dear saints and let us reason together of the image of Christ. So many times we get things backwards in the kingdom. Many times it is due to the traditions of men. Grandma and grandpa believed it this way mom and dad believed it this way the church has believed this way for generations, therefore it must be right. Not so beloved. When you drive around and see the Christmas decorations what do you see? A manger scene with Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus. After all we are celebrating the birth of Jesus. Think about it my friends. A helpless baby Jesus who is 2 thousand years old? What is wrong with this image. Is He not King of Kings and Lord of Lords? Has He not defeated the gates of the enemy? Has He not brought healing and salvation to the world? When we celebrated our first birthday we were treated and honored as a helpless babe however when we celebrated our 30th birthday we were given the honor and respect of an adult with wisdom and talents and authority. We would be humiliated to be treated as a helpless babe. It would be disrespectful. Have you ever driven by a yard at Christmas time and seen a powerful Jesus dressed in the robe of a KING? A KING sitting at the right hand of God? A KING who will return to rule the nations with a rod of Iron? Why not? How do you see Jesus? Maybe we have our images backwards? I love the image of Jesus spoken of in the book of revelation. Rev 1:11... I am alpha and omega, the first and the last and what you see write in a book....and in the midst of the 7 golden candlesticks, one like the son of man clothed with a garment down to the foot, and a girt around the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool as white as snow and his eyes were a flame of fire and his feet unto fine brass as if they burned in a furnace and his voice as the sound of many waters. And in his right hand seven stars and out of his mouth went a sharp two edged sword. And his continence was as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him I fell at his feet as if I were dead. And he layed his right hand on me and said...fear not for I am the first and the last. I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive forever more amen and have the keys of hell and death. Now beloved that is am image of power and authority and maturity. A fearsome image. No milk toast baby there. Come saints of God and let us reason together the image of Christ. Food for thought love ya, Linda

AND THE POWER OF THE LORD WAS THERE TO HEAL THEM

One of my favorite stories is of the day Jesus was teaching in the house and it was so full no one else could enter and the friends of a man struck with palsy made a hole in the roof and lowered him down to Jesus and he was healed. Some times we fail to notice the verse that introduces us to the story. Jesus was not teaching to a regular crowd. He was teaching the religious leaders and doctors of the law from every town in Galilee , Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was there to heal them. How sad.......none of the religious crowd got healed although healing was available to them. They were more concerned with Jesus messing with their living. As long as God stayed in heaven and the people had to go through the priests to reach Him they were ok but to have God on the earth available to men messed with their offerings and influence......yet Jesus would have healed them.. The anointing to heal was there that day. Jealousy and envey stopped the gift from moving on them but a believer from outside was lifted down to receive what the religious crowd refused.

LOVE IS SPELLED T-I-M-E NOT RUSH

LIFE HAS CHANGED SO MUCH IN THE LAST 50 YEARS. It seems life and relationships and families are all about rush here rush there. So many activities so many schedules. Families hardly ever take a meals together now a days. I learned early on the most precious gift one human being can give another is time and time developes a love that lasts forever. The same goes for our spiritual lives. The more time we spend with the Holy one the more we love and the more we are able to pass that love on to others. Love is spelled t-i-m-e not rush. Love is lost when we rush. Just a thought. God bless, Linda

WORD OF WISDOM

FEAR CAN BE INFECTIOUS BUT COURAGE CAN BE CONTAGIOUS. GOD BLESS, LINDA

PREPARE A MANGER

I received a Christmas card and a magazine from the carasmatic nuns in Texas. One of the nuns had written a poem that touched me and thought I would share it with you.


Prepare a manger in the inn of your heart
Be not ashamed that it is cold and dark
For when I come, darkness takes flight
And I will be the dawn's new light.

For my lowly shepherds may not find welcome
If too lofty is my dwelling place
They are too poor to behold my glory
So I will be hiding in this baby's face.

And palace lights they would detract
From my little star against a sky so black
And I will test the hearts of these magi traveling
Will they pay homage to a baby king?

For when I enter it won't be the same
I'll sit enthroned on the praises of my name
The shepherds, magi's and angels will sing
All giving glory to the newborn king.

I love the first verse read it again.

TRAVELING WITH GOD

Gods will will never take you where his grace will not sustain you. Isn't that good news saints?

RUTH

Let us talk about Ruth. She is an old favorite story but I would like to present a couple of thoughts for you to meditate. Naomi's name meant peace, but after losing her husbands and sons and living in a strange land with strange gods in poverty she changed her name to bitterness. Think about Ruth she attached herself to bitterness and left all that was familiar to her in her grief and went to Jerusalem with her mother-in- law. She scraped out enough to eat in their poverty by gleaning fields. Then along came Boaz and in one day she went from peasent to princess. Do you know why? She had a King in her. She gave birth to Seth who begat Jesse who begat David who was in the lineage of Jesus. Even though Ruth was attached to bitterness God delivered her to her destiny.

RECOGNIZING YOUR GIFTS

Many Christians have trouble recognizing their gifts. Usually because it takes so little effort to perform them. If is so easy they tend to minimize their potential. You can study for hours about the gifts and hear tapes and take teaching series but I want to share with you an easy way to define your gifts. They fall into two catagories.....word or work. First ask yourself what people come to you for. Do they come for council, encouragement, inspiration, teaching, scripture solutions? If so then your gift is giving out word. Do they come to you to get something fixed or done? If so your gift is in works. Your gift is easy because it is what you do what you have always done and it takes no effort to do it. Jesus says my yoke is easy......recognize your gifts beloved and become an expert walking in the assurance this is your Destiny in God.

HOW BIG IS YOUR GIANT

How big is your giant? When you look at him do you say the giant is so big he is going to destroy me? Or do you say , my giant is so big I can't possibly miss him. A word of wisdom....don't look at your giant but rather look at the reward on the other side of him. God bless, Linda