When you get back from vacation, you usually have so many things to do to get caught up. So I am attempting to do the "catch-up thing" this morning, but there is one little problem. His name is Brody and he refuses to let me attend the things that I feel are necessary to get back to normal. Whether it is throwing a football to him or playing hide and seek with Mimi, he is demanding our attention. To be honest with you, I love it and would have it no other way. My thought is that Jesus is attempting to get our attention, also. He has to contend with our busy schedules and activities, but He refuses to give up. So we should just give in to Him. Our lives would be so much more complete and fulfilled. I am glad that Brody doesn't give up because it really brings great joy to me to be able to do little things with him and I am so glad Jesus doesn't give up on me when I am busy with life. And to be honest, I wouldn't want it any other way. 

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Church families are very blessed to be able to watch children grow up within its fellowship. There is nothing so fulfilling to a pastor as it is to watch these children grow up loving God and dedicating their lives to the work of the Lord. The heritage of the Lord is carried on through out generations because of the teaching and instruction of children in the ways of the Lord. This being said, I want to congradulate each of our young couples who have recently been blessed to have children born into their homes and for those who are expecting, Greater Faith is so happy for you and we look forward to watching your sweet children grow up with hearts that are after God's own heart.

Just thinking. The recent anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic with all the documentaries and articles in our newspapers seemed to have awakened the attention of our nation with something that happened 100 years ago. Tragedies often live much longer in the human mind even without a personal or immediate connection. The legend of the Titanic still captures our curiosity as a nation. Just thinking. The tragedy of Calvary and the death of our savior still awakens the hungry soul to their need of redemption and the necessity of a born again experience with God. Through out the ages, the love story of how God became a man to shed perfect, sinless, righteous blood for our salvation still captures the honest and sincere heart. It is truly an epic story that will never die. Not only a hundred years from now, but for all eternity. Thank God for His blood!   

 What a great weekend of services! Bro. Harper did an excellent job and God's special presence met with us each service. Having spoken to some who labored in the altar with those who were seeking the baptism of the Holy Ghost, there were several who experienced their new birth of spirit. God is faithful! Let us use these services as a springboard into great revival. I can hardly wait to see what the Lord has for Greater Faith as we pursue the apostolic revival that God is sending in these last days! Without fail, we will recover all! 

As we go forward into this week of fasting and prayer, I encourage us all to consider the monumental task that lays before us. We are striving to do as those apostles and early disciples did as they pressed forward from the birth of the church in Acts 2. They turned their world upside down. They charged forward inspite of opposition and resistance from religious groups and the criticism of the skeptics who denied the necessity of total and complete committment. We face trouble on everyside, yet the scripture reminds us that our labor is not in vain in the Lord. Remember that we have been called to the Kingdom for such a time as this and that we are no longer our own. We are on course to recover all!

 

It shouldn't come as a surprise. Mr. Groundhog told us we could figure on 6 more weeks of winter. So when 3-5 inches of that white, wintry, less-than-wonderful stuff called snow showed up on our doorsteps this morning, we should not have been surprised at all. When I saw the robins undetered as they searched for their food in the snow, I was reminded of the attitude we should all possess when the unexpected comes our way. Jesus said when we consider the birds who are fed by their Heavenly Father, be reminded that we are much more precious than they are, and if God takes care of them, He most certainly will take care of us. The birds know there is a worm for them somewhere, and we should have confidence that as simple as us putting our confidence in God, He will surely provide for us in the bleakest of times.  ...

The old song goes like this: Just a little while to stay here. just a little while to wait; just a little while to labor, in the path that's always straight,... I am reminded most every day of the coming of the Lord. How quickly it will happen and when it does, there will not be sufficient words to describe that moment when we are ushered into His great presence. All that will be left behind will be sorrow and calamity, because none of those things will be present in glory. The Lord could have already come while you have been reading this blog. A moment and a twinkling of an eye is pretty quick. Just a little while seems so long, but in reality, it will be here before we know it. Let's make sure we are always watching and ready for that moment!

Phillippians 4:4 admonishes us. "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice." Notice when we are directed the 2nd time by the apostle to rejoice, it is with a capitalized "R". I am not an English teacher, but in my unscholarly understanding, I believe Paul really wanted us to continue and even accelerate our spiritual momentum of worship and praise through the possible emotional let-downs of life.  Almost like, Hey, folks, I am mentioning this again and I do not want you to forget it so soon. In the roller coaster of human emotions, we can find it so easy to express our feelings only when we feel like it. But true worship comes in those times we don't have emotional advantages working for us. That is why Abraham called it worship as he led his precious son up Moriah's brow. So in spite of our difficulties, rejoice evermore! It is the best and the most enjoyable path through our problems!  



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Recently, I made a comment to Josh and Cyndi concerning Brody. I said they probably didn't notice it, but Brody seemed to be getting taller. The basis for my comment is the fact that often when we constantly observe someone or we are consistantly in someone's presence, we won't notice the slightest of changes in their features. Grandparents will notice changes more because normally they are not in the company of their grandchildren as much as the parents are. Sometimes changes occur without much notice. Those who endeavor to live spiritual lives must be keenly aware of the changes that are going on not only in the world around us, but also, in the spiritual realm. It becomes more and more necessary to keep our spiritual edges sharp and to make sure when changes come, that we aren't confused and spiritually disoriented by those changes. Jesus spoke of events that would come upon an end-time generation. He said that when those things would come about, that we should know that His coming was nigh at hand. So let's take notice of all the changes that are going on around us. When He does come back, the true church won't be surprised! We'll be ready! 

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Experiencing the move of the Spirit and new birth of water baptism once again last night reminded me of the scripture in Luke 15 where Jesus says there is rejoicing among the angels of heaven of one sinner that repenteth. Seeing someone baptized in Jesus' name causes the church to rejoice in that we see the fruit of labor and the new beginnings of a soul who comes to the foot of the cross to begin life anew. The old song says, Joy unspeakable and full of glory, full of glory, full of glory. That's what we experience when someone is born again. We are marching toward a 100 soul revival!