Proverbs.12.Bill.2.12.13

Bill shares some good advice today:

Take the time today to smile at someone. Be a beacon of His light!

And of course you must also:

Remember Jesus loves you today and so do John and Al. Have a great day in the LORD.

“…..Please…..do not forget your Spiritual tie.”

Opening Prayer: Dear Lord, I come before you today in humbleness and humility. Take me today and guide me in Your paths.
Comments/Insights: “Today is the day that the Lord has made. Rejoice and be glad in it!” Take today to start facing your fears. Take today to start facing your uncertainties. Take today to start reflecting on His goodness. Take today to start praising God for all that He has done for you.

Basic Scripture Truth: In my reading today, the verse that spoke to me is verse 25.

Verse 25 (NIV) – “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.”

Anxious according to Webster’s means: “uneasy in mind, WORRIED.” Worry will weigh down a person. It eats at your well-being and can put a person into despair. Take the time today to smile at someone. Be a beacon of His light!

Application to my Life:  I need to take the time to smile; it may be all that someone needs to brighten their day.

Closing Prayer: Lord, help me to put aside anything that may be bothering me and put people in my path that needs a smile.

Something to ponder this week-end.....

I am posting a devotion John sent me recently which spoke to me and my gifting. We are all in the Body of Christ and part of His church. We are all called to establish the Kingdom of God in the hearts of men so I thought this would be something good for you to ponder over the week

Let me know what you think.....Did this bless you????....

Today's Prayer
Dear Father in Heaven, I sing praise to you this morning. You have carried me through another year. You have blessed me and taken care of me. You have comforted me and guided me. You are my ever-present help. I praise you, God, from whom all blessings flow. I praise you above all heavenly hosts. I praise you Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You are the greatest. You are magnificent. You are worthy. I love you. In the name of Jesus I offer this praise, amen.

---

Understanding Your GiftTGIF Today God Is First Volume 1, by Os Hillman
02-05-2012

Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. - 1 Corinthians 12:1

In First Corinthians 12 and Romans 12, the apostle Paul is teaching us about the role of spiritual gifts in the Church. He correlates these gifts to a human body, telling us that each person's gift helps the whole Body of the Church. This is such an important principle for us to learn. I must say I learned this principle regarding my own spiritual gift the hard way.

"God will never speak as strongly to you as to someone else," said my mentor to me one day. The statement shocked me. "What in the world do you mean by that?" I argued with him.

"Your spiritual gift of administration/leading is one of the most dangerous gifts in the whole Body of Christ. The reason is that you can see the big picture better than anyone else, and you're so task-oriented that you will run people into the ground getting your project completed because you think you see it so clearly. That is why the best friend you could ever have is someone with a prophetic gift to discern whether the big picture you see is actually the picture God is directing. It is the one gift that can almost stand alone better than any other - at least that is the opinion of the one with that gift."

Oh, how I have learned this lesson the hard way! He was so right. There have been many a church staff destroyed by a person with the gift of administration. During my years as an ad agency owner, I saw how I stressed out my staff because of the tremendous load I put on them with multiple projects. It was so easy for me because the more balls I had juggling, the better I felt. I was oblivious to how my multi-task personality impacted those around me.

Today, I have some special relationships with intercessors and prophetic people whom I depend on for confirmation of direction. I have learned their spiritual gifts of discernment are of great value in determining strategic direction. I have learned that God has placed within each person a spiritual gift that is designed to make the Body of Christ function better for His purposes. When we discover the spiritual gifts God has placed in those around us, we are better able to see the Body function as a real body-totally dependent on one another. Some of us are more sensitive to God's voice because God has gifted us in that way. Others of us are less sensitive because God wants us to depend on others in the Body for their gifts. Find out whom God has placed around you today and discover a new dimension of spiritual productivity. 

Today God Is First (TGIF) devotional message, Copyright by Os Hillman, Marketplace Leaders.

 Share Prime Time With A Friend  http://msg4svc.net/fngmaz/444071/0/245965/0/TE/9/knegs.jsp

---

Recommended Resource

More and more people are using the Internet to find and share information through web sites and E-mail. From the retiree who daily looks forward to peering into the electronic mailbox to the school-age child who has learned to use the computer and navigate the information highway, E-mails are popular. Why not take advantage of this modern communication tool to build your church through strengthening believers and reaching the lost!
For more information or to order, CLICK HERE!

Proverbs.8.Rod.2.8.13

Proverbs.8.Rod.2.8.13

WISDOM OR CHAOS

Rod shares: “Wisdom has a firm foundation and will withstand the most catastrophic conditions.”

No matter what you are going through today or what decisions need to be made you can trust God will provide His wisdom. We forget to ask before we need it sometimes don’t we? Why do we wait until we have tried all we know first and then call on God for WISDOM?

Whatever you do today with or without His wisdom please makes sure you at least:

Remember Jesus loves you today and so do John and Al. Have a great day in the LORD.

“…..Please…..do not forget your Spiritual tie.”

INSIGHTS/THOUGHTS
Wisdom has always been before the beginning of the earth. God created man and along came “chaos.” Four people on earth, Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel, and then came chaos. God used His eternal wisdom in creation (John 1: 1-3 & 1 Cor. 1: 29). It will never ceased until the end of the millennium at the great white throne judgment. We’re faced daily with chaos from Satan. Chaos never appears without some sort of allurement, perpetrated by the Devil himself. Usually the old saying, “if it seems to good to be true, it usually isn’t,” leads to a chaotic situation. Wisdom has a firm foundation and will withstand the most catastrophic conditions. Look what Jesus went through to prove it, ridiculed, persecuted, tortured, beaten, nailed to a cross and died. Of course, He did overcome death and Hell, and came back as a risen savior. What’s the wisdom in this? He knew what was necessary to prove Himself perfect, because perfect is what God the Father insisted on, and a perfect sacrifice is what we needed to be saved from our sins. Any other is false hopes and chaos. Hell couldn’t hold Him, being that He is perfect , and neither can it hold us, through our faith in Him, because of His blood covering us sinners.

OPENING PRAYER
Prayer to our God opens the door to wisdom and closes the door to confusion and chaos. There’s always plenty of room in God’s house of wisdom and I want to stay there, as in my church. Where chaos is never welcome. Pray to Jesus for He is wisdom. Amen.

KEY VERSES
Proverbs 8: 22-23 “The Lord possessed me (wisdom) at the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I (wisdom) have been established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an earth.”

APPLICATIONS IN MY LIFE
I learned wisdom, right from wrong, from my Godly mother. Now. the Lord allows me to apply my knowledge to my children, my grandchildren and others. Also, I learned from mentors that God put in my path. I had to learn not to be so stubborn.

CLOSING PRAYER
Thank You for those “wisdom-seed-planters” in my life. Help me to do likewise to others that come into my path. Help me to avail myself for that purpose, but You get all the glory. That would be pleasing and I’ll be thankful for that privilege. God is good and in Jesus name do I pray. Amen.

ANNUAL SAFER COMMUNITIES MINISTRY BANQUET CELEBRATING TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS OF MINISTRY MAY 4, 2013 ***PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS***   First Baptist Church Indian Trail - Family Life Center Key Note Speaker:  Dr. Jeff LaBorg Please join us for special music, testimonies about transformed lives, and an anointed message!     (More details soon!) Safer Communities Ministry 704-283-2573

SCM January News Letter

                                   “I WASN’T ARRESTED…

                                                      I WAS RESCUED…”

                                      Proverbs.24.Nan.1.24.13

Nan reminds us that there is spiritual war-fare in our lives as she shares: Help us to stand up and be Soldiers of Love! Help us to battle our flesh and the world and love as You love.

Wow. Soldiers of LOVE. What a challenge. As you ponder that challenge today you must also be sure and:

Remember Jesus loves you today and so do John and Al. Have a great day in the LORD.

“…..Please…..do not forget your Spiritual tie.”

Comments/Insights: In vs. 29 the Lord tells us not to repay in kind….an eye for an eye.

Opening Prayer …. Dear Holy Spirit, open our ears and hearts to your Word. Help us to battle our flesh, our own desires. Help us to be the men and women You have called us to be.

Basic Scripture Truth: Verse 29: “Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me;
    I will pay the man back for what he has done.”

In Matthew 5, right after the Beatitudes, verses 37-48 Jesus tells us not to repay an eye for an eye…. But to love our neighbor as ourselves…to repay evil with good. To Pray for our enemies.

Application to my Life: Is this hard? YES!!!! It is for me anyway. My flesh goes against everything the Lord says here. AND the world agrees with our flesh….We want to justify our retaliations… “He did it to me!” But the Lord wants us to love, forgive, be kind and pray for them…Help me Lord!!!!!

Closing Prayer …. Jesus, You told us how to live, how to love… Help us to stand up and be Soldiers of Love! Help us to battle our flesh and the world and love as You love. Amen.

Dear Faithful Friends & Supporters,

     Wow! The above statement came from the lips of a 40 year-old inmate at the Union County Jail.  “Tom’s” story is like so many others that we hear.  In his case, he first started using drugs prescribed by his doctor for pain about 10 years ago.  His pain was because of his injuries in a car accident.  At the time of his wreck, he had a wife, and kids, a nice home, and even owned his own trucking company.  In every sense of the term, Tom was living the “American dream.”

     But when Tom’s injuries were healed, and the pain was gone….the drugs would not let go.  He was addicted.  That began his horrible journey of a life of misery; for Tom, and for all of those around him.  As he sank deeper and deeper into the life of a drug addict, his life began to crumble.  His business suffered and eventually failed.  He would eventually lose his nice home too. 

     Tom’s wife fought a valiant fight to save her husband, and her marriage.  She loved him without question, but could not survive with his new “mistress.”  She even told him that if it was another woman she was up against, she could win; but, not against this.  Eventually, Tom would lose his wife and his kids.

     Tom wrote, “I will never forget my beautiful, sweet wife pleading with me, saying, ‘If you loved ME enough, you would quit.  It’s me or them.’  But, it was never a question of “love.”  I loved her with all my heart.  But, I just couldn’t let go of the drugs.  They had me in their grip and would not let go.  I tried many times, but always failed.  It broke my heart because I loved her and my kids so much, but I didn’t know what to do.  I had been through several rehabs, but always went right back to the drugs.  I was broken and ashamed.  I even cried out to God for help, but nothing ever worked.”

     Tom’s life of drugs eventually led him to a life of crime.  With no job, he turned to stealing and selling drugs to keep up his heroin habit.  He was arrested and lost his freedom several times over the years.  Then, he was arrested in Union County.  He was so strung-out on heroin, and for so long, that he could not keep any food down for nearly 12 days and spent about a week in the hospital due to his withdrawal.

     “During that time, I prayed to die, and I really meant it.  But after I got over that, my new cellmate told me about Life Skills.  I had heard some good things about it, but was not into ‘religion.’  But, my bunkmate mentioned it again, and I felt something drawing me.  I was so desperate, and hopeless; and all of a sudden I felt that I had to get into this program.”

     When “Tom” walked into E block, he looked like he had been in a gang-fight; and his gang didn’t show up.  But, within a couple of weeks, he was alert, asking questions, and even smiling at times.  Then, one day, he gave it all to the Lord.  Tom wept as he poured his heart out to God in total remorse and repentance.  I was amazed at the transformation that took place in him.

     As he left to go to DOC to serve his sentence, he left with a huge smile on his face.  His final words to me and the class were, “Chaplain Wally, you tell everyone that has anything to do with Safer Communities Ministry, that I said, “THANK YOU!  Thank you for rescuing me.  I wasn’t just arrested, I WAS RESCUED.  The drugs would have killed me, but now I feel the freest, and the best I have ever felt in my life.  Thank you.”

*********************************************************

     Dear friends, this is just one story among many of transformed lives.  Thanks to you who pray for us and help us financially, we will continue to reach out to those who have lost all hope—both inside the jail and prisons, and those who are now out.

     Would you please PRAY about supporting us financially?  We need your help to keep this ministry going for the glory of God.  No matter how small the offering, God will bless you and this ministry because of it.

     Please PRAY also about the SCM ANNUAL BANQUET on Saturday night, May 4^th!!  Our guest speaker will be Dr. Jeff LaBorg.  Please mark your calendars and make plans to attend this exciting time of praising God for what He is doing in our midst.  Your support is GREATLY appreciated!

Please PRAY for our Addiction Recovery Ministry (ARM) on  Tuesday evenings, and for our mentoring program. 

PRAY for Chaplain Sharon Carter as she ministers to the ladies each week.  And for Bob Elzey who does the jail book cart and takes care of many of the requests from inmates.

PRAY for the many volunteers who come into the jail to do weekly Bible studies at night and on the weekend.

 

Finally, please PRAY for our Columbia Crusades in March, June, August, and December!  We want you to COME GO WITH US!  (Just call the office at 704-283-3573 or email me at: wally.gilmer@gmail.com.)  God bless you!!

                                                                      Because ALL need to hear,

                                                                      Wally Gilmer

                                                                      Wally A. Gilmer,

                                                                      Executive Director 

                                      Proverbs.24.Nan.1.24.13

Nan reminds us that there is spiritual war-fare in our lives as she shares: Help us to stand up and be Soldiers of Love! Help us to battle our flesh and the world and love as You love.

Wow. Soldiers of LOVE. What a challenge. As you ponder that challenge today you must also be sure and:

Remember Jesus loves you today and so do John and Al. Have a great day in the LORD.

“…..Please…..do not forget your Spiritual tie.”

Comments/Insights: In vs. 29 the Lord tells us not to repay in kind….an eye for an eye.

Opening Prayer …. Dear Holy Spirit, open our ears and hearts to your Word. Help us to battle our flesh, our own desires. Help us to be the men and women You have called us to be.

Basic Scripture Truth: Verse 29: “Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me;
    I will pay the man back for what he has done.”

In Matthew 5, right after the Beatitudes, verses 37-48 Jesus tells us not to repay an eye for an eye…. But to love our neighbor as ourselves…to repay evil with good. To Pray for our enemies.

Application to my Life: Is this hard? YES!!!! It is for me anyway. My flesh goes against everything the Lord says here. AND the world agrees with our flesh….We want to justify our retaliations… “He did it to me!” But the Lord wants us to love, forgive, be kind and pray for them…Help me Lord!!!!!

Closing Prayer …. Jesus, You told us how to live, how to love… Help us to stand up and be Soldiers of Love! Help us to battle our flesh and the world and love as You love. Amen.

Proverbs 4 with Lisa

Proverbs.4.Lisa.1.4.13

Here is a test for you in the New Year 2013. It is an open book test so you should not fail. It is a fill in the blank test and the answers are below. Good luck. You will be graded by the Holy Spirit. Here it is...

Sound learning is -_________, __________, and __________ ____________ principles to ____ ______.

Above all else you must always:

Remember Jesus loves you today and so do John and Al. Have a great day in the LORD.

“…..Please…..do not forget your Spiritual tie.”

Opening Prayer: Lord all true wisdom comes from heaven. Father God, you are a loving Father that wants me “to get it” everyday. God you are love. You are also righteousness and justice. Like any good father, You will not tolerate foolishness. Help me not to “drop the ball” no matter what the circumstances are. There are consequences for my sins that affect me and others.

I know this request is already answered because of the shed blood of Jesus and because of your counselor, the Holy Spirit. Thank you for loving and caring so much about me and my family. I know that you only want the best for all of us. In Jesus’precious name. Amen.

Comments/Insights: In Proverbs 4 wisdom is supreme. Some words to define supreme are: the greatest, utmost, chief in importance or impact, a point of paramount significance, the highest quality, degree, character, importance, significance and the highest authority.

Seeking godly wisdom is of utmost importance, vital for our lives with God. Proverbs 4:1 says that sons should pay attention and obtain sound learning. Sound learning is hearing, receiving and applying biblical principles to our lives.

Vs. 4 says that we need to hold of Gods words with all our heart and keep his commands so that we will live. Keeping God’s ultimate command of love to Him and to others will give us an abundant, joyful, meaningful life on earth and in heaven. Seeking God’s supreme wisdom will help us deal with all of life’s challenges and concerns. It will help us impact others’ lives for Christ.

Basic Scripture Truth: God’s wisdom is supreme, higher than anything we can think or imagine.

Application to my Life: Don’t wrestle with God like Jacob. Put others that I am praying for the on the altar daily. Godly wisdom is the best way to reach others for Christ. God knows what it takes to reconcile others to Himself.

Closing Prayer: Lord, help be a more active listener to your Holy Spirit, even when I am tired or frustrated. Help me to participate in Your plan, even when it doesn’t make sense to me. Lord, help me to rest and trust You. Lord, help me to wait on You to fight evil for me. The battle is Yours and the victory is Yours to be won. I thank you in advance for all You will do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.