Pray For Our Leaders

Pray For Our Leaders

1 TIMOTHY 2:1-2 NASB
1 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers,
Petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men,
2 for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may
Lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

Praying for our leaders is not a useless ritual. God would not
Tell us to do something in His Word, unless it would make a
Difference.

Sometimes, when bad things happen, people ask why God allowed
Them to happen. But we should be asking ourselves why we
Allowed them to happen: by not obeying God and praying.

If believers are praying as we ought, we can expect many bad
Things and difficult times to be avoided.

Since God told us to pray for our leaders, it is our
Responsibility.

Of course, we shouldn't limit ourselves to praying only for our
Leaders. We should pray for all people. But we must not forget
To pray for our leaders. And not just when we face difficult
Times, either.

SAY THIS: Father, I pray that you would give our leaders
Wisdom, understanding, and insight into all the situations that
We face, and the courage to do what is right.

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The Whale

THE WHALE
By Charlie Hayes

Recently there appeared a front-page story in the San Francisco Chronicle about a female humpback whale who had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines.

She was overwhelmed by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, and a line tugging in her mouth.

A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farallon Islands (outside the Golden Gate) and radioed an environmental group for help.

Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so badly entangled, the only way to save her was to dive in and and cut the ropes from her. They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her.

When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and nudged them, pushing them gently around -- she was thanking them. Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives.
The diver who cut the rope out of her mouth said her eyes were following him the whole time, and he will never be the same.

May you, and all those you love, be so blessed and fortunate to be surrounded by people who will help you get untangled from the things that are binding you.

And may you always know the joy of giving and receiving gratitude.

This bulletin article was sent to me by Alta Smith.

Love Overcomes All Things

LOVE OVERCOMES ALL THINGS
by Alta Smith

A couple of my friends and I decided to attend a crusade meeting in Chicago. One woman was about 10 years older and the other was about 10 years younger than I am. But we got along well and enjoyed one another’s company.

In order to cut expenses, we brought food with us packed in ice. But one day we decided to treat ourselves to a McDonald’s sandwich. We were not familiar with the area and much to our surprise, we found ourselves in a McDonald’s restaurant with only African-Americans. That did not bother me until I noticed that everyone was staring at us.

As we stood in line, I could feel tension in the whole restaurant. Then I noticed one man sitting by himself staring at me with the most foul look of hatred I had ever seen. My friends saw him at the same time, and without a spoken word, they both took one step towards me until their bodies were touching mine, one on either side.

Fortunately, both my friends were black and their actions sent a message to everyone -- "Back off. She’s with us." The whole room settled down, and everyone went back to eating -- even the man full of hatred. I knew without a doubt that if anyone had said one unkind word to me, my black friends would have fought to their last ounce of strength to defend me.

I learned a valuable lesson that day: Prejudice is just another sin in the heart of mankind (no matter what race) and that love overcomes all things, even discrimination.

While faith may move mountains, First Corinthians 13:13 says, "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

If I Win the Lottery, I'll Tithe

“If I win the lottery, I’ll tithe.”

by Pastor Timothy Satryan

Ever hear someone say that? The words may change a bit from one get-rich-quick scheme to another, but the sentiment expressed stays the same. Yet the truth is, the more a person earns, the less likely he is to give at least 10 percent.
According to the Barna Organization, fewer than 10 percent of born-again Christians tithe (give 10 percent) to God! The people most likely to do this, in fact, are those who earn the least, and even that is not a high percentage. Only 8 percent of those making $20,000 or less tithe. And the percentages keep dropping as the income rises, to only 1 percent of those making $75,000 to $99,999. (After that the percentage of tithing does rise some.)
Still, it appears that the more one has, the less likely he is to tithe. You would think the opposite would be true. Surely the more one has, the easier it is to give. But that is not the case. As one prospers, the heart can be affected, drawn away from heaven to earth, from that which is eternal to things that are temporary.
Jesus’ words strike at the heart of both the problem and the person: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Want to check your heart? Check your checkbook! That book will have the evidence to confirm what holds the attention of your heart. Focus on making deposits in the bank of heaven.
Do a check of your checkbook. Does it reflect a life that gives to God?

Here is your copy of firstIMPRESSIONS, Volume 9.02. Live for God, on purpose, giving back to the Lord, for He has given you everything!

Is Money Your God?

Is Money Your God?

Whatever controls you, or determines your decisions, is your
God.

What is god in your life? Do you have a price? Can you be
Bought?

Will enough money get you to do something you know is wrong?
Then you are serving money -- you will do what it tells you.

No one can serve two masters, according to Jesus.

MATTHEW 6:24 NKJ
24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the
One and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and
Despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

You must choose who your god will be. If you choose Jesus
Christ -- you cannot make every decision based on the financial
Bottom line, and still claim He is your Lord.

If you claim to be a Christian but do not worship God by giving
From your income to Him -- it is clear that money is your god.

If you say you do not give to God so that you can feed your
Children -- maybe your children are your god.

If your reason for not worshiping God with your money is so you
Can pay your house or car note -- you obviously have put them
Ahead of God.

Most Christians think it's awful that someone would commit
Adultery, or fornication, if someone paid them. But, a
Christian who moves simply to get a higher-paying job, without
Regard to God's guidance, is guilty of the same sin: serving
Money.

Will you only do God's will if it benefits you? Are you like a
Prostitute -- only willing to perform if you get paid enough?

Are you a hired lover -- or a genuine lover of God?

SAY THIS: I will serve God. I refuse to serve money. Instead,
Money will serve me.

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