Character Always Counts

Character Always Counts

 

Bobby Jones was one of the greatest golfers to ever compete, uniquely known for winning the "Grand Slam" of golf winning all four major tournaments in the U.S. and Britain in a single year. In 1925, early in his career, having reached the final playoff in the U.S. Open, at a certain point in the match, Jones was setting up to strike his ball which was in the rough just off the fairway. His iron accidentally touched the ball. He immediately became angry with himself, turned to the marshals, and called a penalty on himself. But the marshals had not seen the ball move, so they left the decision to Jones, whether to invoke the penalty — a two-stroke penalty. Bobby called the penalty on himself, not knowing that he would lose the tournament by a single stroke. When praised for his honesty, he replied, "You may as well praise a man for not robbing a bank!" Jones may have lost the tournament, but his character was legendary and today the United States Golf Association's award for sportsmanship is known as the "Bobby Jones Award." It's been said, "Character is what you do when nobody is watching.

 

Character is how you treat people who can do absolutely nothing for you. Character is how you react when the pressure is on. Character is deciding beforehand that you are going to do the right thing." Every day we're faced with decisions — many of which are made when no one is watching, at least no one we can see. But let's purpose in our hearts to do the right thing — because character truly counts. We may not see the dividends immediately — but be assured that God is keeping track of our decisions, and He will make good on every one!

 

Proverbs 11:3; The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.

 

God Helps The Helpless

God Helps The Helpless

 

Because You have been my help, therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. Psalm 63:7. I have had people tell me, "Pastor Prince, please pray for me. I can't see a way out of the mess I am in. I know that this whole thing is my fault. Right now, I don't even know whether God will hear my prayers." If you think about it, a whole lot of our troubles are of our own making. But it is when we deserve the punishment and not the blessing that we can receive grace — the undeserved favor and unmerited help of God!

 

When we stop trying to be deserving of God's help, we find God more than willing to be our Savior. But when we continue to try to work things out, we are trying to be our own saviors. God will say, "Save yourself because I can't help you when you don't need My help." If you say, "My problem is that I am weak." God says, "That is not a problem. I am your strength." If you say, "Lord, my face is the problem. I am ugly." God says, "My face will shine on yours. I am your glory." If you say, "Lord, I am the problem. I am a nobody." God says, "I will make you a somebody."

 

Unfortunately, many of us are still trying to help ourselves, thinking that for certain matters, we don't really need God. But God says, "Without Me, you can do nothing." (John 15:5) Do we really believe that? Or do we believe that without Him, we can still do some things to help ourselves? Only when we realize that we can do nothing, and are nothing in and of ourselves, can we do all things through Christ who strengthens us! (Philippians 4:13) Then, we will see the undeserved, unmerited help and favor of God deliver us from every evil!

Your Advocate Always Wins Your Case

Your Advocate Always Wins Your Case

 

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 John 2:1

 

If you want a glimpse of some real-life celestial drama, picture this: God the Father sits as Judge of the universe with Jesus Christ at His right hand, who is not only your High Priest, but also your Advocate. When your accuser, the devil, comes along and says, "You have done this wrong and you have not done that right," Jesus says, "Father, the devil is right, but My blood has paid for what the devil is accusing him of." Then the devil adds, "You have also not been reading the Bible or praying enough. And this morning, you told a lie." Again, Jesus will say, "Father, the devil has indeed reported correctly, but My blood has paid for all these failures." God the Father will then slam the gavel on the sound block and say, "Case dismissed! Next!"

 

You need to understand that God can justly declare you innocent and completely righteous because Jesus took your place at the cross, and shed His blood to pay for your sins and condemnation. (2 Corinthians 5:21) God is simply being faithful and just to what Christ has done. Jesus went through great sufferings for you and paid with His own life so that you can receive all the blessings of God. As your Advocate today, Jesus ensures that what He died and suffered to give you, you get! In heaven today, He defends and represents you to ensure that the healing, wholeness, protection and other blessings that He died to give you are enforced in your life. Beloved, have confidence in and rest in the ability of your Advocate!

 

Crazy Weather

Crazy Weather

 

We have been having some crazy weather here in our city. The other day, for instance, started out beautifully with a sunrise that could make the heavens' sing. The air was warm and the breezes gently kissed your cheek as you walked outside. The shining sun filtered through the leaves and lit up the world in a thousand different places. Just being outside lit up my own soul as well and I thanked God for another great day to be alive. By afternoon, however, the weather had turned hot and muggy. The skies had become partly cloudy and the distant roar of thunder was in the air. As I went to run an errand it started to rain. Driving down the road I could still see the sun behind me but thick, grey clouds lay ahead. After only a few miles a gentle sprinkling of rain became a torrent that rolled down the roads and turned every pothole into a puddle. I stopped to go into a store but was drenched before I got three feet. Lightning flashes could be seen over the hills and I wondered if the storm would ever end.

 

As I drove back home, though, the clouds parted and the sunshine reappeared. I arrived home soaked but safe and looked up to see the most glorious rainbow bridging the sky. I stopped in my dripping clothes to take in the sight and store it safely in the memories of my soul. Life too can give us some crazy weather at times. Clear days can suddenly turn stormy in an instant. Sunny skies and gentle breezes can give way to pounding rains and lightening for no reason. Problems, troubles, and frustrations can soak you to the skin and you can find yourself wondering if the storm will ever end. When this happens take heart in knowing that God loves you through every type of weather and that you have enough sunlight in your soul to ride out any storm that life throws at you. Let that rain help you to grow and remember that the storms always end, the clouds always part, and sometimes you even get blessed with a rainbow.

 

God of Breakthrough

God of Breakthrough

 

God wants to give you a breakthrough — a sudden burst of His favor; an explosion of His goodness. He wants to release His power in such a way that it overwhelms you and drives out your enemies! Maybe you've been praying about a relationship for years; and suddenly, things get into place. That's a breakthrough. Or, you were trying to get a certain job. They said there were no openings; but suddenly, they call you back and you get the job. That's another breakthrough. Perhaps you've struggled with an addiction for a long time; but then something happens, and it's not a struggle anymore.

 

Those are all breakthroughs. No matter what you've been facing, no matter how impossible things look, know this: the God of the breakthrough wants to visit your house. Get ready! Look for His favor and goodness. Remember, God rewards the people who seek after Him. So keep expecting, keep believing because the God of the breakthrough is ready to overwhelm you with His goodness today! "...the Lord has broken through my enemies before me, like the bursting out of great waters..." (2 Samuel 5:20).

 

Father in heaven, today I am expecting Your goodness. I am looking for Your favor. I'm trusting that You, the God of the breakthrough, are working mightily on my behalf. Help me to live a life pleasing to You as I wait for Your hand to move mightily in my life. In Jesus Name we pray. Amen.

 

Birthmark on Face

Birthmark on Face

 

Charles William Eliot, former president of Harvard University, had a birthmark on his face that bothered him greatly. As a young man, he was told that surgeons could do nothing to remove it. Someone described that moment as "the dark hour of his soul." Eliot's mother gave him this helpful advice: "My son, it is not possible for you to get rid of that hardship. But it is possible for you, with God's help, to grow a mind and soul so big that people will forget to look at your face." Yes, it's true. All of us have things we'd love to change about our bodies. And many of us tend to spend an awful lot of time and money trying to change, fix and cover those things up.

 

But I think there is much truth in Mrs. Eliot's words. When we are shining boldly for the Lord, I don't believe anyone sees them! Do you REALLY want to make a drastic difference in your appearance today? Let's stop focusing on our outward issues today and start focusing on what really counts — walking uprightly and wholeheartedly with the Lord — a spiritual extreme makeover! We will glow like never before, at a low price and 100% guaranteed! And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands. Psalms 90:17.

 

What a Friend We Have

What a Friend We Have

 

What A Friend We Have In Jesus, "And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God."   James 2:23

 

Not far from Port Hope, Ontario stands a monument with this inscription: "Four miles north, in Pengally's Cemetery, lies the philanthropist and author of this great masterpiece, written at Port Hope, 1857." Above the inscription are the words of this beloved hymn. Joseph Scriven, its author, was a man who had experienced the friendship of Jesus through a life filled with personal tragedy. When Scriven was a young man in Ireland, his fiancee accidently drowned the evening before their wedding. Soon after this, he set sail for Canada. He seemed destined to live his life alone, with Jesus as his only close friend. Scriven never intended to publish this hymn. He wrote the words to accompany a letter to his mother, who was ill in far-off Ireland. He had no material resources to send her, only a reminder that the most perfect of friends, Jesus Himself, was nearby. William J. Petersen and Randy Petersen

 

What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry, Everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer! Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged, Take it to the Lord in prayer. Can we find a friend so faithful Who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness, Take it to the Lord in prayer. Are we weak and heavy-laden, Cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge-Take it to the Lord in prayer. Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer; In His arms He'll take and shield thee, Thou wilt find a solace there. [Joseph Medlicott Scriven (1819-1886)]

 

"Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you." John 15:15.

Great piano master and a Little Star

Great piano master and a Little Star

 

This is a wonderful story to remind us how God works in our lives. I hope you are encouraged by it. Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her. Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually explored his way through a door marked "NOADMITTANCE." When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that the child was missing. Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing." Then leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part.

 

Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obbligato. Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. The audience was mesmerized. That's the way it is with God. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results aren't exactly graceful flowing music. But with the hand of the Master, our life's work truly can be beautiful. Next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You can hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing." Feel His loving arms around you. Know that His strong hands are there helping you turn your feeble attempts into true masterpieces. Remember, God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called. And He'll always be there to love and guide you on to great things.

Do you have a battle to fight?

Do you have a battle to fight?

 

When faced with a problem or challenge, we tend to ask ourselves, "What am I going to do?" And well-meaning family members and friends will come along and ask, "What are you going to do?" 2Chronicles 20:15, Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's. Jehoshaphat faced a multitude of enemies. But instead of focusing on what he would do, he prayed, "O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You." (2 Chronicles 20:12) When we turn our eyes to God, we will hear Him say, "Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's... You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord…" (2 Chronicles 20:15, 17)

 

But standing still is the last thing we want to do when the enemy is coming against us. It is also the most difficult thing to do because we feel that we cannot just stand around and do nothing — we must try to save the situation. Do what the situation requires, but don't worry and don't trust in what you do. Like Jehoshaphat, rest and trust in His mercy that endures forever. When you do that, God will turn your battlefield into the Valley of Berachah. Berachah means "blessings". The children of Israel gave the battlefield this name because it took them three days to gather all the spoils of war! God turned their situation into a great blessing! (2 Chronicles 20:25–26) Do you have a battle to fight??? Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord!

 

Answer’s for all Your Question’s

Answer's for all Your Question's

 

I asked God to take away my pride, and God said, "No". He said it was not for Him to take away, but for me to give up. I asked God to make my handicapped child whole, and God said, "No". He said her spirit is whole, but her body is only temporary. I asked God to grand me patience, and God said, "No". He said that patience is a by-product of tribulation, it isn't granted, and it's earned. I asked God to give me happiness, and God said, "No". He said He gives blessings, but happiness is up to me.  I asked God to spare me pain, and God said, "No". He said, "Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me." I asked God to make my spirit grow, and God said, "No".

 

He said I must grow on my own, but he would prune me to make me fruitful. God will not allow any difficulty to come into our lives that we are not capable of bearing. But what does it mean to "overcome" trials? It means the trials do not overcome our faith or our position as children of God, but we come through the trials in fact. Our eternal destiny is not in danger, because we are kept by the Holy Spirit who was given to us as a down payment on our salvation (Ephesians 1:13-14) I asked God if He loved me, and God said, "Yes". He gave me His only Son who died for me, and I will be in Heaven someday because I believe.

 

Mountain Moving Faith

Mountain Moving Faith

 

A small congregation in the foothills of the Great men built a new sanctuary on a piece of land willed to them by a church member. Ten days before the new church was to open, the local building inspector informed the pastor that the parking lot was inadequate for the size of the building. Until the church doubled the size of the parking lot, they would not be able to use the new sanctuary. Unfortunately, the church with its undersized parking lot had used every inch of their land except for the mountain against which it had been built. In order to build more parking spaces, they would have to move the mountain out of the back yard. Undaunted, the pastor announced the next Sunday morning that he would meet that evening with all members who had "mountain-moving faith". They would hold a prayer session asking God to remove the mountain from the back yard and to somehow provide enough money to have it paved and painted before the scheduled opening dedication service the following week.

 

At the appointed time, 24 of the congregation's 300 members assembled for prayer. They prayed for nearly three hours. At ten o'clock the pastor said the final "Amen". "We'll open next Sunday as scheduled," he assured everyone. "God has never let us down before, and I believe He will be faithful this time too." The next morning as he was working in his study there came a loud knock at his door. When he called "come in", a rough looking construction foreman appeared, removing his hard hat as he entered. "Excuse me, Reverend. I'm from Construction Company over in the next county. We're building a huge new shopping mall over there and we need some fill dirt. Would you be willing to sell us a chunk of that mountain behind the church? We'll pay you for the dirt we remove and pave all the exposed area free of charge, if we can have it right away. We can't do anything else until we get the dirt in and allow it to settle properly." The little church was dedicated the next Sunday as originally planned and there were far more members with "mountain-moving faith" on opening Sunday than there had been the previous week!

 

Mountain Moving Faith

Mountain Moving Faith

 

A small congregation in the foothills of the Great men built a new sanctuary on a piece of land willed to them by a church member. Ten days before the new church was to open, the local building inspector informed the pastor that the parking lot was inadequate for the size of the building. Until the church doubled the size of the parking lot, they would not be able to use the new sanctuary. Unfortunately, the church with its undersized parking lot had used every inch of their land except for the mountain against which it had been built. In order to build more parking spaces, they would have to move the mountain out of the back yard. Undaunted, the pastor announced the next Sunday morning that he would meet that evening with all members who had "mountain-moving faith". They would hold a prayer session asking God to remove the mountain from the back yard and to somehow provide enough money to have it paved and painted before the scheduled opening dedication service the following week.

 

At the appointed time, 24 of the congregation's 300 members assembled for prayer. They prayed for nearly three hours. At ten o'clock the pastor said the final "Amen". "We'll open next Sunday as scheduled," he assured everyone. "God has never let us down before, and I believe He will be faithful this time too." The next morning as he was working in his study there came a loud knock at his door. When he called "come in", a rough looking construction foreman appeared, removing his hard hat as he entered. "Excuse me, Reverend. I'm from Construction Company over in the next county. We're building a huge new shopping mall over there and we need some fill dirt. Would you be willing to sell us a chunk of that mountain behind the church? We'll pay you for the dirt we remove and pave all the exposed area free of charge, if we can have it right away. We can't do anything else until we get the dirt in and allow it to settle properly." The little church was dedicated the next Sunday as originally planned and there were far more members with "mountain-moving faith" on opening Sunday than there had been the previous week!

 

Today Is a Beautiful Day but I Cannot See It

Today Is a Beautiful Day but I Cannot See It

 

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat. A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words. Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?" The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way." I wrote: "Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it." Both signs told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people that they were so lucky that they were not blind.

 

Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective? Moral of the Story: Be thankful for what you have.. Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively. When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile. Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear. Keep the faith and drop the fear. The most beautiful thing is to see a person smiling… And even more beautiful is knowing that you are the reason behind it!!! After reading this email you really felt touched and you liked the story, I suggest you share it. Remember, this email could change someone's life. Enjoy your day with a heart of gratitude.