How Do You Honor Jesus at Christmas.

I have been pondering on how I as an American and as a Christian celebrate Christmas. What I have realized lately is there is not much difference between the average "Christians" Christmas and the average "Non-Christian's". Oh we go to the candle light service and remember Advent...but for real how is my celebration of Christmas different. I know the power, mystery, and glorious beauty of Jesus' birth. God the creator takes residence in an 8lb frame and it doesn't explode? God takes on the frame of a man. So I am not writting to complain or chatise us for consumerism, materialism, or greed. I am pondering what can my family and I do to make Christmas more spiritual. I love the traditions of Christmas but how can we bring Christ to the Center of our Christmas? What do you and your family do for Christmas besides, feasting, gift wrap, and stockings, and our favorite Christmas movies?

I want to remember Him this Christmas in a new and fresh way.

Its easy to have principles when you're rich. The important thing is to have principles when you're poor.

Who Am I?

"The Lord is not compelled to use theologians. He can take snakes, sticks or anything else, and use them for the advancement of his cause.I believe that a long step toward public morality will have been taken when sins are called by their right names.Your reputation is what people say about you. Your character is what God and your wife know about you.If you took no more care of yourself physically than spiritually, you'd be just as dried up physically as you are spiritually.If you live wrong you can't die right.Look into the preaching Jesus did and you will find it was aimed straight at the big sinners on the front seats.If good preaching could save the world, it would have been done long ago.Churches don't need new members half so much as they need the old bunch made over.There wouldn't be so many non-church goers if there were not so many non-going churches.Too many churches are little more than four walls and a roof.There are some so-called Christian homes today with books on the shelves of the library that have no more business there than a rattler crawling about on the floor, or a poison within the child's reach."

Who Am I? This One's For Josh!

Who Looks Like Who?

You Know Them Both Josh!

Neither are Vegans!

Pressure Is Good...It Produces Something In Us

Being Comfortable Can Kill Us. Too much comfort is dangerous. Literally.

Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley did an experiment some time ago that involved introducing an amoeba into a perfectly stress-free environment: ideal temperature, optimal concentration of moisture, constant food supply. The amoeba had an environment to which it had to make no adjustment whatsoever.So you would guess this was one happy little amoeba. Whatever it is that gives amoebas ulcers and high blood pressure was gone.Yet, oddly enough, it died.Apparently there is something about all living creatures, even amoebas, that demands challenge. We require change, adaptation, and challenge the way we require food and air. Comfort alone will kill us.

James 1:2-8

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Who Am I?

So I think there’s some difference in believing which may be on the theoretical side and faith which is on the action side. Therefore, let us see that faith always means taking action on a statement. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17). Now that means that, on the basis of something that is given to me as fact, some spiritual fact—such as identification with Christ in His death and resurrection—some spiritual fact, I don’t merely say I believe but I take action and that action will be that which produces the experience within me.

What Book Has Impacted You Most In 2006?

2006 will soon be history. You visit my blog so we know that you can read. What did you read this year? What was your favorite book of the year? I'll assume that the Bible is a given if you are a Christ-Follower. So what other book has impacted you deeply this year. Fiction or Non-Fiction. Tell us the book and why?

Look Whose Killing Who!

Tom Mills just wrote:"Christian Gaming" has just reached a new low. There is now a game available at WalMart, endorsed by Focus on the Family, that allows "Christian Crusaders" to kill people who won't convert to Christianity. Here is a part of the article I just discovered.

This is simply unacceptable, I am not interested in being "Politcally Correct". But in an age where Radical Islam is making many in our Society questioning the sanity of religion in general, we have no business encouraging false sterotypes.

The only people who advocate gunpoint conversions are not christians. There are many in America who falsly belive Christians want to force their conversion either by law or cultural pressure. History has always shown these type of conversions pervert the faith and never strengthen it. Now we have a violent video game showing the use of force to convert or kill the pagans.

Jesus could have called down more angels than we could number and yet He choose this strange weak and meek way of calling people to follow Him. He doesn't want a "shotgun wedding" He is seeking voluntary lovers.

Those of us who choose Jesus must stand against even the hint that we will use violence to accomplish the great commission. Yes, there is Jesus the judge with a Sword in His hand...but He is the initiator of that day, not us! Tell Wal Mart to remove this Video game before unbelievers beat us to it. Tell Focus on the Family, that while someone in their organization was probably excited to see a video game that was Christian and might actually be fun to play...this was not the game to endorse. Email Wal Mart and Focus on the Family.

Who Am I?

“I said to myself: I will have the Spirit. And through all weathers and in spite of all difficulties I went to the meetings… for ten or eleven years I have prayed for revival. I could sit up all night to read or talk about revivals. It was the Spirit who moved me to think about revival.”

No cheating now...who am I?

God or Mammon

Just as 90% of an iceberg is under the water, 90% of our problems have to do with money or that which is generally supposed to be its source: work. There is a dimension of work and money, though, which is not covered by tips and tricks about investing, saving taxes and counting pennies. Jesus opens our eyes to this dimension when he challenges us to choose between God and Mammon. Mammon is a demon who drives people in never-ending circles of ever higher demands, entangling them in worries and arguments about money. Honestly: many people's understanding of life can be summarized "earn and buy, pay taxes and die"! Astonishingly, even in the Christian world, we often see more of Mammon's influence than God's when decisions are to be made. "Money makes the world go around" - but who makes the money go around? Do you realize how much your answer to that question influences your personal future? What is your answer?

Possible Rev. Bob sighting

Is this the Rev. Bob? Bob's been lurking around various IHOP blogs. Leaving witty remarks yet being very mysterious. Bob show us yourself. Is this what it looks like when you've refused a haircut? Is this the man who once preached the famous "Don't Fence Me In" sermon?

Who Am I

"The fire fell on the sacrifice; the Spirit had sealed for Himself a company of Intercessors for Every Creature. We were baptized, as it were, by one Spirit into one body for one God-appointed purpose and this was now one of them."

Who Am I?

"You know what we're doing with our modern methods for effective evangelism? We're grieving God, we're making a fool out of Him! We think the Bible isn't good enough. We need examples! The Holy Ghost is history. We need entertainment. And now we got two problems. First of all, the Church fully relies on these methods (instead of relying on God) and they seem to work. The second problem is that Christianity receives new strength. But not the strength from God. In Isaiah it says: "You were wearied by all your ways, but you would not say, 'It is hopeless.' You found renewal of your strength, and so you did not faint." (Isaiah 57:10). This chapter is directed to the sons of a sorceress, offspring of adulterers and prostitutes! This is the spiritual state of the Church of Christ today! But in spite of her terrible state, she gains new strength...power from this world."

No Google just comment who am I?

ECC-The Wave of the Future

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — As the Podesta family traveled from Kentucky to Maine on vacation last summer, they stopped every Sunday and Wednesday at their favorite national franchise: Evergreen Christian Center. "It was like we never left home," says Albert Podesta, 38. For 12 years Evergreen Christian Center was just another mega-church in Tennessee. Then the church radically changed its ministry approach. It began franchising itself. The franchise scheme was cooked up by several retired CEOs who landed on the church board at the same time. "They asked for our input, so we didn't hold back," says one. In 2001 Evergreen began gobbling up churches across the nation and turning them into Evergreen clones, with identical features, down to the doorknobs, ushers' jackets and sermons. Even the pulpits and Sunday school rooms are the same. "We're like Burger King or Subway — a solid, trustworthy business," says Evergreen brand manager Stefan Borcht. But ECC's growth strategy has caused alarm among many churches who fear being targeted in hostile take-over bids. After scouting a target church, ECC recruits a slate of church members to run for election to the church board. ECC woos church members with direct mailings, phone calls and pleasant emails. If ECC's slate is elected the church becomes an Evergreen franchise. Oftentimes the pastor is removed or demoted. "They swallowed us whole," says one former pastor whose church was Evergreen-ed last year. "We didn't even know what hit us." ECC targets medium-sized churches with a substantial asset base. Later it absorbs smaller churches in the area, a process they call "picking up the pennies." ECC franchise inspectors visit churches secretly to enforce specific guidelines. Evergreen members swear by the model. The Clarke family moved from Seattle to Milwaukee, and their children never missed Sunday school. "It eased the transition," says Dan Clarke. "The worship and preaching were exactly the same, down to the inflections. Even the pastor looked the same."

Following or Resisting

Jesus tapped me on the shoulder and said, Bob, why are you resisting me? I said, I'm not resisting you! He said, You gonna follow me? I said, I've never thought about that before! He said, When you're not following me, you're resisting me. --Bob Dylan

Mike's Miracle

You should really like this one... it happened many years ago... I was just 6 years old... and it's one of the earliest memories that I vividly remember.

It happened during the 1972 Summer Olympics. My Dad was in Munich, Germany doing a film with Brother Andrew and Corrie ten Boom. It was a Saturday evening, my Mom took my brother and I to visit Grandma who was house sitting for some cousins. Grandma had just fed the dog... not knowing this my brother and I ran up to play with the dog, a large black lab that was also a guard dog. I was standing next to my brother when he started to pet the dog. The dog immediately turned toward us... since I was the closest... I got the brunt of his anger... the dog bit me in the face.

The bite put some holes into my right cheek and split my upper lip completely open up to my nose. Mom and Grandma rushed me to the closest hospital where I was stitched up. Due to the phone system in the early 70's and the time change... Dad didn't hear about this for close to a whole day. When he finally did hear about it... he was so upset that he couldn't be here that he wasn't able to even see through his camera because he was crying so hard. At that point Brother Andrew came by and asked what the problem was... my Dad told him and they stopped to pray right there on the streets of Munich, Germany. At that very moment I was finally able to get some rest and go to sleep. On the next day, Monday, I went to my doctor and had the stitches removed... my face had been healed.

If you don't know who Brother Andrew is... may I suggest reading the book "God's Smuggler." It tells his story of smuggling Bibles into communist countries behind the Iron Curtain.God bless...Mike

Mike is a "shoestring" relative and a good friend. He can do incredible things with a BBQ Grill. I know this story is true because I have not only heard Mike and the family tell of it, but Mike & Roy took me to meet brother Andrew in person. He remembered the story. God is so awesome!

Don't Throw Out Those Bumper Stickers

NEW YORK — "Honk if you love Jesus" — and $1 million. In a sure sign of a rebounding economy, original Christian bumper stickers have become the market's latest hot collectible, with specimens from "Not perfect, just forgiven" to the original "Jesus on board" routinely fetching $10,000 to $50,000 at auction.

"There's strong affection and demand [for classic stickers] from collectors and Christians alike," says Jeff Teague, modern collectibles expert at Christy's auction house. "That combination is driving prices to levels we haven't seen before." The granddaddy of them all, and by far the most valuable bumper sticker in history, is the very first Christian bumper sticker: "Have you prayed today?" from 1958. Last month it sold for $1.2 million to a private investor who said he intended to frame it and hang it in his art gallery, alongside a Picasso.

"The cultural moment that bumper sticker captures is just as significant as the work of great masters," said the investor, who wished not to be identified. "And, frankly, there's not that many of these bumper stickers in good condition around anymore." With those kinds of dollars chasing the unlikely, rectangular gems, a gold rush mentality is on in church circles. Christian sloganeers who held onto their bumper stickers — or the cars they were attached to — from the '60s and '70s stand to reap handsome profits. Some people have spent days painstakingly peeling their old "No God, no peace. KNOW God, KNOW peace" and "Turn on to Jesus" stickers off their Camaros, Pintos and Datsuns, mounting them and selling them at conventions. ("Previously applied" stickers are worth about a tenth of the value of an original, unused sticker.)

Doug Phelps couldn't believe his eyes when he saw an original 1974 "God said it. I believe it. That settles it" sticker appraised at $5,000 on PBS's "Antiques Roadshow." "I had a dozen just like it on my guitar case" which he used during the height of the Jesus Movement, he says. The case was stowed away in a closet for 20 years. He took it to an expert, who recommended he have the stickers professionally removed and mounted. Phelps instead sold the entire case, stickers and all, to a collector who specializes in paraphernalia from the Jesus Movement, and made $14,000, enough to send his daughter to college for a year. "I never thought those things would come back around, but I'm sure glad they did," Phelps says. An even bigger legend in sticker lore is Lenore Crabtree, 73, of High Point, N.C., who worked in her church bookstore for 21 years. Her son used to bring home "every bumper sticker he could get his hands on" and tack them to his bedroom walls.

Recently, a friend visited Crabtree and peeked into her son's old room, which is exactly as it was in 1977 when he moved out and got married. "My knees went weak and I almost fell over," the friend says of the moment when she saw the cavalcade of bumper stickers affixed to the wall. "It was like seeing $10,000 bills everywhere." Crabtree took the stickers to a bumper sticker convention and came away with $340,000. "It was one of the most complete and pristine collections I have ever seen, apart from the tack holes which we consider minor blemishes," says expert Teague. Both Crabtree and her son now live in houses near the ocean. Some collectors have made cross-country trips in search of churches time forgot where, just maybe, they might stumble on an old stash of unsold bumper stickers in the basement or fellowship hall. Inspiring the hunt are several well-worn, true stories like Crabtree's and other small-town pastors who found they were sitting on a gold mine. John Dignant, 31, a recent sticker aficionado, found himself driving behind a VW bus in Santa Cruz, Ca., when he saw dozens of old stickers covering the back. "I flagged the guy down and offered him $20,000 for the car on the spot," he says.

That investment turned into $720,000 in profits when Dignant sold the stickers at a convention. Instead of risking damage by peeling them off, he sold the entire rear panel of the VW. It now sits in the foyer of an artist's home in Montana, in a Plexiglass box. "It's more than shabby chic," says the artist. "It's art that wasn't intended to be art, which is the best kind."

Celebrities have entered the mix, though many keep their passion hush-hush so the market won't skyrocket further. Billionaire businessman Phil Anschutz has invested roughly $5.3 million in a Christian bumper sticker collection, which is on display at the Denver Museum of Art through July 15. It includes a never-before-circulated "Honk if you love Jesus." Anschutz intends to start a Bumper Sticker Hall of Fame which will officially "retire" stickers which have given the Christian community years of exemplary service. Barbra Streisand has a "small collection of 15 stickers," her publicist confirms. And Bono, who has quietly collected Christian bumper stickers for 25 years, has "around 400." But the sticker phenomenon is dominated by amateur collectors who were lucky enough to hold onto their old stickers, and who now can drive "Jesus on board" all the way to the bank. •LarkNews.com, Joel Kilpatrick. All rights reserved.

Reverend Bob Sighting...Have You Seen Bob?

Reverend Bob & His Relevant Cultural Outreach!

Jesus Goes Shopping

JESUS VISITS THE MALL!

The cardboard Jesus is an exercise in living their faith and "taking Jesus Christ with them everywhere," said the Rev. Steve McElroy.Earlier this year, McElroy had talked to about 20 middle school and high school students in his church about the challenge in living as a Christian.The discussion became more real when the pastor showed up with the cardboard cutout and asked the youth group if they would take Jesus with them any time they were together."It's one thing taking Jesus around local places. It's more difficult to be a public Christian when you're hauling him through the mall crowded with shoppers," Pastor McElroy said. "It's a good test."Some of the teens admitted they felt self-conscious fear about meeting people they knew in the mall. Paige Toney, 14, of Davis City and Tylea Rippey, 14, of Leon were mortified at that thought.When it was their turn to shepherd the cutout around, they took Jesus to sit by the fireplace at the food court."If the person we meet is a teacher, it would be OK," said Toney.Her brother had a explanation for anyone he knew, "I'll just tell them our pastor made us do it," said Colton Toney, 12, of Davis City.Except for one woman who "wrinkled her nose up" at Grayson McElroy, 14, and Brady Kelsey, 11, both of Lamoni, "people stared at us, but mostly they smiled."And the group didn't have to buy a ticket to get Jesus into the theater."Jesus gets a free pass!" Kelsey said.The group thoughtfully propped Jesus up to one side of the theater so the cutout wouldn't block anyone's view.After seeing the movie version of their savior's birth, the mood young people was much more somber than when they were shopping, McElroy said.Perhaps they better understood their pastor's purpose with the cardboard Jesus."It's a chance to show people we are Christians and we're not embarrassed about it," said Agnes Ansong, 16, of Lamoni."We want people to know what we believe in and that we take the Christmas season seriously."

CLICK ARTICLE

So would you carry Him?

The Ferguson Family December Update

The Ferguson Family Update is available online at our website www.soulpants.org We are after all Intercessory Prayer Missionaries. click here to read the word document. It takes a minute on then suddenly incredible words of Wisdom appear on the screen.

Want to join the support team...you can use the Pay Pal link -it works great.

Rev. Bob Speaks From The Emerald Isle

Real...Would you buy em?

Gertrude Ticer's Miracle Healing Testimoney

This is a true story of Gertrude Ticer's healing. Her son Pastor Randy Ticer was my pastor as a teenager. This is an incredible and true account of how she was healed. Read it and pray for someone! I posted the whole long story cause you really do need to read it.

Healed of Multiple Sclerosis
By Gertrude Ticer. Used by permission.

I want to tell you about a miracle, and this miracle happened to me. How? By one prayer, after I had the correct instructions about divine healing.

Everything that we receive from God comes through His grace, by faith. I had multiple-sclerosis for more than fifteen years. I could not walk around without stumbling and falling. Many times I was in a wheel- chair, I often broke my bones, but I firmly believed that the Lord was going to heal me. If there is no cure for the illness humanly speaking, it matters not: healing comes from God and there is nothing impossible with Him (Luke 1:37).

My church did not teach divine healing, but my Bible does. So, if your church does not teach you about divine healing, your Bible teaches it. Isaiah 53:5 says: "With His stripes we are healed." Isaiah 59:1 says: "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither is His ear heavy, that it cannot hear." Oh, He can hear your prayer right now.

Hebrews 13:8 says: "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever." Did you ever have a Scripture become alive to you? This was the first one that became alive to me. When I read Hebrews 13:8, I knew that "Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever."
Then I read about Moses. Moses said to God: "Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM." (Exodus 3:13- 14).

These words put God in the present; He has never existed in the past. He is always the God of TODAY. Then I also read in Acts 10:34 that "God is no respector of persons."
Then I said to the God: "Lord, if Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever, and there is no respect of persons and by His stripes we were healed, then this is for me."
The Bible says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). We receive a measure of faith when we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, but if we want that faith to increase, this has to come through the Word of God.

I became more and more paralyzed. One doctor told me that the day would come when I would be completely blind, and thus it was: the optic nerves were paralyzed leaving me completely blind. Then one day they told me not to stay alone, for before the next 24 hours would go by I would be completely paralyzed -- so it was.

The ambulance came and they took me to the hospital, but on the way I said to the boys that took me: "You forgot something!" They answered: "What did we forget, Gertrude?"
I said: "You did not bring my shoes." "Oh," they said, "What in the world is a paralyzed person going to do with shoes? You can't use them, you won't need them." I said: "Oh, yes, I am going to need those shoes! One of these days the Lord is going to heal me and I will need those shoes to get out of the hospital." I believed with all my heart that God was going to heal me, but I did not know how to appropriate my healing.

Many people came to pray for me. I firmly believe that all the prayers that were said by my family and friends in my behalf were heard by God. When we pray in faith for someone, God hears and considers that prayer. Perhaps the answer is delayed, but it is never denied.

While I was in the hospital I had three heart attacks and one stroke. Every time they would put me under an oxygen tent, I would think: "There is room for two, Jesus and I." The nurse would come and say: "Don't say a word, you must not waste your breath." One does not have to speak in a loud voice to Jesus. I would pray and feel His presence and I knew the answer was on the way.

This was my prayer: "Oh, Lord, make me whole again, don't just make me better, but make me entirely whole again." I remembered how Jesus asked the impotent man: "Wilt thou be made whole?" and I answered that question: "Yes, Lord, make me entirely whole again."

Spiritual Preparation for Healing

The Lord had to deal with me concerning many things. I had worked in the church for twenty-five years and thought I was doing pretty good, but the Lord thought otherwise. One day He said to me: "Do you love your neighbor like yourself, all the time and all of them?" I answered: "No, Lord, how can I, when some I don't even like?" He taught me how to love them through the love of Jesus Christ. Yes, you can love your neighbor through the Love of Jesus Christ. He dwells in us and we in Him, so it is possible to love others such as He loves them.

The Lord also dealt with me concerning doubt, fear and unbelief, things that I never considered as sin. For three months He taught me about those things that were within me that were not according to His holy will.

I finally became completely paralyzed so that I could not do one thing except talk to Jesus. I knew that the Lord was with me and when we know He is with us, we can stand all the disappointments in life. One day they covered me up with a sheet for they thought I was gone. I could move one hand, so when they saw that move, they came and took the sheet off.

Faith Unmovable

I was always asking those that came to visit me to bring my shoes. No one responded for everyone thought I would not need clothes or shoes. It wasn't their fault, they did not know Christ as their Healer. I would say to them: "Bring me some shoes, for when the Lord heals me I am going to need them."

One day the head doctor came to see me and said: "Gertrude, I would like to know your attitude about yourself." The night before I had suffered much thirst, as spasms produce thirst and they would not give me water at night for fear that I would swallow my tongue. Now came the question: "I want to know your attitude about yourself." I asked him if he wanted an honest answer, or if he wanted me to joke. He said he wanted an honest answer. So I answered: "I do not see myself lying here less than a human being."

Then he said: "How do you see yourself?" I said: "I see myself walking with shoes on."
"Oh," he said, "I am sorry I ever asked you that question. That will never be! You will never be different from what you are now!" So, I answered: "According to you, I will never be different, but you have not considered my Lord. One of these days He is going to heal me and I will walk with shoes on."

His answer was: "Oh, that is your imagination." He thought that for he did not believe the Bible, but I know that God gave me a faith vision concerning myself walking, just like He gave Abraham a vision when he was to go into a far country.

I was tired of being in that room in the hospital and one day I asked the nurses if they would take me outside and put me under a tree, for I knew there were trees out in the yard, having been in this hospital many times before, when I was in a wheel chair. They called for the head nurse and she said, "Gertrude, do you realize that if we were to take you outside we would have to have enough men to carry you bed and all? Don't you think this is unreasonable?" Yes, I answered; I withdrew my request.

The Divine Answer

One day a woman came into my room, Beatrice by name, and asked me: "Do you believe that God can heal you and do you want me to pray?" I answered yes to both questions and she said a short prayer and left. As she was leaving the room, an audible voice said to me: "I sent this woman to you."

I was frantic for I had no way of knowing what the woman looked like, for I was blind, so I called on the person in the next bed and asked them to call this woman. When she was by my bed, I said to her: "God spoke to me and said that He sent you to me." Beatrice said: "I am so glad you called me back. I was in my home in Maryland when God spoke to me and asked me to come to Las Vegas, Nevada and visit all the incurable wards and ask people if they wanted me to pray for them. He added that one day a woman would say to me that God sent me to her. I was getting tired of getting a cold shoulder as I went around asking: Do you believe God can heal you and do you want me to pray?"

Oh, I am so happy that Beatrice obeyed God and traveled from one end of the country to the other to do His will. Once she knew who she was to pray for she started to fast without food and without water, in spite of the terrible heat, she obeyed our Lord. Every evening she would come to the hospital to pray for me, and every day I was worse.

She found me on July first and three nights after that on July fourth she was told that my grandson, who lived in this same city, had been called and asked to make arrangements to take care of my body.

When she got to my bedside, she asked: "Do you still believe that God can heal you?" My answer was yes. The she asked: "Even now?" Again my affirmative answer. This time she asked: "Do you realize that this is the last opportunity; it has to be now or never?" My answer was: "Yes, I know this."

Beatrice then said: "If I bring you a glass of cold water and place it here beside your bed, do you believe that if you would drink it, it would quench the terrible thirst you have?"
"Oh," I said, "that is easy to believe."

She said, "Now if I bring the glass of cold water and place it here by your bed, but you do not drink it you would still believe that it would quench your thirst, but you would still be thirsty because you did not drink the water, though you believed. That is what you are doing with healing, you believe that God can heal you, but there is no contact of faith. It is necessary that you accept your healing in a definite way, even as you accepted Christ as your personal Savior.
There are many sinners who believe that Jesus died for their sins and was resurrected from the dead but they remain sinners because they do not accept salvation for themselves. That is what you are doing with healing, you believe that God can heal you, but it is necessary that you take this healing right now. That is true faith."

Oh, God knows the intentions of our heart. He knows our spiritual condition. He knows our spiritual stature. He knows if we truly believe in His greatness and power.
Beatrice told me to raise my hands and pray. I lifted my heart to God and raised my one finger that I could move and said to the Lord: "Lord, I take my healing this moment, I take it like water; I accept it, I believe, but I am afraid." Of a truth there is no room for fear. Fear indicates unbelief. I said to God: "I am afraid that you will ask of me something that I am unable to do. I fear that I am not capable of fulfilling that which you would ask of me."

The Lord then spoke to me in an audible voice and said: "Go and say that God healed you. Go to those that believe in divine healing and go to those who do not believe, those who mock and scorn and tell them that God healed you."

I then answered: "Yes, Lord, I will go."

It was at this point that I saw Jesus standing by the side of my bed and when I saw Jesus I could see the entire room. Jesus had restored my sight! I must say here that when I say, I saw Jesus, I saw all except His face which was but a very bright light. Then the Lord touched me with the tips of His fingers and healed me completely.

Many have asked, "what did you feel?" I will tell you what I felt. Fire started to go from my head all through my body and my body had been like ice. The divine heat circulated all through my body and I started to feel my bones crack, for my muscles were like cement, my hands and feet were all twisted, my body was a big arch, my head and feet touching the bed but the rest of my body in the air.

My bones ached as the Lord was straightening them, but it did not matter about the pain, for my eyes were on Jesus. When we have our eyes on Jesus, pain does not matter. He told me many things that night. He ordered me to stay in the hospital three days and three nights, that I might testify to all that God had healed me and speak about salvation in Him.
Jesus said to me: "I am not returning you to your old life. You cannot live your own life anymore. I am loaning your life to you that you might testify about Me. I will take care of you." So, I know I am living on borrowed time, but that does not matter. The important thing is that I obey Him.

Many people have asked me: "What did you say to Jesus?" I'll tell you, when one is in the presence of the Lord, you do not say anything to Him; you listen to what He has to say and you will hear it with every fiber of your body and you will never forget it.

Live Testimony is Effective

For a while after Jesus left, I did not get up, I had a bit of fear of saying that God had healed me. I was not prepared to tell them and they were not prepared to hear me. Of a truth the City of Las Vegas was not prepared to see the evidence of God.

Someone had finally brought me a pair of shoes, so I got up and put them on. Afterwards, they asked me if it was difficult to walk, since I had not walked for such a long time. I said: "Oh no, it was difficult to stay on the floor, under the powerful anointing of God." I felt like I could float, for two weeks I felt like I was walking on my tip-toes.

I walked out in the hall and one of the patients who saw me raised his hands and said: "Glory to God, look what the Lord has done for Gertrude!" There were people in the hall and as they would see me they would fall on their knees and start to pray. They were calling on God upon seeing the evidence of someone who had been completely paralyzed, now walking.

I walked into the nurses' room. I did not mean to hurt them, but two of them passed out when they saw my face. They had to carry them out on stretchers. Later they told me that my face had been discolored and bags of water were under my eyes. When the Lord healed me, He wiped it all off and gave me a natural face.

One of the head nurses came. She went into hysterics and said: "Gertrude, you can't be here because you can't sit and you can't walk and I have signed the last papers on you, you can't see and you can't stay here." Then I said to her: "Oh yes, I can be here, I am just like you. Look at my hands, God has healed me; they are not like the hands of a paralytic person, I am just like you."

Then she said to me: "I know that you can't be alive, this is not you that is here. Tell me how many people helped you down the hall?" I said: "Just one." She said: "Please tell us who it was." I said: "It was Jesus Christ."

They called the superintendent of the hospital. He had known me for years, for I had been in and out of this hospital many times and he knew my condition. Now he said: "Gertrude, I am an unbeliever, but now that the Lord has come and worked a miracle in this hospital, this old hospital has rocked on its heels. Ever since Jesus came to heal you no one has worked in this part of the hospital, but that does not matter. Look what the Lord has done!" Here was an unbeliever admitting that Jesus had worked a miracle. Hallelujah!

Yes, it was a miracle, for if it had been a healing I would have had to learn to walk. God left many signs for them. One was the sign of the bed. People would come and touch the bed and it would give them a shock. Then I understood that when Jesus came and anointed me for healing, He anointed the bed also and left it for a sign for the unbelievers.

The next morning they came to doctor a bed sore. I asked them: "Did you come to doctor me?" They said: "This is duty." I told them to go ahead and what a surprise when they found the place just like the palm of my hand. They exclaimed: "This truly is a miracle for the flesh had flaked away so that we could see the bone and it does not heal up like this!"

Praise God for His perfect work and signs for the unbelievers. Hallelujah! This did not take place in a corner but in a public place so that people could see the manifestation of the power of God.
I told the director of the hospital that I would only be there for three days and three nights, but he answered: "Oh no, you have to stay 30 days for observation." I said: "It is impossible, for Jesus told me to stay for only three days and three nights."

When it came time to sign the final papers, the phone rang and the nurse said to the director: "It is your Chief of Staff." He answered: "Lay that phone down, for if I take that call the time will be past when Jesus Christ said Gertrude should go and I don't want that on me." Oh yes, they obeyed what the Lord had said!

Another thing they had noticed was the change in my handwriting. Some said that I was not the same person. So I said to them: "I know you have a psychiatrist here in this hospital. Bring him here." He came and I said to him: "Take me to your part of the hospital and ask me any question you want to, for I am still me. Jesus came and made me whole again."

The psychiatrist looked at me for a while and then said: "Oh no, I will not examine you, for the One who performed the healing will give you the answers and I will be left there like a fool."
Many things happened in those three days and nights that I was in the hospital. They called my grandson, Tom, and asked him to come to the hospital immediately. He is the one who had been asked to prepare to take care of my body. I was walking down the hall when I saw him coming and I called to him: "Look, Tom, look what the Lord has done for me. He came and made me whole again." Someone said to me: "Tom can't hear you, he is in complete shock."
They worked on him for hours. When he came to, he said: "When I saw you walking is when I went into shock. I never saw you walking before. I remember the grandma who pulled one foot and scraped the other. I remember the one who held to the walls, why didn't they tell me that Jesus had healed you?"

I still wanted to go outside and see the trees. I want to tell you this so that you will see how easy it is to get out of the Lord's will. The Lord told me to stay in the hospital three days and three nights. He did not say anything about going outside. But I still wanted to know what it would be like to breathe the fresh air.

I went outside and stood under one of the trees thinking: "This is just like I thought it would be, wonderful to see the trees and partake of the fresh air." Just then one of the nurses tapped me on the shoulder and said: "What are you doing here? Don't you know that the halls are full of people wanting to know if you can really walk?"

When I heard this, I knew that I had gone outside thinking only of myself and that I was outside of the will of God. Jesus wanted me to testify to the people. As I stepped back into the hospital, I saw a black man sitting in a wheel chair. As I got near him he asked: "Aren't you the woman that they used to bring to this hospital tied to a wheel chair so she would not fall?" I answered, "Yes, I am she." He asked: "Aren't you the woman that used to fall out of bed with spasms?" I said: "Yes, I am she." Again he asked: "Are not you the woman who was blind?" "Yes," I answered, "I am she." He said: "Tell me about your Jesus, for I do not know Him." Oh, what a blessing it is to be in the will of God and be able to guide a soul to Jesus!

One day I was walking down the hall praising God when I saw a man on a stretcher at the door of the operating room. He was ready to be wheeled into the operating room to be operated on. He had witnessed my paralytic condition and when he saw me walking and praising God, he said: "If God can heal Gertrude, He can heal me, too." He wrapped the sheet around him, got off the stretcher, went to his room, got dressed and walked right out of the hospital!

Two years later I met that man on the street and asked him if he had signed his dismissal papers and he said no, because Jesus Christ had dismissed him and he did not have to sign any papers. Then I asked him if he ever had that operation and he said: "No, I did not need it." The Lord knew that He was going to accept divine healing at the last moment, so He saw to it that the spinal that they gave him did not take effect. Hallelujah!

Bible Events Take Place

Those three days in the hospital I witnessed what is written in Mark 2:2 -- "And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them." The people filled the halls day and night, even staying until two o'clock in the morning for they wanted to see the evidence of God.

In closing, I want to tell you about Mr. Martin. He was in charge of us eight hours a day. When Jesus came to heal me he had his day off, so the following day the Lord said: "Go to Mr. Martin."
So I went to Mr. Martin and said: "Mr. Martin, look at me. Jesus came and made me whole again." He did not turn, he had his back to me, but rather said: "You go away woman." And I went away.

Again the Lord said: "Go to Mr. Martin." So I went the second time to him and said: "Mr. Martin, look at me. Jesus came and made me whole again." But Mr. Martin refused again, saying: "You go away. I am not going to look at you."

I returned to the people standing in the hall and the third time the Lord said: "Go to Mr. Martin."

So I went and this time I said: "Mr. Martin, please look at me, for Jesus has said to me three times: 'Go to Mr. Martin' and you know how far it is from my place with one hall going this way and one that way, so please look at me." Then Mr. Martin turned and said: "Yes, I am going to look at you. When I had my day off was the time you were to have died, that is why I did not want to look at you when you came the first time. When you came the second time I had heard rumors about a miracle of healing. I am a good Catholic and they do not teach me in my church that God can do miracles in my part of the hospital." Mr. Martin did not mind seeing a miracle but he wanted it in a church; he wanted it in a cathedral. But God wanted it in a hospital so that many would hear the testimony and see the evidence of God.

Mr. Martin said: "When I turn around to see you I will have to admit that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. I will have to confess that He works miracles today, even in my section in the hospital." Mr. Martin has now returned to his country, Canada, but he has returned believing that Jesus Christ can do the same miracles that He did when here on this earth.

Once Mr. Martin accepted my healing he said: "Oh, let's do something; let's call that woman who prayed for you, let's do something!" Yes, when we see the reality of God and know that He has visited us we want to do something. May God bless and use this testimony in the lives of all that read it!

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
"And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting." (Mark 9:23 & 29)

Jesus IPOD - Priceless

Being PRESENT in Prayer

How to pray in a society that prides itself on multitasking every possible moment.

by Trevor Lee

As a child I had the privilege of spending a month on the farm with my grandparents each summer. I learned to drive a tractor, feed chickens, and herd cattle, but the most important lesson I learned came before dinner each evening. As we assembled around the table, I dreaded the pre-meal prayer.

Finish this article

Haven't Seen It All But Might Be of Interest To Many

Jim Baker
The movie click here.

Sermon On The Mount...Can America Christians Live It?

Brent Steeno recently posted this on his blog: "While visiting a popular christian web site a question struck my heart that I want to put out in front of everyone who reads this blog. Is Christianity in the west spending too much time focused on external issues and not the internal issues of the heart? Maybe we should hear less about moral and global issues that mega churches are taking on and more about the Sermon on the Mount and pursuing a life of wholeheartedness."

He got me thinking...and that's good. I agree we need to focus on living the Sermon on the Mount lifestyle. It should be first and foremost on our minds. Yet it is not either one or the other...it is both/and. The internal issues of the heart are critical, but the internal realities always cause an external manifestation. The church is not too concerned for the poor, weak, oppressed, aids victims, etc. The Western Church is too focused upon itself. Case in point. DALLAS –Partnering with RSI Church Stewardship Group, Calvary Chapel in Ft. Lauderdale has received pledges totaling $105 million, believed to be the largest amount ever raised by a U.S. church.

What if this church had raised 105 million dollars to do ministry in the "Projects". What if the body of Christ gave more to relieve the suffering than the U.S. Government? When the world sees the Church what they see is someone who wants to be just like them. I believe Jesus would say to the American church, just like He did the rich young ruler, sell all you have and come follow me. America to whom much is given much is required. The majority of Hospitals in America were started by churches. Yet the 21st Century Church seems more interested in living for itself. If every church in America sold its real estate holdings what could be done for the Gospel? Just do the math on the top 20 Mega churches.

It is doubtful, that anyone liquidated all of their assets to raise 105 million. What if we the church really started being the church. What if we stopped drinking $3.+ coffees and gave that money to fund the work of the ministry. What if church boards got serious about reducing overhead and voluntarily chose to downsize for the sake of the Gospel. It is about the poor, sick, suffering, and oppressed...giving to them in Jesus' name is doing it unto Him.

Wolfgang Simpson says that when you give some one money, it was never yours to begin with you were the courier for the Lord. When a couriers uses something he/she is supposed to deliver to someone else we call that theft. Are we diverting God's resources for ourselves? Are we stealing money that should be funding the work of the ministry to build empires, monuments, and memorials to ourselves.

Jesus is concerned with temples not buildings...there are 6.5 billion of them on the planet most of whom He is desiring for a holy habitation. A dwelling place within our hearts. Let us do something eternal. Let us live in this present age as though Eternity really matters.

When the Sermon on the Mount is the internal reality of our hearts; it will manifest externally. We will be less concerned about our comforts and respond to the needs of fellow humans, everywhere.

Who Do You Trust?

Most of us don't have a closet full of idols that we worship. Little statues that we would pay homage to are too primitive for us modern thinkers. So the question comes to mind is there a modern 21St century idol? Bob Sorge gives us this definition from scripture: Isa 44:17

And the rest of it he makes into a god, His carved image. He falls down before it and worships it, Prays to it and says, "Deliver me, for you are my god!"

An idol is anything we look to for "deliverance" other than God! Now that changes our perspective completely. Suddenly something that could be neutral like money, your career, your friends, your activities, all have the potential to become idols. I say "neutral" because these are not intrinsically bad things, exalting anything above loving and worshipping God can make it an idol. Trust money to deliver you and you will give it Worship that God alone requires. Seek friends to deliver you from lonlieness and you could miss out on friendship with God. Insurance, can you ever have enough?

Suddenly I discover there are hidden Idols not only in America, but in my heart too!

Thanks...6 letters encourage a soldier!

You can go to www.letssaythanks.com and send a "Thank You Card" to one of our troops on active duty. Artwork is drawn by kids. You pick the card type what you want to say. A hand written card will be mailed to active duty personnel. You can not pick the individual. Did I mention its free!

Xerox Corporation set up this website. Support our Troops in a tangible way. Make it more than a bumpersticker on your auto. These men & women deserve our best. Nobody likes the war - but we love the Men & Women of the American Armed Forces! God bless them and keep them safe!

Burritto ChriS Day 1 of GBF

Manna In The Wilderness! Or Temptation From Satan During Your 7 Day Fast!

7 Reasons Jesus Could Not Have Been A Pastor In Many Churches

Seven Reasons Why Jesus Could Not Have Been A Pastor In Many Churches

This should be fun…by Perry Nobel

#1 - He Obviously Cared About Numbers!

In reading the Gospels it does not take a rocket scientist to discover that “great crowds” were always gathering around Him…there are even instances where the crowds nearly crushed Him…and not once did He ever get mad about it & tell those people to go to hell so that He could “go deep” with those closest to Him.

At the end of every Gospel He tells His apostles to go and tell people about Him (Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:48, John 20:21)…and upon a casual reading of the book of Acts one can discover that this happened…and God was involved. (Acts 2:42 - Acts 4:4) By the way…God never seems to be truly involved in churches that don’t reach people…because people are too involved!

Yep–Jesus cared too much about people…and that just would not fly in some places.

#2 - He Was Not An Expository Preacher!

Jesus simply did not preach line by line, verse by verse, through the Old Testament. There are SOME instances where He uses Scripture; however, the overwhelming majority of the time He tells stories…in other words–He was a creative communicator!!! (I am so sure the bloggers of that time period probably accused Him of watering down God’s word!)

#3 - He Offended Religious People!

Yep–the personal committee would have dismissed Jesus quickly–and probably without any severance. You see–He kept asking them insulting questions like, “Haven’t you read…”, which REALLY insulted their intelligence because He was referring to the Torah…which most of them had memorized.

There are instances where He calls religious people sons of their father the devil…and even calls them things like snakes, vipers and white washed tombs. Obviously Jesus didn’t give a rip about what people thought about Him…and most pastors know that if you are going to be “successful” in ministry you HAVE to keep the influencers and big givers happy & try hard not to offend them.

#4 - He Was Not Issue Oriented!

Not once did Jesus ever organize a group to protest the illegal occupation by the Romans. Nor did He became an advocate for private school, gun control, or animal rights! AND…He also refused to be interviewed by Fox News or endorse Al Frankin! AND…He never seemingly would take a stand on predestination or free will - the rapture - speaking in tongues - or can women wear make-up, you know–things that REALLY matter to people who are lost.

No–He had this passion about one thing–the Kingdom of God…and He was dedicated to it in a relentless way. I know of too many pastors that are focused on many issues…but “the issue” that NEEDS to be focused on is JESUS CHRIST...making HIM famous…and NOT a particular political party or a particular brand of theology. (Oh boy…I can feel the temperature rising!)

#5 - He Liked To Have Fun!

Where was His first miracle performed? Answer…A PARTY!!! I know, I know–technically it was a wedding…but a casual study of that culture in that particular time period will show that wedding were a HUGE deal…many times lasting for three days.

And get this–Jesus made the list!!! Someone evidently thought Jesus was cool enough to invite to the wedding. (And they were so glad they did when they ran out of wine.) Folks–it is in the Bible–John 2, read it for yourself!!!

And in Matthew 14 where the Bible talks about Jesus walking on the water…and the disciples cried out in fear. Now guys…stop and think for a second…don’t you think He had a HUGE smile on His face when He did this?

#6 - He Hung Out With The Wrong Types Of People!

Jesus never seemed to be caught up in hanging out with people who seemed to think just like Him…you see, that would have been way too safe. Nope–He was always hanging around prostitutes, tax collectors and “sinners.” And He hung out with them so much that He was even accused of being a drunkard and a glutton!!! The thing is–He just didn’t seem to let that bother Him.

You see, in order to be “successful” as a pastor today you MUST hang out with people who talk, think, and act JUST LIKE YOU! For God’s sake don’t get near someone who might believe differently than you…OR have a different skin color than you…that might CHANGE the way you think…and that just wouldn’t be good in someone’s goal to please people.

#7 - He Was A Prophet…And Not A Prostitute.

A prostitute is for sale…they get paid for a service in order to make someone feel better about themselves. Many pastors today are simply prostitutes–for sale–and threatened and intimated by the loudest and most controlling person in their church.

BUT…a prophet speaks the truth…and does so not caring what might happen to Him. This was Jesus…if He desired to play it safe He could have probably avoided the whole crucifixion thing. BUT He was WAY more concerned with offending His Father than He was offending people…and that just would not fly in the modern day church.

I have heard pastors who say they like to “tell it like it is.” I agree…but telling it like it is does not mean that we yell at people who are far from God that they are “going to go to hell and fry like bacon.” Nor does it mean that we spend the majority of our time trying to tell the already convinced how good they are and that their poop doesn’t stink!

Nope–it is up to us to tell those who are far from God that they need to come near to Him through Jesus…and it is also up to us to tell those who are “in Christ” to live like it…and that means calling those IN the kingdom to repentance from time to time…both on a corporate and a private level.

Nope–Jesus simply could not have served as a pastor in many churches…but He did what He was called and instructed to do…which should be the goal of EVERY pastor and church leader all around the world. If we would all focus on pleasing Jesus and advancing His kingdom rather than pleasing people and catering to the need of immature Christians then our churches would be a lot better off!

Thank you Jesus for setting an awesome example!!!

I might've written it a bit differently, but Perry says some things to ponder! What thinkest thou?

Watch The Prayer Room Live & Pray With Us

It is time for IHOP's Global Bridegroom Fast...People all over the world praying and fasting together for the end time harvest and the Return of Jesus. The live webstream of the prayer room which normaly cost $10 bucks a month is free during these days. Starting tomorow click Here and watch and pray with us. You can also download the prayerroom resources and learn some of the practical ways 24 hour prayer and worship happens here in Kansas City. To all of our friends and family your welcome to come and experience it live...we got extra room to house you.