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Comment by Ladyjd721 on July 20, 2009 at 3:30am

Be the Jesus They See
Pastor Andre Butler
He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. --1 John 2:6

In the verse above, the word "walk" in the Greek means to live. And if you are in Christ, God has an expectation that you will live a certain way. And realize that He is not expecting you to live a certain way just on Sundays or when things are going bad and you need Him to show up in your life. He is talking about how you live, period. God has an expectation for your lifestyle.

So those who are in Jesus, as far as God is concerned, should live their lives like Jesus did. There was a certain way Jesus operated when He was on the planet, and God is saying if you are saying you are in Jesus then ultimately you should be like Him. Most people believe that it is not really possible to live like Jesus did. I mean after all, He was Jesus. He was the son of God. Well, what are you? The Bible says you are a child of God, an heir of God, and a joint heir with Jesus Christ. You are just as much a son of God as Jesus was and is.

I want you to understand that the world needs you to be like Jesus. The world needs to see Jesus coming around the corner, Jesus working in the cubicle working next to them, Jesus in the grocery store, Jesus praying for their kids, and Jesus being in their neighborhood. The world is looking for Superman. They are looking for Jesus, and they should see Him in you. It should be that when people look at your life they get a picture of Jesus' life. If they are seeing you, they are seeing Him, because you are just like Him.

So how do you do this? Well, all the commands that God gave us in His Word can be summed up in the Law of Love. Romans, Chapter 13 teaches us that love is the fulfilling of the law. So if you really want to know what do to be like Jesus, the answer is to walk in love. And realize that being like Jesus is fulfilling the commandment of love, because He walked in love.

Jesus gave you a model so you can imitate it. So you also should be a model and one whose conduct is worthy of imitation. That sounds like Jesus to me. Many times people do not just learn because you said something to them; they learn because they saw you do it. There is power in an example, and there is no greater example than Jesus.

So you be the Jesus they see.

Comment by Ladyjd721 on July 19, 2009 at 3:47am

God Will Use Your Test To Create Your Testimony!
Pastor Paula White
God's purposes cannot miscarry. God will never fail; He will never falter. And He will be revealed through a remnant that will rise up - that is, in fact, already rising up - to reveal His image, His glory, and His will on earth.
But that remnant will go through things. That remnant will be tested. That remnant will experience loss, trial, shake-up, chaos, and confusion...as God brings changes to our world. That remnant will have a testimony of God's power of transformation, salvation, and redemption.
If you are being tested today...it's because God will be using your testimony tomorrow!
We are in a very strategic, critical time in the body of Christ. Anyone and everyone with any spiritual discernment at all can see that we are in transition - that it's not like it used to be. We've are in a different place.
God is raising up a remnant out of the crevices, the darkness. If you are being tested...going through changes...experiencing a shake-up...and through it all, you are still hungrily seeking what it is He has to say - following His Word... and standing (-- or kneeling -- or laid out on the floor in prayer!) in the face of every attack of the enemy of your soul...then you are part of that remnant.
And right now He is positioning you for destiny...because He is about to have His grandest display of glory on the earth - and you are it! He has chosen you! And your test will become part of the testimony He will use so that others might see His glory... His faithfulness...His sovereignty...His grace - in your life.
God is taking us through a process where those who will rise up to the test will be purified and perfected...they will have persevered - and come forth very powerful.
God is raising up a people - His People - and they will represent His company. It is a heavenly summons...this is not the beckon or the call of a man. This is a moment in God that He chose, He observed, and He reserved. He placed and He planted you in the earth, and heaven has now summoned you: it is an upward drawing by the Holy Spirit to the top of Mount Zion. Zion is a place...and Zion is a people! And the people of Zion will remain steadfast to share the glory of God and His will -- through their wisdom... ...their love...their forgiveness ...their testimony.
So, as part of His remnant of Zion, begin today, to accept your test as part of walking in the destiny He has summoned you for. And no matter what these days, times or seasons look like, continue to stand firm on His Word and His promise...and you will see God use your test to create your testimony...to bring forth His purposes and His will in your life and on our earth!

Comment by Ladyjd721 on July 17, 2009 at 4:17am

Free to Love Like Jesus
Alan Riley
In the day in which we live, it takes a lot to shock us. We see so much sorrow, death and destruction each night on the news that after a while we become desensitized to it.
Something I saw around this time last year shocked, sickened and saddened me.
I'll never forget it. Maybe you remember seeing it too.
A 49 year old woman named Esmin Green was admitted to the emergency room of King's County Hospital Center in New York for psychiatric evaluation, and she was left in the waiting room for over 24 hours. At 5:32 am, the security camera shows her collapsing on the floor. For the next 30 minutes, Ms. Green lay on the floor convulsing, moving and at one point appearing to try to get up. Hospital workers and employees came in, looked at the woman and then left. One even appeared to be looking at the television while completely ignoring the stricken woman. She stopped moving at 6:07 am.
One hour and three minutes after she collapsed, a hospital worker came into the room and nudged Ms. Green with her foot. When she got no response, the worker waited a few minutes more and then summonded help. But it was too late. Esmin Green was dead.
How could someone collapse in a hospital's waiting room and lay there for an hour until she died? How could hospital workers and perhaps other people waiting for treatment in the waiting room ignore someone who was obviously in need of help? How could people be so uncaring and heartless toward another human being?
We later heard that six workers at King's County had been fired for their failure to help Ms. Green and for their attempts to cover it up. Obviously, they should have been. But as I thought about this story, I can't help but think that to one extent or another, you and I are in some ways as guilty of neglect as those hospital workers.
Now to be sure, if someone collapsed in the hall outside my office or in the parking deck as I was walking to my car, I would no doubt act decisively to assist them and to summon help. I am sure you would do the same. But how many times recently have I crossed paths with someone who was in great need spiritually or emotionally and I ignored them just as those hospital workers ignored Esmin Green?
Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan to expose the racism and elitism of the Pharisees. He also wanted to point out their lack of compassion for those in need. You remember the story... a man is attacked, beat up, and left for dead. Several religious leaders pass by the injured man before a Samaritan - a group of people hated by the Jews - stopped to help.
In those moments when we are being really honest with ourselves and with God, we know in our hearts that left to our own devices we tend to be like the Pharisees. It is when we are being like Jesus that we reach out in love and compassion to help and to share the gospel with all we come in contact with. Our culture teaches us to withdraw from and distrust those who we don't know and those who are not like us. Jesus has set us free to love like He loves.
And He reminds us that when we touch the least of these we are touching Him. When we refuse them, we are refusing Him.
Lord, make me sensitive to the needs, the cares, the concerns, the hurts, and the spiritual condition of those that I come in contact with today!

Comment by Ladyjd721 on July 17, 2009 at 4:17am

Free to Love Like Jesus
Alan Riley
In the day in which we live, it takes a lot to shock us. We see so much sorrow, death and destruction each night on the news that after a while we become desensitized to it.
Something I saw around this time last year shocked, sickened and saddened me.
I'll never forget it. Maybe you remember seeing it too.
A 49 year old woman named Esmin Green was admitted to the emergency room of King's County Hospital Center in New York for psychiatric evaluation, and she was left in the waiting room for over 24 hours. At 5:32 am, the security camera shows her collapsing on the floor. For the next 30 minutes, Ms. Green lay on the floor convulsing, moving and at one point appearing to try to get up. Hospital workers and employees came in, looked at the woman and then left. One even appeared to be looking at the television while completely ignoring the stricken woman. She stopped moving at 6:07 am.
One hour and three minutes after she collapsed, a hospital worker came into the room and nudged Ms. Green with her foot. When she got no response, the worker waited a few minutes more and then summonded help. But it was too late. Esmin Green was dead.
How could someone collapse in a hospital's waiting room and lay there for an hour until she died? How could hospital workers and perhaps other people waiting for treatment in the waiting room ignore someone who was obviously in need of help? How could people be so uncaring and heartless toward another human being?
We later heard that six workers at King's County had been fired for their failure to help Ms. Green and for their attempts to cover it up. Obviously, they should have been. But as I thought about this story, I can't help but think that to one extent or another, you and I are in some ways as guilty of neglect as those hospital workers.
Now to be sure, if someone collapsed in the hall outside my office or in the parking deck as I was walking to my car, I would no doubt act decisively to assist them and to summon help. I am sure you would do the same. But how many times recently have I crossed paths with someone who was in great need spiritually or emotionally and I ignored them just as those hospital workers ignored Esmin Green?
Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan to expose the racism and elitism of the Pharisees. He also wanted to point out their lack of compassion for those in need. You remember the story... a man is attacked, beat up, and left for dead. Several religious leaders pass by the injured man before a Samaritan - a group of people hated by the Jews - stopped to help.
In those moments when we are being really honest with ourselves and with God, we know in our hearts that left to our own devices we tend to be like the Pharisees. It is when we are being like Jesus that we reach out in love and compassion to help and to share the gospel with all we come in contact with. Our culture teaches us to withdraw from and distrust those who we don't know and those who are not like us. Jesus has set us free to love like He loves.
And He reminds us that when we touch the least of these we are touching Him. When we refuse them, we are refusing Him.
Lord, make me sensitive to the needs, the cares, the concerns, the hurts, and the spiritual condition of those that I come in contact with today!

Comment by Ron A. Price on July 15, 2009 at 2:03pm

Comment by Ladyjd721 on July 14, 2009 at 8:43am

Sharing Your Faith
Shaun King
"How much does a so-called Christian have to hate you if they really believe in Jesus, Heaven, and Hell and never tell you about it?"
While those words may sound like they came from your local evangelist or pastor, they didn't. Not even close. Instead, they came from the mouth of one of the most famous non-believing atheists in the world, Penn Jillette, widely known as the bigger half of the performance group Penn & Teller.
When I heard Penn make this statement it was like a kick in the gut. Let me tell you why. Penn made this statement after finishing a show. A very warm, sincere man waited patiently to meet with Penn and gave Penn a small Bible and told him very kindly how much he believed and valued the words inside of that book.
Now, before you get too happy I want to tell you ahead of time that Penn still says he could care less about the Bible, but he was moved by earnest honesty and beliefs of a simple man that wanted to share his faith in God with someone that he admired. Not cliché, not judgmental, not snobbish, the man very plainly and simply shared his faith and it broke through Penn's very cynical exterior walls.
When reflecting back on this encounter later that evening, Penn said that he wasn't even slightly irritated when the man shared his faith. Indeed, he said what troubled and irritated him even more than someone sharing a deeply held faith in God, was a man or woman that claimed to have a deep faith about a risen Savior, or an everlasting afterlife of Heaven or Hell, but thought so little about people that they never told them about it!
Ouch! Strong words? Yes.
But Penn is right.
Either we don't really believe in an awesome Savior that chose the nails and the cross for us or we must hate people so much that we know this Savior for ourselves, but don't want anyone else to know Him.
Who are you telling about Jesus? Better yet - who are you not telling about Him that really needs to hear His story and yours? Are you sure you believe in Jesus and in Heaven? If so, why not tell everyone you know about this amazing news we call the Gospel?
One thing that I have learned over the past few weeks with the deaths of Michael Jackson, Steve McNair, Farrah Fawcett, Billy Mays, and others is that tomorrow just isn't promised and that we should never assume that we have another hour or another day or another random time to tell someone about our faith journey.
Maybe they'll reject the Gospel and reject you and move on, but maybe, just maybe they won't. Maybe God will use you as a springboard into the heart of that person or that family that you need to talk with. Just understand this - our faith is not a private faith. It's not a secret, keep-it-to-yourself type of faith.
It's a tell-the-whole-world-because-you-contain-yourself type of faith and people need to hear from you.
Today, I dare you to start sharing your faith today and see what happens!

Comment by Ladyjd721 on July 13, 2009 at 3:44am

Sharing Over Wine
Brenda Gittens
"All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to Himself through what Christ did. And God has given us the task of reconciling people to Him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. This is the wonderful message He has given us to tell others." (2 Corinthians 5:17-19).
Do you know or can you sense, when that special opportunity comes for you to share your faith with someone whose path you may cross? Not as a big planned project or performance, but just simply being available to the Lord's will and call anytime and anywhere. Simply sharing what you know about Jesus, and what He's done for you. (2 Corinthians 4:5). The Holy Spirit working through you, giving you what to say and how to say it. It could even be done over wine!
"We don't go around preaching about ourselves; we preach Christ Jesus, the Lord."
While flying back home from Georgia, I was enjoying the plane ride. A young man seated next to me was reading and studying some papers pulled from his briefcase. While eating airline snacks, we began to engage in conversation. He asked about California, and I shared a little about it. He shared that he had to fly into San Francisco for his job, and he was to be at a winery in the Napa Valley for a meeting the next day.
He asked if I drank wine and my response was, "For communion I do." He then responded back with a smile and began to share his memories with me of him serving communion as a child. He then asked, "Are you one of those 'new' Christians?" and He shared that he was not.
The Holy Spirit gave me the opportunity to share with him a little about my upbringing, and how one day I had become a born-again Christian. This was a time of me simply sharing the message in this scripture. "What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Sharing our faith with unbelievers is what we as believers have been called to do. God has given us the privilege of being His ambassadors in this world. While writing this, I couldn't help but think of the joy and delight that comes when sharing my faith. We don't have all of the answers and responses for people that we cross paths with, but we can simply share what the Holy Spirit gives us, remember to pray for them, and leave the rest to God.
To share on this plane with this stranger is something I will never forget. I don't even know that persons name, but God does!

Comment by Ladyjd721 on July 12, 2009 at 1:15pm

The Mark of A Disciple
Pastor Andre Butler
Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. -John 15:8

What makes a true disciple? When you bear much fruit for Jesus--when you produce for Him--you become a disciple. When you go forth and win souls, consolidate, disciple, and send, you are a true disciple.

In our ministry, we have a revelation that we call J12, which means "Be like Jesus and get your twelve," or, simply, "Make disciples." J12 is more than a motto, a logo, a creed, or a song. J12 is a revelation. Each of us needs to embrace that revelation, because when we do, when it is burning on the inside of us, we will make disciples and win our city.

You, as one individual, need to make disciples--plural, meaning more than one disciple. When you get to eternity and stand before the King of kings and God pulls out the Book, He should be able to see that you individually made disciples.

We say, "Get your twelve," and we chose that number for several reasons. First, twelve is the number of government in scripture. Second, Jesus raised up twelve disciples. But the revelation behind it is not just "twelve," it is "disciples." If you get fifteen disciples, great! If you get your twelve tomorrow, you are not done.

People still are dying and going to hell, and you still have work to do. While twelve is a good number to reach toward, the concept is that you need to make disciples.

Proverbs 11:30 - The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

The righteous should be producing fruit for God. Notice that this verse says that he who wins souls--plural, meaning many souls--is wise. Daniel 12, verse 3, talks about end-time prophecies and the rewards believers receive once we are done here on earth:

And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

Notice that those who are wise shall turn many to righteousness. Those who are wise will shine as the stars in the firmament; they will be as stars forever. God's will is that you turn many to righteousness and make disciples!

Comment by Ladyjd721 on July 11, 2009 at 4:05am

Faith Report Card
Latrice Pace
As a preacher's kid, I grew up hearing and reading about faith. As an adult I've come to know and experience what faith is and does. FAITH: loyalty, belief and trust in God. I am a fan of Webster.com and when I typed "trust" I noticed the derivatives were, "trustability", "trustable", "truster", "trustingly", "trustingness".
Nothing came up for "trusted". It may very well be a word, but not acknowledged by Webster. My point, "trust" is never past tense. It's not something you did once and it didn't work out for you. A friend once said to me, "to say you've trusted is to say life got stuck in a previous experience of failure or hurt." As believers its never a thing of the past, it's our now, our life. It's the fundamental fact of our existence.
"But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him." Hebrews 11:6 Amp.
I, like so many others have found myself to the point of frustration and really wanting to be enlightened when it came to the subject of faith. I'd ask, What am I doing wrong?, What am I not getting? Why is my life not yielding certain results? There have been numerous Biblical testimonies of faith set before us to show us that if we get in the habit of believing (without options, without a plan b) our lives can yield the same results if not better. They stood firm, in the state of mind in which they had un-shakeable confidence and faith in God.
Abraham when asked was ready to return his promised son, Isaac back to God not knowing that other provisions had already been made. Abraham didn't go to the undisclosed location with Isaac and an optional sacrifice. He knew that there was a reason God was asking for the son in which his descendants would spring forth.
Now he very well could have asked a plethora of questions and refused to make a move until he understood. I'm sure nothing about this was making sense to him. However, he didn't seek to understand it, he moved and believed. God saw his heart, his desire to please Him. Therefore, He provided the ram.
Noah, who was a farmer and aspiring entrepreneur. He was probably in the process or planting his very own vineyard so he could open a farm winery, but God interrupts his plans. He was asked to build an ark in the Summer's heat, if I may. The process of building a boat/ship/ark is a traditional craftsmanship which is a refined art delivered from master to apprentice. The skill is passed on by doing and often without a sketch or blueprint.
In Genesis 6 and 7, God (the master) gave detailed instructions for the ark and Noah (the apprentice) obeyed. Why? He was in the habit of believing. Noah's habit affords us the opportunity to experience the brilliant beauty of the consequent rainbow today.
Enoch's habit caused him to be caught up and transferred to heaven, so that he did not see death.
SELF ANALYSIS: Is your faith failing or satisfactory?
1. Like Abraham, has God ever asked you to sacrifice something he promised you with no explanation why and not knowing the end result?

2. Like Noah, has He ever wanted to interrupt your plan because He had need of you?

3. Just as Enoch did, He expects us to be "caught up". Get caught up in the habit of trusting Him, so that our faith grows increasingly faster than any giant/deathly circumstance we may face today.
A firm mindset of faith influences a habit of faith. The testimonial results from that faith that will last for generations is the sum of those essential factors. Is your faith.

Comment by Tamesha Keel on July 10, 2009 at 12:56pm

Blessings! I am new to the network and the group-looking forward to my time here! Have a wonderful day everyone!

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