Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Sunday's Coming

Good morning.
We are on the road and I urge you to pray for our safety as we travel. We made it to Las Cruces, N.M. last night and will be somewhere in Texas tonite.


Seek First the Kingdom

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33

     When Whistler was at the height of his artistic career, a wealthy patron purchased one of his pictures on the condition that the artist would accompany him home and help select a spot to hang the picture. Once at his mansion, the man held up the picture first here and then there, each time asking, "How about this? Finally Whistler said, "You are going about this all wrong. What you must do is remove all the furnishings from the room, hang the picture where it will be best displayed, and then arrange the furniture in relationship to the picture."
     Many would like to add God to the furnishings of their lives. What He requires is that He be placed as the focal point of our existence, and only then may we arrange the miscellaneous paraphernalia of our lives.

Have a great day, love you, pass it on.
Don

A Little Humor

The story is told about a pastor who was into telling stories to the children. He'd bring all the children up, and they'd sit on the floor, and he'd tell them a story. One day he said, "Boys and girls, I want to tell you a story about someone who likes to live in the woods, but sometimes we can see him in our yards. Anybody have any idea who I am talking about?"

No takers. He said, "I want to tell you about a creature that lives in the woods and sometimes in our yards, has a big bushy tail, likes to eat nuts. Anybody have any idea what I'm talking about?"

No takers. He said, "I'm talking about a creature that lives in the woods, sometimes in our yards, big bushy tail, eats nuts, likes to climb trees, jumps from tree to tree--now, does anybody know what I'm talking about?"

One kid raised his hand to take him out of his misery. The pastor said, "Do you know what I'm thinking about?"

The kid said, "Yeah. I know the answer should be Jesus, but it sounds like a squirrel to me."

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Sunday's Coming

Good morning,

And it is, after many days of fever, chills and upset stomach, I am feeling better. Thanks for your prayers! 

Through the Holy Spirit, believers can access an endless well of supernatural power to triumph in any trial.


Our weakness frees God to make His greatest triumphs. His power is loosed when His children admit they are not in control and can do nothing to help themselves.  Only then do we find the energy, courage, and peace we need to go on living for His glory.


This our last week in Arizona.  Monday we will be on the road back to Texas first, then to Oklahoma for a while, then on to Georgia. I thank you so much for all your prayers, your emails and words of encouragement and a special thanks to each of you that give to our ministry that keeps us going to tell the good news. May God Bless You!


Speaking of giving I came across this story and wanted to share with you:


I Wish I Could Be Like That

It was the Christmas season and Paul had received a special pre-Christmas gift from his brother. It was a beautiful brand new automobile.


On Christmas Eve, when Paul came out of his office, a street kid was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it. When Paul went to get into the car the kid asked him, "Mister, is this your car?"


When Paul replied that it was, and that his brother had given it to him for Christmas, the boy said, "You mean your brother gave it to you, and it didn’t cost you anything? Free, for nothing? Gosh, I wish..."


The boy hesitated, and Paul knew what he was about to say. He had heard it many times over the past few days. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the boy said jarred Paul all the way down to his toes. "I wish..." the boy went on, "...that I could be a brother like that."


"...remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35


Which do you wish you could be?


Have a great day, love you, pass it on.


Don

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Sunday's Coming

Good morning,

I pray all is well with you today. If you have a prayer need let us know and we will pray with you.

We have two more Sunday's and then we are off to points back east to visit our family. As we prepare, we ask you to be in prayer for us, that our travels will be safe and that our finances will be enough.

My sermon this week is on prayer, especially on asking all of you to partner with us and asking God's guidance so we can continue telling about the saving grace of the Lord Jesus. We believe in prayer and know God hears all our request and He also answers.

We thank you for your prayers, emails, phone calls and in your visits as so many have done this season; what a blessing and an encouragement each of you are to us.

Have a great day, love you, pass it on,
Don


Col. 4:2-3 Continue stedfastly in prayer, watching therein with thanksgiving; withal praying for us also, that God may open unto us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ,

Late For Class

A little girl, dressed in her "Sunday best," was late and running to her Sunday school class. As she ran, she prayed, "Dear God, please don't let me be late. Dear God, please don't let me be late." Then she fell.

She got up, dusted herself off and saw that her dress was now dirty and had a little tear. She started running again, still praying, "Dear God, please don't let me be late." But this time she added, "But please don't push me, either!"

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Sunday's Coming

Good morning once again.

I pray you had a great Easter. We had a great one, almost 200 in church and as usual several new faces. My prayer is that they heard from the Lord and lives will be changed.

I urge you to continue to pray for us. I know Satan doesn't like what we are preaching and how we are ministering here. He will continue to try to disrupt the work. I also want to thank so many of you not only for praying, but your visits, your phone calls and a special thanks for giving to our ministry. How blessed you make me feel, I can not explain, but to we say "thank you" and "we love you guys soooo." May God continue to bless you and keep you safe.

Have a great day, love you, pass it on.
Don

The Privilege of Giving

But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. -- 2 Corinthians 9:6

I heard the story of a Southern preacher who was speaking to his congregation and said, "We have to crawl before we can walk."

The congregation responded in unison, "Let us crawl, Preacher. Let us crawl."

Then the preacher said, "We have to walk before we can jog."

"We have to walk, preacher, then. Let us walk," came the reply.

The preacher continued, "We have to jog before we can run."

"Let us jog, preacher. Let us jog," they answered.

"But before we can run," he told them, "we have to learn how to give."

There was a moment of silence, followed by these words: "Let us crawl, preacher. Let us crawl."

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Sunday's Coming

Good morning,

Yesterday was a very busy day so I didn't get to my post but better late than sorry.

I pray all is well with you and if not, that you would share with me. LaVon and I will pray with you.

Yesterday, a brother in Christ went home to be with the Lord. He was my prayer warrior and encourager. I will miss him so but I know he is with Jesus today. I also know he wouldn't want me to be sad but to rejoice with him. The story that follows could be from him. Enjoy!

Have a great day, love you, pass it on.
Don

It Is Well With My Soul


You will keep in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV).

Most of us have heard the song, “It is well with my soul,” and must have sung it a few times. A few of us are, however, aware of the story that is behind the writing of that song. Horatio G. Spafford's life seemed to be on a steep descend but in it all he never gave up on God, he held on! He was a lawyer and had a successful practice in Chicago. He was married to Anna and they were blessed with four girls and a boy, but the boy died when he was very young. Later Horatio invested heavily in real estate but the great Chicago fire caused great devastation in his life and he lost everything.

Booking passage on the luxury steamer S.S. Ville du Havre, the Spaffords planned to sail to England for a break. When Horatio was detained, his family sailed without him. In the middle of the Atlantic, the ship was rammed and sank in 12 minutes. Only 47 people were saved. Anna cabled two heartbreaking words to her husband: "Saved alone." Horatio immediately set out to join her. As he stood at the rail looking down on the billowing waves over the spot where his daughters had drowned, he wrote the words to the hymn that has comforted so many hurting people:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll -
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well; it is well with my soul.

Are you hurting today because of the loss that you have suffered in your life? Has it been so painful you were thinking of ending your life? Just remember it is well with your soul! God loves you so much and His desire is to give you peace even in times of hurting. Jesus spoke and said,

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid,” (John 14 v 27).