INSPIRATION : Inspiration

The Power

2008-02-11T07:24:26Z

In
Acts chapter 12, we read a great story of how God changed the course of history
when His people prayed:�

About
that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church.
He killed James the brother of John with the sword, and when he saw that it
pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days
of Unleavened Bread. And when he had seized him, he put him in prison,
delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after
the Passover to bring him out to the people. So Peter was kept in prison, but
earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was
sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the
door were guarding the prison. And behold an angel of the Lord stood next to
him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him,
saying, �Get up quickly.� And the chains fell off his hands. And the angel said
to him, �Dress yourself and put on your sandals.� And he did so. And he said to
him, �Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.� And he went out and followed
him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but
thought he was seeing a vision. When they had passed the first and the second
guard, they came to the Iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of
its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately
the angel left him. When Peter came to himself, he said, �Now I am sure that
the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all
that the Jewish people were expecting� (vv. 1-11).

There are two things I want you to notice in this passage. One is the power
of Satan. And the second is the power of prayer.

First, we see in this story that Satan is on the rampage. Herod, the evil
king, is on the throne. James has been murdered. And Peter is in prison. I
don�t think you or I should ever underestimate the power of Satan!

Jesus says in John 10:10, �The thief [Satan] comes only to steal and kill
and destroy.� Do you know what this means? Satan is a murderer. I want
you to remember that. Satan is a murderer, and he wants to kill your witness�
he wants to kill your reputation� he wants to kill your contentment.

Have you ever thought about that? First Peter 5:8 says, �Your adversary the
devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.� Have you
ever seen one of those TV programs that shows a lion attacking its prey? That�s
what Satan is looking to do to you!

But you know what�s great? As Christians, you and I aren�t helpless against
Satan�s attacks. We�re not helpless because we have a weapon. That weapon is
prayer. And that�s the second thing I want you to see in this passage.

We see in Acts 12 that the first-century Christians prayed like crazy for
Peter�s release. And as you know, God intervened, Peter was set free, and the
gospel of Christ continued to be preached. That�s the power of prayer at work!

Ephesians 6:12 says, �For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but
against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over
this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly
places.�

Yes, our battle is a spiritual one! And because of this, we must use the
spiritual weapon of prayer.

That�s why I want to encourage you today� no matter what battle you�re
fighting� to keep looking to God. Keep talking to Him. Because of the shed
blood of Jesus and the power of His resurrection, you and I, as believers, have
open access to His throne.�

You may
be taking a few hits by the enemy, but I promise you on the authority of
Scripture, a victory is coming. Satan will be defeated. And joy will come in
the morning!

God Bless

JUST A FOOD FOR THOUGHT

2008-02-07T17:50:21Z

We never know when

some little gestures can make a great difference in someone's life.

The Pastor and his son

Every Sunday afternoon, after the morning service at the church, the Pastor

and his eleven year old son would go out into their town and hand out Gospel

Tracts.

This particular Sunday afternoon, as it came time for the Pastor and his

son to go to the streets with their tracts, it was very cold outside, as well as

pouring down rain. The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest clothes and

said, "OK, dad, I'm ready."

His Pastor dad asked, "Ready for what?"

"Dad, it's time we gather our tracts together and go out."

Dad responds, "Son, it's very cold outside and it's pouring down rain."

The boy gives his dad a surprised look, asking, "But Dad, aren't people

still going to Hell, even though it's raining?"

Dad answers, "Son, I am not going out in this weather."

Despondently, the boy asks, ?Dad, can I go? Please?"

His father hesitated for a moment then said, "Son, you can go. Here are the

tracts, be careful son."

"Thanks Dad!"

And with that, he was off and out into the rain. This eleven year old boy

walked the streets of the town going door to door and handing everybody he met

in the street a Gospel Tract.

After two hours of walking in the rain, he was soaking, bone-chilled wet

and down to his VERY LAST TRACT. He stopped on a corner and looked for someone

to hand a tract to, but the streets were totally deserted. Then he turned toward

the first home he saw and started up the sidewalk to the front door and rang the

door bell. He rang the bell, but nobody answered. He rang it again and again,

but still no one answered. He waited but still no answer.

Finally, this eleven year old trooper turned to leave, but something

stopped him. Again, he turned to the door and rang the bell and knocked loudly

on the door with his fist. He waited, something holding him there on the front

porch. He rang again and this time the door slowly opened.

Standing in the doorway was a very sad-looking elderly lady. She softly

asked, "What can I do for you, son?"

With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, this little boy said,

"Ma'am, I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you that *JESUS

REALLY DOES LOVE YOU* and I came to give you my very last Gospel Tract which

will tell you all about JESUS and His great LOVE."

With that, he handed her his last tract and turned to leave. She called to

him as he departed. "Thank you, son! And God Bless You!"

Well, the following Sunday morning in church Pastor Dad was in the pulpit.

As the service began, he asked, "Does anybody have testimony or want to say

anything?"

Slowly, in the back row of the church, an elderly lady stood to her feet.

As she began to speak, a look of glorious radiance came from her face, "No

one in this church knows me. I've never been here before. You see, before last

Sunday I was not a Christian. My husband passed on some time ago, leaving me

totally alone in this world. Last Sunday, being a particularly cold and rainy

day, it was even more so in my heart that I came to the end of the line where I

no longer had any hope or will to live.

So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of my

home. I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof, then stood on the

chair and fastened the other end of the rope around my neck. Standing on that

chair, so lonely and brokenhearted I was about to leap off, when suddenly the

loud ringing of my doorbell downstairs startled me. I thought, "I'll wait a

minute, and whoever it is will go away."

I waited and waited, but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and more

insistent, and then the person ringing also started knocking loudly. I thought

to myself again, "Who on earth could this be? Nobody ever rings my bell or comes

to see me." I loosened the rope from my neck and started for the front door, all

the while the bell rang louder and louder.

When I opened the door and looked I could hardly believe my eyes, for there

on my front porch was the most radiant and angelic little boy I had ever seen in

my life. His SMILE, oh, I could never describe it to you! The words that came

from his mouth caused my heart that had long been dead, TO LEAP TO LIFE as he

exclaimed with a cherub-like voice, " Ma'am, I just came to tell you that JESUS

REALLY DOES LOVE YOU ."

Then he gave me this Gospel Tract that I now hold in my hand.

As the little angel disappeared back out into the cold and rain, I closed

my door and read slowly every word of this Gospel Tract. Then I went up to my

attic to get my rope and chair. I wouldn't be needing them any more. You see---I

am now a Happy Child of the KING. Since the address of your church was on the

back of this Gospel Tract, I have come here to personally say THANK YOU to God's

little angel who came just in the nick of time and by so doing, spared my soul

from an eternity in hell."

There was not a dry eye in the church. And as shouts of praise and honor to

THE KING resounded off the very rafters of the building, Pastor Dad descended

from the pulpit to the front pew where the little angel was seated. He took his

son in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably.

Probably no church has had a more glorious moment, and probably this

universe has never seen a Papa that was more filled with love & honor for

his son... Except for One. This Father also allowed His Son to go out into a

cold and dark world. He received His Son back with joy unspeakable, and as all

of heaven shouted praises and honor to The King, the Father sat His beloved Son

on a throne far above all principality and power and every name that is named.

Blessed are your eyes for reading this message. Don't let this message die,

read it again and pass it to others. Heaven is for His people!

Remember, God's message CAN make the difference in the life of someone

close to you. Do not be too shy to share that wonderful

message.��

God Bless You

dont waste the pain

2008-01-24T22:02:16Z

Don�t waste the pain, let it prove thee,

�

Don�t stop the tears, let them cleanse thee,

�

Rest, cease the striving, soon you�ll be
arriving in his arms

�

Don�t waste the pain , let it drive thee deeper
into God

�

He�s waiting, and you should have come sooner

�

The Forgotten Mandate

2008-01-21T14:22:02Z

Dear Friends,

Rom 1:16� For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

This scriptures says that the Gospel is THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION ,my question is,What is the Gospel?

Let every one that calls himself a christian and reads this please do answer this question,WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?

Thanks

Messenger Micah

Three Things

2008-01-18T19:45:13Z

Three things in life that, once gone, never come back:

1. Time

2. Words

3. Opportunity

Three things in life that can destroy a person:

1. Anger

2. Pride

3. Unforgiveness

Three things in life that you should never lose:

1. Hope

2. Peace

3. Honesty

Three things in life that are most valuable:

1. Love

2. Family & Friends

3. Kindness

Three things in life that are never certain:

1. Fortune

2. Success

3. Dreams

Three things that make a person:

1. Commitment

2. Sincerity

3. Hard work

Three things that are truly constant:

Father - Son - Holy Spirit�

I ask the Lord to bless you, as I pray for you today; to guide you and protect you, as you go along your way. God's love is always with you, God's promises are true. When you give God all your cares, you know God will see you through.