GOLD COAST FLOODED!

Torrential rain has hit the Gold Coast where we live and caused major damage to cars and properties, a young couple are missing presumed drowned when their car was filled with water and then carried off in the horrendous floodwater, five minutes from where we live!

In the past 24 hours we have had 20 inches of rain and it has caused havoc with the storm water drainage! I was clearing blocked drains at my from 6:30am till 9:00am, and got thoroughly saturated in the process, water was coming out of my ears! But Praise the Lord we had no major damage, just a little bit of water in the Garage!

This rain, believe it or not, is a Godsend, as we have been in drought condition for many months and the last major rainfall was last year.

This to me, is a reminder of how it would be if the Lord sent the 'Latter Rain,' totally saturated in the presence of God, totally immersed in the Holy Spirit and overflowing with the anointing, love, joy, peace and the torrents of the blessings of our Lord and Saviour Jesus!Hallelujah, praise His wonderful name!

GBYAY

DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT - THURSDAY - A PENTECOSTAL REVIVAL! #1

“Revivals begin with God's own people; the Holy Spirit touches their heart anew, and gives them new fervor and compassion, and zeal, new light and life, and when He has thus come to you, He next goes forth to the valley of dry bones…Oh, what responsibility this lays on the Church of God! If you grieve Him away from yourselves, or hinder His visit, then the poor perishing world suffers sorely!” –Andrew A. Bonar.
---------------------------------------------------------
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. -Act 2:1-4. ESV

There is a desperate need for the Church of Jesus Christ all over the world to be revived! When we begin to encounter the kinds of crime and depravity that go on in society today, and the biggest percentage of His Church have a couldn’t care less attitude, then we need a revival like the one that took place on the day of the Feast of Pentecost, the day that His Churched was birthed publicly!

A U.S. Lutheran bishop tells of visiting a parish church in California and finding a stirring red and orange banner on the wall. "Come Holy Spirit. Hallelujah!" it declared in words printed under a picture of a fire burning. The bishop was also interested in the sign directly underneath the banner which said: "Fire extinguisher." So much for that parish's commitment to spiritual renewal. - One World.

What is a true "Pentecostal" revival? The picture of Acts is often a far cry from what we see in many churches today. First let's look at what it is not… a Pentecostal revival is not a revival of programs, a revival of human personalities or a revival of pomp and circumstance. A Pentecostal revival is…

A REVIVAL OF PASSION
When they came down out of the upper room they didn't come down whispering, they didn't hide in the shadows, they rushed out into the market place with a revived passion. True passion always comes out in the speech and actions of the passionate. If people do not see and hear Jesus in us, then our passion is lacking.

On the day of Pentecost, the passion would not be contained or concealed in an upper room, it had to make its way, like a river, into the city, and eventually, all the world.

A few years ago, when Latin America was experiencing phenomenal growth in the Pentecostal churches Roland E. Vaughan, General Director of Church of God World Missions, said the reason was not because of education, or facilities, or finances, or programs; "the reason they are growing," he said, "is because the people have a passion for God."

James, in his Epistle, said... Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. true and undefiled religion is to minister to the needs of widows and orphans. - Jam 1:27.

True religion has enough compassion to do something about the plight of the outcast of society. True religion has enough passion to care and to create ministries which will make a change in people's lives. There is no Christianity without compassion, and there is no "compassion" without passion."

Jesus Christ was often moved with compassion to minister to the masses. Compassion should move us, it should motivate and compel us to do something. Far from the placid figure portrayed in modern media, Jesus was a passionate man. He was also moved with passion to rebuke the religionists, and to clear the temple of money changers.

O for a passionate passion for souls,
O for a pity that yearns!
O for the love that loves unto death,
O for a fire that burns!
O for the pure prayer-power that prevails,
That pours itself out for the lost!
Victorious prayer in the Conqueror's Name,
O for a PENTECOST! -Amy Wilson Carmichael.

Paul told Timothy… For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, - 2Tim 1:6. A passionless church is a church that has left its first love, it is a church that is neither flowing with cool refreshing streams nor the hot therapeutic springs, but is lukewarm, half-hearted, empty, apathetic and complacent. Don't let the passion die; don't lose your first love, fan the flame and let the fire burn!

I have but one passion; it is He, He only. - Ludwig von Zinzendorf.

Loving Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit, blow across the glowing embers of the Church of Jesus Christ again, and revive within us a passion for the lost, a passion for prayer, a passion to praise, a passion for God in all of His splendour! In Jesus wonderful name I pray!

GBYAY

DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT - WEDNESDAY - LOVING JESUS.

"Every thing that a man leans upon but God, will be a dart that will certainly pierce his heart through and through. He, who leans only upon Christ, lives the highest, choicest, safest, and sweetest life." - Thomas Brooks.
----------------------------------------
Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. - John 14:23. ESV

WHAT IS LOVING JESUS?
To love Jesus is to long to be with Him. To love Jesus is to think about Him. To love Jesus is to obey Him, to obey Him readily and implicitly, not feebly and reluctantly.

I heard about a man sitting before a fireplace lost in thought. The drapes had been closed and the room was dark except for the flickering light of the dying fire. Finally the flames themselves disappeared, leaving nothing but a heap of grey ashes topped with glowing embers. One burning coal stood out brilliantly from all the rest because it was white hot. The man's gaze was transfixed upon it. Suddenly that brilliant white-hot coal turned completely black. The man was startled. What had caused the instant change? As he looked around, he noticed that the drapes had parted slightly and a shaft of brilliant sunlight had shot into the study and landed directly on the burning coal. The greater light had made the lesser light look black by comparison.

That is what Christ demands of us. Our love and devotion for Him must be so complete that the deepest love we have for our dearest loved one fades in comparison. Do you love the Lord Jesus like that? If you don't -- or aren't willing to -- you cannot be His disciple. –Source unknown.

WHAT IS JESUS TO YOU?
Does He fascinate you? Does He draw you towards heaven? Is it to be with Him that you seek heaven? The certainty of heaven is assured when we keep Jesus in the centre of our hearts, in the centre of our lives. He is to be the author of impulse and desire, of effort and action… And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. - Col 3:17. Will you get to heaven?

Is He the fairest flower in all heaven’s garden?
Is He the rarest and most precious of all its jewels?
Is He sweeter than all its songs?

Does the desire to see and be with Him stir the deepest ambition of your soul? Jesus and heaven are bound up together, you can’t have one without the other. Does He produce the longings for heavens happy abode?

I counted all my dollars while God counted crosses;
I counted gains while he counted losses;
I counted my worth by the things gained in store,
But he sized me up by the scars that I bore.
I coveted honours and sought for degrees;
He wept as He counted the hours on my knees.
I never knew till one day by a grave;
How vain are the things that we spend life to save.
I did not know till a friend went above…
That richest is he who is rich in God's love. – Source unknown.


DO YOU LOVE HIM WITH AN UNTOLD PASSION?
To love Him with an untold passionate devotion is heaven begun, heaven continued, and heaven ended. Paul says… For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. - 2 Tim 4:6-8.

The crown is not only personal to him, but universal, not only universal, but limited. Paul says… " and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." Here it is not simply love for Jesus personally, but love for the great fact which is to culminate in the great glory of Jesus.

To "love his appearing" there is the absolute necessity for loving His Person, the loving of His coming is the test of loving His Person. We love the fact because we love the Person, we are not charged to love any theory or opinion about the manner of His coming, or the time, but the fact. Let Him come when He will, how He will, and for what purpose He will.

Rev 3:11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.
Rev 22:7 "And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book."
Rev 22:12 "Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done.
Rev 22:20 He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

We love his coming because we love Him…. "Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus," and bring your heaven with you.

Charles Spurgeon tells of a Mr. Welch, a Suffolk minister, who was noticed to sit and weep; and one said to him,
"My dear Mr. Welch, why are you weeping?"
"Well," he replied, "I can't tell you."
But when they pressed him very hard, he answered,
"I am weeping because I cannot love Christ more." – Source unknown.

Do you love Jesus?

Loving Father, I thank you that Jesus loves me, loves me enough to die for me, loves me enough to give me a new life. Help me by the power of the Holy Spirit, to love Him with an untold passion. In His wonderful name I pray! Amen!

GAGGING RELIGIOUS CRITICISM SEEMS UN-AUSTRALIAN!

Civil and Administrative Tribunal finding that two Catch the Fire Ministries pastors must apologise for vilifying Muslims raises substantial concerns. Outlawing religious criticism seems un-Australian: not because religious criticism is particularly important in itself, but rather because freedom of expression matters to Australian culture. However, freedom also raises the problem of excess. Where do we draw the line against excess in Australia now -- and are we drawing it at all? Australians (or Victorians, anyway) have always liked to abuse the umpire.

Religious abuse fits into this robust culture of free speech. The question is whether this culture should have any legal limits placed upon it, ever. The importance of the question goes well beyond the wrangling between two rather self-important religious organisations.

Take two other recent test cases: Channel 10's Big Brother and extremist Islamic hate literature.

My mental faculties have not yet deteriorated to the point where I find Big Brother necessary viewing, but I know many people are demanding it be curbed by regulatory authorities after on-screen depictions of genitalia and sexual activity. Clearly, stricter punitive penalties should apply in what is basically -- contrary to the bleatings of network functionaries -- an unregulated night-time television environment.

Stricter penalties are needed because free-to-air TV is basically a public space. Flashers and their producers can do whatever they want on a private subscription service, but this should be off-limits on free-to-air. This, however, would not represent a restriction on free speech.

It would merely be a recognition that certain expressions of freedom must be confined to the private sphere. Judging by Big Brother, freedom of speech in Australia is in more than robust health. Indeed, it's so healthy it has started devouring the moral landscape.

The second test case involves the hate literature sold at a Melbourne mosque, reported in the Herald Sun on Friday. The literature spells out ant-Semitic, anti-Christian and anti-Western themes. This fits with a worldwide pattern of self-styled Islamic literature distributed with the blessing and support of the extreme Wahhabist Government of Saudi Arabia. Much of this literature is full of messages of hate, not only towards non-Muslims, but even towards other Muslims whom the purist Wahhabists deem too soft. The key question is: should such hate-filled literature also be banned?

If two pastors can be charged for vilifying Muslims, extremists who distribute this kind of literature should also, surely, be charged. However, I am not sure that either group should be dragged before the courts.

This is because prosecution in a legal setting does not seem an effective way to get to grips with the underlying problem here. Unlike Big Brother, which is basically a problem of public obscenity, the underlying problem in this case is hatred.

American critic Stanley Fish, author of the controversial book There's No Such Thing as Free Speech and it's a Good Thing Too, warns against the temptation to suppress hate speech by law. Citing the poet John Milton -- who defended "free speech", but did not want it extended to Catholics -- Mr Fish says no one really favours complete free speech. The problem is, speech you dislike must be defeated by better speech, not by law. "When something is suppressed, it does not go away. It just takes on a romantic underground life and flourishes."

The Catch the Fire Ministries case proves this. Some people genuinely believe that the only issue in the case is whether or not the two pastors quoted the Koran accurately. But this is not a mystery question. The Koran is freely available in public libraries around Victoria.

ANYONE concerned about what it says need not worry about Catch the Fire seminars. They can simply visit the library and read the book. What the Catch the Fire case has done is convince many people -- incorrectly -- that this entire topic is off-limits to free discussion and inquiry.

Prosecuting pastors Danny Nalliah and Daniel Scot, I believe, has done nothing to improve understanding of Islam in Victoria. It has merely given people on both sides, the Islamic and the Christian, a nice fight to enjoy, with headlines. This does nothing to touch the most important issue, which is that in real life, there are some things which simply should not be said, or seen.

The problem we have is how to deal with that fact in a community where no one agrees what those things are. Banning hate speech by law is not the answer.

GBYAY

DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT - TUESDAY: JESUS… GOD ALMIGHTY

"Anything that one imagines of God apart from Jesus Christ is only useless thinking and vain idolatry."- Martin Luther.

-------------------------------------------------------

But of the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. - Heb 1:8. ESV

The theme of Hebrews is to present Jesus Christ as God, who is greater than all Mankind and Angels and to prove that by Christ, Judaism and the Law have come to an end, To confirm through Christ, Jewish Christians in their faith, and to establish in Christ, new covenant doctrines for all mankind.

8 FACTS ABOUT JESUS:

1. He is the SPOKESMAN for the Father... but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, - Heb 1:2a. Under the OT there were many parts, ways and persons used in speaking to mankind, but in the NT all is done through the Son who fulfilled the LAW and the Prophets and made the NEW COVENANT.

2. He is THE APPOINTED HEIR of ALL THINGS... whom he appointed the heir of all things. -Heb 1:2b.

3. He is the PLANNER OF ALL AGES... through whom also he created the world. - Heb 1:2c. Jesus was the agent in planning the ages and making the Father’s plan for Mankind. In this sense He is the EVERLASTING FATHER (Isa 9:6). He not only planned the ages but He CREATED EVERYTHING including the UNIVERSE…

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. - Col 1:15-18.

4. He is the RADIANCE (Intensity) of the Father’s GLORY... He is the radiance of the glory of God - Heb 1:3a.

I don’t know much about real diamonds other than they are really expensive. Eighteen months ago, when my wife Jean and I were on holiday on Sanibel Island, Florida, I was waiting as per usual, while Jean and her sister were shopping till they drop at some factory outlets, and I picked up a pamphlet that was lying on the bench where I was parked.

It was for Sanibel Diamonds and it explained that they were of a very high quality, and as I mentioned before, very, very expensive. But the thing that caught my attention was the way that every diamond had inscribed on them the name of the company, Sanibel Diamonds in very tiny print, and the radiance ratio etc;

As I sat there waiting, I thought of the above Scripture and the fact that Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory, not only that, but we who are his followers are His diamonds, and we are all stamped with the same radiance, His! Hallelujah! Praise His wonderful name! It certainly brightened up my shopping day!

5. He is the EXACT REPRESENTATION of the Father’s Person... and the exact imprint of his nature, - Heb 1:3b. Hebrew-Charakter… Exact expression or impression when metal is pressed into a die; or as a seal upon wax… He is the "image" or impress of His substance, or essence. It is the fact of complete resemblance.

6. HE UPHOLDS ALL THINGS (CREATIONS) by the POWER of HIS WORD... and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. - Heb 1:3c. By His Word of Power all things are sustained (continued) ETERNALLY… FOREVER!

7. HE IS THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD... After making purification for sins, - Heb 1:3d. He became the PUREFICATION for ALL SINS= by His death on the cross.

8. HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN AND WAS EXALTED TO HIS FORMER POSITION... he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, - Heb 1:3e. He is the KING OF KINGS, LORD OF LORDS AND LORD OVERALL, HE IS ALMIGHTY GOD!

There is no doubt in my mind that Jesus Christ is GOD ALMIGHTY….

To the artist He is the One Altogether Lovely.
To the architect He is the Chief Cornerstone.
To the astronomer He is the Sun of Righteousness.
To the baker He is the Living Bread.
To the banker He is the Hidden Treasure.
To the biologist He is the Life.
To the carpenter He is the Sure Foundation.
To the doctor He is the Great Physician.
To the educator He is the Great Teacher.
To the farmer He is the Sower and Lord of the Harvest.
To the florist He is the Lily of the Valley and the Rose of Sharon.
To the geologist He is the Rock of Ages.
To the horticulturist He is the True Vine.
To the judge He is the Righteous Judge.
To the juror He is the True Witness.
To the jeweller He is the Pearl of Great Price.
To the editor He is the Good Tidings of Great Joy.
To the optician He is the Light of the Eyes.
To the philosopher He is the Wisdom of God.
To the Printer He is the True Type.
To the servant He is the Good Master.
To the student He is the Incarnate Truth.
To the toiler He is the Giver of Rest.
To the Sinner He is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.
To the Christian, He is the Son of the Living God, the Saviour, the Redeemer, the Lord and GOD ALMIGHTY! – Source unknown.

Loving Father, I thank you that your word tells me that Jesus is God almighty! I pray by the power of the Holy Spirit, that I will be a faithful, loyal and obedient follower of my Lord and my God, Jesus Christ, in whose name I pray! Amen!

GBYAY

JERUSALEM COURT ALLOWS GAY PRIDE PARADE.

When Jesus came closer and could see Jerusalem, he cried and said: It is too bad that today your people don't know what will bring them peace! Now it is hidden from them. - Luke 19:41-42.

An Israeli court ruled that Jerusalem's gay pride parade could proceed as planned this week and ordered the city's mayor to pay 30,000 shekels (A8,400) out of his own pocket for trying to stop it. In rare cooperation, the ultra Orthodox Jewish and Muslim communities in the holy city had tried to prevent the parade, scheduled for June 30, saying it would infringe on their religious sensitivities. Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski, an ultra-Orthodox Jew, said he would not allow the events to take place on public property.

The city said that it received many phone calls from local residents opposed to the public parade. About half of Jerusalem's majority Jewish residents are Orthodox or ultra-Orthodox, a much higher percentage than the national average. A third of the city's 700,000 people are Muslims. Both Orthodox Judaism and Islam regard homosexual practice as an abomination. Representatives of Jerusalem's Muslim community have threatened to stage a protest opposing the parade, saying that it harms Muslim heritage and traditions.

Jerusalem District Court Judge Musya Arad ruled that the city had no right to prevent such public events based solely on the sexual orientation of its organisers. "The harming of the sensitivities of one community or another is not enough to prevent another community from fulfilling its rights to equality, respect and freedom of expression," Arad wrote in the decision. The city must pay Jerusalem's homosexual community 60,000 shekels ($A16,880), and half must come from the mayor's own pocket, the judge ruled.

"The court decision today is a victory not just for the lesbian and gay community in Jerusalem, but a triumph for freedom of speech," said Hagai El-Ad, director of Open House for Pride and Tolerance, a gay rights group. "This will be a day of celebration of pluralism in Jerusalem."

The parade's route is to through Jerusalem's secular downtown, ending with a concert at a park overlooking the walled Old City. El-Ad said that about 4,000 people attended last year's parade, which was the Jerusalem community's third annual one.

COME SOON LORD JESUS!
GBYAY

DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT - MONDAY: FRESH OIL EVERY DAY!

"May not a single moment of my life be spent outside the light, love and joy of God's presence and not a moment without the entire surrender of my self as a vessel for Him to fill full of His Spirit and His love." - Andrew Murray.

--------------------------------------------------------

But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox; you have poured over me fresh oil. - Psalm 92:10.

David greeted life with a positive note, he was confident and positive in his belief concerning God's faithfulness; therefore we are not surprised to hear him say positively, “…you have poured over me fresh oil.”

We do not read far into the Psalms until we are convinced David believed in the ever-living and all-sufficient God. We also find that as we draw near to God we will move into a region of positive certainty, while we depend upon man, we are in a realm of maybe and perhaps, when we trust in God we are removed from any, and everything that is of chance. and we have…

Confidence In God For A Fresh Anointing.
What did it mean? When he said, “…you have poured over me fresh oil.” Anointed with fresh oil denoted a fresh confirmation in his office to which he had been anointed; an abundance of plenty, fresh oil as often as he pleased, of renewed comforts when his spirit was down. Grace in the time of need, and his strength would be renewed also. David was assured of divine favour, which would qualify him for his ministry, and he would have new cause for happiness!

Centuries ago a king called to his side his most trusted herald. He handed him a letter and commanded him to read it throughout the entire empire. The king longed to improve the level of living for his people and to promote great happiness in the homes of the land.

In the letter the king offered special benefits to each subject. The one stipulation said that to collect the benefits each person needed to appear at the nearest village square on the day the king's representative came to that village. All the benefits the king promised would be received only through a personal appearance before the king's representative.

So also, it can be said, that all the benefits and blessings God has for us to experience come through His Holy Spirit. All God has for us is made a reality through the Holy Spirit. The indwelling Spirit enables and equips us to live Christ's own life through us. By His grace and His gifts we are prepared to fulfil His purpose for us. - Source unknown.


Our Confidence Is Grounded Upon God’s Word!
David's expectation of fresh anointing rested in God. We can be sure of fresh supply because of our union with Christ, we are hidden with Christ in God… For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. - Col 3:3.

The Holy Spirit dwells in us, our bodies are temples or vessels for His Spirit. There can be no famine in our souls while he dwells there, we possess God's promises, and the experiences of people of all ages verify this.

The story is told of a college professor who visited the Fiji Islands. Being agnostic, he critically remarked to an elderly chief, "You're a great leader, but it's a pity you've been taken in by those foreign missionaries. They only want to get rich through you. No one believes the Bible anymore. People are tired of the threadbare story of Christ dying on a cross for the sins of mankind. They know better now. I'm sorry you've been so foolish as to accept their story."

The old chief's eyes flashed as he answered, "See that great rock over there? On it we smashed the heads of our victims. Notice the furnace next to it? In that oven we formerly roasted the bodies of our enemies. If it hadn't been for those good missionaries and the love of Jesus that changed us from cannibals into Christians, you'd never leave this place alive! You'd better thank the Lord for the Gospel; otherwise we'd already be feasting on you. If it weren't for the Bible, you'd now be our supper! – Source unknown.

This Promise Of Fresh Anointing Banishes Our Fears.
The fear of Poverty: Be in health and prosper even as your soul prospers. (Rich in Christ)… For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. - Jer 29:11.

The fear of Temptation: No man can say when he is tempted that he is tempted of God, for God tempted no man… No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. - 1Cor 10:13.

The fear of Backsliding: God said he would keep our feet from slipping… They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. - Ezek 37:23.

Keep your fears to yourself; share your courage with others. - Robert Louis Stevenson.

We can have fresh oil every day because God said we can! We need to be courageous and avail ourselves of God’s fresh oil every day, and see how He can use us in the most powerful ways to bring glory to His name and to extend His Kingdom!

Loving Father, I thank you for your word that tells me that I can have a fresh anointing every day! Help me Holy Spirit to be confident in our Word that tells me my life is hidden in Christ. Walk with me Holy Spirit and help me to banish all the fear in my life! I ask this in the mighty name of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!

GBYAY

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.

PETER CASSERLY

Peter Casserly, Australia's last survivor of the Western Front in World War I, died yesterday. Aged 107, he was also believed to be Australia's oldest man. And, despite having served on the Somme, his main claim to fame may have been the longevity of his marriage - he and his wife, Monica Casserly, had been married for 80 years and 10 months when she died at 102 last year. "The passing time never changed the loveliness of my wife for me," he recalled recently. "She remained a beautiful blessing throughout our long marriage."

Mr Casserly died in a nursing home in Perth. His family believe he could have lived longer if he had not fallen out of his bed nine days ago. Although frail and virtually blind, Mr Casserly could still recall the day in 1917 he sailed for France, aged 19. As he departed he dropped into the Indian Ocean a bottled note to his mother. She eventually got it, after the bottle washed up in Esperance and was posted back to her home in Fremantle.

Right to the end he was opposed to the war that claimed nearly 61,000 Australians, 48,000 of them on the Western Front. He knew 28 of the men listed as killed in action on the war monument in North Fremantle alone. Although he marched in an Anzac Day parade aged 22, it took another 84 years before he attended his second. He liked to be thought of as one of the last of the World War I veterans, but he never joined the RSL. Yet a map of the Western Front hung on the wall of his nursing home. Until his last years he preferred to talk about his family, work and the East Fremantle Football Club than his 2½ years of army service.

Peter Casserly left school at 13 and worked as a blacksmith's apprentice, then as a fireman on the railways. In France he became a sapper at the infamous battlefields of Ypres, Armentières and Amiens, building and repairing fortifications about two kilometres behind the front line. After leaving the army in 1919 he worked as a labourer, opened a wood yard and then turned his hobby of crayfishing into a career. He had two sons with his wife - Edward, who predeceased him, and Peter jnr.

Peter Casserly jnr said yesterday that his father, who he saw more as a friend, had fallen badly on June 16 and, although he picked up for a few days, he went downhill after that. A state funeral would be held in Fremantle next week, he said. "My father was a plain man and would not have wanted all that fuss."

Peter Casserly leaves seven grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. His death leaves one sailor from World War I, W. Evan Allan, 105, of Melbourne, along with John Ross, 105, of Bendigo, who enlisted but never left Australia.

We salute and honour you, Peter Casserly!

GBYAY

CELL SERVICE SIR!

Is this the 'Luck' or the 'Bad Luck' of the Irish?

Irish prisoners lose maids.

PRISONERS in Irish jails will no longer be permitted to hire servants or order in private supplies of food and alcohol under new draft rules published today by the justice ministry.

In the first update of Ireland's prison regulations for almost 50 years, the proposal would also rule out punishments, which are now considered inhumane, such as a restricted diet or corporal punishment.

"The existing prison rules date back to 1947 and contain provisions that reflect their age, including special provisions for prisoners under sentence of death," said Justice Minister Michael McDowell. "Clearly they are no longer adequate or appropriate for today's conditions," he said. The new rules will remove outdated references to penal servitude and imprisonment with hard labour.

On the flip-side, for those on the inside at least, a provision that prisoners can use private furniture and bedding and employ an assistant to perform housekeeping tasks is also going. They will also no longer be permitted to order in private food or alcoholic drinks. Regulations governing prison life, such as accommodation, visiting rights, discipline, health and education, have been revamped. In addition, compulsory drug tests will be allowed.

The rules were drawn up under a bid by Mr McDowell to modernise the prison service - one of Ireland's oldest institutions. Hundreds of prisoners have lodged legal claims again the government seeking damages because they are being held in cells without toilets and have to "slop out" pots every morning.

What do you think?

GBYAY

BRINGS A WHOLE NEW MEANING TO CABBAGE HEADS!

CABBAGEHEAD

And the score? Baseball 1, Cabbage 0

SOUTH Korean baseball authorities have banned players from using frozen cabbage leaves under their caps to cool down in the summer heat.

The Korean Baseball Association (KBO) said cabbage leaves could not be considered part of the normal baseball uniform. "The KBO rules and regulations committee on Tuesday reached a decision that cabbage leaves should be considered as odd materials," a KBO spokesman told AFP.

The committee took up the matter after the cap of pitcher Park Myung-Hwan of the Doosan Bears fell to the ground during game against Hanhwa Eagles on Sunday, revealing a frozen cabbage leaf.

Park said he began using cabbage leaves last year after hearing from a local TV station that US baseball legend Babe Ruth had used them to cool off.

"Park might have risked being ordered out of the ground if the other team, Hanhwa Eagles, had made an issue of the cabbage leaf," a KBO official said. KBO governs South Korea's eight professional baseball teams.

Muummhh! I know a few Pastors who play Baseball!

GBYAY

CHURCH IN GLASGOW - One of the world's endangered places!

Treasures of the world are under threat!

A GLASGOW church designed by Alexander "Greek" Thomson, a Roman aqueduct in Spain, New York city's hotly debated "lollipop building" and the entire architectural heritage of Iraq are now among the world's most endangered places.

The World Monuments Fund (WMF) yesterday released its 2006 list of the 100 most-threatened precious sites.

For the first time, the conservation charity has included an entire country, in recognition of the recent conflict that has engulfed Iraq - regarded by many historians as the cradle of civilisation. The study claims many of the estimated 10,000 sites in Iraq, chronicling thousands of years of human history, are at risk from war, looting or neglect.

Closer to home, the 1859 St Vincent Street Church in Glasgow, which has appeared on the WMF's annual shortlist three times already, was among other structures listed as endangered. The WMF has consistently criticised its current owners, Glasgow City Council, for failing to restore the building.

The church was built by Alexander "Greek" Thomson, who is responsible for many of Glasgow's distinctive neo-classical 19th-century buildings. At present, restoration work is being held up by difficulties in finding a viable financial use for the church, which is currently used by a congregation and charities, though there is speculation that Historic Scotland could become more involved in the project.

Colin Amery, the director of the WMF in Britain, said that his organisation was disappointed with the lack of progress over the church's restoration. He said: "We hope that by placing the St Vincent Street Church on the list again we can draw attention to its continuing plight. Continue reading…

GBYAY

DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT - FRIDAY: "Achieving Our Goals in Christ"#5

I want the whole Christ for my Savior, the whole Bible for my book, the whole Church for my fellowship, and the whole world for my mission field. - John Wesley.

--------------------------------------------------------

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. - Mat 6:19-20. (ESV)

As we conclude our series on how to Achieve Our Goals in Christ, we are reminded that these principles will provide us with a basic guideline, which will give us direction and inspiration, for achieving our goals in Christ. I do not know what your goals are, but I am using these principles to see my goals achieved in Christ, and the final one’s are...

If We Know What God Can't Do – We Should Know What He Can Do!

So many people tell me what God cannot do for them, but I just tell them what He can do...

1) God cannot lie. 2) God cannot change. 3) God cannot recall our sins after we have asked for forgiveness. 4) God cannot be the author of confusion. 5) God cannot leave us or forsake us. 6) God cannot go back on His promises. 7) God cannot revoke His gifts.

8) God cannot be pleased without faith. 9) God cannot be defeated. 10) God cannot be too big for our problems. 11) God cannot be too little for our problems. 12) God cannot break His covenants. 13) God cannot revoke His calling in our lives. 14) God cannot do anything contrary to the scriptures.

15) God cannot give anything to a double-minded person. 16) God cannot be forced into an impossible situation. 17) God cannot ignore the praises of His people. 18) God cannot be our problem. 9) God cannot be late. 20) God cannot be weak. 21) God cannot be against us. 22) God cannot be limited or confined.

Luke 18:27 But he said, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." Hallelujah! Praise His Mighty and Majestic name!

In a seminary missions class, Herbert Jackson told how, as a new missionary, he was assigned a car that would not start without a push. After pondering his problem, he devised a plan. He went to the school near his home, got permission to take some children out of class, and had them push his car off. As he made his rounds, he would either park on a hill or leave the engine running. He used this ingenious procedure for two years.

Ill health forced the Jackson family to leave, and a new missionary came to that station. When Jackson proudly began to explain his arrangement for getting the car started, the new man began looking under the hood. Before the explanation was complete, the new missionary interrupted, "Why, Dr. Jackson, I believe the only trouble is this loose cable." He gave the cable a twist, stepped into the car, pushed the switch, and to Jackson's astonishment, the engine roared to life. For two years needless trouble had become routine. The power was there all the time. Only a loose connection kept Jackson from putting that power to work.

J.B. Phillips paraphrases Ephesians l:19-20 "How tremendous is the power available to us who believe in God." When we make firm our connection with God, his life and power flow through us. - Ernest B. Beevers.

This sounds like the way many Christians apply the power of God in their lives. Let us learn to understand what God is and what He can do for us!

Know That God Will Use Us Right Where We Are Today!

God always uses willing vessels, and He will use us right where we are today. Many people are concerned that they are not qualified to be used by God. God will use anyone who is willing to follow him…

• Matthew was a government employee a tax collector who became an apostle.
• Gideon was a common labourer who became a valiant leaders of men.
• Jacob was a deceiver who became Israel.
• Deborah was a housewife who became a judge.
• Moses was a stutterer who became a deliverer.
• David was a shepherd boy who became a king.
• Hosea was a marital failure who prophesied to save Israel.
• Joseph was a prisoner who became a prime minister.
• Peter was a fisherman who became the rock.
• Isaiah was a man of unclean lips who prophesied the birth of Christ.
• Paul was a persecutor who became the greatest missionary of all.
• Mary was an unknown virgin who became the mother of Christ.

God will use us regardless of our present circumstances, and he loves us enough, not to allow us to remain in our present state. Today is the day that I will remember, that He is omnipotent, and all He needs to use is all of me!

Loving Father, help me by the power of the Holy Spirit to achieve my goals in Christ, remembering that you are a powerful God. Help me Lord to understand that I am weak and you are strong, and that nothing is impossible for you! Help me Lord to be open to the fact, that you will use me to bring glory to your name, and to extend your kingdom through me! In Jesus wonderful name I pray! Amen!

Pastors vow to go to jail on hate case!

Pastor Danny Nalliah

Christian pastors Danny Nalliah and Daniel Scot yesterday vowed to go to jail rather than paying $68,690 for public apologies for vilifying Muslims. Mr Nalliah called Victoria's religious vilification law "sharia (Islamic) law by stealth", "a foul law" and invalid, while Mr Scot said: "You don't compromise truth for fear of jail."

Judge Michael Higgins, of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, yesterday ordered Christian group Catch the Fire Ministries, Mr Scot and Mr Nalliah to publish apologies for comments made at a Melbourne seminar in March 2002, and in a newsletter and website article.

Judge Higgins said the pastors were otherwise of good character, but their passionate religious beliefs caused them to transgress the law. He ordered them to publish apologies on their website, in their newsletter and in four advertisements in Melbourne newspapers and to promise not to repeat the vilification anywhere in Australia. But this order could be defied as early as Monday, when Mr Scot begins a two-week seminar on Islam in Brisbane.

In December, in the first case under Victoria's controversial Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001, Judge Higgins upheld a complaint from the Islamic Council of Victoria that Muslims were vilified in a seminar, newsletter and website article. These suggested that the Koran promoted killing and looting, that Muslims wanted to take over Australia and terrorists were true Muslims.

Judge Higgins said financial compensation would not be appropriate in yesterday's case, but a public apology would. He ordered Catch the Fire and the pastors to insert the same advertisement - using words set by the tribunal and of specified size - in The Age and Herald Sun on two Saturdays and Mondays before August 31. (This would cost $25,200 in The Age and $43,490 in the Herald Sun.)

Mr Scot, who did not appear yesterday, said his teaching was taken from the Koran and much of his Brisbane seminar would be the same as the 2002 seminar that led to the complaint. "I told the judge earlier, you haven't provided me with a new Koran with the illegal verses removed, so I have to use the same Koran. He doesn't say which parts I quoted are illegal, he is asking a very vague thing," Mr Scot said.

He said he would defy the tribunal, even if it meant jail.

Continue reading…

DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT - THURSDAY: "Achieving Our Goals in Christ"#4

Every moment of life is granted us for one purpose: becoming like our dear Lord. That ultimate, all-embracing end is reached through a multitude of nearer and intermediate ones. - Alexander MacLaren.

-------------------------------------------------------

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. - Mat 6:19-20. (ESV)

As we continue our series on how to Achieve Our Goals in Christ, we are reminded that these principles will provide us with a basic guideline, which will give us direction and inspiration, for achieving our goals in Christ. I do not know what your goals are, but I am using these principles to see my goals achieved in Christ, and the next one’s are...

Choose Our Friends Wisely
We need to be very careful about the kind of people we allow to become our friends. Our friends should be those who inspire us and bring out the best in us...Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. - Prov 13:20. We become like the people we associate with! Let’s choose our friends wisely! It’s better to be on our own than to be with the wrong friends.

It is tough to be alone, it's much better to have friends who are Godly, and who support each other in times of difficulty, they can help each other along the way with Christ, and if one is in trouble, the other lifts them out of it... Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! - Eccl 4:9 – 10.

Amateurs teach amateurs to be amateurs. If we want success we must decide to choose our friends wisely, and we must associate with those who are going to positively influence our lives and stand faithfully with us in the times of battle.

When Jan Paderewski was to leave his native Poland to play his first recital in London, he asked an influential compatriot to give him a letter of introduction to a leading figure in Britain's musical world, who might be of assistance should anything go amiss. The letter was handed to him in a sealed envelope. He hoped that everything would proceed smoothly and he would not have to use it.

He did not; his debut was a success and no snags developed. Some years later, while going through his papers, he came upon the letter and opened it. It read: "This will introduce Jan Paderewski, who plays the piano, for which he demonstrates no conspicuous talent." - Bits & Pieces.

Let us take a moment and look at our friends, are they helping us to serve Christ in greater ways, or do they weaken our walk with Him?

Be Willing To Change!
When we quit growing and changing in Christ, we have already made the decision to change. This is true in every area of our lives. There are three things we should know about the future:

1)It is not going to be like the past.
2) It is not going to be exactly the way we think it’s going to be.
3) The rate of change will be faster than we can imagine.

If we are truly seeking God in Achieving our Goals, we will be able to know in advance and make the necessary adjustments to adapt to the changes... Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them." - Isa 42:9.

The clerk of Abbington Presbytery, outside of Philadelphia, approximately 100 years ago gave these 5 kinds of attitudes about change:

1. Early innovators (2.6%), run with new ideas.
2. Early adaptors (13.4%), influenced by (1) but not initiators.
3. Slow Majority (34%), the herd-followers.
4. Reluctant Majority (34%).
5. Antagonistic (16%), they will never change.

The majority of ministers are being nibbled at by the last group. They focus on the minority opinion. This group is basically carnal. You expect antagonism from them. - Howard Hendricks.

When change is successful we look back at it and call it growth! Always be prepared to change. If we are not changing then we are not preparing for the future

Loving Father, help me by the power of the Holy Spirit to achieve my goals in Christ, remembering that you are a powerful God. Help me Lord to choose my friends wisely and in consultation with you. Help me Lord to be open to change, and to be prepared to change. In Jesus wonderful name! Amen!

EUROPEANS WORRY MORE ABOUT TRASH THAN ABOUT CURSING!

Survey in 17 Countries: Citizens Find Littering Most Offensive.

Europeans are more upset about litter than about cursing. That is one of the results of a survey in 17 European countries carried out by the magazine Reader’s Digest in Stuttgart, Germany.

The magazine gave citizens a choice of 20 incidents and asked them which ones they found most annoying. At the top of the list with 86% came “people who just throw their trash away”. In second place are dog droppings on sidewalks (82%). Jumping the waiting line is in third place (81%).

Cursing and swearing came in 14th place. 52% of all Europeans are irritated by foul language. The same number say that operating instructions of mobile phones get on their nerves.

What Europeans find least offensive are smoking in public (50%), road construction (35%) and low necklines or short skirts (22%).

Sounds like a right load of old rubbish to me!

GBYAY

Letting Go Of Bitterness!

Kim, at The Upward Call, has a wonderful post that is a must read...

Have you ever known anyone who was bitter? Have you ever been bitter yourself? I can say yes to both. I have known bitter people, and I have been a bitter person myself. I can sit here today and testify to you that bitterness is a destructive, crippling force. Continue reading…

DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT - WEDNESDAY: "Achieving Our Goals in Christ"#3

Dr. Ari Kiev of Cornell University observed that from the moment people decided to concentrate all their energies on a specific objective, they began to surmount the most difficult odds. He concluded, "The establishment of a goal is the key to successful living." - Today in the Word.

-------------------------------------------------------

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. - Mat 6:19-20. (ESV)

As we continue our series on how to Achieve Our Goals in Christ, we are reminded that these principles will provide us with a basic guideline, which will give us direction and inspiration, for achieving our goals in Christ. I do not know what your goals are, but I am using these principles to see my goals achieved in Christ, and the next one is...

Refuse To Walk in Fear and Worry!

• Fear and worry are the interest we pay in advance for something we may never own.
• Worry is the triumph of fear over faith!
• Worry is the misuse of God's creative imagination and powers in our lives.
• Worry literally means to choke off. When we worry we are strangling the very hope and faith of our future and the achieving of our goals in Christ.
  
  

One summer night during a severe thunderstorm a mother was tucking her small son into bed. She was about to turn the light off when he asked in a trembling voice, "Mommy, will you stay with me all night?" Smiling, the mother gave him a warm, reassuring hug and said tenderly, "I can't dear. I have to sleep in Daddy's room." A long silence followed. At last it was broken by a shaky voice saying, "The big sissy!" – Source unknown.

Basics For Beating Worry:
1) Remember worry literally destroys our physical well-being and health.
2) When we face problems:

• Ask ourselves, "What is the worst thing that could possibly happen?"
• Prepare to accept the worst.
• Try to improve on the worst.

3) Get all the facts before we allow ourselves to worry or fear.
4) Weigh all the facts and make the best decision possible based upon knowledgeable facts.
5) Once we have made a prayerful decision act upon it.
6) Write out and answer the following questions:

• What is the problem?
• What are the causes of the problem?
• What are the possible solutions?
• What is the best solution?

When we worry and fear we stop the creative powers of God to show us the solutions... Our LORD, we belong to you. We tell you what worries us, and you won't let us fall. - Psalm 55:22. (CEV) When we are worrying, we are diminishing the greatness of God in our lives! Don't worry or fear, take them to Christ for He cares for you.

I am inwardly fashioned for faith, not for fear. Fear is not my native land; faith is. I am so made that worry and anxiety are sand in the machinery of life; faith is the oil. I live better by faith and confidence than by fear, doubt and anxiety. In anxiety and worry, my being is gasping for breath--these are not my native air. But in faith and confidence, I breathe freely--these are my native air.

A John Hopkins University doctor says, "We do not know why it is that worriers die sooner than the non-worriers, but that is a fact." But I, who am simple of mind, think I know; We are inwardly constructed in nerve and tissue, brain cell and soul, for faith and not for fear. God made us that way. To live by worry is to live against reality. - Dr. E. Stanley Jones.

Today is the day when I will put a stop to fear and worry in my life, and let the Lord assure me in all things. Praise His mighty name!

Loving Father, help me by the power of the Holy Spirit to achieve my goals in Christ, remembering that you are a powerful God. Help me Lord as I determine to put away my fear and worries, and cast them upon you, knowing that you work all things to the good, to those that love you!. In Jesus wonderful name! Amen!

DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT - TUESDAY: "Achieving Our Goals in Christ"#2

Former Senator Dwight W. Morrow searched in vain to find his railroad ticket as he was on a train leaving New York City. "I must find that ticket," he muttered. The conductor, who stood waiting beside him, said, "Don't worry about it, Mr. Morrow. We know you had a ticket. Just mail it to the railroad when you find it." "That's not what's troubling me," replied Morrow, "I need to find it to know where I'm going." - Daily Bread.

-------------------------------------------------------

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. - Mat 6:19-20. (ESV)

As I continue to share with you in how to Achieve Our Goals in Christ, we are reminded that these principles will provide us with a basic guideline, that will give us direction and inspiration, for achieving our goals in Christ. I do not know what your goals are, but I am using these principles to see my goals achieved in Christ, and the next ones are...

Always Tell The Truth!
A famous preacher once said, "Always tell the truth, and you never have to remember what you said." The ninth commandment is, "Thou shalt not lie." Each Christian who desires to reach their full destiny in God must tell the truth. We must be men and women of integrity and honour. We will never have success in life if we build our future on half-truth lies!

Prov 12:22 Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight.
Prov 19:9 A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish.
Col 3:9-10 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

A couple of hunters chartered a plane to fly into the Canadian wilderness. Two weeks later when the pilot came to pick them up, he saw the two animals they had bagged and said, "I told you fellows I could only take you and one moose. You'll have to leave the other behind."

"But we did it last year in a plane this size," protested one of the hunters, "and the other pilot let us take two moose." "Well, okay," said the pilot. "If you did it before I guess we can do it again."

So the two moose and the hunters were loaded in and the plane took off. Because of the heavy weight, it rose with difficulty and was unable to clear an obstructing hill. After the crash, the men climbed out and looked around. One hunter said to the other, "Where are we, anyway?"

His companion surveyed the scene. "I think we got about half a mile farther than we got last year." - Source Unknown.

Seven Results Of Being Dishonest;
1) We will attract liars into our lives and business dealings... Prov 17:4 An evildoer listens to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.

2) We will lack understanding… Ps 119:104 Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.

3) We will never enjoy permanent success… Prov 12:19 Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment. Prov 21:28 A false witness will perish, but the word of a man who hears will endure .

4) We will eventually end up in bondage and failure… Gal 2:4-5 Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in--who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slaver--. to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.

5) We will eventually be punished… Prov 19:5 A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape.

6) We will become as fools… Prov 10:18 The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever utters slander is a fool.

7) Our lies will always come back to haunt us… Ps 7:14-6 Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies. He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made. His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends.

The unattended garden will soon be overrun with weeds; the heart that fails to cultivate truth and root out error will shortly be a theological wilderness. - A.W. Tozer.

Today is the day when we will… Determine to speak the truth, and Achieve Our Goals in Christ!

Loving Father, help me by the power of the Holy Spirit to achieve my goals in Christ, remembering that you are a merciful God. Help me Lord as I determine to speak the truth. In Jesus wonderful name! Amen!

DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT - MONDAY: "Achieving Our Goals in Christ"

T.E. Lawrence once said, "All men dream but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds awake to the day to find it was all vanity. But the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for the many act out their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible..." T.E. Lawrence.

------------------------------------------------------

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. - Mat 6:19-20.


Today I want to share with you how to Achieve Our Goals in Christ. These principles will provide us with a basic guideline that will give us direction and inspiration about achieving our goals in Christ.

Choose A Big Dream!
Many times our lives are filled with planning and thinking about issues that bring very little significance to our lives. I want to challenge us to dream big, strive to reach our full potential and achieve our goals in Christ. Don't become so caught up with the small issues of life that we can't take advantage of the important dreams and opportunities God has for us!

Make a decision this day to take the time to think big! Our God is a big God! When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. - Psa 126:1.

It started like so many evenings. Mom and Dad at home and Jimmy playing after dinner. Mom and Dad were absorbed with jobs and did not notice the time. It was a full moon and some of the light seeped through the windows. Then Mom glanced at the clock. "Jimmy, it's time to go to bed. Go up now and I'll come and settle you later."

Unlike usual, Jimmy went straight upstairs to his room. An hour or so later his mother came up to check if all was well, and to her astonishment found that her son was staring quietly out of his window at the moonlit scenery. "What are you doing, Jimmy?" "I'm looking at the moon, Mommy." "Well, it's time to go to bed now." As one reluctant boy settled down, he said, "Mommy, you know one day I'm going to walk on the moon."

Who could have known that the boy in whom the dream was planted that night would survive a near fatal motorbike crash which broke almost every bone in his body, and would bring to fruition this dream 32 years later when James Irwin stepped on the moon's surface, just one of the 12 representatives of the human race to have done so? - Source Unknown.


Don't Waste Tomorrow By Feeding On Your Yesterdays.
Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." - Luke 9:62. We live is a society of excuses and victims. Everyone is a victim today! I am victim of my colour, my genetics, my physical abuse, my sexual abuse, my finances, etc. It is time for us to stop blaming the past for our present failures and to look forward with the faith and victory of Christ! Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. - 2 Cor 5:17.

The more we look backward, the less time we have to look forward! Always learn from the past but invest our time and energies in the future. Never, never waste another moment of our lives, grieving, worrying or regretting the past, that Christ has already forgiven us of, and forgotten.

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.- Phil 3:13-14.

The thing that destroys more people is the continual looking at their past, and then looking to their future. We cannot go back and change the past, but we can go forward, and change our future.

A certain courthouse in Ohio stands in a unique location. Raindrops that fall on the north side of the building go into Lake Ontario and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, while those falling on the south side go into the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. At precisely the point of the peak of the roof, just a gentle puff of wind can determine the destiny of many raindrops. It will make a difference of more than 2,000 miles as to their final destination. The spiritual application is clear. By the smallest deed or choice of words we might set in motion influences that could change the course of others' lives here and now and could also affect their eternal destiny. - Our Daily Bread.

Today is the day when we will… set our confidence on a big dream, remembering… those who don't take chances don't make advances. Today is the day when we will shake off the shackles of yesterday, move into tomorrow, and Achieve Our Goals in Christ.!

Loving Father, help me by the power of the Holy Spirit to achieve my goals in Christ, remembering that you are a big God! I thank you Lord that my past is gone, my sins are forgiven and forgotten, and I will never look back to determine my future, but to look forward in Christ!. In Jesus wonderful name I pray! Amen!

The Most Ludicrous Item Of the Week! High - On Doggie Biscuits.

Cannabiscuits for Mutts

Snack ... Ian Rochfort and stepdaughter Stephanie offer
Mali a Hemp Hound Hors d'oeuvre.

PAMPERED pooches will soon be salivating for a new doggie treat: an upmarket biscuit made from cannabis seed.Tasmanian entrepreneur Ian Rochfort, who has been granted the first licence to use cannabis seed in a food product, will market the Scooby snacks nationally and for export as Hemp Hound Hors d'oeuvres.

But dog owners should not expect their pets to develop a fondness for Bob Dylan. The licence issued to Mr Rochfort includes a strict testing regime to ensure the biscuits contain no more than 50mg per kilogram of tetrahydrocannabinols (THC).

"So basically, there is no chance your dog will be hallucinating rainbow cats," Mr Rochfort said. The product must also carry "not for human consumption" warnings on the label.

Tasmanian Health Minister David Llewellyn granted the licence after advice from the state's chief pharmacist, John Galloway, that the product posed no risk to public health. "If a human rather than a dog chooses to consume a biscuit then there would be negligible psychoactive effect," Mr Galloway said.
Continue Reading ...

GBYAY