A CHEERFUL HEART IS GOOD MEDICINE - Proverbs 17
The Berlin University laughter expert Professor Gunther Sickl said: "Phrases such as laughing yourself sick should actually be turned around to read laughing yourself well. Up to 80 muscles are used to have a really good laugh. And the body gets a very healthy work-out. It is such good exercise that it sometimes even leads to cramps for those having their first good belly-laugh in a while. And possibly most important of all, endorphins, the brain drugs, are released -- they not only promote a feeling of well-being but are seen by most doctors as the best natural drugs of all." Something that brings GREAT joy to my heart, is telling people about Jesus, so today after church here in Poland, we went downtown with a large team, worshipped the Lord, and talked to several about the love of the Father for His children. And praise God, LOTS of seeds were planted, many received prayer, and four young people asked Jesus to forgive them of their sins and be Lord of their lives! HA! Take THAT devil... and on Halloween no less! HA-HA-HA-HA-HALLELUJA! THANK YOU, JESUS!

CROSSES IN BERLIN
Still in Poland, today when I checked the Berlin news, I found these photos of wooden crosses recently errected commemorating victims who died trying to cross the East German border to West Germany, next to a replica strip of the Berlin Wall. The section of the Wall, which divided Berlin for 28 years, and the 1,065 crosses were erected by a private museum next to the former border crossing at Check Point Charlie and the area will open as a temporary memorial from Sunday, October 31, 2004. Seeing ANY crosses in such an atheistic city surprises me but I am glad the victims are now being honored. THANK YOU JESUS FOR YOUR CROSS AND THE SACRIFICE YOU MADE FOR ME AND THE WHOLE WORLD TO TAKE AWAY OUR SINS - HALLELUJAH, YOU ARE RESURRECTED AND ALIVE TODAY!

ZIELONA GORA
Today we walked around downtown and enjoyed this beautiful city. I got to talk a bit with 5 little girls who said they were learning English in school and I handed one of them a paper with John 3:13-18 in Polish to read aloud to the others. Afterwards, I gave them each their own verse and one girl gave me a piece of candy along with a big smile! Then about 15 minutes later, she ran up to me again and handed me a picture she drew! It was so sweet! Then tonight we had a meeting here at the Boone family house and about 25 friends from the church came over for fellowship, worship, and hear a great message from John Cava. These are WONDERFUL people!!!

"AS THE FATHER HAS SENT ME, SO I SEND YOU." - Jesus
What is a Missionary? by Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest, October 26
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Jesus said to them again, ’. . . As the Father has sent Me, I also send you’ —John 20:21
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A missionary is someone sent by Jesus Christ just as He was sent by God. The great controlling factor is not the needs of people, but the command of Jesus. The source of our inspiration in our service for God is behind us, not ahead of us. The tendency today is to put the inspiration out in front—to sweep everything together in front of us and make it conform to our definition of success. But in the New Testament the inspiration is put behind us, and is the Lord Jesus Himself. The goal is to be true to Him—to carry out His plans. Personal attachment to the Lord Jesus and to His perspective is the one thing that must not be overlooked. In missionary work the great danger is that God’s call will be replaced by the needs of the people, to the point that human sympathy for those needs will absolutely overwhelm the meaning of being sent by Jesus. The needs are so enormous, and the conditions so difficult, that every power of the mind falters and fails. We tend to forget that the one great reason underneath all missionary work is not primarily the elevation of the people, their education, nor their needs, but is first and foremost the command of Jesus Christ—"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations . . ." ( Matthew 28:19 ). When looking back on the lives of men and women of God, the tendency is to say, "What wonderfully keen and intelligent wisdom they had, and how perfectly they understood all that God wanted!" But the keen and intelligent mind behind them was the mind of God, not human wisdom at all. We give credit to human wisdom when we should give credit to the divine guidance of God being exhibited through childlike people who were "foolish" enough to trust God’s wisdom and His supernatural equipment.

THANK YOU AMERICA!
'Thank you, thank you, America! Thank you, George Bush!' You most likely won't hear these words on the 6 o'clock news, but the Iraqi people are VERY grateful for their freedom. Joe Faustina, a volunteer American who has been working in Iraq, said the Army Corps of Engineers has been well-received by the Iraqi people because the group is rebuilding 412 schools, clinics, hospitals, water and waste treatment plants and other necessities the Iraqis never had before. “The Iraqi people are grateful we’re there,” he said. “Everywhere I go, there are signs saying, ‘We love you America’ and ‘Thank you America.’ This is what they needed.” Faustina said he and his co-workers are not concerned about terrorists because they pay attention to the awareness levels. He said the image of constant struggle in the country is a misconception put forth by the media, and the military does a good job of informing people about which spots to avoid. “It’s really not that bad over there,” he said. “There are a few hot spots, but everyone knows where they are. We’re told to avoid those areas, and most people do.” In fact, that misconception has led to a general fear among the American people about Iraq, which has hindered the Army Corps of Engineers’ efforts to rebuild. Faustina said he would encourage people to volunteer to come over. In much of Europe, there is growing dislike for America, which is amazing to me when one looks back only 60 years to a time when America again sacrificed many of her soldiers to bring freedom from another dictator. Jesus said the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends and because we believe in freedom, we are willing to do this not only for America but also for our friends.
Links:
1. Thank You America
2. Two Give Accounts of their Duties in Iraq
3. Dawn of a New Day: Kurds Pleased with the New Irag
4. Bush will be remembered as “the president who brought us freedom”
5. Stand up for America

ENGLISH-ART-BIBLE LESSON!
Yesterday, Maria & I went to the home of Andre and Urlrike to teach their three children English using the Bible and my art skills while they drew pictures and wrote the words with me. It was fun! Then later, a few friends came over to their house and we had a wonderful time of worship and fellowship. We were all blessed by the Word and the prayers. Next time we meet in two weeks, Andre wants to invite other children from the neighborhood to come and learn English via the Bible too - child evangelism - AMEN AND GO GOD!!!

By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength.
WHAT IS FAITH?
Faith is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen and the evidence of things we cannot yet see. God gave his approval to people in the past because of their faith - read about them in Hebrews 11. Trials test our faith to show that it is strong and pure - as fire tests and purifies gold - and our faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. If our faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it brings us much praise, glory, and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. Because God raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory, our faith and hope can be placed confidently in God. When we make every effort to apply the benefits of God's promises to our life, then our faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better. Yes, faith comes from listening to this message of good news - the Good News about Christ!

"Take a look at the mighty hippopotamus." - the Lord to Job
JOB'S SIN
Job was blameless and a man of complete integrity who feared God and stayed away from evil. With the LORD’S permission, the devil brought great disaster and devastation to Job's life. In his pain, Job's three friends condemned him as a wicked man. What happened? A fourth, younger friend told Job, “It was to prevent you from getting into a life of evil that God sent this suffering… people who are truly wise show God reverence.” What was Job’s sin? In all his suffering, Job COMPLAINED AGAINST GOD, arguing that he was innocent. After all this, then the LORD answered Job from the whirlwind: "Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words? Brace yourself, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them." God is big, VERY BIG and in comparison, we humans are small, VERY small. We have limited knowledge and little understanding of many things. Who are we to question the Creator of the entire universe? He is the Potter and we are the clay. As God put questions to him, revealing Job’s ignorance and weakness, Job began to feel the conviction of his sin. The Lord spoke of the hippopotamus as a prime example of God's amazing handiwork that far exceeds man in bulk and strength, further proving God's enormous power. Eventually, Job repented and said to God, "I had heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance." He realized his guilt and abhorred himself as a sinner. When we are willing to humble ourselves before God, the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin. Here we have a choice: to agree saying I have sinned or to argue saying we are innocent. It is only after we confess and repent of our sin that the LORD is able to lift us up and fill us with His peace. In the end, after Job prayed for his friends, he was MORE blessed than before! HALLLELUJAH - OUR GOD IS FAITHFUL! (Read Job)

Schalk with Margot translating
SCHALK GROENEWALD from South Africa spoke last night at the Glimm home in Spandau and will again tonight. This anointed man of God gets invitations from all over the world, but he says the LORD repeatedly brings him back to Germany! He spoke about finding true freedom and power by simply getting the Word of God in you and obeying the Holy Spirit - a very pratical message for all followers of Christ. To read more about Schalk and find out where else he will be speaking, go to his website, His Kingdom Ministries.

ADAM AND EVE OR ADAM AND STEVE??
Some call it “gender confusion” while others call it “coming out of the closet”. I call it sin. What? Homosexuality. I do not believe people are born gay but rather it is a decision one makes when giving into temptation. One day during a gay celebration here in Berlin, I asked two gay men if they were born gay or if they chose to be gay. They both agreed they were born gay. So I asked, “If you had not been born gay, would you have chosen to be gay?” They could not answer. I shared with them the hope they could have through a relationship with Jesus Christ and gave them a tract that told about a man who was gay but received freedom from Jesus and now is married with children. They listened but then one pulled the other away as I talked. Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers that those who do wrong will have no share in the Kingdom of God - those who indulge in sexual sin, who are idol worshipers, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, thieves, greedy people, drunkards, abusers, and swindlers--none of these will have a share in the Kingdom of God. God told Moses, "Do not practice homosexuality; it is a detestable sin.” Paul told Timothy that the laws of Moses are good when they are used as God intended, but they were not made for people who do what is right. They are for people who are disobedient and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who murder their father or mother or other people. These laws are for people who are sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave traders, for liars, for oath breakers, and for those who do anything else that contradicts the right teaching that comes from God. Hey, sin is sin, whether it is unbelief or immorality. We ALL have sinned – EVERYONE! This “sin problem” is what separates us from our Creator Who is holy. But because of His GREAT love for us, He gave His Son Jesus and when Jesus hung on the cross, he took on his body all of our sin. The Bible says he became sin and this is why the Father had to look away and Jesus felt alone, crying out, “Father, Father, why have you forsaken me?” God did not forsake Him and after Jesus died, three days later, the Father brought Jesus back to life. “I am the resurrection and the life”, Jesus told Martha before He raised Lazarus from the dead. So today when we turn to God, ask forgiveness and put our faith in Jesus, we find freedom and eternal life! Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. This is the Good News and like any of us, gay people need to give their hearts to Jesus, ask forgiveness from the Father, turn from their sin, and invite into their hearts the Holy Spirit Who gives them the power to resist next time temptation comes. (read more at www.exodus-international.org)

"PRAYER DOES NOT EQUIP US FOR GREATER WORKS - PRAYER IS THE GREATER WORK." Oswald Chambers
October 17 My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers: The Key of the Greater Work
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. . . I say to you, he who believes in Me, . . . greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father —John 14:12
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"Prayer does not equip us for greater works— prayer is the greater work. Yet we think of prayer as some commonsense exercise of our higher powers that simply prepares us for God’s work. In the teachings of Jesus Christ, prayer is the working of the miracle of redemption in me, which produces the miracle of redemption in others, through the power of God. The way fruit remains firm is through prayer, but remember that it is prayer based on the agony of Christ in redemption, not on my own agony. We must go to God as His child, because only a child gets his prayers answered; a "wise" man does not (see Matthew 11:25 ). Prayer is the battle, and it makes no difference where you are. However God may engineer your circumstances, your duty is to pray. Never allow yourself this thought, "I am of no use where I am," because you certainly cannot be used where you have not yet been placed. Wherever God has placed you and whatever your circumstances, you should pray, continually offering up prayers to Him. And He promises, "Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do . . ." ( John 14:13 ). Yet we refuse to pray unless it thrills or excites us, which is the most intense form of spiritual selfishness. We must learn to work according to God’s direction, and He says to pray. "Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest" ( Matthew 9:38 ). There is nothing thrilling about a laboring person’s work, but it is the laboring person who makes the ideas of the genius possible. And it is the laboring saint who makes the ideas of his Master possible. When you labor at prayer, from God’s perspective there are always results. What an astonishment it will be to see, once the veil is finally lifted, all the souls that have been reaped by you, simply because you have been in the habit of taking your orders from Jesus Christ."

ACCIDENT OR DIVINE ENCOUNTER?
Last night on the way to a friend’s house for dinner, I got off the train and was met by a young woman who asked me a question in German. I only understood one word, which was the street name of where my friend lives. This girl wanted to go to this same street and to me, this was absolutely a divine appointment set up by the Holy Spirit! Maria spoke good English and as we walked, I began to tell her about God’s great love for her. I spoke about Jesus who takes away our sin thus enabling us to have a wonderful relationship with our heavenly Father and Creator. Maria said she didn’t believe in accidental meetings and I agreed with her. She listened with great interest, shared a bit about herself, and asked questions, even if I could help her learn English better. “Sure, we can read the English Bible together!” As we walked across the street, suddenly there was a big crash – several cars were in an accident right where we had walked. By the grace of God, no one appeared hurt. I told Maria that this was a prophetic picture of what happens to people when they rebel against God – their lives get smashed. We continued on to the corner where she was getting a ride and suddenly AGAIN, there was ANOTHER car accident on the other side of the street where we had walked! I started praying aloud, “Lord, what are you saying? Bless the people in these accidents.” I asked Maria if I could pray for her and she said yes, so I did. Then before we parted, I gave her my testimony tract along with my phone number and email address. She said she would read it and pray and then contact me. LORD JESUS, PLEASE SAVE MARIA AND REVEAL YOUR DEEP LOVE FOR HER EVEN NOW!

Billboard After Hurricane Charley
"THE LORD CAME AND CALLED AS BEFORE, "SAMUEL! SAMUEL!" AND SAMUEL REPLIED, "YES, YOUR SERVANT IS LISTENING." 1 Samuel 3
When Hurricane Charley slammed into Florida in mid-August 2004, battering the state with up to 100 mph winds that knocked over signs, uprooted trees, and left thousands of homes destroyed or uninhabitable, one billboard on Sand Lake Road in Orlando survived the onslaught relatively unscathed. The storm peeled off the most recent advertising message displayed on the board, however, revealing in its place an ad from an earlier campaign. A few years back the Smith Agency of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, handled an assignment from a client by placing of a variety of billboards bearing non-denominational religious messages around the U.S. All the billboards presented short, simple inspirational notices in large white text on black backgrounds and were signed as if they came from God. Seventeen different messages were used in the campaign:

"Let's Meet At My House Sunday Before the Game" — God

"C'mon Over And Bring The Kids" — God

"What Part of 'Thou Shalt Not . . .' Didn't You Understand?" — God

"We Need To Talk" — God

"Keep Using My Name in Vain And I'll Make Rush Hour Longer" — God

"Loved The Wedding, Invite Me To The Marriage" — God

"That 'Love Thy Neighbor' Thing, I Meant It." — God

"I Love You . . . I Love You . . . I Love You . . ." — God

"Will The Road You're On Get You To My Place?" — God

"Follow Me." — God

"Big Bang Theory, You've Got To Be Kidding." — God

"My Way Is The Highway." — God

"Need Directions?" — God

"You Think It's Hot Here?" — God

"Tell The Kids I Love Them." — God

"Need a Marriage Counselor? I'm Available." — God

"Have You Read My #1 Best Seller? There Will Be A Test." — God

See them HERE. The LORD is speaking to each of in various ways: billboards, people, the Scriptures, nature, but if we have ears to hear and the patience to wait, He is speaking directly to each of our hearts. Stop now, be still, and listen to Him. His messages are always wrapped in love, so don't be afraid. He so wants to have a more intimate relationship with each one of us TODAY! "Speak Lord, your servant listens..."

BIBLE STUDY
Last night, Maria & I taught a Bible study with some mentally ill people, one of which is her husband, Mohammed. We met at Mohammad's place - they are separated so Maria can have a more normal life until he gets better - and this is a large apartment building especially for these people, so more will maybe come next time. Anyway, a cool thing was that one of the guys, Rosano, said he prayed for 2 months for something like this! He told us that his father is an Italian Catholic and his mother is a Moslem, so he's not sure what the truth is. We read through John 18 which tells of when Jesus was betrayed and arrested - Rosano never heard any of this before. Most Moslems believe Jesus was just another prophet, so I asked him, "Do prophets ever lie?" He said, "No!" Then I said, "Jesus said that He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life and that no one could come to the Father except by Him. And Jesus said that He and the Father were One - He was all man and all God at the same time!" He listened to everything and really enjoyed reading the Bible. He has never read one. Then I shared my testimony of how God healed my mental problems and later saved me. It was great to see him so excited & he is happy we are coming back next week - so am I! THANK YOU, JESUS!

Walking on Water - art by Jessica Roberts, age 7
ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IF A PERSON BELIEVES! - Jesus
John Ortberg wrote a book titled, "If Want To Walk On Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat" - I haven't read it but I love the title because IT IS SO TRUE! Today, I received an email requesting prayer from a person who is wanting to step into fulltime prolife ministry and here is my reply:
AMEN!!! HE WILL DO IT just like His Word PROMISES: My God shall supply ALL my need according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus and the LORD is my Good Shepherd and I lack NO GOOD THING! Amen, friend. Stay focused on Jesus, be thankful as you worship the Son, obey the Holy Spirit.. THEN WATCH to see what THE FATHER WILL DO in your midst! I have found the biggest battle is in my own mind as I continually need to kick out the lies and embrace the Truth each hour of each day. This morning I was greatly blessed by Oswald Chambers word from "My Utmost for His Highest" which talks about Moses KNOWING that God wanted to use him to deliver his people, but Moses did it his way which was not God's way, so the LORD "exiled" him to be a shepherd for FORTY YEARS (Yikes!). During this time, Moses learned TRUE FELLOWSHIP AND ONENESS WITH GOD! This is what it's all about, my friend. It isn't so much what we do, but what we BELIEVE:

MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST - October 13 - by Oswald Chambers
"Individual Discouragement and Personal Growth"
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. . . when Moses was grown . . . he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens — Exodus 2:11
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Moses saw the oppression of his people and felt certain that he was the one to deliver them, and in the righteous indignation of his own spirit he started to right their wrongs. After he launched his first strike for God and for what was right, God allowed Moses to be driven into empty discouragement, sending him into the desert to feed sheep for forty years. At the end of that time, God appeared to Moses and said to him, " ’. . . bring My people . . . out of Egypt.’ But Moses said to God, ’Who am I that I should go . . . ?’ " ( Exodus 3:10-11 ). In the beginning Moses had realized that he was the one to deliver the people, but he had to be trained and disciplined by God first. He was right in his individual perspective, but he was not the person for the work until he had learned true fellowship and oneness with God. We may have the vision of God and a very clear understanding of what God wants, and yet when we start to do it, there comes to us something equivalent to Moses’ forty years in the wilderness. It’s as if God had ignored the entire thing, and when we are thoroughly discouraged, God comes back and revives His call to us. And then we begin to tremble and say, "Who am I that I should go . . . ?" We must learn that God’s great stride is summed up in these words— "I AM WHO I AM . . . has sent me to you" ( Exodus 3:14 ). We must also learn that our individual effort for God shows nothing but disrespect for Him— our individuality is to be rendered radiant through a personal relationship with God, so that He may be "well pleased" ( Matthew 3:17 ). We are focused on the right individual perspective of things; we have the vision and can say, "I know this is what God wants me to do." But we have not yet learned to get into God’s stride. If you are going through a time of discouragement, there is a time of great personal growth ahead. (souce: http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/utmost/)

Cool, huh?

Living in faith is part of the GREAT ADVENTURE and I try to live like George Muller who didn't ask people for money, but he asked God alone and then God would speak to people's hearts and provide in AMAZING WAYS!!! I have been living like that now since I quit my job in corporate American in 1999 - OUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS FAITHFUL!!!!

Lord Jesus, THANK YOU for Your daily provisions in our lives and for your abudant grace each step of the journey as we seek You and Your will. Thank you for my friend and their family as they step OUT OF THE BOAT, trusting You as they WALK ON WATER, believing Your Word - HALLELUJAH! Lord God, remove ALL fear, all doubt, all worry, and anything that would hinder them from obeying Your voice. Come Holy Spirit and fill them up with MORE LOVE, MORE POWER, MORE FAITH, MORE PEACE, MORE OF YOU!!! Thank You heavenly Father that You open doors that no man can close and close doors that no man can open. Remove ALL fear of man as You flood their lives with AMAZING GRACE TO FULFILL THEIR CALLING AND DESTINY. We know that humanly speaking, it is impossible, BUT WITH GOD EVERTHING IS POSSIBLE. Anything is possible IF a person BELIEVES! And as Your disciples, we can do ALL things through Christ Who gives us strength!!! You delight to use the FOOLISH things of the world to CONFOUND THE WISE! We know you are with us, Abba Daddy and we TRUST YOU WITH ALL OUR HEART and we will not lean on our understanding. In all our ways we acknowledge You - THANK YOUR FOR DIRECTING OUR PATHS! We know that the greatest need we have is not to DO things, but to BELIEVE. Let FAITH rise even now. Thank you, Lord Jesus... may You be glorified through my friend and their family, may souls be saved, may lives be transformed, may bodies be healed, may the dead rise back to life, may abortions stop and may the GLORY OF GOD FLOOD ALL THE EARTH THROUGH YOUR BEAUTIFUL BRIDE! Amen.
Stay focused on your BEST FRIEND, JESUS, because the BEST is yet to come!

Superman played by Christopher Reeve in the movies; Mr. Reeve after his accident; Joni Eareckson Tada
SUPERMAN DIED YESTERDAY
Christopher Reeve, the Superman actor who was paralyzed in a tragic horse accident in 1995, unexpectedly died of a heart attack yesterday at the age 52. May the LORD bring comfort and healing to his wife, three children, parents and all who loved him, drawing each one to Jesus. Sadly, I read nothing at his website about God or faith, and only the Lord knows where he is spending eternity. Mr. Reeve was a strong advocate of the controversial spinal stem cell research which he believed is most effective when using the stem cells of embryos. However, many people, including myself, have SERIOUS CONCERNS about the morality of using tissue which has the ability to become another human life. In the US, this type of research is pretty much banned but not totally and world wide researchers are fighting for this. Mr. Reeve played a leading role in trying to get the US ban completely lifted.

Now, let me introduce another quadrapalegic: Joni Eareckson Tada who at 17 years in 1967 became paralized as well, but in a diving accident. Read her amazing story here. Joni says, "The Christopher Reeve Research Foundation aggressively promotes research using stem cells derived from human embryos that are clones or frozen discards from fertility clinics. But I want people to know that not all Americans with disabilities believe in using human embryos.... The need to find innovative therapies that have a potential for profit fuels the biotech research engine. Cutting-edge therapies attract scarce research dollars. That means tough ethical questions take a back seat. The result is a flurry of reports about embryos holding the key to future cures. In reality, no researcher has tested a therapy using stem cells from a human embryo in a human patient." (Read more from Joni here "The Threat of Biotech" article)

Yes, Superman's death is a prophetic picture of the flesh or human effort that must must die because we need to trust Jesus alone. Proverbs 3 tells us to trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean NOT on our own understanding. In 2 Chronicles 32, Hezekiah encouraged the people with, "Be strong and courageous! Don't be afraid of the king of Assyria or his mighty army, for there is a power far greater on our side! He may have a great army, but they are just men. We have the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!" And in 2 Corinthians 12, Paul writes what the Lord told him after he asked three times for a "thorn" to be removed: "My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness." Paul then wrote, "So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me." AMEN!

"I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD" - Jesus
Jesus said to the people, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." (John 8)
Tim Hughes from Britian wrote a wonderful worship song called, "Here I am to worship" (listen to a short sound bite) and here are the words:

Light of the world
You stepped down into darkness
Opened my eyes
Let me see
Beauty that made
This heart adore You
Hope of a life spent with You

REFRAIN
Here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say
That You’re my God
You’re altogether lovely,
Altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me

King of all days,
Oh so highly exalted
Glorious in heaven above
Humbly You came
To the earth You created
All for love’s sake became poor

And I’ll never know how much it cost
To see my sin upon that cross

WHATEVER IT TAKES! - author unknown
I am part of the fellowship committed to doing “whatever it takes.” I have Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I’ve stepped over the line. I am out of the comfort zone. The decision has been made. I’m a disciple of His. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, or back away. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chincy giving, and dwarfed goals! I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised regarded or rewarded. I now live by presence, lean by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer and labor by power. My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won’t give up, shut up, let up, or burn up 'till I’ve preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go 'till He comes, give 'till I drop, preach 'till all know, and work 'till He stops. And when He comes to get His own, He’ll have no problem recognizing me because I have dedicated my life to be a part of the fellowship committed to doing “whatever it takes!”

Watch and/or read the lastest CBN news at the 700 Club website
GOD SAYS I'M GOING TO JUDGE THOSE WHO CARVE UP THE WEST BANK AND GAZA STRIP
Pat Robertson, founder of CBN and "The 700 Club" television program, warned US President Bush against supporting any future division of Jerusalem, warning that such a move would cost him the support of tens of millions of Evangelical Christians. He said that Bush has been a great friend of Israel, but cautioned him against changing his policy in support of a united Jerusalem as Israel's capital. "Gaza is one thing, but if Pres. Bush touches Jerusalem and really gets serious about taking east Jerusalem, making it the capital of a Palestinian state - he'll virtually lose all Evangelical support and they'll form a third party," Robertson said, attending the Feast of the Tabernacles celebration. He said the Road Map is "dead," and Arafat is out for the destruction of Israel, and the Oslo Accords were "a bad mistake." "God says, 'I'm going to judge those who carve up the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It's my land and keep your hands off it.' " He also said that Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia should take in Palestinian refugees, adding that "the Arab nations" are instead interested in preserving the conflict with Israel. He went on to say that while the God of the Hebrews and the God of the Christians is the same, the God of the Koran is a different God. Asked about the agency's acknowledged employment of Hamas members, Robertson added that "the UN should not be consorting with terrorists. This is one more example that this agency is not dealing with an even hand." (JP)

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD
Psalm 23 by David brings comfort and hope every time I read it. There are so many disturbing things going on in the world today and it is easy to get distracted. But when I focus on Jesus and read His Word, peace floods my heart - thank You, LORD! "Yes, the LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death or through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem
ISRAEL
Israel is mentioned over 2,500 times in the Scriptures. May we each have ears to hear and hearts to obey what the Spirit of God is saying in the world today.
"Your name will no longer be Jacob," the man told him. "It is now Israel, because you have struggled with both God and men and have won." Genesis 32
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Let the congregation of Israel repeat: "His faithful love endures forever." Let Aaron's descendants, the priests, repeat: "His faithful love endures forever." Let all who fear the LORD repeat: "His faithful love endures forever." Psalm 118
And one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said, "How can you be so stupid? Why should the whole nation be destroyed? Let this one man die for the people." This prophecy that Jesus should die for the entire nation came from Caiaphas in his position as high priest. He didn't think of it himself; he was inspired to say it. It was a prediction that Jesus' death would be not for Israel only, but for the gathering together of all the children of God scattered around the world. John 11
I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud and start bragging. Some of the Jews have hard hearts, but this will last only until the complete number of Gentiles comes to Christ. And so all Israel will be saved. Do you remember what the prophets said about this? "A Deliverer will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel from all ungodliness. And then I will keep my covenant with them and take away their sins." Romans 11
"Come with me! I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." So he took me in spirit to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. Revelation 21

MOUNT SAINT HELENS VOLCANO (watch LIVE CAM now)
"The glory of GOD-let it last forever! Let GOD enjoy his creation! He takes one look at earth and triggers an earthquake, points a finger at the mountains, and volcanoes erupt. Oh, let me sing to GOD all my life long, sing hymns to my God as long as I live! Oh, let my song please him; I'm so pleased to be singing to GOD." (Psalm 104)
See video at Fox News of this this volcano here.

Oswald Chambers (1874-1917)
THE PLACE OF MINISTRY
From October 3 "My Utmost for Your Highest" by Oswald Chambers
He said to them, ’This kind [of unclean spirit] can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting’ —Mark 9:22
His disciples asked Him privately, ’Why could we not cast it out?’ " ( Mark 9:28 ). The answer lies in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. "This kind can come out by nothing but" concentrating on Him, and then doubling and redoubling that concentration on Him. We can remain powerless forever, as the disciples were in this situation, by trying to do God’s work without concentrating on His power, and by following instead the ideas that we draw from our own nature. We actually slander and dishonor God by our very eagerness to serve Him without knowing Him. When you are brought face to face with a difficult situation and nothing happens externally, you can still know that freedom and release will be given because of your continued concentration on Jesus Christ. Your duty in service and ministry is to see that there is nothing between Jesus and yourself. Is there anything between you and Jesus even now? If there is, you must get through it, not by ignoring it as an irritation, or by going up and over it, but by facing it and getting through it into the presence of Jesus Christ. Then that very problem itself, and all that you have been through in connection with it, will glorify Jesus Christ in a way that you will never know until you see Him face to face. We must be able to "mount up with wings like eagles" ( Isaiah 40:31 ), but we must also know how to come down. The power of the saint lies in the coming down and in the living that is done in the valley. Paul said, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" ( Philippians 4:13 ) and what he was referring to were mostly humiliating things. And yet it is in our power to refuse to be humiliated and to say, "No, thank you, I much prefer to be on the mountaintop with God." Can I face things as they actually are in the light of the reality of Jesus Christ, or do things as they really are destroy my faith in Him, and put me into a panic?
[Oswald Chambers was born in Scotland and spent much of his boyhood there. His ministry of teaching and preaching took him for a time to the United States and Japan. The last six years of his life were spent as principal of the Bible Training College in London, and as a chaplain to the British Commonwealth troops in Egypt during World War I. After his death, the books which bear his name were compiled by his wife from her own verbatim shorthand notes of his talks.]

1 baby; 2 child; 3 teen; 4 mother/grandmother (my kids with granddaughter); 5 grad; 6 missionary
"HUMANLY SPEAKING, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE, BUT WITH GOD EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE." - Jesus in Matthew 19
No one is more amazed than me at what God has done in my life which was a broken mess. Then at 50 years of age after giving up on ALL my dreams and hopes, the LORD told me to quit my job, move to Pensacola and go to Bible school. And what made this even more crazy was that I was in deep debt owing many thousands of dollars to several creditors! But He said, "TRUST ME", so I did and still am today... now totally debt-free - HALLELUJAH THANK YOU, JESUS!

IN THE SCHOOL AGAIN
Today I took my guitar not knowing what to expect but determnined to be ready for anything as both Bianka & I headed back to the same school we visited yesterday. We spoke in 5 classes and the hurricane & earthquake stories seemed to be a big hit! But apparently, it is quite a treat for these kids to hear from an American in person, so again we shared, we answered questions, we sang and we saw the hearts of these kids open up more and more. In the last class which was full of Moslem teenage boys, one asked, "How does my friend who is Jewish become a Christian?" pointing to someone on the other side of the room who was surprised by this - the first boy may really have been talking about himself as well - so everyone started talking at once. Then I said, "My best Friend is Jewish" and it got quiet again. "And His name is Jesus and He was born in Bethlehem! Becoming a Christian is easy, very easy... BUT, you must be serious and pray from your heart. The Bible says if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Admit you are a sinner, ask God to forgive you, and ask Jesus into your heart." Only God knows what is churning in the minds and hearts of these youths now! HALLELUJAH and THANK YOU, JESUS!