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firstIMPRESSIONS
Throughout the day, people kept asking me how it felt to be fifty. Well, I am pleased to report that it doesn’t feel any different than it felt to be forty-nine years, three hundred and sixty-four days old. It was just another day when I woke up. And that made me think, and give thanks to God – isn’t it a very good thing that we don’t really get a year older on our birthday! Can you imagine how it would be if on your birthday you woke up in the morning to discover that you had aged a complete year overnight! It’s a good thing that we grow older on a continual basis, not in one-year leaps! The truth is, all of life is like that. We look up to certain people, and marvel at their depth and maturity in the Lord, and we say to ourselves that we would like to be that way. Understand that they didn’t become as they are overnight – it was a process that brought them to where they are, and it will be a process that will take you to where you want to be. And, sadly at times we see some that have become ship-wrecked in the faith, and we pray that we don’t end up as they are. We may become aware of an event in their life that seemed to be their undoing. But, just as we age continually and just as it is a process of maturing, it is also a process of falling away from the Lord. People don’t backslide in one day. It is a series of poor decisions and ill-advised actions, over a lengthy period of time, which steers the ship of their life into the rocky cliffs of destruction. So, how does if feel to be fifty? It feels just the same as it did the day before. And tomorrow will feel the same way, too. But the accumulation of days will gradually shape and form me into how I will feel at fifty-one. And, in the same way, the combination of my personal choices and decisions mixed with the opportunities that arise will shape who I will be in the days, months and years to come, should Jesus tarry. Here is your copy of firstIMPRESSIONS, Volume 6.03. Live for God, on purpose, for each day is brings opportunities from God to become who He wants you to be! |
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 Leonard T. Jones, Son of the King!
As a young believer, I heard the story many times. So many times, it became woven into the fabric of my being. My mentor and father in the Lord, Rev. Leonard T. Jones, often told the story of a time in his life, as a young man in Los Angeles, California, where due to the various situations and circumstances in his life, he had not much of this world’s goods to call his own, and just a few coins in his pocket – enough simply for perhaps a cup of coffee. In such a situation, the natural tendency would be to feel quite down and depressed. And, I am sure that the devil would have no greater joy than for that to happen. But, the Holy Spirit clearly spoke to Leonard, encouraging him in the faith, allowing him to recognize that his worldly position was but just a passing thing, but that his eternal position was one of great value! So, Leonard picked up his step, lifted up his head, and boldly walked into a local restaurant, sitting down at a table and waiting to be served. As the story goes, the waitress saw Leonard walk in, and was so taken with the manner in which he carried himself, thought that perhaps he was perhaps a movie star! She quietly approached him, and proceeded to ask him for his autograph! Undaunted by the request, and still feeling encouraged in the Lord, he took pen and paper in hand and provided the requested autograph, signing it “Leonard T. Jones, son of the King.” There have been so many times in my own life that I have felt down and dejected. Life, as I am sure you know, has its share of euphoric moments, as well as its times of hardship and trouble. Although we can trust in the Lord for our salvation, that doesn’t excuse us from the problems of this world. And when the times are hard, and my flesh wants to just give up, I am reminded of Leonard’s story, and recognize that like him, I too am the son of the King! We may not always be able to change the circumstances around us, but we can always change our outlook and disposition in the midst of things! Here at WFA this Sunday morning, we will have royalty in our midst! Our special guest speaker will be Rev. Leonard T. Jones – son of the King! You won’t want to miss it! (top)  Thank You, Lord
A newly arrived soul in Heaven was met by St. Peter. The saint toured the soul around Heaven. Both of them walked side by side inside a large workroom filled with angels. St. Peter stopped in front of the first section and said, “This is the Receiving Section. Here, all the petitions to God said in prayer are received”. The soul looked at the section, and it was terribly busy with so many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets from all the people of the world. They walked again until they reached the 2nd section, and St. Peter told the soul, “This is the Packaging and Delivery Section. Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are packed and delivered to the persons who asked for them down on earth.” The soul saw how busy it was. There were so many angels working in that room, since so many blessings were being packed and delivered to Earth. Finally at the farthest corner of the room, the soul stopped at the last section. To the surprise of the soul, only one angel stayed there idly, doing nothing. “This is the Acknowledging Section,” St. Peter told the soul. “How is it that, there is no work here?” “That’s the sad thing,” St. Peter answered. “After the people received the blessings they asked for, very few send their acknowledgments”. “How does one acknowledge God’s blessing?” “Simple,” St. Peter answered. “Just say, “‘thank you, Lord’.” Thank you Lord, for giving me the chance to share this message with others and also, for giving me so many wonderful people to share this with. If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep... you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace... you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy. If you woke up this morning with more health than illness... you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week. If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation you are ahead of 500 million people in the world. If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death... you are more blessed than three billion people in the world. If your parents are still alive and still married... you are very rare, even in the United States and Canada. If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful... you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not. If you can hold someone’s hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder... you are blessed because you can offer healing touch. If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you, and furthermore, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read at all. Have a good day, count your blessings, and pass this along to remind everyone else how blessed we all are. THANK YOU LORD! (top)  Your Bank Account
Pretend you are given a bank account that receives a fresh deposit of $86,400 every day. You are free to spend the money any way you want, but the unspent balance is not carried forward to the next day. Regardless of what you’ve spent by the end of the day, the balance is reset daily at $86,400. What would you do with such a bank account? Now consider the fact that each dollar represents the number of seconds in one day: 24x60x60=86,400 seconds. Once they are “spent,” they disappear; and the balance is reset at 12:00:01 a.m. every day. Some people become slaves of what they have, living frantic lives, trying to spend time, talent, and treasure before they lose it. In so doing, they become servants of things that are supposed to serve them. Jesus said we cannot serve both God and money (things of this world). And the only way to keep our priorities straight is to have a wise, godly plan: Today I’m going to glorify God this way with my time, talent, and treasure. Do you have such a plan? (top)  Five Finger Prayer
1. Your thumb is nearest you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis once said, a “sweet duty.” 2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers. 3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God’s guidance. 4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger – as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them. 5. And lastly comes our little finger; the smallest finger of all which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, “The least shall be the greatest among you.” Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively. (top)  Lessons on Life
There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away. The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall. When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen. The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise. The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen. The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment. The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree’s life. He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up. If you give up when it’s winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall. Don’t let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest. Don’t judge life by one difficult season. Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come some time or later. (top)  I Asked, He Gave
I asked for Strength... And God gave me Difficulties to make me strong. I asked for Wisdom... And God gave me Problems to solve. I asked for Prosperity... And God gave me a Brain and Brawn to work. I asked for Courage... And God gave me Danger to overcome. I asked for Love... And God gave me Troubled people to help. I asked for Favors... And God gave me Opportunities. I received nothing I wanted. I received everything I needed. (top)  4 Wives
Once upon a time there was a rich King who had four wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to the finest of delicacies. He gave her nothing but the best. He also loved the 3rd wife very much and was always showing her off to neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one day she would leave him for another. He also loved his 2nd wife. She was his confidant and was always kind, considerate and patient with him. Whenever the King faced a problem, he could confide in her, and she would help him get through the difficult times. The King’s 1st wife was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom. However, he did not love the first wife. Although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her! One day, the King fell ill and he knew his time was short. He thought of his luxurious life and wondered, I now have four wives with me, but when I die, I’ll be all alone.” Thus, he asked the 4th wife, “I loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I’m dying, will you follow me and keep me company?” “No way!” replied the 4th wife, and she walked away without another word. Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into his heart. The sad King then asked the 3rd wife, “I loved you all my life. Now that I’m dying, will you follow me and keep me company?” “No!” replied the 3rd wife. “Life is too good! When you die, I’m going to remarry!” His heart sank and turned cold. He then asked the 2nd wife, “I have always turned to you for help and you’ve always been there for me. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?” “I’m sorry, I can’t help you out this time!” replied the 2nd wife. “At the very most, I can only walk with you to your grave.” Her answer struck him like a bolt of lightning, and the King was devastated. Then a voice called out: “I’ll go with you. I’ll follow you no matter where you go.” The King looked up, and there was his first wife. She was very skinny as she suffered from malnutrition and neglect. Greatly grieved, the King said, “I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!” In truth, we all have the 4 wives in our lives: Our 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it will leave us when we die. Our 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, it will all go to others. Our 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how much they have been there for us, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave. And our 1st wife is our Soul. Often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power and pleasures of the world. However, our Soul is the only thing that will follow us wherever we go. Cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only part of us that will follow us to the throne of God and continue with us throughout Eternity. (top)  The Last Impression...
Little Susie, a six-year-old, came home from school whining, “Mommy, I’ve got a stomachache.” “That’s because your stomach is empty,” her mother replied. “You’d feel better if you had something in it.” She gave Susie a snack and sure enough, Susie felt better right away. That afternoon the family’s minister dropped by. While he was chatting with Susie’s mom, he mentioned he’d had a bad headache all day long. Susie perked up. “That’s because it’s empty,” she said. “You’d feel better if you had something in it.” This will be an exciting and dynamic weekend here at WFA! We have a very special worship experience awaiting us! I am thrilled to have the opportunity to introduce Rev. Leonard Jones to my church family, and I am eagerly anticipating a powerful and dynamic time together as we worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth! |
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Yours for HIM, |
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According to the old Mother Goose poem, “Monday’s Child Is Fair of Face,” anyone born on a Wednesday is full of woe. Well, I was born on a Wednesday, and this past Wednesday was the fiftieth anniversary of that date. So, I was interested in just why it is that all of us “Wednesday birth-ers” were supposed to be full of woe. After some research, it would appear that the intent of the indication of “woe” is far different than it appears on the surface. It was meant to imply that we would be “a serious person, and try to change things that seem unfair. You make the world a better place!” Now I don’t feel quite so bad!
