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firstIMPRESSIONS
Paul knew the meaning of the word “suffering.” He had been beaten, stoned, imprisoned, shipwrecked, starved, and rejected. And yet Paul said that his sufferings were nothing compared to the glory that would come. In other words, Paul had opened a lot of empty eggs, but he never gave up or got discouraged. He believed that something great was in his future – God’s glory revealed in him. Perhaps it feels to you as if your life has been nothing but empty eggs. You’ve already opened 99000 of them and you’re not sure you’ve got the will to go on. Let me encourage you today. Don’t give up. I don’t want to trivialize the challenges you are facing, but I do want to help you put them into perspective. They are only temporary, and God has something much greater in store for you. Compared to the glory that will be revealed in us one day, our suffering doesn’t merit discouragement. Romans 8:18 tells us “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us.” Hang on. Don’t give up. Keep going. One day God will replace your discouragement with incomparable glory! Here is your copy of firstIMPRESSIONS, Volume 7.33. Live for God, on purpose, each and every day knowing that He will never leave you nor forsake you! |
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 When Life Doesn’t Make Sense
A family is driving down the road, eagerly anticipating their summer vacation, when out of nowhere, a drunk driver broadsides them, instantly killing their 8 year old son. A lady goes to her doctor for what she thought was a routine exam, only to be informed she has an incurable ailment. While working for a major corporation, a father of three is informed that the company will be downsizing, and his job will be terminated in one month. These are but made-up examples of what takes place in thousands of people’s lives every day. Perhaps something similar has happened to you or to one you love. You may be a committed Christian, and living faithfully for the Lord every day. But, this doesn’t exempt you from any number of drastic, life-changing events. What happens to folks going through such experiences? Some have walked away from their faith, thinking that God deserted them. Some have become angry, blaming God for their situation. Others begin to think God must not even exist, for He surely wouldn’t allow such things to happen. How do you react when life just doesn’t seem to make sense? In Romans 8:35 the apostle Paul asks us “...Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?” This Sunday morning here at WFA we will share some valuable tools for you when you inevitably encounter these difficult times in life. You won’t want to miss this timely message. (top)  Assemblies of God Elects New General Superintendent
Dr. George O. Wood was elected last Friday to lead the largest Pentecostal denomination in the nation. Wood, elected on the sixth electoral ballot, will succeed Thomas E. Trask as the 12th general superintendent of the Assemblies of God. “I am deeply humbled by the grace that you’ve extended,” Wood told pastors and delegates Friday morning at the General Council meeting in Indianapolis. “We all came into this Council just wanting the Lord’s will, and I approach this moment with fear and trembling because this is such a great church and such great people and there are so many qualified people who can serve in this role.” The son of missionary parents to China and Tibet, Wood has served as general secretary of the Assemblies of God since 1993, the same year Trask was elected to his current office. Trask unexpectedly announced last month that he will step down from office, two years earlier than his term ends. Wood will serve the remaining two years of the term. “Brother Trask has filled this role with grace and power and no one will ever take his place,” Wood said. “He has blazed his imprint on all our lives.” Under the leadership of Trask the Pentecostal group has grown in membership and now claims over 2.8 million members in the United States and 57 million worldwide. Trask attributes the growth of the body to the countless prayers across the denomination. “If there has been any accomplishment or any advancement of this church, it has to be because of the many, many people who were praying for us,” said Trask in his reflection looking back at 19 years of ministry. In his farewell speech on Wednesday, Trask called the Assemblies of God to be an authentic Pentecostal church amid the nation’s moral collapse. And he further urged the Pentecostals to look not at the rising numbers within the denomination, but at the billions of people around the world who have yet to know Jesus Christ. It’s not about feeling good in church, but “it’s about taking as many people to heaven with us,” said Trask. Trask will leave the office 60 days after the end of the General Council, which ended last Saturday. Other major changes to the Assemblies of God included the election of the first African-American to one of the top six executive officer positions – Zollie L. Smith Jr. as executive director of Assemblies of God U.S. Missions. L. Alton Garrison was elected assistant superintendent, succeeding Charles T. Crabtree, and John M. Palmer was elected general secretary. (top)  A/G Launches ‘Revolutionary’ Church Planting Thrust
The Assemblies of God launched an aggressive church planting initiative that will bring Sunday worship services to popular hangouts in the next two years. MX9 is a new campaign in which the Pentecostals will double their current church plant rate aiming for 1,000 new churches by 2009. And already, 610 church starts have been pledged. “MX9 will be a great catalyst to help us move forward in our calling as Christians to fulfill the Great Commission,” said U.S. Missions Executive Director Alton Garrison, who was elected Assistant General Superintendent last week at the General Council. The next 1,000 churches will be launched not only in churches but also in shopping centers, movie theaters, rented schools, coffeehouses, homes and even satellite sites as the nation’s largest Pentecostal denomination adopts ways to reach the unchurched in the 21st century. According to Steve Pike, director of church planting for Assemblies of God U.S. Missions, MX9 represents the first centralized strategy and source of funding to promote church planting since the denomination renewed its church planting focus in the 1990s. The Church Multiplication Network, which Pike is directing, will create a fund from which new churches can be supported indefinitely. Local church planters will raise funds for start-up costs and the Assemblies of God will match the funds raised with loans available exclusively to church planters that partner with districts or parent churches. There is a $30,000 cap per congregation. When the money is repaid, the limit will be raised. The Assemblies of God has committed $2 million to the Church Multiplication Network. Pike called the new initiative a revolutionary way of thinking about church starts. The church planting thrust comes as the Pentecostal denomination is placing greater emphasis on world evangelization. Although the Assemblies of God has grown to over 2.8 million members in the United States and 57 million worldwide, retiring general superintendent Thomas E. Trask called Pentecostals to focus on the billions of people around the world who have yet to know Jesus Christ. Last week, 123 new World Missions candidates were commissioned to go to 51 nations. The Assemblies of God currently has more than 2,700 missionaries and missionary associates in 212 countries. The 2007-2008 missions theme is “Everywhere.” “We have to overcome the thinking that everyone in America has been presented with the gospel. There are millions of people who are isolated from any meaningful contact with the body of Christ,” said Pike. This year, Pentecostal youth have also launched their greatest student evangelism initiative – Dreaming 2015 – with a goal of reaching 1 million American teenagers and grafting them into a local church by the end of 2015. “Our Fellowship was birthed with a heart for evangelism. We are asking the Holy Spirit to call adults and youth – those with credentials and laypersons – to evangelism,” David Lee, director for Assemblies of God World Missions U.S. Relations. (top)  It’s Your Pearl!
by Jewel Diamond Taylor When something irritates you, how do you handle it? When an irritation like a foreign substance gets inside an oyster, it produces a secretion. After months the secretion hardens and evolves into a pearl. Man dives dangerously in the deep seas seeking pearls. They are valuable sought after treasures. People actually pay for this “irritation” that evolved into a pearl. When an irritation gets inside your spirit and life, you can either allow it to eat you up and develop ulcers, hypertension, back ache, head ache, stomach ache, heart ache or you can gain a pearl of wisdom from the experience. You can develop a new insight, faith and a life lesson from your setbacks and pain. This pearl of great price that you’ve gained was once an irritation, an unwelcome intrusion into your life but now you see it differently. You come out of the depths of the sea of despair, depression and discouragement. You can come out of the dark pool of water and rise to the surface and see the light. It’s your pearl. Turn your pain into pearls. (top)  Conquering Depression
“Be at rest...O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.” – Psalm 116:7 When you’re depressed your motivation is drained, your desire to pursue God is gone, your conversations turn sour, you’re blinded to your blessings, your enthusiasm is forced, you’re in a daze regarding future plans. What’s the way out? Find the cause of your depression! Unconfessed sin is like a stone in your shoe. Get it out! No holiday, job change, relationship change or doctor will heal it: ”...your sins have cut you off from God” (Isaiah 59:2 NLT). Greed can depress you too. King Ahab’s obsession with Naboth’s vineyard affected his entire family: “He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house” (Proverbs 15:27). Constantly comparing yourself to others can also depress you. So can finding fault. “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles” (Proverbs 21:23). So can an unforgiving attitude. Fatigue is also a major cause. One U.S. President refused to make important decisions at the end of the day, insisting that rest was necessary to exercising good judgment. As great as their assignment was, Jesus often called His disciples aside to rest. He knew that when fatigue walks in, faith walks out. So how can you conquer depression? • Through prayer! Oswald J. Smith said that the happiest moments of his life were during prayer and Bible reading. He called this his ’morning watch.’ He also said praying aloud prevented his thoughts from wandering. • Through God’s Word! Jeremiah said, “When Your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight” (Jeremiah 15:16). Daily prayer and the reading of God’s Word is a prescription that can help heal your emotions and lift your depression. Try it! from The Word for Today, August 8, 2007; www.thewordfortoday.com.au (top)  Continue
If you’re born again and have the Word of God in your heart, you can live in victory. You may not have all the answers. There may be a great many spiritual things you don’t understand. But it’s not those things that are most likely to destroy you. It’s the things you know to do—but don’t—that usually make you fall. Just think about walking at night down a dark, unfamiliar path in the middle of a jungle. The guide up ahead has a flashlight to keep you on the right path. But then, you just decide to wander off into the darkness by yourself. What do you think will happen to you? You’ll probably stumble and fall. Very likely, you’ll get hurt. That’s exactly the same thing that can happen in your walk with the Lord. He knows what’s ahead and He shines just enough light for you to take one step at a time. You have to continue walking in that light in order to get where you’re going. You may not know why He’s leading you a certain way. You may not understand all the things involved. But God will make up for your ignorance by the Holy Spirit. He’ll see to it that you have victory if you continue in what you know. It’s good to keep studying. It’s good to keep learning. But, remember, it’s not the great revelation you haven’t yet had that will cause you the most trouble. It’s failing to walk in the ones God has already given you. So be faithful in those things. Continue in them day after day after day. You’ll make it through just fine! (top) 
by Todd Barsnes Reason #1: Prayer by godly, repentant people pleases God. Reason #2: Prayer gives God an avenue to demonstrate His love, forgiveness, mercy, power, grace, and strength. Reason #3: Prayer is a way we gain confidence knowing God is near and that He listens and answers according to His will. Reason #4: Prayer exhibits a humble, submissive attitude of trust in God. Reason #5: Prayer is a means by which we can follow Christ’s example. Reason #6: Prayer helps open our eyes to eternal, primary realities and helps us focus on godly values and priorities. Reason #7: Prayer is honored by God Almighty, and when He so desires, He delivers us from physical and spiritual disaster. Reason #8: Prayer is a means by which we can confess personal and corporate sin. Reason #9: Prayer is honored by God as the avenue of strengthening people. Reason #10: Prayer, uttered by righteous, holy, blameless people, works. Reason #11: Prayer is the power God uses to help others have spiritual understanding and the strength to live fruitful lives for His glory. Reason #12: Prayer changes our attitude about enemies. Reason #13: Prayer is a way for believers to be truly one in Christ. Reason #14: Prayer is vital for the believer if he is to stay watchful and thankful. Reason #15: Prayer provides us with the opportunity to be involved in the evangelistic and discipleship ministries of others. Reason #16: Prayer is a means by which we find godly leaders and direction for the church. Reason #17: Prayer is vital for spiritual maturity. Reason #18: Prayer is the antidote to worry and anxiousness. Reason #19: Prayer goes hand-in-hand with emotional, spiritual, mental and physical healing. Reason #20: Prayer is a way to influence people we can’t influence any other way. Reason #21: Prayer is a commandment. (top)  The Last Impression...
A man in Topeka, Kansas decided to write a book about churches around the country. He started by flying to San Francisco and worked east from there. Going to a very large church, he began taking photographs and notes. He spotted a golden telephone on the vestibule wall and was intrigued by a sign which read: “$10,000 a minute.” Seeking out the Pastor he asked about the phone and the sign. The Pastor explained that the golden phone was, in fact, a direct line to Heaven and if he paid the price he could talk directly to God. The man thanked the Pastor and continued on his way. As he continued to visit churches in Seattle, San Diego, Chicago, Greensboro, Tampa and all around the United States, he found more phones with the same sign and got the same answer from each Pastor. Finally, he arrived in Texas. Upon entering a church in Dallas, behold, he saw the usual golden telephone. But THIS time, the sign read: “Calls: 35 cents.” Fascinated, he asked to talk to the Pastor. “Reverend, I have been in cities all across the country and in each church I have found this golden telephone. I have been told it is a direct line to Heaven and that I could talk to God, but, in the other churches the cost was $10,000 a minute. Your sign reads 35 cents. Why?” The Pastor, smiling benignly, replied, “Son, you’re in Texas now... It’s a local call.” I can’t really speak about Texas, only having visited there on a few occasions. But, here in Delaware, specifically at WFA, you can talk to God directly without any phone, and at no charge! Join us this Sunday as we talk to our Lord – and worship Him together! |
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Yours for HIM, |
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Imagine that I dump 10,000 plastic eggs in your back yard. I assure you that inside one of those hollow eggs is a check for 1 million dollars with your name on it. Would you get discouraged if you opened the first 100 eggs without finding the check? How about the first 1000 eggs? Of course not! You’d just keep opening those eggs, just waiting for the moment when you’d find the check.
