WFA.org

A man found a cocoon of an emperor moth. He took it home so that he could watch the moth come out of the cocoon. On the day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the moth for several hours as the moth struggled to force it body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. It just seemed to be stuck.

The man, in his kindness, decided to help the moth, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The moth then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the moth because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.

Neither happened! In fact, the little moth spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly. What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the moth to get through the tiny opening were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the moth into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon. Freedom and flight would only come after the struggle. By depriving the moth of a struggle, he deprived the moth of health.

Sometimes, struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If God allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been.

How true this is! How many times have we wanted to take the quick way out of struggles and difficulties, to take those scissors and snip off the remaining bits in an attempt to be free. We need to remember that our loving Father will never give us more that we can bear and through our trials and struggles we are strengthened as gold is refined in the fire.

May we never let the things we can’t have, or don’t have, or shouldn’t have, spoil our enjoyment of the things we do have and can have. Don’t focus on the things you DON’T have, enjoy each moment of every day God has given you. This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.

So let’s take today, even with its struggles and make it a good day. Our loving Father God has given this day to me to use as best as I can. The struggles of life won’t go away, but remember that God is allowing us to go through it for a reason.

Here is your copy of firstIMPRESSIONS, Volume 9.11. Live for God, on purpose, trusting Him even in the midst of the struggles and difficulties we face each day!

The Cry Of Promise

We live in such a crazy world today. There have never been more ways for people to connect than we have today. There are clubs and organizations to join. Places to go. Things to do. You can even connect to other people online in everything from chatrooms to Facebook!

But, in the midst of all this “connection,” people in general seem to be more disconnected than ever before.

People are lonely today. On average, folks move from one location to another every four years. Families are uprooted and broken apart. Although people send email, make phone calls and text messages, we have become more and more “cocooned.”

The trouble is, people were not meant to be alone. When God created man, He said the “it is not good for man to be alone.” God is indeed concerned when we experience loneliness.

We are considering Christ’s “Cries from the Cross” in this current series of messages here at WFA. It’s interesting to note that as Christ hung on the cross, he looked down, and the Bible tells us that He “saw his mother there.” He also saw, standing with her, the apostle John. Christ was concerned for his mother, most likely a widow. And so, John 19:26-27 records these “Cries from the Cross.” He says to His mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to John he says, “Here is your mother.”

God is still concerned about relationships today, and He desires that we all have family. While your physical family may not be close to you, we are called as His people to become family to one another, even as John became the son of Mary.

This is Christ’s “Cry of Promise” to you – you need not be alone! There is family and friendship in the people of God! Join us this week as we explore this second “Cry from the Cross!”

B.G.M.C. – Buy a Great
Missions Cookbook!

Do you love missions? Do you love to eat? Well, here’s an opportunity for you to have some of the greatest recipes from around the world! Featuring 548 unique recipes from our multi-ethnic church, WFA’s “The Celestial Kitchen” cookbook comes in a beautiful hard-binder format. The book is comprised of ethnic, contemporary and traditional recipes. It is unlike any cookbook you have ever seen before!

When you purchase “The Celestial Kitchen,” 100% of the proceeds go to missions! The production costs have been entirely underwritten, so every dollar we receive for this great cookbook is given to B.G.M.C., the missions outreach of our children’s ministries, SuperKIDS. B.G.M.C. is the missions education emphasis for children in the Assemblies of God. It provides resources to help teach kids about missions. It supports our missionaries in their fields of ministry in America and around the world.

While supplies last, you can order your copy of “The Celestial Kitchen” now. Cost is $20 per cookbook or $18 for 3 or more. Make your check payable to WFA, and send it to WFA Cookbook, 201 Hawthorne Drive, Wilmington, DE 19802. There is no charge for shipping and handling.

Blaming or Building

by Jeff Leake

This past week the Dallas Cowboys released Terrell Owens, who is one of the most talented receivers alive. They did so even though he was under contract for the next few years. They did so even though they will have to pay him something like 9 million dollars even if he does not play at all. Why?

T.O. has character issues. They say he is a cancer to a locker room. He complains. He criticizes his quarterbacks. He is a constant one man soap opera. So even though he has a boat-load of talent, the Cowboys would rather play without him. And it seems, at least at the moment, that no one else wants him either.

How does such a talented person get this way? BTW – this is not the first time a team wanted to get rid of him. He has had the same problem with three separate teams now. We actually can learn something very important for T.O.’s perpetual immaturity. What?

When things go wrong in your life you have a choice. You can either BLAME or you can seek to BUILD your own character. I don’t think I have ever heard Terrell take responsibility for any part of a problem. For Owens, it is always someone else’s fault.

Problems, conflict, failure, criticism are all opportunities to learn and grow as a person. So how do we avoid the pattern of perpetual immaturity?

1. Look Inside First – when things aren’t going well, try to discern your own contribution to the problem before looking elsewhere. Even if your part is a small percentage of the issue, take responsibility for it and not only will you grow, you will model for others what it takes to be part of the solution.

2. Seek Input From Positive People – Ask trusted friends to speak into your life and point out blind spots for you. It is important that you go to people that you know are committed to you first of all, because you can trust their words and gifts to your soul.

3. Welcome Criticism – One source that we can learn from more than we realize is that of harsh criticism. Typically there is a tiny nugget of truth in what a negative critical person is saying to us. We show great maturity when we can identify the 2% that they are right about and spit out the 98% that they are wrong about.

4. Verbalize Ownership + Seek Forgiveness – We lead when we acknowledge our faults and ask forgiveness. We feel like it is humiliating, but in reality it is one the moments when you stand tallest in the eyes of others.

5. Refuse To Blame – While no doubt others are also wrong too, and obviously there has to be ownership on their part as well, it is not your job to try to correct in the midst of a conflict. We must avoid becoming bitter (placing blame in our hearts). We must also avoid verbalizing the ‘you were wrong too’ feelings that we have.

6. Propose Win-Win Solutions – in attempting the fix what’s broken, try to find a way for everyone involved to come away with a win. Address the issue in a way that takes everyone’s thoughts, feelings, and concerns into account.

7. Smile + Stay Positive – cheerful positive people are hard to resist. So don’t let someone else get the best of you. Don’t let them see you sweat. Stay soft. Be positive. Rise above.

as seen in Pastor Jeff Leake’s blog “The Launch Pad,” on Saturday, March 7, 2009. http://jeffleake.typepad.com/the_launchpad/2009/03/blaming-or-building.html. Jeff Leake pastors Allison Park Church in Pittsburgh, PA

12 Clear Promises You Can Claim

1. God’s presence —”I will never leave you” (Hebrews 13:5)

2. God’s protection —”I am your shield” (Genesis 15:1)

3. God’s power —”I will strengthen you” (Isaiah 41:10)

4. God’s provision —”I will help you” (Isaiah 41:10)

5. God’s answers —”Call to me, and I will answer you” (Jeremiah 33:3)

6. God’s purposes —”I know the plans I have for you... plans to prosper you and not to harm you.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

7. God’s rest —”Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28)

8. God’s cleansing —”If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9)

9. God’s provisions —”Those who fear him lack nothing” (Psalms 34:9)

10. God’s faithfulness —”God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19)

11. God’s guidance —”If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5)

12. God’s wise plan —”in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28)

America is Becoming Less Christian, Less Religious

The results of a study, which began in 1990, reveal that the percentage of people in America with no religion is growing, while the percentage of people who call themselves Christian is shrinking. In 1990, 8.2 percent of Americans claimed no religion. In 2008, that number had grown to 15 percent. The category of “no religion” includes atheists, agnostics and those who claim no religious identity. Other findings of the survey were:

Sixty-nine percent of the population believes in a personal God.

In 1990, Oregon led the nation in “no religion” (18%), but in 2008 the leader, with 34 percent, was Vermont.

Fifteen and Eight tenths percent of the population identifies themselves as Baptist, down from 19.3 percent in 1990.

The percentage of people who call themselves in some way “Christian” has dropped more than 11 percent since 1990. This coincides with an 11 percent increase in those who have no religion or have chosen a non-Christian religion.

Islam and Eastern religions have had slight growth in the percentage of the population (each under 1%) since 1990.

The percentage of the population that is part of mainline Protestant denominations has dropped from 18.7 percent in 1990 to 12.9 percent in 2008.

“More than ever before, people are just making up their own stories of who they are. They say, ‘I’m everything. I’m nothing. I believe in myself,’“ says Barry Kosmin, survey co-author. Kosmin also concluded from the 1990 data that many saw God as a “personal hobby,” and that the U.S.A. is “a greenhouse for spiritual sprouts.” Today, he says, “religion has become more like a fashion statement, not a deep personal commitment for many.”

But the survey also revealed some encouraging trends. The percentage of Americans who identify with non-mainline Protestant denominations has grown slightly over the past 18 years from 2.6 percent to 3.1 percent. Also, Pentecostal and Charismatic denominations, that represented 3.2 percent of the population in 1990, now make up 3.5 percent of the population.

The American Religious Identification Survey was based on 113,000 interviews in 1990, 50,000 in 2001 and 54,000 in 2008. [USAToday.com]

as seen in the March 13, 2009 issue of “The Pastor’s Weekly Briefing”

You Are Not a Nobody!

by Chuck Swindoll

1. Who taught Martin Luther his theology and inspired his translation of the New Testament?

2. Who visited Dwight L. Moody at a shoe store and spoke to him about Christ?

3. Who was the wife of Charles Haddon Spurgeon?

4. Who was the elderly woman who prayed faithfully for Billy Graham for over twenty years?

5. Who financed William Carey’s ministry in India?

6. Who refreshed the apostle Paul in a Roman dungeon as he wrote his last letter to Timothy?

7. Who helped Charles Wesley get underway as a composer of hymns?

8. Who found the Dead Sea Scrolls?

9. Who followed Hudson Taylor and gave the China Inland Mission its remarkable direction?

10. Who were the parents of the godly and gifted prophet Daniel?

Okay, how did you do? Over fifty percent? Maybe twenty-five percent? Not quite that good? Before you excuse your inability to answer the questions by calling the quiz “trivia,” better stop and think. Had it not been for those unknown people – those “nobodies” – a huge chunk of church history would be missing, and a lot of lives would have been untouched.

Nobodies.

What a necessary band of men and women... servants of the King... yet nameless in the kingdom! Men and women who, with silent heroism, yet faithful diligence, relinquish the limelight and live in the shade of public figures. What was it Jim Elliot, the martyred messenger of the gospel to the Aucas, once called missionaries? Something like a bunch of nobodies trying to exalt Somebody.

But don’t mistake anonymous for unnecessary. Otherwise, the whole Body gets crippled – even paralyzed... or, at best, terribly dizzy as the majority of the members within the Body become diseased with self-pity and discouragement. Face it, friend, the Head of the Body calls the shots. It is His prerogative to publicize some and hide others. Don’t ask me why He chooses whom He uses. If it’s His desire to use you as a Melanchthon rather than a Luther... or a Kimball rather than a Moody... or an Onesiphorus rather than a Paul, relax!

Better than that, give God praise! You’re among that elite group mentioned in I Corinthians 12 as: ...some of the parts that seemed weakest and least important are really the most necessary... So God has put the body together in such a way that extra honor and care are given to those parts that might otherwise seem less important (vv. 22,24, TLB).

If it weren’t for the heroic “nobodies,” we wouldn’t have top-notch officers to give a church its leadership or quality sound when everyone shows up to worship or janitors who clean when everyone is long gone or committees to provide dozens of services behind the scenes or mission volunteers who staff offices at home or work in obscurity overseas with only a handful of people. Come to think of it, if it weren’t for the faithful “nobodies,” you wouldn’t even have this [paper] in your hands right now.

Nobodies... exalting Somebody.

Are you one? Listen to me! It’s the “nobodies” Somebody chooses so carefully. And when He has selected you for that role, He does not consider you a nobody. Be encouraged!

The Last Impression

The Lone Ranger and Tonto went camping in the desert. After they got their tent all set up, both men fell sound asleep.

Some hours later, Tonto woke the Lone Ranger and said, “Kemo Sabe, look at sky. What you see?”

The Lone Ranger replied, “I see millions of stars.”

“What that tell you?” asked Tonto.

The Lone Ranger pondered for a minute and then said, “Astronomically speaking, it tells me there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo. Time wise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three in the morning. Theologically, the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What’s it tell you, Tonto?”

“You dumber than buffalo patties. It mean someone stole tent!”

Just like the Lone Ranger, we sometimes overlook the obvious! How are things in your life? If it seems as though you are stressed, depressed, confused and concerned, and have tried everything there is to try – perhaps the answer isn’t in any “things” but rather, in your relationship with the Lord! Why not make a fresh start now! Rather than focusing on your difficulties, start to focus on the Lord! Look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith!